Java City

The original and much loved Java City on 18^th and Capitol Avenue served it’s last brew at 5 p.m. Tuesday June 19, 2012. We mourn the loss of an old friend, who faithfully served us aromatic coffee, hearty breakfasts, fresh lunches and smiles for 26 years.
When I first met Java City, I was impressed with it’s convenient location, gigantic shade tree and old fashioned coffee scale in the seating area. Java city soon remodeled with modern lighting and seating to accommodate its many customers who worked, studied and took advantage of its free WiFi. Although the interior was modernized none of the charm of the rustic old building was lost. As always it remained a quite calming sanctuary away from the hectic pace of downtown only a few blocks away.
I spent many hours studying away among some of the more interesting mid town characters. Whether I was enjoying one of the best fruit smoothies in town or a creamy, delicious Mint Javalanche, I always knew it would be prepared to perfection by one of your friendly javanistas and the people would unconventional. Java City your breakfast bagels were hot and hearty, your sandwiches could not be fresher and you introduced me to Captain Eli’s Blueberry Soda. So many great beverages, so many great memories. Nobody does blended coffee drinks or smoothies to your level of creamy deliciousness.
Java City is survived by its wholesale online business and can be found on American Airlines, hospitals, businesses, universities and airports around the world. Java City will live in our memories not just for its coffee but as a welcoming place where all residents of the city could enjoy. Rest in peace Java City.

Sad to see this place closing if that’s true. I enjoyed a lot of their drinks-​coffee and tea. Used to be my regular stop when I worked down the street. Now if I was ever in the area, I’d always have to stop by. When in doubt could never go wrong with a nice creamy iced coffee (couldn’t find similar elsewhere when just needed a light iced coffee with my sweet tooth). Made the most of their drink cards and accumulated a couple of free ones. Not a big fan of the pastries as much, but liked the sandwiches.
As for the overall experience, it is a really good place to get some reading and work done since it’s not as loud as some of the surrounding cafes. Plus to top it off, the STAFF is GREAT! They get to know you by your name and make conversation which is really nice =)
Yes, parking isn’t that great in the area but it’s due to being right next to places like Zocalo’s and Paesanos. I was usually walking when i went there so didn’t bother as much. Not sure what the status of the place is, but it’ll be missed if doesn’t come back. Thanks Java City!

Place is not kept clean. Crumbs everywhere. Iced coffee looks like tea and tastes like bitter brown water with coffee essence.
Plus weak wifi.
Maybe this why starbucks still dominates the market.

I LOVE JAVA! Seriously i do, ive already gone through two of those little drink card things to get a free drink. Sad i know… im not crazy about the pastries too much though… the krispy treats have too much marshmallow flavor to it but i dont like marshmallows much so i guess it might just be me? im picky when it comes to my pastries…
I like this spot though, finding parking around the place is nearly impossible unless you make your own spot then your good. but seriously parking is a b**** around there.
I myself always get the iced mayan mochas. Im like addicted to them, really good and so is the cinnamon roll latte. i think thats what its called, thats really really good too! theres alot of places to sit if you have a laptop and the art on the walls is always changing so its a cool place.

Bitter Americano, with 2 inches of room I didn’t need and specifically vocalized unnecessary. Dimly lit lobby. Bathroom unclean and poorly maintained. Baristas fairly nice, but slightly condescending vibe. Not the worst, but I won’t be back.

z0mg… I want to support you sooo badly b/​c you’re local.
BUT tonight was 2^nd Saturday. You had a FULL HOUSE of guests /​customers. When was the last time this occurred? Seriously, a rare phenomenon for your coffee shop considering the cult followings of Old Soul, Temple, Naked, etc.
The musicians you booked to bring so many customers are talented people (James Cavern, Bell Boys) … then you rushed everyone out because you closed at 8 PM. I got an online notice that the music would go till 9 PM, reasonable for any given Saturday — let alone a 2^nd Sat.
Your really POOR business sense and practice have cost you this customer. Get a clue from Insight. Their location (8^th & S sts) isn’t the real estate jackpot your corner is… but they’ve got community and know how to treat it right.

Been coming here since the late ’80’s. This is the Mothership and I dearly love the coffee. These folks roast their own and they have always possessed the talent to find good beans and brew great coffee. Unlike many wannabes they know how to make a full bodied roast without burning the beans to an ashen crispy critter. So many of the pretenders do that and then try to peddle it as «DARK ROAST» and deride you if you don’t appreciate the acidic bitter burnt dreck.
My only criticism of JC is that they are trying too hard to be a seattle lookalike. Cut it out! You’re Sacratomato proud! so remember your roots and the place when it was the Only JC.

