"Finally made it to Penstock Coffee in Highland Park and it lived up to the cozy vibe I imagined. We sat outside at first, but it was colder than expected, so we ended up waiting a bit until a table opened up inside. It was worth the wait though. The space inside feels welcoming with its soft light, warm wooden tones, and thoughtful little details. It's the kind of spot that makes you want to curl up with a book and stay awhile. I ordered the Socrates iced latte and my boyfriend got Hypatia. Both were solid choices. Smooth, creamy, and not too sweet. We also shared a carrot cake muffin. He liked it more than I did, but I'd still come back to try the other pastries especially the croissants, which were already gone by the time we arrived. I loved how the place buzzed with life without feeling too loud. Everyone seemed either deep in conversation or tucked into their own little world. It's the kind of café that feels like it belongs in a movie. Giving it 4 stars for now since I still want to come back earlier and try more things."

"I feel lucky to have this place in my town. They serve true specialty coffee and I get a great pour-over every time I visit. It is the only place in central NJ where I consistently trust the quality of the coffee. They always have a strong selection of beans and regularly bring in new ones. I have stopped buying beans from other places because of them. The staff is welcoming and helpful. If you are local and want to improve your coffee experience, I highly recommend this place."

"The cappuccino I ordered was excellent, and the croissant's puff pastry was fresh. The place is quiet and clean, but it's more geared toward students than for a relaxing coffee and dessert. My only complaint, in my personal opinion, is the high price for a small cup of coffee."

"had a wonderful experience during our first visit that it gave a very good impression. First off I loved that there is both street and public parking which made it so convenient. Inside is bright and spacious but if you like the outdoors, there is ample seating options there too. The staff are friendly and know their coffee beans well! they have seasonal flavors too and was happy with my Honey Vanilla Black Sesame latte. Although the pastries are limited, I loved that each one was just fresh and delicious! As simple as a plain and chocolate croissant was still enjoyable. The zucchini bread was amazing too! glad I got one as it was still fresh, moist and delicious! I see a good number of people with their laptops and were comfortable working there. People with pets and baby strollers were in and out too so the place really caters to a lot of people and are well enjoyed. Too bad though that its a bit far from me but the good experience we had will sure have me revisiting again."

"The prices are a bit high but you come feeling that you are paying for quality, that being said I left recently feeling disappointed. I come to this shop because it's down the street from my house, and as I said quality. I asked for a muffin and a coffee which cost alittle over $9. The problem arose when I asked for butter and a knife. I was met with, "we dont give butter". I have gotten butter from them before when I ordered a scone. After a minute or so they changed it and was told they would see what they can do. I come to this shop, regularly and tip the cashiers, regularly. To think that I would have to go home and put butter on a $4-5 muffin at a cafe is insane to me. From there the coffee was given to me a little over half full with the milk already included. I had to go back and say something about it because it was that ridiculous. The small cup is already very small. It looks like the give you 6oz but imagine only getting 3 1/2 oz milk already added. I was actually served that little and paid full price, which is already on the expensive side for the 6oz you don't really get, milk is included in that amount. Then given a disposable plastic utensil pack with only the fork in it, which I had to go back and ask for a knife to use for the butter. All this because I asked for butter to go on a dry muffin? I felt for the most part, before this incident, that the people in there were pretty nice. Now I have to say I don't feel the same. Like I said before the cafe does not have Dunkin donut prices, and I tip every time I go, at least $1 every time, and I get treated like I'm a problem or that I'm asking too much. I've been in back of many people that don't tip a dime, but more importantly since when is asking for butter for a muffin is too much? I don't think I'll be going back to this place. I didn't feel comfortable about the way I was treated. It was simply too many "incidents" to let this go."