9 Late-Night JB Roadside Cafes Worth Crossing the Border For

1. Kopi Kampung Kak Cer

The scene’s spirit is best captured in our first stop. Upon spotting us, the first customer of the night, we were greeted by a broad smile and a “hey, bang (brother)” by owner Mohd Rasif. The genial 45-year-old revealed he had closed a restaurant in December last year and only started this cafe in March, near his home, and has now garnered a healthy following.

Rasif’s last venture, the restaurant Mood Degil, went viral in view of Santai Camp’s lights across a canal before struggling to keep up with its own popularity and closing in December. That he’s already rebuilding, and still smiling, might be the truest spirit of this whole scene.

The menu offers comforting, familiar fare, with different takes on Indomie (from RM10, S$3.09), including the bestselling squid noodles, as well as versions with spicy tuna, beef or egg. Drinks include the signature Original Kopi Kampung (RM7, S$2.17), Creme Brulee Cheese Foam Kopi (RM8, S$2.47), and viral sticky drinks made with thickened condensed milk, matcha and tea.

Coffee: 9/10 Vibe: 6/10 Service: 8/10

Overall: 23/30

Kopi Kampung Kak Cer is at Jalan Cekor, Taman Sri Amar, 81100 Johor Bahru. Open 5pm to 2am daily, except Sun. More info via Instagram.

2. Brewtiful Coffee

This one is hard to miss from the Sultan Ismail highway. Indeed, about “25 to 30 per cent” of customers are Singaporeans en route to the Second Link, reckoned owner Farid Shahbudin.

The 38-year-old has been running a catering business since 2018 but always dreamed of opening a cafe. He eventually set up Brewtiful in June 2025 at his current spot. With permit applications wending their way through the system, inspectors have visited Farid a couple of times.

“They’ve told me, ‘Maybe don’t put out 20 tables, okay?’ We’re more relaxed here, so we JB people can just try lah,” he quipped.

Here, you can get both Malaysian and western faves, from Nasi Lemak Telur (RM5, S$1.55) and Tauhu Cheese (RM13, S$4.02) to Nutella Toast (RM10, S$3.09). But it’s the drinks that steal the show, with 16 bestsellers including the Choco Cloud Americano (RM15, S$4.64), Dalgona Caramel (RM15, S$4.64) and Nutella Taro (RM16, S$4.95), all served in colourful, indulgent layers.

Coffee: 8/10 Vibe: 7/10 Service: 8/10 

Overall: 23/30

Brewtiful Coffee is at Jalan Rawa, Taman Perling, 81200 Johor Bahru. Open 7pm to 2am daily, except Sat. More info call +60 17-781 1585.

3. J’Beans Coffee

Midway through our chat, Norazdi “Didi” Nordin had to excuse himself – a customer had pulled up to his cafe set up in a customised Vellfire MPV. The driver needed only two steps to get from her car to the counter.

“I have bikers, car clubs, coming to support me,” said Didi, 45, crediting his spot just off the Sultan Ismail highway.

Born in Cheras, Didi grew up in Johor where his father worked. After COVID-19 shuttered his two Klang Valley restaurants, he moved here to try a roadside cafe. Starting with a stand in July 2023, he moved operations into his Vellfire six months later, first with a China-made machine before upgrading to two Italian ones.

His popular drinks include the Dirty Mocha (RM15, S$4.64), Caramel Macchiato (RM12, S$3.71), Toffee Nut Latte (RM12, S$3.71) and Spanish Latte (RM15, S$4.64). There’s also a Matcha series from (RM12, S$3.71), with flavours including mango, strawberry and caramel.

Coffee: 8/10 Vibe: 6/10 Service: 9/10 

Overall: 23/30

J’Beans Coffee is at Medan Selera Layang, Jalan Layang 16, Taman Perling, 81200 Johor Bahru. Open daily except Mon 7pm - 2am; till 2.30am on Sat & 1.30am on Sun. More info via Instagram.

