Local Jo Cafe

Local Jo is an authentic little, locally-​owned coffee shop in the West End. I’ve been going there for years especially when my kids were very young. There are usually other parents there with little kids too. So, if your kids make a bit of noise playing, cry or want to go have a convo with the total stranger at the table next to you likely won’t get dirty looks; I’d never take my munchkins to Starbucks for this reason.
It is close to a few great playgrounds and has lots of perks for families: a designated play area (with toys/​kids’ books), special menu items for toddlers/​small kids (see photo of boat lunch– yes it is lunch but in a boat), very breastfeeding friendly and last not but least two bathrooms (one with fold out change table). As a stay at home/​work at home parent it feels like it is geared to me and I will often see other parents from my kids’ school there working there to get a break from the house or stopping by for after school pick me up.
Jo has large windows on two sides which lets in lots of light; perfect for fighting those winter blahs. From the well-​loved wood floors and to the warm orange palate– taken from their orange Italian espresso machine– throughout it has a friendly, warm vibe. My favorite spots are the cushioned window seats.
The soups and sandwiches are $ 7 – 8. Pretty much what you’d expect to pay at Starbucks but these are healthy and made in-​house, from local ingredients. I like to buy their frozen homemade soups in 500ml size, a deal at for $ 4 or $ 5, and have them at home. Find the take-​home soup in the cooler at the back of the store. The real treats however are the made-​in-​house baked goods. oatcakes, cookies, brownies– everything I’ve had is excellent and they have gluten free options too. If I was to knock something, I can’t sing their praises for the coffees; I find their house blends –a medium and dark roast– kind of bland.
The staff are friendly and accommodating. If your hands are full with kids, they will help you bring your food items over to the table. When I ordered a decaf coffee on my last visit, and it tasted like it had been sitting around for a while, the barista was only too happy to whip me up a more expensive decaf Americano at no extra charge.
They carry produce and meats from Valley farms and get fresh stock dropped off a couple times a week. They have a small stand selling veggies in the Summer and Fall. In keeping with the neighborhood feel, they sometimes have book readings and music nights from local authors.
Bottom line: if you are looking for a place with a warm, local vibe you can bring your kids to in the West End go to Jos.

Love the ambience, love the coffee, and love the homemade treats. It’s a must try. The girls are just plain awesome and always pleasant!

Love this place! Great little café in the west end, great family friendly vibe. Not overly hipster-​y which can be appreciated sometimes. Good coffee, more on the bitter side then the sweet Starbucks style. Not a fan of the baked goods but the soups and sandwiches are great.

Local Jo is everything you want in a cozy neighbourhood coffee shop. If I had kids I would go here constantly. I don’t, so I only drop in on the weekends occasionally. If you enjoy the feeling of supporting local … Make sure you buy your coffee from here, and if you have kids. This might be your next hang out spot

This coffee shop has a very pleasant vibe, which you notice right when you walk in the door. This vibe is especially cozy and welcoming on cold, rainy days, the kind of days when everything is damp and the windows fog up… typical Halifax weather.
I think this is because it’s such a cozy little place, far more welcoming than any big chain coffee house which is basically just a clone of every other of its kind around the world — cough– stardollars — cough–
The clientele here isn’t necessarily what one would expect. For all its eclecticisms, funky art and granola feel, one would expect it to be swarming with condescending hipsters. Instead, at least the times I’ve been there, there tends to be a lot of young moms and people having job interviews or small business meetings.
These two demographics aren’t really the type to mingle, and yet there it is.
This also means that every time I’ve been there, there has been a toddler knocking over his mothers coffee or throwing a tantrum… but its also possible that I’ve just had weird timing.
Something I didn’t especially like was that their coffee servings are really small. Their large is probably about half the size of most other places at a similar price.
If you’re looking for a place to chill out on a blustery day or read a book while drinking some coffee then this would be the place.

