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The Java GardenCafé · Eatery · Waterloo

Laurelwood · Waterloo · Since 2018

A Danish cafe, hidden in plain sight.

Made-by-hand soup, paninis, smørrebrød, baked goods, and proper coffee, served by Dan and the team in our small corner of Laurelwood.

See the MenuPlan a Visit
Bowls of soup sold
250,000+
Danish heritage
Since 2013
A bowl of Java Garden roasted red pepper and tomato soup with a tomato-mozzarella panini and a pickle.
The signature: roasted red pepper & tomato soup with a panini.

What makes us, us

Three things we will never compromise on.

Bowl of roasted red pepper soup beside a spinach salad with mandarin and bacon.

01The Soup

One bowl built our reputation.

Vine-ripe tomatoes, hand-roasted peppers, slow simmered each morning. People drive in from Toronto, Guelph and Cambridge to take a jar home.

About the soup
A pressed wrap cut in half on a plate with a dill pickle on top.

02Made In-House

Every panini, every muffin, every plate.

Banana muffins are the second-biggest seller after the soup. Cinnamon buns get cream-cheese icing and a 31-second microwave instruction. Cookies are baked in trays, not boxes.

See the menu
Plated Danish open-face sandwich with tomato, cucumber, lemon, and a chickpea salad.

03A Danish Touch

Open-face sandwiches and a small flag on the counter.

Our smørrebrød (frikadeller, egg-and-shrimp, roast beef, sole) sits alongside Danish candy, Cheesecake Factory cheesecakes, and Kawartha Dairy ice cream.

See smørrebrød

Our Signature

Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup. Made every morning for nearly a decade.

Some places have a special. We have a whole reputation built on a single bowl. Combine it with a panini, take it home in a jar, or just stop in for one cup of the warmest thing you will eat all week.

250,000+

Bowls and counting

12 yrs

Made fresh, daily

About the SoupSee the menu
A bowl of Java Garden roasted red pepper soup with the signature cream swirl.

What regulars order

Six dishes that built the regulars list.

Full Menu
  • 01

    The Signature

    Roasted Red Pepper Soup

  • 02

    Second Biggest Seller

    Banana Crumb Muffins

  • 03

    All-Day Breakfast

    Breakfast Wrap

  • 04

    31-Second Microwave

    Cinnamon Buns w/ Cream Cheese

  • 05

    Panini

    Roast Pork, Apple Butter & Brie

  • 06

    Fastest-Selling Dessert

    Strawberry Rhubarb Squares

Catering · Soup-by-the-Jar · Gift Baskets

Bring the cafe to your office, your party, or somebody's doorstep.

Soup-by-the-jar, panini and smørrebrød platters, dessert trays, and custom gift baskets, built by the same hands that run the cafe. Service across Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, and the surrounding region.

Catering & Gift BasketsSend a brief
Inside view of The Java Garden showing the dessert display, a small Danish flag, and a plant on the table.
A glimpse of the Danish corner.

A Danish touch

A glimpse of Denmark, two doors down from the dry cleaners.

The Java Garden started in St. Jacobs in 2013 and moved to Laurelwood in 2018. Owner Dan Dudack built it around the food, music, and quiet of his Danish heritage: open-face sandwiches you eat with a knife and fork, candy you cannot find anywhere else in town, and the warmth of a small place where someone knows your order.

  • Cheesecake Factory cheesecakes
  • Kawartha Dairy ice cream
  • Danish open-face sandwiches
  • Patio in season

What people say

Five-star regulars. Seven-hour drives. One unforgettable bowl.

4.99 reviews
BEST CAFE EVER. Dan is so nice and easygoing and always makes sure I leave satisfied. The food is incredible, the soup IS as good as everyone says, and that is from someone who does not like tomatoes, and the desserts are always delicious. The coffee is pretty amazing, too.
Michelle Ma
Google · May 2021
Stopped by after seeing them on the local news. A MUST place to stop by. Their soup is amazing and they have homemade sandwiches, dessert and Cheesecake Factory cheesecake. Please support this great place. Worth the drive to Laurelwood.
Dianne Gow
Google · June 2021
How have I gone three years without the Java Garden’s famous red pepper soup! I came here twice within the past week and brought along two first-time soup tasters, and they were very impressed. Now that they are closer to where I live, I will not be letting their soup go out of my sight again.
Felicia Y.
Yelp · February 2019
Read all reviews

Come find us

Tucked into Laurelwood Plaza. Patio in season.

600 Laurelwood Drive, Unit 200
Waterloo, ON N2V 2S7

Hours vary seasonally. Please call 519-883-0105 to confirm before you visit.

Call 519-883-0105Get Directions
The illuminated Java Garden cafe / eatery storefront sign at 600 Laurelwood Drive in Waterloo.
Hand-lettered chalkboard menu boards behind the espresso bar inside The Java Garden.

Around the region

Looking for something specific?

We get found a lot of different ways. If you came in through one of these doors, here is the shortest path to what you wanted.

Quick answers

People always ask.

Anything else, just give us a call. We pick up most of the time.

Send a message
Where is The Java Garden?
600 Laurelwood Drive, Unit 200, Waterloo, ON N2V 2S7, in the Laurelwood neighborhood of north-west Waterloo.
What are you famous for?
Our roasted red pepper and tomato soup. We have sold over 250,000 bowls and counting. We also do Danish open-face sandwiches, paninis, baked goods, and Cheesecake Factory cheesecakes.
Do you have a patio?
Yes, we open the patio when the weather cooperates. Call ahead in shoulder seasons.
Can I order soup to take home?
Yes. We sell the famous soup by the jar, and we make custom gift baskets to order. Call 519-883-0105.
Do you cater?
Yes. Soup-by-the-jar, panini and smørrebrød platters, dessert trays, and custom gift baskets across Waterloo and the Region. See /catering for sample packages.
Two paper coffee cups, a muffin, and a cinnamon bun on a small round wooden cafe table by the window.