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What's does "CC" mean?
Location visited: Teaneck, NJ
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]
Driving around the choked land of the coffee chain, the northeast seems to occasionally daunt my hopes of finding a decent place in my travels. But even when the skies seem the darkest, a good place is always just over the horizon.
In the land of Teaneck, I learned of a local outfit who sported a Clover ("they" don't have them all...yet). Granted, I heard little about Lazy Bean's roasting or skills, but a place willing to put out close to $10K for a coffeemaker hopefully has something to showcase.
So with a little navigational trouble (when the letter "R" is dashed on the back of a street number, it means it is located in the rear), I found the cafe on the back end of a supermarket. Inside, the cafe is rich in purples and grays, sported a nice wood floor and all together, had a pleasant atmosphere.
Lazy Bean roasts their own coffee, leaning towards a darker roasts as evidenced by their beans on display. I ordered an espresso as well as their Panama (a medium roast) via Clover. The Panama produced flavors of natural yogurt, caramel, a bit of grass, bran and cinnamon. The brew proved smooth and overall, a delicious coffee.
The espresso unfortunately wasn't as pleasant. The shots were pulled short but the crema was really milkshake-ish, headlining with a strong bitterness and a burnt flavor up front, followed by notes Dr. Pepper and tobacco. Looking at their grinder, the beans were a little too dark and combined with what seemed like less-then-optimal preparation, the espresso had little to offer. The tea is Tazo.
In the end, it seemed like Lazy Bean has decent potential (and the right equipment) to become a mighty coffee contender; just a few tweaks in a couple of areas could be all the difference. But who knows what the future holds.
Regardless, if you are looking for a decent coffee in Teaneck, give Lazy Bean Cafe a whirl.