Hidden in a strip mall on the side of Princeton-Hightstown Road in West Windsor is a storefront marked simply “COFFEE.” But inside Grover’s Mill Coffee, you encounter posters of aliens like those described in The War of the Worlds, a radio drama from 1938 that was so intense it made people believe aliens were really invading Earth right here in New Jersey.
Three-legged alien statues lurk around the coffee shop like little guests. Many of them are encased in glass or hidden in a corner, while one large one watches the guests come and go with its two eyes and many tendrils.
Rory Murphy, a regular customer, says, “[I come for] just the ambiance, the ability to sit here almost indefinitely and just enjoy somebody’s company, or watch the comings and goings. The owner, Isa, is extremely friendly, very outgoing.”
Isa Elci says, “I didn’t make [Grover’s Mill Coffee] alien themed. I purchased the place in 2023. So, it was already an alien themed coffee shop, so I just kept it and just added more of basically anything alien related.”
The smell of coffee is powerful, smooth jazz plays on the speakers, and locals sit and chat on small sofas piled with pillows.
The menu on the chalkboard — which also features an alien — shows that typical beverages cost between $3 and $6, sandwiches are $6, and pastries cost $4.
There are many items to choose from on the menu, and out of all of them, the hot chocolate, egg pesto and provolone cheese sandwich, and a birthday cake-flavored cake pop are highlights of the menu.
A basic afternoon meal of hot chocolate, egg pesto and provolone sandwich, and a cake pop costs about $20.
The hot chocolate spreads across the mouth and gives off a rich flavor, a pleasant comfort that feels like cozying up by the fire on a cold winter night.
The egg pesto and provolone sandwich is a savory burst of pesto but is balanced out pleasantly by the provolone and egg flavors.
The cake pop, which was birthday cake flavored, feels like a taste of pure celebration, the shell and inside sweet and full of flavor.
Elci says of the prices, “I’m still making profit, so I just, you know, want to be reasonable to the people. Even though this is a wealthy neighborhood, with the economy, people are watching what they can spend on coffee and, so if you increase too much, then you are going to lose some customers.”
One way that Grover’s Mill draws people in is live events, with an open mic every other Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. and live music every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Chanel Friscia, a regular, says, “I live about 10 minutes away. I prefer to do business at locally owned places versus large conglomerate corporations. So, I really like the atmosphere. I like what this coffee shop represents.”
Taylan Postalci, an employee at Grover’s Mill, says, “The coffee’s genuinely good. The drip house blend is, you know, it’s a good cup of coffee. Just black. I think, when you make a certain standard and adhere to that standard for so long people really recognize that.”
Owner Elci says, “[The previous owner] says because they live here in Grover’s Mill in West Windsor and the Grover’s Mill neighborhood and they decided to open a coffee shop in the neighborhood.”
He adds, “We are actually a community store here. We do have the mayor come here, the counsel men, women, they come here.”
