After a night out in good ol’ Hoboken, chances are someone has recommended the Hangover Burrito from this Mile Square gem {yes, that’s the real name and yes, it’s amazing}. We’re talking about D’s Soul Full Cafe — a small shop that’s been nestled on 918 Willow Avenue since 2006. Read on to learn all about D’s Soul Full Cafe, straight from the owner himself, and check out why this local business is so special.
The History
D’s Soul Full Cafe has a “colorful past,” owner Stephen Bailey shares with Hoboken Girl. Seasoned Hobokenites will remember that 918 Willow Avenue was once home to the beloved Bagel Smashery {in 2002, to be exact}. This was a town favorite with another location on First Street {that’s now home to Bucket + Bay}. The Bagel Smashery’s Willow Avenue location soon changed its name to Josh + Ive’s and slowly began to evolve into more of a sandwich shop.
In 2006 the shop was sold to Dwight Thompson {the D in D’s}, who had big plans for the menu. After a few years of expanding the menu to breakfast burritos, specialty subs, wraps, and more, Dwight decided to officially change the name and make it his own. Finally, in 2010, D’s Soul Full Cafe was born. The history doesn’t stop there, though — in 2011, Stephen Bailey bought the shop {who shared with us that he jokes that he is the ‘s in D’s} and still works with Dwight and their longtime teammate Howard Jones to push the boundaries of comfort food in Hoboken.
Today, D’s Soul Full Cafe keeps Hoboken fed with its tightly-knit staff.
“The core team consists of myself, Dwight, and Howard,” Stephen says. “We have a wonderful cast of part-timers {Loany, Brianna, Jerania, and Kaylin} who work mainly on the weekends. We also have five regular delivery guys {most of our business is actually delivery}.”
The Menu
At D’s Soul Full Cafe, diners will find pure comfort food with a twist. From unique breakfast burritos to sandwiches, salads, soups, and beyond, this is the place most will want to be when craving some feel-good food.
{Photo courtesy of @dssoulfullcafe}
Owner Stephen shared with us that the most popular menu items are D’s breakfast burritos {which can be delivered, we might add}.
{Photo courtesy of @dssoulfullcafe}
Recently, the restaurant has started to attract a lot of vegans and vegetarians having expanded its healthier food choices — and Stephen jokes that D’s is “beefing up” its meatless menu. As for owner Stephen, his favorite dish on the menu is the “BBQ Bacon Chipotle Chicken Sub.”
See More: A Visit to Northern Soul {Healthy Comfort Food in Hoboken}
Beyond its tasty menu, however, there’s more to D’s than simply food. For Stephen, one of his favorite things about being a business owner in Hoboken is that strong community connection and friendships he’s made along the way while running the restaurant.
“The friends I’ve made. That might sound corny, but it’s the truth,” he says. “I’ve watched kids grow up in the neighborhood. I’ve had kids that I’ve known since they were in grade school eventually work for me. I feel like part of these families.”
Location and Hours
D’s Soul Full Cafe is located at 918 Willow Avenue in Hoboken — a bit off-the-beaten-path which is always a plus. It’s open Monday through Friday from 7:00AM-4:00PM and Saturday and Sunday from 8:00AM-3:00PM. Delivery can be ordered directly through the website and by doing so, diners will receive 20% off their first order and 10% off orders over $25 — as if we weren’t convinced enough.
{Photo courtesy of @dssoulfullcafe}
