Coffee Corral: A Passion for Coffee and Community in Red Bank

On Dr. James Parker Blvd. in Red Bank, there exists a coffee roastery that has blossomed into a community space welcoming coffee fanatics and decafs alike.

Second generation owner Courtlyn L. Crosson and former customer-turned husband Erich have prioritized making the Coffee Corral a place for the Red Bank community to enjoy coffee and food and congregate.

Crosson says the cafe stays busy during the offseason on account of Red Bank being a "year-round town." But the nice weather brings more opportunities to use the cafe's 70-or-so-seat outdoor space, The Corral, offers a full schedule of kids or fitness classes, live music, and other events from April to November. They prioritize working with other businesses through classes and pop-ups.

"I love seeing The Corral full! Whether it is a sunny Thursday morning with business meetings, morning coffee dates, or yoga, or a busy Saturday of Live Music--there is nothing more rewarding than seeing it all come together out there," Crosson says.

So what should you drink, if you swing by the Coffee Corral? Crosson recommends - Brazil from the Naimeg Family in Minas. She drinks it black (being a coffee roaster herself), but you can add what you want!

"My husband and I picked this coffee when visiting the Naimeg Estate in 2023 and it is absolutely delicious! It is a very sweet, flavorful dark roast with notes of caramel, dark chocolate, and brown sugar. It really is a very intricate and interesting dark roast, which isn't common for dark roasts, and almost unheard of for Brazilian coffees."

For those looking for a sweeter drink, she recommends the French Toast Latte, which is made with manuka honey, vanilla extract, cinnamon, almond milk, and espresso: "the perfect iced latte on a hot summer day!"

Visiting the coffee shop's website, you can tell the care they put into the coffees they sell and the connections they make with the farmers.

When tourism season strikes, you can delineate the year-round customers "who know how to order, what they want, where to pay," and the out-of-towners with a "New Yorker accent and not knowing where the register is in the store :)"

But they welcome them all into the community.

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When Courtlyn and Erick aren't working, they love hiking and outdoor activities, such as taking their four dogs on the trails in Hartshorne or Huber.

Their go-to dinner spot is Rumson's Barnacle Bill's, followed up more often than not with ice cream from Crazees and "a walk through Victory Park with our soon-to-be 1 year old daughter."

She loves the variety of Red Bank and The Peninsula, where any day can involve the beach, horseriding, hiking or luxuriating at a great restaurant or in a boat on the river.

But the Corral keeps her plenty busy.

"We've witnessed endless first dates, break-ups, engagements, first steps, graduations, newborn photos, and everything in between in our space. We love that we are THAT place for so many people, it is special beyond my wildest dreams when we opened 13 years ago," Crosson adds. Sometimes it is hard to see your hard work through someone else's eyes, but I try to take a step back and take it all in."