When the craving for a coffee or pastry strikes, the first place one often thinks to go is to their local Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts. Hidden behind these popular coffee shops are smaller gems that haven’t been recognized by a majority of the public. A lot of these places, however, deserve praise for their high quality coffee and food that attracts loyal customers. One of these places being Little Coco located at 131 Clements Bridge Rd, Barrington, NJ.

Little Coco opened in Barrington on November 2, 2023 and is known for a variety of savory and sweet pastries as well as coffee. Little Coco puts an emphasis on using seasonal and fresh ingredients for their food. Due to this, their menu changes somewhat daily. Although they traditionally have a savory and sweet scone, different types of muffins, and other items, the flavors frequently change.

My favorite item I tried from Little Coco was by far the Ramp Scone. Ramp is a seasonal spring vegetable that’s a cross between onion and garlic. This scone was deliciously creamy, and the ramp’s flavor added a lot to the scone. As someone who’s not usually the biggest fan of scones, Little Coco’s savory take was both genius and piquant.

Staying on the track of savory items, I also sampled The Egg And Cheese Biscuit. I very much enjoyed the biscuit being the outside instead of the traditional bread on an egg and cheese sandwich. The thickness and seasoning of the egg added a great amount of flavor to the biscuit. There was a good balance between egg, cheese, and biscuit on the outside, that made this dish a great breakfast option.

Along with a variety of savory items, they also have many sweet options. The most unique and best one I tried was the Nutella Muffin. The nutella was perfectly distributed throughout the muffin, so I was able to savor the glorious taste through every bite. The outside of the muffin had a cinnamon kind of flavor that was sugary and golden brown.

A dessert that had the opposite effect on me was the Black Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookie. While there was a good amount of chocolate chips and the consistency of the cookie was soft and doughy, the black salt definitely overpowered it. While I’m someone who can enjoy salt on my cookie, there was far too much for me. The dessert would’ve been a lot more enjoyable if the amount was decreased.

Overall, Little Coco proved how important it is to branch out beyond your typical coffee places. Their way of serving authentic and seasonal food is extremely important in how they stand out as a smaller shop.