Port City Java Coffee Houses

When you are from the North and accustomed to Tim Horton’s — coming to any of these locations is always different and unique. They may not all be top notch, but a trip to Wilmington without a stop for some coffee would be a huge mistake!

I visit this PCJ on an almost daily basis, and I love it. I work freelance, and I like to find a nice local coffee shop with free wi-​fi where I can spend part of the day working. The old Oleander location was small and cramped and after a couple visits, I moved on to Starbucks. But the new, larger location is great, and from the free wi-​fi to the numerous power outlets, it is set up as a great place to work. The staff is awesome… super friendly, and after only a few visits they knew me by name and knew my normal food & beverage order. They’re a pleasure to interact with.

This Port City Java recently opened, and it’s much bigger than the older one on Oleander was. I give it two thumbs up, five stars, and an A+ for all-​around goodness. There a couple of cozy seating areas where you can vedge-​out while you take in your java or what-​have-​you. There are also plenty of seats next to outlets, so students and laptop peeps can do their business like it’s nobody’s business.
During our visits, the store was very clean overall, and the staff was friendly. I like that they recycle their cups and lids; you just have to ask them.
The seasonal lattes are always good, and their flavored coffees are nice and strong. The Java Shake is «da bomb,» as is the Mocha Shake and pretty much any of their speciality drinks. Their double-​chocolate muffins are yummy, but I think my favorite bakery item is the crumb cake.
This is a good place to meet-​up with friends, or just to have a relaxing sit-​down solo. I highly recommend that you check this out, if you’re in the area or just driving by.

«Waking Up Wilmington Since 1995»
During our Valentine’s Vacay at the beach, I treated my husband to a massage and the therapist told me about her neighborhood hangout, Port City Java (PCJ), just a few blocks from her home/​studio. This PCJ is housed in a business center called the Arboretum Center with a Tuscan-​like décor at the corner of Giles and Oleander and located at the end allowing for a drive up window. There is parking in the front and back of this coffeehouse. The place was warm, small and cozy with 4 tables and 4 sofa chairs arranged around a coffee table. There is a small selection of baked goods that didn’t look particularly appetizing to me and there was a short list of lunch items (3 sandwiches, 3 wraps, and 3 salads), all reasonably priced between $ 5-​$ 8.
I stopped in for a short visit to enjoy a cup of tea. I was immediately greeted when I walked in. PCJ has several flavors of Mighty Leaf, which I think is a good quality bag tea brand. I got the Organic African Nectar. The friendly employee said it was the best and asked me which size I would like. The tea had a pleasing floral note with a hint of a tropical fruit like mango. I was happy to find a bottle of honey on the ‘condiments’ table, which is my preferred sweetener.
I took advantage of the complimentary wifi. With music softly playing in the background, this Port City Java was a nice, quiet place to enjoy my tea, relax, and play on the internet while waiting for my husband. Next time I will have to try a latte from this Wilmington based coffee roaster and café.

Highly overrated.
Bakery items have no soul. No chutzpah. I have a wicked sweet tooth and can’t bring myself to choose anything.
The best thing about the places are the seating. You can linger for hours, even days perhaps.
The coffee is hardly passable. Often bitter and uninspiring.
I have tried more than four locations and find that making my own, at home to be better.

I may be biased because I manage the place, but I love this café. I used I come here long before I even worked for the company! Come by and grab some coffee!

A tiny location with very little seating. Not a fan of the pro-​life propaganda and creepy fetus art hanging on the walls.