4. Buzz & Bean Coffee

Down a quiet Taman Molek street is a gem of a roadside cafe that feels almost nothing like one. There’s no noisy through-traffic. It’s pretty discreet - the cafe’s trailer is parked by the owner’s bungalow, with access via a side door.

It serves a range of drinks including coffee, soda, chocolate drinks and matcha. Highlights include the Roasted Hazelnut Coffee (from RM12, S$3.71) and Strawberry Mocha (from RM11, S$3.40).

Barista Nurul Izzati was all smiles behind the counter, and with millennial-friendly songs by the Arctic Monkeys and The 1975 setting the mood, this middle-aged customer felt less out of place. A family with three adolescents enjoyed supper at the next table. There’s shepherd’s pie from the kitchen in the bungalow, which once housed a restaurant that shuttered during the pandemic.

Buzz & Bean used to run until midnight but now closes at 2am. “We saw many customers still hanging out at midnight. It made sense to extend the hours,” explained 22-year-old Izzati.

Coffee: 8/10 Vibe: 10/10 Service: 9/10 

Overall: 27/30

Buzz & Bean Coffee is at Jalan Molek 3/19, Taman Molek, 81100 Johor Bahru. Open 8pm to 2am daily. More info via Instagram.

5. Kopi Semalam

Kopi Semalam’s toolshed-shaped stand, painted bright yellow, sits at the entrance to the humble neighbourhood of Taman Orkid, off Jalan Tampoi and near shophouses that close early.

It’s a fuss-free setup run by young adults who live just down the street, its patrons a mix of young and old Malay residents wandering over from homes nearby. Charming.

On the drinks menu are coffee, matcha and soda, with fan favourites including the Spanish Latte (RM10, S$3.09) and Kopi Semalam (RM10, S$3.09), made with espresso, milk and Nestrum. For a quick bite, the cafe has a selection of finger foods and simple mains, including Tahu Beef Bergedil (RM10, S$3.09), Chicken Tenders (RM12, S$3.71) and Spaghetti Carbonara (RM13, S$4.02).
Coffee: 8/10 Vibe: 8/10 Service: 8/10 

Overall: 24/30

Kopi Semalam is at Jalan Orkid Utama, Taman Orkid, 81200 Johor Bahru. Open 8pm to 2am daily, except Wed. More info via Instagram.

6. Ranting Kafe

Ranting Kafe, in the quaint Kampung Melayu Majidee, is a good example of an established “port lepak” (hangout spot) that has absorbed the camping aesthetic – two-thirds of its chairs are still the plastic lounger sort. The vibe was pleasant but felt more professional than warm. The barista helpfully replied in English, but others seemed disinterested. One waiter answered a query with two words before returning to his phone.

With a digital footprint going back to early 2025, Ranting has a great elevated spot with a view of the train tracks. The RM12 (S$3.75) tiramisu latte is also worth a try.

Other bestsellers include the Spanish and Caramel Latte (from RM11 each, S$3.40) and Strawberry or Mango Sparkling (RM12 each, S$3.71). There’s also a small selection of food, such as Mac & Cheese, Carbonara and Bolognese Pasta (from RM10.50, S$3.25) as well as snacks like Chicken Tenders (RM15, S$4.64) and Chicken Wings (RM12, S$3.71).

Coffee: 9/10 Vibe: 8/10 Service: 8/10

Overall: 25/30

Ranting Kafe is at 4 Jalan Kenangan, Kampung Melayu Majidee, 81100 Johor Bahru. Open 5pm to 1.30am daily. More info via Instagram.

7. Renjana by Kafenatik

Mohd “Wan” Redzuan lost his job as a chef in a Chinese cuisine central kitchen when COVID hit. He tried Grab delivery, a bottled coffee hustle, and finally opened a coffee stand next to a friend's roadside burger stall. 

“The camping concept is easy to install and easy to pack up,” Wan said, noting it was a common roadside stall practice during the pandemic.

