Perhaps understandably, Google doesn’t yet know the difference between The Jitter Bus—a coffee truck parked from 10 to 3 on weekdays at Grove and Hillhouse—and Jitter Bus Coffee, a brick-and-mortar counterweight to the well-reviewed truck. And that’s a shame, because the cafe also deserves its day in the sun.
It enjoyed a literal one yesterday. When I arrived at 3 p.m., a blade of sunlight slashed dramatically through the front glass wall. Spaced-out tables and natural wood tones set a cool minimalist scene cozied up by modern upholstery and warm indie rock (part of a playlist laced with Beatles songs that drove home just how much indie music owes The Beatles). Coaster shelves constructed from stacked raw cinder blocks, a sugar rack concocted from a well-used skateboard and a menu written in black Sharpie on blue painter’s tape stuck to a scroll of torn kraft paper dashed any worries about pretension, and that was before I’d interacted with the unassuming baristas.
As it happens, their coffee was so good they could have gotten away with snobbery. The Espresso ($3/double) dove my brain off a delicious cliff, plunging from a quick burst of fruity sweetness into a shockingly deep pool of dark chocolate and ancient wood. Superbly balanced acidity leant a lot of structure with virtually no pucker, while a clean finish sustained all the big notes. The body was light but coating, and the caffeine came on easier than I expected, even on an empty stomach.
Then it was time for the Dirty Chai ($5/12oz), ordered here with oat milk ($0.75) instead of the dairy default. On a tight menu that sticks mostly to classics, my barista said this is the bestseller, and a single enticing whiff of its cinnamon-dusted surface was almost enough to tell me why. Of course, the real test was in the tasting, where the cinnamon kept the cardamom, which can easily dominate a chai blend, brilliantly in check. Additional notes of clove and nutmeg were seen but not heard, if you know what I mean. The mouthfeel was creamy yet silky, and a thin effervescent head somehow continued to bubble for more than half an hour.
I finished with something solid, sort of: the Brownie ($4.50), which happened to be vegan and gluten-free. Chewy at the edges and gooey in the center, with rich chocolate tones suspended over a surprising note of caramel, the glossy-topped square was an uncompromised delight—a claim that may inspire skepticism even from those who are already open to vegan (let alone gluten-free) baking.
Oh well. I found it irresistible—another testament to Jitter Bus’s impressive balancing act, which is clearly no act.
Jitter Bus Coffee
847 Grand Ave, New Haven (map)
Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat 9am-4pm, Sun 9am-2pm
www.thejitterbus.com/the-cafe
Written and photographed by Dan Mims.