I came here the other night with my boyfriend and his family
We came in at 5:15 and they closed at 6, they didn’t seem to care we were there so close to closing like some other reviewers mentioned. They didn’t have a lot of the food available because they said they were just opening up after the holidays. That was fine, I settled for one of their chocolate chip cookies and a mocha, which came to $ 7, kinda pricy. My boyfriend had an oat cake and a brewed coffee, the rest of his family ordered brewed coffees but one also ordered a pizza.
My mocha was garbage. One of the worst I’ve had. The chocolate was undetectable until you got to the bottom, and then it was overwhelming. Why the 3 stars? The cookie. Oh my god. It was BY FAR the best cookie I’ve had in years and maybe the best cookie I’ve ever had in my life, yes, I know its a bold statement but it was delicious. It was the perfect chewy to crunchy ratio, had the perfect amount of chocolate chips, and the dough itself wasn’t really sugary which doesn’t sound like it would be good, but it worked.
My boyfriend said his oat cake was mediocre, and I didn’t ask how the pizza was but it looked really good. The boyfriend and his family also said the brewed coffee was really good, which is nice since it was kind of close to closing, so its good to know they keep their coffee fresh.
Verdict: come for the cookies, don’t waste your money on a coffee.

I arrived at about 10 after 5 on a night that they were closing at 6pm. The barista was clearly unimpressed with us and made a point to remind us that they were closing in 45 minutes, which I found baffling because 45 minutes seems like more than enough time to eat a snack and hang out for a bit. When my friend and I ordered pizza, one employee asked the other if it would be okay because pizzas take 10 minutes to cook. When the other said it was fine, the barista replied «are you SURE?» as if preparing pizza was the last thing she wanted to happen. I also ordered a hot chocolate, and my friend and I went to sit down and chat while we waited for the pizzas. The hot chocolate tasted more milky than chocolaty, and at $ 4.20 for a mug, I definitely wouldn’t try this again. After a few minutes, the barista brought over my friend’s cheese pizzas that she had ordered for herself and her children, and my vegetable pizza. The cheese pizzas were fine, but my pizza was very cold and completely frozen in the middle. I brought the pizza up to the counter and let them know it was still frozen. I was disappointed that the pizza was frozen in the first place. They apologized and took the pizza back to heat it up some more. After a few more minutes, they brought my pizza back over. It was warmer, but still cold in the middle. At this point I was really hungry, so I just ate it anyway. On the way out, I order a Jo’s lemonade, which was delightful.
All in all, it’s a nice spot to stop in, especially if you have children who can play with the toys, but in my experience the food is disappointing and the service was weirdly passive aggressive.

Local Jo is now my local coffee go to spot and I’m a big fan.
They open at 7:30am on weekdays (9 on weekends) and have fresh hot coffee, full espresso bar and fresh baked muffins and scones every morning. They also have friendly staff who will greet you with a smile when you get your morning Jo. If you’re by for lunch they have a selection of homemade soups and sandwiches.
It’s a great coffee shop space with tables on two levels and some outdoor seating. It is air conditioned for the hot summer weather and they have an area on the upper level with chalkboards and toys and lots of books for the kiddos.
My favorite aspect of Local Jo is the absolute dedication to local.
They offer:
Sweet Willliams Sausage
Free-​Range eggs, chicken and beef
Organic Produce (seasonal)
Herbal Teas grown locally
On Thursday afternoons through the summer growing season from 3−5pm this year they have Selwood Green out front offering a range of fruits and veggies.
I also have a soft spot for their book exchange shelf, although I’ll admit I have yet to trade in.
It’s a fantastic neighbourhood coffee shop and I’m very glad to now be among the neighbours.

Came here after my bite to eat I was killing time from the laundromat. Nice spot as well. They got vegan muffins!

Never really noticed the location before while driving, but stopped in as per recommendation of a co-​worker. Typical small, hip coffee shop with small but tasty selection of eats.
Wasn’t much of a crowd so the service was quick and courteous. The price of medium cup of Joe is in line with the others fair trade establishments.
This is a worth a try to stop in and hang on non-​peak hours so that you can sit back and soak up the atmosphere.

