This Maine Coffee Shop Serves Indian-Inspired Pastries That Are Anything But Ordinary

A croissant named after gulab jamun, the syrup-soaked Indian sweet, sits in a pastry case in southern Maine. Honestly, that detail alone made me want to grab my car keys.

The same bakers also turn out tamarind kouign amann, coconut croissants, and fragrant chai palmiers. Meanwhile, the chai follows a Hyderabad-style recipe built on cardamom, rose petals, and warm spices.

The menu treats Indian flavors as a friendly twist on familiar American comfort food. Cardamom slips into flaky croissants, and tangy chaat masala lands on a plate of avocado toast.

Then comes the part that really won me over, and it has nothing to do with butter. Every bit of profit after rent and employee wages funds free meals for neighbors, which makes a second croissant feel almost responsible.

Your Usual Croissant Is About To Feel A Little Shy

Gulab jamun is a classic Indian dessert of soft dough balls soaked in fragrant syrup. At Cobblestone Coffee & Co., that beloved sweet becomes the inspiration for a croissant.

The bakery calls these creations cardi, and the gulab jamun version shows how far a familiar pastry can travel. It still has the shape you know, but the flavor story comes from somewhere new.

Cardamom croissants are another star of the case. Cardamom is the warm, slightly floral spice that perfumes a lot of Indian sweets and chai.

Coconut croissants round out the lineup with a tropical lean. Together, these three show how the kitchen treats Indian flavors as a thoughtful twist rather than a costume.

Here’s my practical tip for first-timers. Pick one spiced pastry and one familiar flavor, then compare them side by side over coffee.

The menu changes with the seasons, so the case can look different from one visit to the next. That keeps things exciting, though it also means a favorite might rotate out.

My advice is simple and a little selfish. If something catches your eye, order it now and save the deep thinking for later.

Tamarind And Butter Make A Surprisingly Good Team

Kouign amann is a Breton pastry built from layers of dough, butter, and sugar that caramelize in the oven. Now add tamarind, the tangy fruit used across Indian cooking.

That combination is the tamarind kouign amann, and it might be the boldest item in the bakery case. Sweet meets sour here, which is exactly the kind of tension good desserts need.

Tamarind tastes a bit like a cross between dates and lemon. If you’ve had it in chutney next to samosas, you already know its bright personality.

Chai palmiers bring a gentler mood to the counter. Palmiers are those crisp, heart-shaped cookies made by rolling and folding puff pastry with sugar.

Warm chai spices and caramelized sugar are an easy match. Palmiers are basically caramelized sugar with excellent posture, so the pairing feels natural.

A palmier also travels well, which matters if you’re grabbing breakfast for the road. Tuck one in a bag for later, and future you will be grateful.

Pastries here are seasonal, so expect the lineup to shift as the year rolls on. Treat each visit like a small adventure instead of a guaranteed repeat.

The Chai Has A Hometown Story Steeped Right In

Hyderabad is famous for Irani chai, a rich tea served in cafes all over the city. It’s also the hometown of owner Sai Guntaka’s family, and that connection shows up in your cup.

The Irani chai at Cobblestone Coffee & Co. is made in that Hyderabad style. It’s flavored with cardamom, rose petals, and a blend of spices.

Rose petals in tea might sound fancy, but the idea is pretty old-fashioned. Rose has flavored sweets and drinks in South Asia for a very long time.

Cardamom brings warmth, while rose adds a soft floral note. Think of it as a cozy sweater with a flower pinned to the collar.

For anyone used to chai from a carton, this is a different experience. A drink rooted in a real hometown tradition carries a lot more character.

Chai lovers in Maine can be picky, especially on cold mornings. This one gives them a reason to try something with a little history attached.

Pair it with a chai palmier if you want a fully spiced morning. Or go with a plain pastry and let the tea do all the talking.

Pistachio, Ube, And Beans From India Walk Into A Coffee Shop

Some coffee shops stop at vanilla and caramel. The specialty latte list here includes pistachio, orange cardamom, and ube, a purple yam popular in Filipino desserts.

Orange and cardamom might sound like an odd couple at first. Citrus brightens things up, and cardamom keeps the whole drink warm and grounded.

Pistachio is a natural fit for a menu with Indian roots. The nut appears in plenty of Indian sweets, so seeing it in a latte feels like a smart crossover.

Behind every cup is coffee from Tandem Coffee Roasters, a well-known Portland roaster. Cobblestone Coffee & Co. also offers a special blend that uses beans from Ratnagiri, India.

Ratnagiri sits along India’s western coast in the state of Maharashtra. It’s a fun reminder that India grows coffee, not just tea.

If you prefer your coffee plain, you’re covered too. The menu includes a full range of brewed coffee and espresso drinks, so nobody gets left out.

My suggestion is to start with orange cardamom if you like a little adventure. Save the pistachio for your second trip, because there will probably be one.

