The Return to Historica Coffee Company

Hello, my fellow Ibarakians!
Today, I want to talk about a café in Hitachiōta that I’ve visited not just once or twice, but around five times. If I lived closer, I’d probably go more often. Every visit has been a great experience, amazing coffee, delicious food, and wonderful company.
I’ll also be talking about a recent event at the café that left a lasting impression on me. So today, I’m excited to tell you about my return to Historica Coffee Company.

The Coffee is Still Great!

I am starting to realize that Historica Coffee Company is now my favorite café in northern Ibaraki. Every time I go there, I enjoy great coffee, amazing food and sweets, and good company. The café has welcomed Mrs. Ibaraki Eats and me with open arms, and we are always happy to visit. That’s a big reason why I keep going back, and I’ve been wanting to do a return post for quite some time. In this post, I’ll talk about some new menu items I’ve tried, as well as Historica’s special BBQ event, which was both fun and delicious.
I won’t go into too much detail about the café itself this time. If you’d like to read more about the interior and the menu, please check out my previous post:
https://ibarakieats.com/tasty-coffee-and-sandwiches

My return visit to Historica was a few months ago, in March. Mrs. Ibaraki Eats and I were in the neighborhood and decided to stop by. We had originally planned to check out the bamboo night event in Hitachiomiya called Dragon Bamboo, but we thought we’d grab some coffee and have a late lunch at Historica first.
When we arrived, the owner welcomed us and took our order. We chatted for a while as he prepared our drinks. I ordered a cappuccino (pictured at the top), while my wife chose a special siphon coffee. Both were excellent, as expected. My cappuccino hit just right, rich espresso flavor with steamed milk that balanced it into a smooth, relaxing drink. Both coffees were flavorful and delicious. We also decided to order a sandwich and a dessert to go with our drinks.

Baklava

Yes, your eyes do not deceive you, Historica Coffee Company had baklava on their menu. The key word here is had. Unfortunately, as of this writing, Historica has run out of baklava… mainly because of me. I think I bought about half of their supply.
I love baklava. I first had it in Turkey many years ago and instantly fell in love. It remains one of my favorite sweets to this day. For those who may not know, baklava originates from the Middle East. It’s a rich, sweet treat made with layers (or, in some cases, wraps) of flaky dough, filled with chopped nuts and honey. It’s usually served in small pieces, perfect for sharing with friends and family… or keeping them all to yourself.
Historica’s baklava was a bit different from the traditional style. It leaned heavily on pistachios while keeping the honey on the lighter side. The dough was still wonderfully flaky, but instead of being layered, it was wrapped. After my first bite, I immediately thought, “I need five more of these to take home.”
This baklava was excellent. Every bite was rich and satisfying, with the deep flavor of pistachios balanced by just the right amount of sweetness from the honey. I truly hope Historica brings it back in the future. If they do, I’ll be first in line.

Cuban Sandwich

Every sandwich I’ve had at Historica has been a winner. I’m especially fond of the Italian sausage sandwich. I still haven’t tried the BLT or the Cuban sandwich, well, until now.
When it comes to Cuban sandwiches, I’m very particular. I have Cuban heritage, and I’m from Miami, home of the Cuban sandwich (okay, technically Tampa also claims that title, but that’s a debate for another day). I’ve had “Cuban sandwiches” in Japan before, and aside from a few exceptions, many have let me down. A lot of places put their own spin on it, which can be fun and creative, but they often miss the mark.
When our Cuban sandwich arrived at the table, it looked legitimate. Pressed, toasted bread with pickles, ham, mustard, and melted cheese. It resembled the kind of Cuban sandwich I’d get back home in Miami. One bite in, and I was hit with those familiar flavors I love. The melted cheese blanketing the ham, combined with the tangy, salty kick of the pickles, really brought everything together.
Mrs. Ibaraki Eats loved it as well. She’s had a Cuban sandwich in Miami, and she said this one came pretty close to the real deal. The only thing missing was authentic Cuban bread. That said, I don’t fault any place in Japan for that, it’s notoriously difficult to replicate here. I still really enjoyed the roll Historica uses.
I’d gladly order this sandwich again. Historica, your Cuban sandwich is officially Ibaraki Eats approved!

Historica's BBQ Event

After finishing our coffees, baklava, and Cuban sandwich, along with a homemade soup that was also fantastic, we spent some time chatting with the owner, Eric, and his wife. During our conversation, he mentioned that Historica was planning to start hosting events like live music, coffee tastings, and an upcoming BBQ event. That immediately caught my attention, and I decided I had to attend. I made plans on the spot to come back for what sounded like an awesome BBQ.
We said our goodbyes and then headed off to Dragon Bamboo.

A few weeks later, I found myself back at Historica, ready to enjoy that BBQ. Unfortunately, Mrs. Ibaraki Eats couldn’t make it this time, but no worries, I made sure to grab some BBQ to go so she could enjoy it for dinner.
When I arrived, Eric had a large grill outside cooking sausages, pork, and chicken. He and his wife were busy preparing BBQ platters for a crowd of hungry customers. There was a great mix of both Japanese and international guests, all gathered and ready to dig into some delicious food.

I waited for a little while, and then my number was called. I was handed an awesome-looking tray full of delicious meat, and I couldn’t wait to dig in.
The tray came with spicy sausage, pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, pickles, potato salad, coleslaw, and pork and beans. I dug into the pulled pork and macaroni and cheese (made with penne pasta) and was having a blast. All the different flavors of grilled meat and cheese brought back blissful memories of backyard BBQs back in the States.
I loved everything on my tray, but what really blew my mind was the spicy sausage. It had a smoky, spicy, meaty flavor that made me want to come back for more, and I did! After I finished my BBQ adventure at Historica, I spent some time in Hitachi City, but all I could think about was that BBQ and that spicy sausage. I ended up going back to Historica later that same day just to buy more sausage. Every bite was heavenly. That meaty sausage put me in a perfect state of BBQ bliss. My mouth is watering just thinking about it while I write this post.

It is always a pleasure to visit Historica Coffee Company. It is quiite a trip to get there, but it is a trip I would glady take to have some excellent coffee, amazing sandwiches, incredible BBQ, and friendly company.

So, if you are around the Hitachiota area and are in the mood for some great food and coffee, why not try Historica Coffee Company? Who knows? You might see us there, relaxing with some great coffee and buying up all the new baklava they may have.
Enjoy!

For more information on Historica Coffee Company, check out their Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/historica_coffee_company?igsh=MXdrdHl4NTZtMmRzOA%3D%3D

For the older blog posts, check out the WIX Ibaraki Eats.

https://regaladom24.wixsite.com/website