Ground Connection: Not Your Average Coffee Shop

Since I live in the area, I visit The Shops at Riverside in Hackensack quite often. It has a nice Barnes & Noble and plenty of space (and free WiFi) to get work done as a college student. However, one thing it has been lacking for a while now is a decent coffee place. They have an Au Bon Pain, but personally I find their coffee to be pricey for what you get. They also have a "Starbucks" in Barnes & Noble that apparently isn't a real Starbucks but is just as expensive. As you can probably tell, I have been frustrated with this issue for some time.

So when I heard they were building a new coffee kiosk in the middle of the mall called Ground Connection I was excited and anxious to see if it would ease my caffeine woes. After a few weeks of torturous waiting, I recently was able to try it out for myself. The verdict? Well, you'll just have to keep reading to find out!

It seems to me as though Ground Connection is trying to establish themselves as the new kids on the block in the extremely competitive coffee business. They are doing so by marketing themselves as a "coffee bar", complete with high stools and coffee/tea available on tap. I find this whole concept to be extremely cool and eye-catching. I mean, who expects to see an actual tap when they go to order coffee somewhere?!

Along with a wide range of beverages - from specialty coffee drinks to milk shakes made with Haagen Dazs ice cream - they also have a selection of fresh salads, sandwiches and bakery items.

I ordered the Tahitian Vanilla Iced Latte and the Penne & Arugula Pasta Salad (pictures below).

16 oz. Tahitian Vanilla Iced Latte - $4.25

The coffee was exactly as I hoped it would be. It had the vanilla flavor without being overly sweet and you could still taste the espresso in there too. The sweet and bitter flavors balanced out perfectly.

Penne & Arugula Salad - $7.75

As for the pasta salad, I was honestly a little disappointed. The pasta was overcooked and hard. I did buy it just after 7:30pm, however, and they make everything fresh on site during the day so it may have tasted that way because it had been sitting out. I would like to try one of their sandwiches or flat breads as well before saying yay or nay to the food though.

Of all the options in this particular mall, I think that Ground Connection is the most unique and if you are looking for something fresh to eat with your coffee then this is your best bet!

Take note:

• The hours of operation are 8:00am - 9:30pm Monday to Friday & Saturday from 8:00am-9:00pm. They are closed on Sundays (along with the rest of the mall) due to Bergen County's Blue Laws. 
• If you go after 7:30pm to buy food they will give you half off since the food is no longer as fresh at that point. 
• Their muffins are delicious - I tried some of my friend's red velvet muffin with chocolate chunks baked right inside. Heaven!
• Mall employees get a 10% discount on any purchase.
• It is located on Level 1 of the mall near Vera Bradley and Ann Taylor. If coming into the mall, use Entrance 6.