The 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.
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.
- Bowls of soup sold
- 179,000+
- Danish heritage
- Since 2013
What makes us, us
Three things we will never compromise on.
Made 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.
A 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.
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.
179,000+
Bowls and counting
8.5 yrs
Made fresh, daily
What regulars order
Six dishes that built the regulars list.
The Signature
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Second Biggest Seller
Banana Crumb Muffins
All-Day Breakfast
Breakfast Wrap
31-Second Microwave
Cinnamon Buns w/ Cream Cheese
Panini
Roast Pork, Apple Butter & Brie
Fastest-Selling Dessert
Strawberry Rhubarb Squares
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.
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
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.
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 179,000 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.
