Scenic Coffee Ride to Don Carvajal in Irvington: A Journey Through Westchester

The Ride

Today’s coffee ride would be relatively short as we’d stay in Westchester County.  Plugging in the address for Don Carvajal in Irvington, NY, to the Beeline Moto showed just 20.9 miles as the crow flies.  I was aboard the BMW S1000R for today’s ride.  While that bike is usually happy running at high speeds through twisty roads, it’d been a while since I’d ridden it last, so it was the bike I pulled out of the garage.

Departing Cross River, I headed west along 35 and south on 100.  100 just north of Millwood is a very rough road surface.  It’s probably better for an adventure bike but is a pleasant road with gentle curves.  If it were repaved, I’d highly suggest it as a good cruiser road, as the gentle curves encourage you to relax.  On a stiffly sprung sports bike, it is not an ideal route.

Route 100 joins with 9A in a separate highway section parallel to the Taconic State Parkway, so I was keen to get off that road onto some more backroads.  I took the exit for Route 117 and headed west just briefly.

Then onto 448, heading south.  This passes the old Rockefeller estate lands of Pocantico Hills.  I passed the Stone Barns Center, part of the original estate.  Beyond it is the Rockefeller State Park Preserve.  Route 448 continues through the hamlet of Pocantico Hills as the road leads to the Tarrytown reservoir.  I head west along the reservoir and make a turn near the old Marymount College campus.  Tarrytown’s hilly topography doesn’t allow me to follow the compass directly, so I use zigs and zags to navigate the Hitachi America campus.

I passed by Carollcliffe, sometimes called a castle due to the crenelated towers. Initially built in 1897, it sits atop the highest point in Westchester County.  In recent years, it served as a hotel, spa, and event space.  I attended a wedding for my parents’ friends there, but sadly, it closed last November & its future is uncertain.   

I eventually found my way to Route 9 and headed south, passing the entrance for Lyndhurst and then Washington Irving’s Sunnyside.  A turn onto Main Street led me to angled parking in front of Don Carvajal, with a great view of the Hudson River as I arrived.

On the other side of the Hudson, you could make out the Piermont Pier, which sticks out pretty far into the Hudson.

As I pulled into a parking spot in Irvington, Rever indicated I had ridden about 29.5 miles, so it was a relatively quick ride.  I didn’t find the most exciting roads to get there, but it had some incredible scenery and passing of history. See the route below.

REVER is a mobile app designed to help you track, plan, or navigate your ride. With the app, you can easily plan your route, view maps and directions, and track your distance using GPS technology. The app is an excellent tool for anyone who loves to ride and wants to keep track of their progress and distance.  Check out our full review of Rever.

The Coffee Shop

Westchester County has a long history based on its proximity to New York City.  The village of Irvington follows that trend.  A band of Wappinger Native Americans originally inhabited the area.  When the Dutch came to the area in the 1600s, it was purchased by Frederick Philipse in 1682.  With the Albany Post Road built to connect New York City with Albany, the area became a natural stopping point, and inns and taverns were built to support that.  While the area had minor skirmishes during the Revolutionary War, much of southern Westchester County was neutral after the British captured NYC.  Following the war, the land was confiscated from the Pholipse family as they had sided with the British.  The land was sold to farmers who had been tenant farmers of the Philipse family.  When the village was laid out, it was named Dearman after one of the earlier owners of the parcel in 1848.

The Hudson River Railroad arrived by 1849, and a ferry ran from Dearman to Piermont on the other side of the Hudson River. The author, Washington Irving, purchased a property just north of the village in 1835, which became known as Sunnyside.  He’d written about the area in the Legend of Sleepy Hollow in 1820, so it was only fitting that he would come to live in the area in his later years.  In 1854, residents of Dearman voted to adopt the name Irvington in honor of the author.  They pressured the railroad to change the station’s name to Irvington and succeeded in having the Postmaster change the name of the local post office.  By 1872, the village had been incorporated under the name Irvington.

I found Don Carvajal Cafe on a village street heading straight toward the Hudson River. While there is angled parking in front of the cafe, the street is on a slight incline as it descends toward the Hudson River, so you’ll want to consider how you position your bike.

A few steps lead up to the cafe’s corner entry. The main room has ample open space and a counter to one side where you can order. A few stools are available looking out the large window, but I noted several take-out orders.

Just beyond is another small room with four tables for two. It is an intimate setting with a few decorations on the walls. Just to the side is a walk-in refrigerator for their food options.

Coffee options include drip, cold brew, espresso, americano, cortado, latte, cappuccino, macchiato, flat white, mocha, pour overs.  Other drinks were matcha latte, chai tea latte, tea, ice tea, matcha lemonade, and old-fashioned lemonade.  Food options were plentiful, with some pastries including croissants.  Breakfast choices, empanadas, salads, Cubano.  It could be a great spot to grab lunch, too.

The staff greeted me warmly when I approached the counter to place my order.  With only one other group seated when I arrived, I could find a table and store my helmet & backpack.

My latte was served in a ceramic cup with great espresso art.  I also got a croissant, which was light and flaky… perfect.  The latte had a smooth blend of espresso and coffee with some caramel notes.  It had a beautiful caramel color and excellent flavor.  Don Carvajal definitely knows how to make great coffee!

With such a great food menu, it can also be a good lunch option. Although I was too early to try it during my visit, I’d encourage readers to do so.