If you’re from the center to sort-of-south of Manila and want to go for a long-ish ride without committing yourself to going up to Ahon along Sumulong, there’s a new cafe in one of the quieter streets just aways away from Marcos Highway.

Brew J Cafe is co-owned and managed by a fellow bike commuter, Jay Em Estrella, and his family. Located on the second floor of Teodora Hub in San Roque, Marikina, they usually serve those working within and around the building.

And occasionally there’s us, the ever-supportive bike commuting community!

My friend and I decided to drop by on Saturday to see what’s good and what’s to love about the place.

How to Get to Brew J Cafe

If you’re coming from the south of Pasig, the best route is passing through Amang Rodriguez Avenue from Calle Industria in Libis to get Marcos Highway. When you see a Pizza Hut sign, make a slight right into Pangustura St. Brew J will be on your left.

We haven’t tried coming from Sumulong but I guess we have to go up a footbridge.

The cafe is on the second floor, at the end of a short sunlit hallway, so you need to climb a flight of stairs.

Bike Parking Situation

Yes, there is free bike parking in the garage. Jay Em wouldn’t miss this detail! So far, it’s a single inverted-U bike rack, but it looks like it can comfortably fit around six bikes end-to-end.

You’ll just need to bring a bike lock to keep your bike secure since it’s on the ground floor. There’s someone watching over the garage, but it’s best to have a lock to be on the safe side.

I brought the Fiido D11 with me (more on that in another blog post) and parked it next to my friend’s bike. I wasn’t in the mood to fold and carry it up a bunch of stairs.

Different Types of Lattes!

We arrived just as the cafe was about to open and so we took our time to settle in and catch up with Jay Em and his brother before ordering.

They have the standard coffee that we get from most cafes, but Brew J’s got a few unique blends in their menu, so we tried those out.

My friend ordered the Turon Latte while I got the Apple Pie Latte. The former tasted like bananas and the latter like espresso with a faint hint of cinnamon. Personally, it could do better with a bit more cinnamon.

I also ordered two brownies – products from Jay Em’s father who bakes. These were chewy, sweet, and filling, perfect for shooing the bonk away. Surprisingly, they didn’t cancel out the sweetness of my coffee!

There are other caffeinated drinks worth trying, like the Taho Latte and Buko Lychee Latte, as well as some non-coffee drinks like their Iced Tea and Fruit Fizz selections, but all the more reason to go back and visit.

Make Brew J a Regular Hangout

While I rarely go out of the Makati CBD-MandabandaMaysilo-Kapitolyo coffee spaces, Brew J in Marikina can be an exception, especially if I don’t want to make-ahon for Ahon Coffee. It’s an intimate cafe that’s built and curated with lots of love in it.

Bike commuters looking for a quick stop before heading home will definitely enjoy their usuals and find new favorites here, knowing their bikes also have a place just underneath the cafe.

About Best By Bike

Best By Bike is a fortnightly blog series dedicated to discovering bike-friendly cafés and restaurants around Metro Manila.

If you own or manage a bike-friendly café or restaurant and want to be featured, I’d love to hear from you! Submit your establishment for a feature.