In Search of the Teddy Bear Latte at Jubilee Café

Jubilee Café, a dessert-forward, Korean-owned spot that originated in Palisades Park, New Jersey, attracted our attention thanks to pictures of its teddy bear latte that are trending all over social media. We had to see this for ourselves, so we headed to Carrollton, where we were pleasantly surprised by the rest of the menu. This is not just a one-trick pony. Or bear.

What started as primarily a chocolatier has become a cute little café that serves brunch, sandwiches, pastas, a full range of coffee drinks, shaved ice, bubble teas, cakes, bonbons, a chocolate fondue and, of course, the adorable little teddy bear.

Let’s get the star of this place out of the way first. The teddy bear latte arrives at your table in magnificent style: a frozen coffee bear floating atop a large cupful of iced milk in a bright cobalt blue mug along with a side of espresso. The bear bobs along, grinning at you, and you can do one of two things: drink away, keeping the teddy safe and gingerly adding the extra espresso as need be, or dumping the espresso on the dear little thing all at once and watching him or her (who can tell with ice) melt away in its best Wizard of Oz Wicked Witch of the West manner. We chose the latter.


Our other drink was a sparkling peachade, an attractively presented cold drink served up in a rectangular glass in brilliantly layered colors of purple and gold, with lychee added and a garnish of lemon and mint. It was cool and refreshing, and as pretty as the teddy was cute.


For our savories we went with a sandwich and a pasta. The sandwiches ring up a bit on the high side at around $17, but they do come with fries, a salad and your choice of hot tea or coffee during lunch until 3 p.m. We chose the grilled chicken and avocado sandwich, each half individually wrapped in paper and full of flavorful chicken, crispy lettuce, ripe tomato and avocado on toasted white bread. The fries were also good, and the salad simply dressed.


Our pasta was the aglio olio, a large bowl of spaghetti in a simple garlic and butter sauce with a plethora of garlic slivers and chunks, as well as onions, all lightly dusted with parsley. It was cooked al dente and was not overpowering on the garlic front despite what looked like an entire head of garlic.


Now it was time for dessert, and the range of choices was kind of intimidating. There were more than 20 offerings of cakes alone, along with several pages of truffles, bonbons, fondues, parfaits, shaved ice and ripienos. We decided on a coconut ripieno, which is basically a fruit sorbetto served in a shell; pineapple, lemon, peach and orange are other options. Rich, creamy, smooth and cold, this was yet another dish that tasted as good as it looked. We couldn’t get enough.

But wait, there’s more. As we were paying our check at the front, we couldn’t resist getting a slice of cake to go, finally settling upon what they called a Cake Opera. Similar but different from a tiramisu, this almond sponge with espresso cream is topped with chocolate ganache and gold flake. It was pretty; it was yummy. Surprise, surprise.

So, come for the teddy bear but stay for all the other beautifully prepared, presented and flavored items available on the menu, the size and scope of which demands multiple visits. We’re up for the challenge.

1060 W. Frankford Road, Carrollton. Daily, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.