Love studying here! There are tons of outlets for laptops and plenty of counter space for whatever notebooks, flash cards, pens, lattes, etc. Oh yeah, and the coffee’s pretty decent too. :)

Good location for a coffee shop. Nice restaurants surrounding in the midtown area of Sacramento. Kind of a trendy area. The coffee here is pretty good… from what I’ve had. I used to get my drinks from Java City quite a bit back in the early and middle nineties… but for some reason they’ve faded from my horizon. I kinda miss them, to be honest. Reminds me of when I first moved to Sacramento in the early nineties. I used to love getting a JC coffee, and then head over to Tower Books on Broadway and browse the shelves for hours. Ah, the memories.
I’ll be back here, I’m sure. My son liked them for the free wifi… so I guess that counts for something also. Nice people behind the counter also.

If you want knowledgeable and friendly staff and good tasting coffee then this isn’t the place to go.
In Saccie there are much better, including Temple Coffee at S Street and 29^th and Old Soul and there is one close to Java City just down the alleyway between 17^th and 18^th…
We have tried the Java City in Natomas and found the staff much better.
We first tried Java City Mid-​Town during the holidays 1 ½ years ago and found the staff, as we like to say, «flat.» The coffee drink that we had was also «flat» and just not that special.
We returned a few days ago to give the place another go and it was the same exact experience, flat. We will not go back… We do not recommend going to this Java City location.
It is amazing that a location in the heart of Mid-​Town, which is pretty nice inside, is decked by staff that are a turn off and coffee products that just do not seem to be made very well… this also could be the coffee that Java City uses.
So, we suggest giving this place a miss and try some of the much better places in Sacramento, including Naked Lounge, by Fremont Park, which is pretty good but you have to like sitting on furniture that looks very old and from GoodWill or the Salvation Army…

I really like the coffee here. I usually go for a café au lait with one of the coffees available, but their cinnamon roll latte is really tasty as well. They’ve even made a café au lait for me with a French press (only some will do this for you).
I haven’t tried a lot of their food, but this is what I know. Breakfast sandwiches — wasn’t impressed. Muffins — excellent (they seem very similar to the ones you can get at Naked — same supplier maybe?). Bagels are decent.
They’re friendly and their prices are very reasonable. Good location in Midtown. Free WiFi that’s quite reliable.

Smooth, doesn’t have the bite like some other coffee places; which I like as well, but nice to have some smoooooth coffee at times.
Funky shop, nice staff.

Java City, what the hell happened to you?!
That remodel you had a while back was supposed to make you all awesome and stuff and instead it seems to have made you sucky.
I used to be annoyed by your uneven floors but now I’d take those back any day over the slighty-​too-​trendy-​office-​waiting-​room décor. I hate those chairs you got with the little attached tables that sit in a long row on the side of the store… how impersonal can you get?
But your true gem used to be your amazing staff. Staff that was there for years. Staff who remembered my name and would share «I remember one time at the Cattle Club…» anecdotes or who would ask me how my kids were. I dunno what happened to all those awesome guys and gals but the crew you have in there now leaves MUCH to be desired. Slow… inattentive…not great with the remembering orders. Pretty much every time I’ve been in during the past year I’ve either had the barista forget to make my drink or the cashier forget to get me my food. And they just aren’t nice or personable… like, ever.
I’m bummed out, man. I liked the «old» you. Java City, you changed since you got «pretty». I don’t like the «pretty» you.

You know, we take good coffee for granted. I found myself wandering up Highway 5 this week at around 4am and needed a cuppa joe to stay alert. So i grabbed a cup while i filled up my tank. It was horrible, so i had to take a few sips until i got back to civilization.
This morning i wanted a quick bite and coffee, so I walk in, order the holiday blend. Delicious.
To top it off, I ordered a breakfast sandwich. Again, simple, croissant, egg, ham, Swiss. Perfect and delicious!
I’m sure there are more trendy places around. But Java City never lets me down.
Period.

The year was 1992. I was well into my Sophmore year at good ol’ Galt High. Not a whole lot to do in Galt. I had takin up sneaking out of the house for late night skate sessions and tomfoolery. I met a guy who had just moved from Sacramento. Oddly enough, I had never actually been to Sacramento at this point in my life. One evening, he tells me of a show at the Cattle Club (Bo Jangles). I’m not one to turn down an adventure so, AWAY WE GO!
Once we get Downtown (aka: The Grid), we head to a local coffee shop to pass time before the show. 18^th and Capital Java City. There were people of all sorts hanging out there. Punks, Goths, Skaters, and Geeks galore! I saw Kevin Seconds sweeping up the sidewalk. Recognized him from a 12″ LP I had of Seven Seconds, «Walk Together, Rock Together». To say the least, I was in awe. It was the first time I’d ever seen a city coffee shop. Sounds magical, doesn’t it?
Ok, ok. Fast forward 18 years (damn I’m gettin old!). 18^th and Capital Java City is still rockin’ it. Although, it has had a face lift since the 90’s, it’s still a comfy place to escape the summer heat. They offer free wi-​fi and there’s a line of school desks with plug-​ins to power your geekness.
The one thing that has kept me going back to Java City after all these years is the Iced White Mocha (cha-​cha-​cha!). Not too sweet like Starbucks, and not bland like Peets. It’s made the Java way (aka: PERFECT!). Now that so many Java Cities have shut down, it seems like the original, 18^th and Cap Java is the dinosaur that won’t be extinct any time soon. I can’t speak for all GridKids, but it sure is nice to still have a familiar place to relax that’s as rich in memories as it is history.
OH! Bonus track! Zocalos is right across the street. So you can sit outside and watch all the hot business women walk around during lunch. A+ place for people watching. I like to pretend I’m a nature show host and do the commentary as people walk by. CHEERS!

