BattleCat Espresso Bar is the perfect speakeasy for coffee lovers

Unless you’re roasting your own coffee beans, chances are your cup of joe is nothing like the coffee made by Kevin Leal. A certified SCA Barista Professional, Leal is the owner of BattleCat Espresso Bar, a permanent pop-up located inside Dullboy at 364 Grove Street.

BattleCat Espresso Bar serves locally sourced, espresso-based drinks in the traditional Italian form. In other words, you won’t find any sugar-coated frappuccinos here. What you will find are high-quality, specialty coffees including espressos, pour overs, cortados, Americanos, and cold brew.

For the fall, BattleCat will offer some new drinks including a harvest oat latte, homemade chai latte, and Sm’ores latte. As the weather gets colder, Leal also plans on offering a “Krampus” latte (charcoal latte) along with hot chocolate.

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BattleCat originally started as a barista training program and has since morphed into a pop-up. The pop-up launched in Jersey City this past summer and is open from 7am to 3pm Wednesdays through Saturdays. (Sundays they’re open from 8am to 3pm). The BattleCat coffee cart is also available for events, weddings, or for barista training.

BattleCat tea room now open

In addition to coffee, Leal recently launched Jersey City’s first tea room. The tea room — also located inside Dullboy — offers a selection of curated teas, including some loose leaf teas from Hugo Tea Company. It will also carry pastries by Baked by Beans bakeshop. It’ll be open once a week from 11am to 6pm, says Leal. The tea room will also serve local pastries and tea sandwiches (many of which can be prepared vegetarian).

“Our intention is to have a spot where guests can drink tea, relax, and have snacks without feeling rushed,” says Leal. For more info on the tea room or to make a reservation, you can DM BattleCat via their Instagram account or drop by the pop-up at Dullboy during BattleCat’s regular hours. Leal is there Wednesdays through Sundays ready to answer any questions and make you a drink you won’t soon forget.