Enoch’s a Cafe

Article by Starla Gatson | Photography by Kelly Moore Clark

Enoch’s Irish Pub builds on 45 years of local love with a welcoming new coffee shop in the Garden District. The café brings fresh flavors, familiar warmth, and a renewed sense of community to Downtown Monroe.

THE CAFE:
Like any other coffeehouse, the café offers a variety of coffee options, including drip coffee, hot and iced lattes, and hot and iced teas. In addition to coffee and tea, you can also purchase dirty sodas, lemonade, soft drinks, and smoothies. Drinks aren’t the only things on the menu; there’s also plenty to snack on.

LUNCH ITEMS:
Enoch’s a Café has lunchtime covered with a chicken salad sandwich and a variety of wraps. Choose the Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap, the Turkey Bacon Garden Salad Wrap, the Buffalo Chicken Wrap, the Muffuletta Wrap, or the Chicken Greek Wrap

It’s probably safe to say nearly every Monroe resident, whether a lifelong local or recent transplant, has stopped by or at least heard of Enoch’s Irish Pub. No, there isn’t any official research to support that claim. However, the restaurant industry is notoriously difficult, and the fact that business has boomed at Enoch’s since Doyle and Yvette Jeter first opened its doors 45 years ago is proof of how beloved the watering hole is. With its casual, inclusive atmosphere, delicious drinks, live music, and unbeatable burgers, Enoch’s is an ideal spot for an evening unwind with friends.
When Doyle and Yvette’s son, John, took over ownership of the pub almost 11 years ago, he was determined to maintain the reputation his parents had built for themselves and the business — “You don’t change that,” he says of the pub. Still, he wanted to find a way to add to the Enoch’s brand and expand the business without changing any of the things patrons have loved for generations.
“I bought property, the two lots next door,” John says, “and originally, I was going to build something. But I’d need more parking.”

His building plans undone, John reached out to the owners of the building directly behind the pub. Fortunately, they were willing to part with it, and it all fell into place: John now had the perfect location to house a new addition to the Enoch’s brand. What would that addition be? A coffee shop.
John says he’d been toying with the idea of opening a coffee shop for a couple of years, and finally, with the purchase of 504 Bres Avenue, things were falling into place for it. Choosing a name for the shop was a no-brainer: it would be called Enoch’s a Café, a callback to the name Doyle and Yvette gave the pub when it first opened in 1980.

Enoch’s a Café officially opened for business on August 4th of this year, and since then, the community has eagerly flocked in to get their coffee fixes. Like any other coffeehouse, the café offers a variety of coffee options, including drip coffee, hot and iced lattes, and hot and iced teas. However, several other menu items set Enoch’s a Café apart from other similar establishments.

In addition to coffee and tea, you can also purchase dirty sodas, lemonade, soft drinks, and smoothies. Drinks aren’t the only things on the menu; there’s also plenty to snack on. If you stop in for a morning pick-me-up, you can pair your coffee with a breakfast burrito. The classic sausage, egg, and cheese burrito is a reliable, delicious option. But if you prefer to start your day with a bit of spice, the New Mexico-style burrito is for you. Made with bacon, egg, cheese, hash browns, green and red peppers, and enchilada sauce, it’s a popular pick among Enoch’s a Café regulars. Those not in the mood for a breakfast burrito can enjoy the most important meal of the day with a sausage, egg, and cheese croissant sandwich or a yogurt parfait complete with granola, blueberries, strawberries, and honey drizzle. Enoch’s a Café has lunchtime covered, too, with a chicken salad sandwich and a variety of wraps. Choose the Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap, the Turkey Bacon Garden Salad Wrap, the Buffalo Chicken Wrap, the Muffuletta Wrap, or the Chicken Greek Wrap.

Don’t forget dessert! Besides all of the breakfast and lunch menu items, the café sells a variety of baked goods, all of which are provided by Good Measure Baking Company, a
women-owned bakery based in Claiborne. There’s Blue Bell ice cream, too, that you can enjoy alone or in a float, malt, or affogato.

No doubt the menu’s variety appeals to the community — there’s truly something for everyone. However, John suspects the café’s overwhelmingly positive reception has a
lot to do with its atmosphere. “I think [they like] the homey feeling,” he says. “I wanted to do something that didn’t feel corporate, something more to do something that didn’t feel corporate, something more relaxed. I like to say we still have a little bit of Enoch’s [Pub] in here, but a lot of this is totally different from the pub. You come in and feel like you’re at home. It’s nice and clean, but it’s not so shiny; there’s character.”

John’s right: the café does have character and an at-home feel that probably wouldn’t have been the same had he opened up shop in a brand-new build. You’re greeted by the friendly staff as soon as you walk in the door — “The crew even treats it like home,” John says. “They’ve invested their own time and energy to make it what it is. I couldn’t have done it without them.” As you wait for your order, you can peruse the numerous titles on the “Take a Book, Leave a Book” shelves in the corner of the shop or take a stroll down memory lane as you look over the collages on the walls, packed with photos of past and present Enoch’s Irish Pub events, patrons, and staff members. There’s even a small area for the kids to play while you sit at a table or on the couch.
Much like the pub, Enoch’s a Café is for everyone, and so far, it’s a lovely addition to the Garden District and Downtown Monroe, just as John hoped it would be.

“There’s a lot going on Downtown,” he says. “I wanted to do our part to help keep things in the Garden District and give everybody in this area something. I wanted us to stay relevant, too, I guess. You watch everything grow around you, and you don’t want to get left behind in the dust.”
Realistically, though, John probably doesn’t have to worry too much about Enoch’s, neither the pub nor the café, getting left behind. The pub’s legacy and reputation keep it busy decades after its opening, and, because they trust Enoch’s Irish Pub, patrons trust Enoch’s a Café, too. Besides, John is a forward-thinker, already plotting and planning how the coffee shop will expand and evolve.
When asked what the community should expect from Enoch’s a Café in the near future, John fires off a list with no hesitation: “Expect more community involvement. Things like pop-ups from local vendors. We’re going to try to do a little music out on the porch here and have outdoor festivities for the block. I’ve also got an idea to start showcasing work from local artists in the hallway. The back room that we have as storage right now, I want to make into a little study room.”
Even though John is already starting to visualize how Enoch’s a Café will develop in the future, he’s not necessarily in a rush to make those changes. For now, he and his crew are enjoying what they’ve built, grateful the public seems to be doing the same.

“It’s everything,” John says when asked how he feels about the coffee shop’s reception. “Everybody who’s come in has been nothing but positive. It’s kind of scary sometimes, because it’s like, ‘When’s the other shoe going to drop?’ Nothing is perfect, and I know we’re not.”
He’s right. No business is perfect, including his. But that doesn’t matter much to Enoch’s fanatics. So long as they can stop in to the cafe for a latte on their morning commute or head to the pub for a beer and a burger at the end of the day, all the while chatting with John, his crew, and the many others who frequent both locations, they’re satisfied.