The Java Break

Love Java Break!

They have really tasty beverages, homemade whipped cream, as well as smoothies. All kinds of baked goods, and much much more.

I love that they have several different rooms for people to sit in. All of them having their own sort of feel to them.

One room in particular is covered in graffiti, so don't forget your sharpies if you want to add your own signature.

Great coffee spot and place to hang out with friends. Used to go a lot back in my college days for late night studying, sadly they aren't open as late anymore. Very aesthetically pleasing with lots of vintage art, cartoons, furniture, and decor. Has a cereal bar with a lot of options!

A gem of a cafe. Literally exceptional. The drinks are great and there’s ample variety. The foods are well made and easy to enjoy. But that’s just one dimension of the multidimensional experiences available at Java Break. There’s a “choose your own adventure” aspect to enjoying your order in-house, and I highly recommend making time to sit in any of the cafe’s rooms for a while.

Also: Tip well, they deserve every cent!

Java Break is a Lawrence experience that you CAN NOT miss out on. The coffee is pretty good if you have a sweet tooth, but the food is DELICIOUS (especially the pastries). They also have a cereal bar where you can mix cereals and toppings together with your choice of milk and that can be fun. Everything is pretty affordable. I recommend the cheesecake with chocolate syrup or the chocolate chip banana scone... There are various rooms with different “vibes” that you can choose to sit in if you’d like. If you want a lot of light where you’re studying or working on your computer, I’d recommend the front room. The rest of the rooms don’t have any windows and are mostly lit up by lamps. Theres also outside seating. There’s an awesome graffiti room where you are allowed to draw all over the walls, chairs, and tables. There’s also board games available and televisions around the shop displaying old television shows to fit the aesthetics. They often play great music, and the atmosphere is peaceful, quiet, and inclusive.
The only issue I’ve ever had is with one staff member there and it was just the tone of voice he used. But other times, the same staff members was great so I assume he was just having a rough day, totally understandable. Unless you park right in front, which is unlikely, be prepared to walk a small ways.

Lol. This place is a vibe - not sure how to explain it. Its super successful because it’s so quintessentially Lawrence. They’ve got good coffee and breakfast meals. I always get something from the cereal bar with fruit when I go there. Good place to meet with people or bring a laptop.

I love this place so much! Love the coffee love the bar! I was just in shock today when I called and asked if they where hiring and the lady on the other end answered with HELLO?! and I asked if they where hiring and she replied with "even if we were it's not worth it" I feel bad I didn't know if I upset her or anything..sorry to the lady..

Went to the Java Break for the first time today and had a great experience! I was passing through Lawrence and stopped in quick for an iced coffee. From the looks of it, this cafe is one of the most unique cafes I have been to! It is quite artsy and designed for students and those who work online to pop up a laptop and focus. There is a whole graffiti room where anyone can sign and lots of sating inside and outside. Would recommend, and will definitely be back again!

Just a quick jog from Liberty Hall, we stopped at The Java Break for a caffeine boost before a Sunday night concert. (Open until 9pm daily, current regular hours.) Stepping downstairs into this shop felt like I'd entered a delightfully quirky vintage parallel dimension with a unique menu to match. Staff were welcoming to us first-timers and seemed to have a good rapport with the regular ahead of us.

I had the drip Daily Origin Brew coffee, and the barista was able to describe flavor notes, with and without cream. Great for sipping! (Too bad we couldn't stay longer.) So many things on tap that I'd love to come back and try, like house-made chai and cold press Nitro A.M. (almond milk) flavored drinks. Variety of soda fountain flavors too (like lavender+lemon). JB also will fill bottles of many of these things if you want to bring home more for later.

The space is a series of small rooms, each with its own character. Almost missed the bathrooms, the doors camouflaged among the writing on the walls in the Free Speech Zone (which I first misread as "speech free" aka "quiet" area, but there was a group chatting away while playing a board game, cluing me in). We sat for a bit in the quiet rotunda with a spiral staircase, sadly closed to customers, but cool to peek up at the stained glass above it. After watching what was on the display of a rigged up old TV for a bit, we exited outside and up to the surface, complete with some nice outdoor seating, and ventured up the corner to Liberty Hall. Definitely could become a pre-concert tradition!

This is a local gem. I'm way past my college days, but if I had to study somewhere, this would be the place. Love the outdoor seating and the staff is always wonderfully friendly. It's quirky-cute inside. My favorite drinks are the Lieutenant Dan and the choco-mel cold-o-matic.

Whether its 5pm or 5am, need a quick snack or a drink? Or a meal? Or a chill? I've dined-in and did take-away a million times during my life here and between the delicious food and beverage options on their menu, to their old school (antique-relic) decor of old-timey cereal boxes and antenna era TVs playing cartoons from the old days, the cereal bar (YUM!!!) to the comfy booths that after a long night of DoorDashing its a bit too easy to order a yum yum and go snoozin' on hehe

The best part of this place is THE FREE SPEECH ZONE where you can paint the walls with your imagination!!! ALL OVER THE PLACE (EVEN THE RESTROOM)! Oh, there's some beautiful history painted all over the free speech zone :)

This place is honestly my favorite coffee shop diner in the world, and i've been to countless.. i'm a little biased because i love Lawrence for everything that it is- but this place just holds a very special place in my soul!

I love this place! They serve the best chai lattes and it’s a super welcoming and cozy environment:)

Such a cute little restaurant. It's deceiving as you think there's only room in the front to sit but there's a small door to the side that leads to other sitting rooms. Each room has its own decor. And there are some games you can play.

I got a chicken panini and it was so fresh and delicious.

I love this place! The coffee is amazing, they make their own syrups, and the banana chocolate chip scone is delicious!

Great coffee, staff and general vibe. Love hanging out to draw or chat with friends. The cereal bar is great. I highly recommend the lemon butter cookie. Best lemon cookie in Lawrence no contest!

Quaint little locally owned coffee shop. Quintessential Lawrence. Good espresso! Good selection of coffee & friendly service.

Best coffee shop in town. It's hard to find unless actively looking for it. Different tabled rooms provide different atmospheres, whether you need a study room or a graffiti room. I love this place and food is also really good.

The staff are always super friendly and provide the best service, if you have never been here I highly recommend you check out their cereal bar. I've only seen 2 others like it in the entire country one in north Hampton Massachusetts and another in Breckenridge Colorado.

My I tried a hot Lt. Dan and give it a 7.5 out of 10.

Great coffee shop and good alternative to more mainstream brands. Hot chocolate is legit for non-coffee drinkers.

Delicious beverages and pastries—-just like I remember from the mid to late 90s while at KU. Same owner and exceptional service persist.

Very cool atmosphere at a unique and quaint Lawrence downtown. Loved the Free Speech Zone and the coffee options were great and quality. Definitely worth checking out if you like coffee shops and are in Lawrence.