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📍 Qahwah House, 493 Bloomfield Ave, Montclair
🎧 Hear the full episode (above)
Right across from the Clairidge theater, you’ll find Qahwah House, a cozy Yemeni-style café serving up traditional coffees, teas, savory pastries, baked goods and coffee beans by the pound. The Montclair shop is their second New Jersey location, with a third brick-and-mortar café opening in Hoboken.
Upon entering, we were immediately welcomed by the aromas of warming cardamom and fresh coffee beans. Qahwah employee, Abraham, spoke with the Montclair Pod to explain why this coffee has a different, chocolate-forward flavor; “Our coffee is organically grown in Yemen. Sun dried, handpicked, no chemicals whatsoever. And when it gets shipped over here, we roast it in-house so you get the fresh taste. The coffee in Yemen naturally has a chocolatey taste.”
What we ate
We arrived at Qahwah House running on equal parts excitement and exhaustion — still buzzing from our Signal Award win the night before — and promptly ordered enough caffeinated beverages to power us through another all-nighter. With a robust menu of Yemeni coffee, fragrant teas, and specialty drinks, there truly is something for every member of the family.
Farnoosh took the first sip and immediately lit up. “Oh my gosh,” she said, “really rich, deep. I love that I’m really getting to taste all the different flavors.”
Behind the front counter, an eye-catching display case overflowed with traditional Yemeni pastries alongside breakfast burritos, croissants, cakes, and a tempting lineup of sweet treats. We opted for the Tomato & Olive Pie and the Feta and Spinach Wrap — both standouts.
“So this is the tomato and olive croissant,” Mike said, digging in. “It’s like a lattice-top, but it’s a croissant. Yeah, it is so good.”
Farnoosh, meanwhile, was wholly absorbed in her wrap. “My feta and spinach cheese wrap — the wheat wrap is so thin and crispy. It’s not like your typical Starbucks wrap… you better get in there before I finish it,” she warned.
And then came the showstopper: Khaliat Alnahl, a honey-soaked Yemeni dessert that feels worthy of its own award category. Farnoosh described it between blissful bites: “Oh my God. It comes off like butter… fluffy dough, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, with butter and honey on the bottom.”
Mike agreed. “This honey is amazing.”
For her “Twocents,” Farnoosh offered just one gentle note: “I didn’t know it was going to be so much honey. Maybe I would’ve liked to ask for honey on the side.”
A Visit From Abraham — and a Masterclass in Yemeni Coffee
Right on cue, Abraham — one of the staff members — stopped by our table, and suddenly the coffee we’d been casually sipping came with a full biography.
Mike leaned in, curious. “So tell us — this coffee tastes different… explain the difference.”
Abraham lit up. “The difference in coffee? So our coffee is organically grown in Yemen, sun dried, handpicked, no chemicals whatsoever. And when it gets shipped over here, we roast it in-house so you get the fresh taste.”
Mike pressed further. “Beans too — different beans?”
“Yeah,” Abraham said. “The coffee in Yemen naturally has a chocolatey taste.”
He went on to share how Qahwah House ended up in Montclair. “No specific reason honestly. It’s a good location — right in front of the theater. Overall, a diverse community.”
And then, almost as an afterthought, he revealed the scale of the operation: “Around 20–30 locations… six in New York… two in Jersey… the next one is gonna open in Hoboken.”
Mike looked up, eyes wide. Montclair beating Hoboken to the punch? That might just be the headline.
coffee & game night, anyone?
Mike offered up another Twocents suggestion as he looked around the space: “I could see myself parking here and playing backgammon… I would add backgammon tables in here.”
Farnoosh didn’t miss a beat. “UNO. My kids would come here — we’d play UNO for days.”
And honestly? If they ever do add games, consider this your warning: we may never leave.