I’ve tried local jo on a few occasions now, and my experiences here have largely been good. I love the casual, homey yet colorful atmosphere. I’ve never gone during peak hours, so I haven’t experienced the bottle-​necking and lack of tables some others have. And I actually work better when there is some noise and activity going on, so the hordes of children haven’t bothered me yet. But as others have mentioned, don’t be surprised if you look up to find a curious child staring back at you from a mere foot or two away. Though, since I’m currently working on a children’s book, I’ll admit I actually welcome being in the proximity of playful and interactive children.
Now, it almost pains me to say this, but their lattes? Better than Two If By Sea. And that’s saying something. I’ve tried their pecan chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, and they are truly delightful. The only other food item I’ve tried is the Kid’s Lunch, which apparently is served in a boat of some kind if you’re actually a kid. Since I am not, I appreciate it being served on a regular plate. The Kid’s lunch consists of bread from a local bakery, apple slices, raisins and cubes of marble cheese. Beware — it’s listed on the wall as $ 3.75 but the price has gone up about a dollar. Still not a bad deal as you get a lot of food. I suspect a mommy and child could easily share this. The first time I ordered this dish, it was so delicious and fresh. But I must say, I had it again recently and it was still good — just not quite as good as I remembered. And the cheese could have been a little fresher.
I’ll definitely be back.

In my review for Chebucto Coffee, I mentioned that I literally live in the middle of a dilemma. My apartment is physically located between two similar coffee shops in the North End — Chebucto is one, and the other is Local Jo.
Although, where I find the quality of the food and drink at Chebucto needs some work, the food and drink quality at Jo’s is one of its strengths. I have always enjoyed any capp or latte I have had there, and they have delicious, homemade cookies and scones. Their selection of food is usually really good — however, when I have gone later in the day they have sometimes been quite low so if you want something fresh you may want to grab it earlier in the day.
They make an amazing gingerbread muffin, which they don’t always have but *get this* if you call ahead and say you want one, they will make a batch! My mom did that one time and they had some ready for her when she came in the next morning! Impressive. They also do pizzas and soups each day for lunch. You can tell everything is made right on the spot using fresh, local ingredients and it shows in the yummy taste. The prices are a tad higher to reflect this, but you at least know you are getting what you pay for.
Another element that sets this place apart is that they have a small market section where they sell various local foods, including veggies and meat so you can do a little shopping while you are waiting for your cappuccino. The space is very bright and cheery (LOVE the Hermes orange).
However, the space is also quite small, and one downside to this is that tables can fill up pretty quickly so if you go at a busy time of day, don’t expect to find somewhere to sit. I have to say that I have also not been impressed by the speed of service most times I have been there. The cashier/​barista is usually friendly but I find line-​ups form very quickly because they tend to take a while to make drinks and process sales. I can appreciate having a small staff and wanting to take your time, but sometimes it can be frustrating to stand around at the front for 10 minutes, especially when the space is cramped with a line. Don’t expect to run in and out of here in 5 minutes on your way to work — this isn’t Timmy’s.
Speaking of lines — this may have changed since I was last there, but they never used to have a «system» for their line-​ups so I found people would come in and sort of stand around randomly so they are either a) getting in the personal space of the tables closest to the cash, or b) not making it clear whether or not they are actually in line. I admit it, I’m an organizational freak so this used to always annoy me. I just would not be sure who had ordered and who was waiting for their order, or thinking. At busy times it could be a tad chaotic and created a «bottleneck» of sorts right in the entrance.
Also, I probably wouldn’t choose this place to get work done or to have a serious discussion because it’s popular with yuppie mummies in the neighbourhood and there are often groups or at least pairs of mums with kids enjoying a coffee break. This is fine with me, but it also means that it can sometimes be loud and you can sometimes have random children you don’t know entering your personal bubble on the regular, which (I have to be a jerk and say it) is not something I appreciate.
(I’m big on personal space in case you couldn’t tell from the above)
You also have to be careful because they close early some evenings I believe. However, they are open other evenings later and have «theme» nights/​time slots (pizza night, date night, times for mom’s and kids), which I think is neat. It changes every month but I think you can view the calendar on the website or pick one up in person.
If I’m sitting at home and have a craving for a yummy coffee drink or baked good, this is pretty much my go-​to place. Local Jo really lives up to its cute name!

