Ground Connection Hackensack

As I write this, this place has a 4-star rating overall and I think that's pretty accurate. It's a nice shop for a mall. I love the cold brew coffees. They gave me coconut milk from a fridge behind the counter and did not charge extra for it, which I appreciated, since I don't drink cow's milk. They only have paper cups even though the pictures that they have uploaded here show real cups and latte art. That is misleading, because I used those pictures to decide to come here and then that was not available. I really hate drinking coffee out of waxy paper cups. They have some baked goods, from croissants to bagels. There is also a grab-and-go section with juices and some salads like egg salad and chicken salad. They have a good number of seats, in addition to a few at the bar. Overall I would stop by here if I were in the mall. I prefer it to a Starbucks. But I would not make a special trip to go here.

Kind of a bright and fresh cafe spot. Located right on the corner in the Shops at Riverside mall by Smash burger and Cheesecake Factory. Kind of an open outdoor feel. The glass wall of the cafe and exposed counter provides nice views of the comings and goings of the mall pedestrian traffic. Lots of tables. Nice selection of espresso drinks, pastries , salads and sandwiches. They can make a nice patterned latte if you request it. (See photo) The Cortado expressos are also very good. Fast counter service. Very clean. Handicap accessible..

Good coffee. Good flat bread pizzas and sandwiches, but the loud club music can be annoying. Also, some employees have poor hygiene standards for handling the food, and not such a friendly attitude to boot. New management and staff may be needed here. If they're not happy working here, they should find another job! It's too bad because the food and beverages are not bad!

The size of their coffee / espresso or double espresso is not the industry standard. I questioned why the size of my drink was so small and they said that was how it is. After I received my drink the next customer in line asked the exact same question. I understand they are in a high-end mall and pay a lot for their retail space but to buy a double espresso and get three mouthfuls is truly unacceptable.

We were very disappointed. We ordered hot chocolate and it tasted like warm water with a little unsweetened chocolate in it. When we brought it back to the attendant, they didn't offer to do anyting to remedy the situation. Since we were there we just purchased a cappuccino to drink. In addition when we were done, we went to throw out garbage and the garbage pail was overflowing, with garbage on the floor. If the place was really busy I could understand the garbage issue, but three attendants were just standing behind the counter waiting for customers to come. I think they need some employee training customer relations and work place appearance.