I used to come in here three or four times a week, but I finally just had to go find a place that made good coffee. What you say? Three stars and their coffee sucks? Well it isn’t Quick-​stop bad, it’s just not good. And if you like the espresso drinks theirs are very good but I drink black coffee and it’s not the best.
The people that work here have always been friendly, and the location is great. And it’s pretty big so you can always find a place to camp out and read. Also their bathrooms are very clean, which in the midtown area is quite the accomplishment considering all of the nonpaying patrons.

Down side: lots of people, even during non-​rush hours.
Up side: Everyone comes here to work, which means laptops up, coffee drinks down. This is actually a good thing because the coffee is … the coffee is … (this is where I bang my head against piano keys looking for the words to describe bad coffee.)
So, to recap, it terms of productivity it’s not a bad coffee joint, but if you’re actually looking for a stellar cup ‘o’ joe, there are much better places to go.
P. S. The parking also makes me melancholy. (In the key of C flat.)

Best Local Roaster!!!
For a true taste of the roasting this is it! Great selection and all you have to remember is Small, Medium, & Large!
If your tastebuds have been burned out by the «Starbucks» strong bitter coffee– do a cleansing and then come here to taste some great joe.
Full of Sacramento history. They are also creative in the roasting and Eco-​grounds importance. Great Javalanche, Ice tea, and grab and go food. Around 4 – 5 choices of coffee each day depending on your likes. Ice coffee is available too.
If you order off their website shipping is free in the area.

I showed up at 7am the other day, waiting for an appointment with the Teacher Credentialing Center, which is just down the street at 1900 Capitol. I brought my own cup and was confronted with one of the nicest, helpful cashiers that I have ever met. She was the perfect mix of friendly, perky and low-​key (a very unusual mix). I made the mistake of ordering a latte and then expecting foam on top like a cappuccino (probably a really annoying mistake by coffee cashier standards). She handled it like a pro by describing what she thought I wanted and then listening to make sure she was correct. Wow, a wait-​person who listens!!!
The result was the MOST tasty cup of coffee… evah! One downside, they did have sweetener in a yellow packet, but not «Splenda», but I’m not too picky on a one-​time basis. No nutmeg shaver either, but there was cocoa and cinnamon shaker (not labeled).
The atmosphere was very, very mellow. Sunshine streamed through the gigantic windows and although there were about twenty people in the great room, there was a sweet quietude. Many singletons were on their computers (downside: not a single mac user among them). There seemed to be quite a few plugs on the floor, along the baseboards…
Chairs were comfortable, I picked one along the window that had a nice space to study (still working on Roger’s «Diffusion of Innovation»). The time just seemed to whiz by and before I knew it, I had to close my book, gather up my highlighters and rush out the door, leaving a sunny, sweet oasis behind. If I lived in Sacto, I would be at this JavaCity all the time!

I came here late last night in order to obtain a shot of my usual red-​eye order… a cup of coffee with a shot of espresso. I had just purchased a new book and was adamant about pushing forward with the first chapter. Dostoevsky seems to lay it on really thick with the prologue.
Despite the loud raucous and throng of people bustling outside of Zocalo (it seemed that the crowd was more out-​of-​midtowners as opposed to natives) my friend and I ducked into Java City to find only one other patron there. It was perfect. Large, lighted interior with lots and lots of elbow room. I would have preferred a slightly dimmer lighting because I realized my tan was fading faster than last year, but I really wanted my caffeine boost (had pasta for dinner) so I ordered my coffee and settled against the wall.
Apparently, this location is the site of the original Java City and I love how they kept everything indicative of historic Sacramento, with the brick wall and abundant seating outside. most recently, the 20^th anniversary Poetry Marathon was held here, with readings going for 24 hours. I could not think of a better place to stop in, sip a cold tea, and listen to riveting performances and dream
Our coffee was hot and smooth. The ladies in the back were accommodating and jovial, made my drinks extremely hot (took a while for it to cool down). My medium was $ 2.95 and her White Chocolate Mocha around $ 3. Cheap coffee and decent coffee for a good price. We spent the next two hours just relaxing and talking about topics girls love to spend there time on — men, men, and more men.
I’d come back on a warm afternoon with an appetite for one of their sandwiches and salads (soup for cold weather!!) during the day. Bring your laptop and fluffy sweater for free Wi-​Fi.
Needless to say, we left feeling more alive and my Dostoevsky still warm in my bag.