A Cup of Joy Coffee

A Cup of Joy parks at the Marina Munch food truck cluster on Anastasia Boulevard in St. Augustine, sharing a lot with a butcher shop. The truck roasts its own beans, which is unusual enough on its own. The other thing the truck did was build a fenced outdoor kids' play area on the property, described as the only one in town, and it's the reason a steady stream of parents make this their morning stop.

Mom meet-ups happen here. So do school-morning coffee runs. So does the more general food-truck-cluster traffic of people heading north on Highway 1 looking for a marina-side breakfast. The outdoor seating is rustic, which in food-truck terms means picnic tables and shade, and the view runs out to the marina water. Kids ricochet around the fenced area while parents drink coffee at the table; it works because the fence is real and the parents are not pretending to watch.

Order the Joynilla latte. That's the house signature, vanilla-forward, and it's what regulars name first. The honey vanilla latte is the slightly less sweet variant. The caramel frappe covers the cold-and-blended side of the menu. For something completely different, the orange Italian soda is the kid order that also works for an adult on a hot Florida morning.

Food comes from the truck side. Chorizo empanadas are the savory anchor. Bagels and muffins cover the lighter end. Coffee and food come from the same window, which keeps the line moving even when the parking lot is busy.

The flaw is structural and easy to live with: there is no indoor sit-down cafe. If it's raining, the rustic outdoor seating becomes wet outdoor seating, and the play area becomes a wet play area. Pick a clear morning. Bring the kid. Order the Joynilla. The Highway 1 traffic moves around you while you eat.