Jo’ Freedom

Looking to kill some time before my tour, I stopped in to grab a hot cup of spiced apple cider to chase away the chill of the cold rainy Saturday night. On my arrival. I noticed the shop is definitely not your local Starbucks. Everything from the décor to the business model is a bit off the beaten path.
They have a bird cage style chair where you first enter and there is limited seating; it’s definitely more of an intimate style place. A small cup of cider put me back about $ 3, which is about average I’d say. They also had hot chocolate and coffee if you don’t fancy cider (I always crave hot cider in the fall!). They have pastries like apple cider donuts as well.

As we were tooling about Salem we noticed some folks with a table selling what appeared to be the most sinful and delicious looking apple cider donuts I have ever seen. I wanted to eat them all, but was trying to limit my wheat intake (boring, right?). What we didn’t realize until much later was that they were part of a coffee shop located directly behind them. So, before the two hour trek home we stopped in for a coffee.
The shop itself has an «indie» vibe to it and is a place I could see myself tucking away at for a few hours to read or work, though there aren’t that many seats. Also, I really enjoyed the house music (Arctic Monkeys then some Alt-​J) which was just loud enough that it drowned out the sound of the chaos of Essex St, but not loud enough to drown out conversation (or an internal monologue) inside the shop. Great balance you’ve found there, Jo’ Freedom.
However, I have to completely echo the sentiments of another reviewer: it is underwhelming how few options there are here. We settled on a large cup of pumpkin coffee with soy that seemed super watered down. But unlike others, I think the price points are just find here — $ 3 for a 24oz cup of coffee? And just $ 2 for the ENORMOUS apple cider donuts? Totally worth it, in my opinion.
While I’m not sure I would come here again for the coffee, but when I’m in Salem next year I will definitely seek out those apple cider donuts! So should you!

This place was cute and the iced tea and macaroon I had were awesome but I should have known better when they didn’t have prices listed on the menu. It was $ 9 for an iced tea and a small macaroon. If you go here and don’t want to get ripped off, make sure you ask how much things cost before ordering. Learn from my mistakes!

I was a bit underwhelmed by the selection and coffee but it had a nice vibe and the staff was friendly and fun. I was disappointed there was no seating but there are plenty of benches outside. You can watch a witch hunt reenactment and wish your coffee were stronger because 10:30am is just too damn early for period costume.

Very refreshing and unique drinks on a hot day. Cool atmosphere. Fun for the kids to write on the black-​board walls and draw in the notebooks strewn about the shop while mom and dad enjoy their drinks. Staff was laid back and friendly.

Great stop in Salem for a great cup of iced coffee.

I just moved to Salem, and this is my new favorite local coffee shop.
Their logo is «A coffee shop by the people, for the people.» They just want to serve good coffee at a good price. They do have an interesting concept. If you become a member (for a one time $ 10), you can go in anytime and get your coffee, and then put what you can pay in the box. Some days you might be short a dollar, but then some days you might want to give an extra! Of course you can get coffee at a fixed price if you’re not a member.

*This café sticks to the basics. Coffee, ice coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. They always have a selection of delicious flavored coffee (pumpkin spice, eggnog, sticky pecan) and a few food items, but no espresso drinks. What is really great is that they serve fair trade coffee. Another bonus– soy milk!
*The atmosphere inside is quite nice. They have some tables, bar stools, and wicker chair swings. It’s a nice place to hang out for a bit– they have some board games and WiFi! You can also grab a piece of chalk and write on their blackboard walls!
*The owners a really friendly
It’s right in the middle of the Essex Street mall, so it’s a great place to shop if you’re walking around. Give them a chance!