I guess I’ve been to Local Jo Café a few times now, and I think they’ve all been Sunday afternoons. Today’s visit was the longest, and most fun. It was steady, but not super-​packed. Perfect for what was essentially a triple date meets Sunday snack-​a-​thon. I had a pakora which I’d guess came from Staff of Life. Humongous and spicy and this time not too greasy. I also opted for a date square and a chai latte which was large and well-​made. I appreciate that they have an appreciable selection of vegan options.
I dig Local Jo’s. I like their style. I’m a fan of orange, so I’m a fan of their décor. The staff were friendly and helpful. And there weren’t even any kids there today, which was neither here nor there, just notable considering the idea behind the business coupled with my previous experiences.
I tend to forget about this place since I’m rarely in this neighbourhood, but I won’t forget it next time I want to hang out in a café for a few hours on a Sunday.

So I’ll admit right off the top, I probably came here on the worst possible day for someone like me. Being a location-​independent work-​folk, I’ll either be plugging away at home in the office, or coffee-​shop-​jumping my way through the day for a change of scenery. On this particular day, I was somewhere in between-​running from one meeting to this nearby café in order to jump on a conference call. All I needed was a quiet space, some wireless internet, and some nice herbal tea.
I had been to Local Jo before and absolutely loved the community vibe inside. It has a quirky look that’s bright, welcoming and casual. More of a hang-​out destination than an office option for a mobile employee. Nonetheless, I figured I’d give it a whirl while I was in the neighbourhood. The place was still charming, the staff were still incredibly friendly and helpful, but the place looked like it had been/​was in the process of being ransacked by children.
When I was able to find a spot to hang out close to a power outlet (neither of which worked… boourns), I had to brush an entire bowl worth of Sugarcrisp away from my feet on the floor, rearrange some dirty dishes so I could plop my laptop down, and deal with the pressure of a three-year-old’s watchful eye as I tried to focus on business. Oh — and the wireless was unfortunately a bust during my visit.
Now, I get it. The café can’t and shouldn’t exclude children from entering (I’m not a COMPLETE Cruella DeVille), but this probably shouldn’t be your venue for getting some serious work done. Sunday afternoon catch-​ups with friends? Totally. Which is why I’ll still give them another whirl when I’m more in their head space instead of my own.

Local Jo is a fantastic space maxed out on local culture. Fair trade and organic coffee & local teas, home-​baked treats, soups & sandwiches
offer the opportunity for a good munch. Product from some of the Farmer’s Market superstars… its another way to enjoy local creations.
The interiors are on a vibrant palate and old woods that make for a unique use of space. With lots of natural light to compliment, its more than just a spot to sit. Entertainment is an additional pull. Poetry nights, knitting parties, story time for kiddies, live music and more— Local Jo is a North End treat. Check their website and online schedule for upcoming events!

Local Jo is a great place to grab a hot bevie. I was in over the weekend and opted for a cup of loose genmaicha, while my friend got the dark roast coffee.
The environment is cozy, oriented towards young parents looking for a place to relax while their children can have fun in the designated play area.
Local Jo sells lots of baked goods, from muffins to cheesecakes and even torte. I believe they also sell lunch items, so you can eat something a little more substantial if the mood strikes you.
This is a great neighborhood spot. It isn’t necessarily an ideal place to study or get work done, as there are sometimes large groups of kids running wild, but it is a nice place to catch up with a friend while enjoying a quality cup of java or tea.

Local Jo’s is just steps from my front door, and that makes it easy to stop in and grab a cup of coffee on my way to the office. And, I must say, that the Americano at Local Jo’s is probably one of the best in the city. That and their gluten-​free double chocolate chip cookies keeps me coming back on a fairly regular basis.
The staff are hit and miss — there are a few staff members, a blonde guy, in particular, that always make my stop-​in quick, efficient and cheerful. Other times, the staff seems disorganized, a bit behind and unaware that they are moving at their own reduced speed.
Because it’s an awkward space, there’s often a small bottleneck at the door, so either you’ll think it’s a charming small space and tuck in, or awkwardly try and place yourself near the cash to place an order. I opt for reading a copy of the Coast on the «news table» where there is always a random assortment of interesting things to read, while I wait for my coffee.
I’ll admit that I’m probably not the typical customer — I want coffee efficiently so I can get out the door and on with my day — and most other customers seem to have all the time in the world to hang around and relax with friends or kids. That’s fine, it’s just not my vibe.
I’ll keep coming back for the coffee — It’s delicious and I can’t argue with that!