It's Less about the Junk, More about the Java

At Junk & Java, an eclectic café in Westerly, “junk” initially meant a few retail items, explains owner Alexis Tattersall. “But as it evolved,” she said, with a smile, “the café took over.” And so did the “java,” which includes locally roasted coffee, a cold brew, espresso and all the combinations of either with steamed milk (dairy, oat, coconut, soy or almond). Ten specialty lattes sound a bit like the pastries below the ordering counter, such as cinnamon roll, chocolate chip cookie, plus daily or weekly specials. Non-javas include warm cider, fruit smoothies, Italian sodas, hot chocolate and an intriguing batch of “health drinks,” with “Matcha Latte” at the top. Matcha is ground green tea; it becomes a latte with sweetened almond milk. Charcoal lattes are made with activated organic charcoal made from coconut shells.

Though the pastries are not scratch-made, the gelato is, and there are fanciful milkshakes such as maple bacon and apple pie, to be consumed on the spacious three-season courtyard or in one of the intimate corners of the café. The decor and seating in those corners could inspire thoughts of the ‘70s in California, the ‘50s in Manhattan or the 1890s in Newport. And, as Tattersall mentions, the repurposed wood around the courtyard, the recycled furniture or even the indulgent snacks could be labeled “junk.” Suit yourself and settle in.

49 Beach St., Westerly. 401.315.0111; JunkNJava.net