Renjana is a hybrid: indoor tables for families and older regulars, camping chairs on the gravel for smaller groups, built steadily over four years despite being hidden from the main road. “It took about a year for people to find us,” he said. “Word of mouth has helped much.”

My welcome was more measured than at most places – a barista's polite once-over, a house rule quietly but firmly enforced. Nothing unkind, just business, and Wan caught up with me at the gate for a handshake and a genuine thank you. I'd bring my parents here.

The menu serves Western fare like pasta, alongside desserts such as croffles in flavours such as Pistachio Rose and Nutella Almond, from (RM11.90, S$3.68). Drinks include Lotus Biscoff Latte, Iced Raspberry Latte and Butter Cream Latte, all priced at (RM13, S$4.02). For something more substantial, the Crispy Chicken Parmigiana (RM18, S$5.57) comes with mushrooms, cheese and the cafe’s special tomato-based sauce, while its Mac & Cheese (RM14.90, S$4.61) is another signature.

Coffee: 8/10 Vibe: 10/10 Service: 9/10

Overall: 27/30

Renjana by Kafenatik is at 6 Jalan Cendana, Kampung Dato Sulaiman Menteri, 81100 Johor Bahru. Open 6pm to midnight daily, except Wed. More info via Instagram.

8. Kopi 3 Pagi

It’s past midnight on a Tuesday, and this joint is heaving with Gen Z kids. There are over 80 patrons at roughly 25 outdoor tables on the road and grass corridor before the highway, with more inside the shophouse. As its name suggests in Malay, Kopi 3 Pagi stays open until 3am - but also 5am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Owner Abdullah “Mus” Musab, 26, said he and his friends built the cafe he couldn’t find elsewhere. "We wanted to lepak until 3am, but there was no cafe like this," Mus told me. He added that their earliest regulars were F&B workers finishing late shifts near Aeon Tebrau (16km away).

Mus picked this spot in Sierra Perdana, way out east past Senibong Cove, as it’s on the JB East Coast Parkway, catching both JB regulars and Singapore-bound traffic.

Thirsty? There’s Pistachio Latte at RM15 (S$4.64), while matcha comes in flavours including Banana, Mango and Butterscotch, (from RM10, S$3.25). For light bites, there is toast in flavours such as Kaya Butter, Chocolate and Peanut Butter (RM3, S$0.93), as well as Indomie from (RM4, S$1.24) and French Fries (RM7, S$2.17).

Coffee: 8/10 Vibe: 8/10 Service: 7/10

Overall: 23/30

Kopi 3 Pagi is at 32 Jalan Sierra Perdana 4/1, Taman Sierra Perdana, 81750 Masai. Open 8pm to 3am daily; till 5am on Fri & Sat. More info via Instagram.

9. Santai Camp

The best time to visit Santai Camp is before dusk, when you can enjoy the setting of the sun when the crowds have yet to arrive. You’ll get a near-complete 360-degree view of magic hour.

Massive and well-maintained, Santai Camp’s roughly 50 tables are neatly arranged while big tents line the edges for VIP groups. It’s packed on weekends, sometimes seating up to 250 pax.

Started in 2023, Santai Camp never had any gritty roadside roots. It’s what the scene looks like once fully scaled up, with an army of staffers and a kitchen stretching over three containers. It’s polished and Instagrammable.

Its menu is extensive, with seafood, wok-fried dishes and BBQ skewers, alongside coffee and desserts such as bingsu-style shaved ice. Signatures include the interesting sauce-laden Buttermilk Nasi Lemak (RM14.90, S$4.61), Chicken Skewers (RM8, S$2.47) and Iced Latte (RM11, S$3.40). 

Coffee: 8/10 Vibe: 7/10 Service: 8/10

Overall: 23/30

Santai Camp is at Padang C, Angsana Johor Bahru Mall, Bandar Baru Uda, 81200 Johor Bahru. Open 6pm to 2am daily. More info via Instagram. 

Source: CNA/mm

The original version of this story first appeared in CNA Lifestyle.

For more CNA Lifestyle stories, visit https://www.cnalifestyle.com.