Breakfast Gets A Spicy Passport Stamp

Vada pav is Mumbai’s famous street sandwich, usually a spiced potato fritter tucked into a soft bun. Finding it on a Maine brunch menu is a delightful plot twist.

Cobblestone Coffee & Co. serves Vada Pav sandwiches alongside sweet crêpes filled with combinations such as strawberries and Nutella or caramelized banana and whipped ricotta. The sweet crêpes add a familiar breakfast option to a menu that also celebrates Indian street food.

Then there’s the avocado toast, which might be the most relatable item on the menu. Here it gets chaat masala plus a coriander-mint chutney.

Chaat masala is a tangy spice blend often sprinkled on Indian street snacks. It usually includes ingredients like dried mango powder and black salt, which give it a zippy, savory kick.

Coriander-mint chutney adds a cool, herby layer on top. Put those together, and plain avocado toast suddenly has a lot more to say.

The menu describes its approach as global flavors with a subtle Indian twist. That word subtle matters, because the dishes stay approachable for curious eaters of every comfort level.

Not sure where to start? Avocado toast is the gentle doorway, while vada pav is the full cannonball into the deep end.

Save Room For French Toast That Smells Like Chai

Milk bread provides the base for the café’s chai-spiced French toast. The kitchen infuses the bread with chai and serves it with date syrup, whipped cream, and tart cherry compote.

The result is chai spice French toast, a brunch dish that borrows the warmth of a good cup of tea. It’s familiar and just different enough to feel like a treat.

Hungry for something heartier? The braised lamb bowl comes served over cracked rye with a vada pav crumble on top.

That crumble is a playful nod to the famous Mumbai sandwich. It turns a street snack into a finishing touch for a slow-cooked bowl.

Cracked rye is a whole grain that makes a nice change from rice. It shows how the kitchen likes mixing ideas from different places on one plate.

Chef Adam Williams leads the kitchen, with sous chef Remington McGuire on the team. Bakers Lucie Beau and Angela Young handle the pastry side of things.

Brunch is the time to bring friends and share plates. One sweet dish and one savory dish makes a balanced table, and nobody has to choose sides.

Your Coffee Order Quietly Helps Feed Someone Else

About 150 to 200 free meals go out each day from a food cabinet outside Taj Indian Cuisine. Cobblestone Coffee & Co. helps keep that going.

All profits from the cafe, after rent and employee wages, go to this outreach program. The meals are free for anyone in need.

The program started during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many families were struggling. The Guntaka family kept it running, and the cafe now helps fund it.

Owner Sai Guntaka also plans to bring the meal service to the Bangor area. That would spread the idea farther north in Maine, which is pretty exciting to think about.

I believe this changes the whole feel of a coffee run. A latte stops being just a latte when part of its purpose is feeding a neighbor.

Plenty of businesses talk about giving back. Far fewer send every leftover dollar of profit straight toward meals for people who need them.

So go ahead and add that extra pastry to your order. It’s hard to call it an indulgence when the money behind it does this much good.

The Building Was Feeding People Long Before The Croissants

Long before the croissants arrived, this spot housed Taj Indian Cuisine, Sai Guntaka’s first successful restaurant. Cobblestone Coffee & Co. now fills that original building at 200 Gorham Rd, South Portland, ME 04106.

That means the address already carries a bit of family history. The new cafe is sort of a sequel filmed on the same stage.

Taj Indian Cuisine is still part of the South Portland food scene. Guntaka also co-founded Silver Street by Taj in Portland’s Old Port and Rasa in Bangor.

Seeing that track record helps explain the confidence of the cafe menu. This is a team that knows Indian cooking well enough to play with it.

South Portland sits just across the water from Portland. So the cafe makes an easy stop whether you live nearby or you’re exploring southern Maine.

Gorham Road is a handy route for drivers heading in from nearby towns. Plug in the address, and you’ll find a place with real roots right where the story began.

I like that the building got a second life instead of a total stranger. Some addresses just seem meant to keep serving good food.

A Glowing Neon Sign And Early Hours Make Planning Easy

A custom neon sign by David Johansen helps set the mood inside. Designers at Woodhull planned the space, and Carlos Acosta built it.

That’s a lot of craft behind one cafe. It suggests the look of the room got the same care as the pastry case.

The cafe holds about 40 seats, which is a comfortable size for a neighborhood spot. It’s roomy enough for a small group but cozy enough to feel personal.

Hours run from 6 AM to 3 PM every day of the week. Early birds can grab coffee before work, and late sleepers still have time for brunch.

Here’s my best planning advice for pastry fans. Arriving earlier in the day gives you more time to linger over the full menu.

Bring a friend so you can split one sweet and one spiced pastry. Sharing doubles your tasting power without doubling your order.

Cobblestone Coffee & Co. pairs bold Indian flavors with a mission that feeds people every day. That combination is rare in Maine, and honestly, anywhere.

Go for the gulab jamun croissant and stay for the chai. You’ll leave with a full stomach and a good story.