Tasty Tuesday: CJ’s Coffee and Sandwich Shop keeps racking up awards

Self-roasted coffee, home-baked treats and made-to-order sandwiches keep CJ’s at the top of its game

MONETA, Va. – With the weather as cold as it is, you’re probably craving something hot to drink or filling to eat. CJ’s Coffee and Sandwich Shop in Moneta has all that and then some. There’s a reason they were voted ‘Best Takeout’ in our Top 10 poll this past summer.

Now, the ‘Best of Smith Mountain Lake’ results are in, showing that the sky is the limit for this small shop.

Owner, Christopher Genna, humbly lists off , “Best coffee, best breakfast, best lunch, best sandwich, customer service, bakery and catering too” as the awards they took home. For Genna, being humble is part of it all, including how he started baking.

“I actually taught myself. Watched a lot of Food Network back in the day and got a lot of magazines. I learned different recipes, tweaked things and made them my own. I got some recipes from friends and family,” said Genna.

Now, so many different sweets and treats line the shop, including (but not limited to), “Cinnamon rolls, cookies, muffins, crumb cake. We’ll have those every day.”

Chris and I don’t just have a name in common. We grew up not far from one another.

“I try to bring a little bit of New York here,” said Genna.

It became a nostalgic experience for me when I saw black and white cookies and leaf cookies in the case, bringing me back to times when I’d pester my mom in the grocery store. Perhaps even more impressive is that the coffee isn’t imported.

Genna tells us, “We do all the roasting of our own coffee here. We offer a variety of different coffee and blends too.”

If you’re feeling seconds, go back for lunch. Their sandwiches are creative and off the charts!

They regularly have, “An amazing BLT which is just a little different. We put avocado and cheddar on it too.”

It’s plain to see why they take home the hardware and stay busy in the toughest of times.

And for that, Genna says, “It’s actually very touching and amazing how people have been like really just supporting us.”

You can see their daily specials, along with some really great pictures of their offerings on Facebook and Instagram.


About the Author:

Meteorologist Chris Michaels is an American Meteorological Society (AMS) Certified Broadcaster, forecasting weather conditions in southwest Virginia on WSLS 10 News from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays on Virginia Today.