
467 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT
Part of the MOTW Coffee & Pastries chain — see all 25 locationsMOTW Coffee & Pastries is a mission-driven coffee shop chain that evolved from the viral "Muslims of the World" Instagram initiative to build physical community spaces celebrating culture and connection. Founded by Sajjad Shah, the "Muslims of the World" page started during a time of high anti-Muslim sentiment to share humanizing personal stories. The entire food menu is certified halal, featuring savory items like butter chicken or beef empanadas and sweet Arabic pastries like baklava and pistachio birdnests.
Staff has given verbal assurance of halal status. MOTW Coffee & Pastries operates as a fully halal cafe chain where the entire menu of specialty drinks, pastries, and savory food is 100% halal.
Score reflects admin-confirmed halal status; no additional evidence on file yet.
I’ve tried a lot of coffee shops in Fairfield County, including several highly rated cafés throughout NYC, and MOTW still stands out. Every drink I’ve had is consistently delicious and full of flavor—nothing ever tastes watered down or overly milky. I’ve tried several of their Specialty lattes and matchas and the Iced Biscoff, Pistachio, Spanish, and Sandy Cheeks lattes with Oat Milk are my favorites as well as the Iced Banana Bread Matcha and Iced Strawberry Matcha. The food is just as impressive. The bacon, egg, and cheese empanada is my favorite, followed by the Philly cheesesteak empanada and the Argentinian chicken empanada. Their strawberry fruit mousse is incredibly creamy, delicious, and the perfect sweet treat. I came in with my dog and without asking he even received a pup cup treat. The staff is always friendly, patient, and helpful. Even when it’s busy, orders come out in a reasonable amount of time. The café itself is cozy, beautifully decorated, clean, and well organized, making it a great place to relax or catch up with friends. One of my favorite things about MOTW is knowing that my purchase supports a greater purpose. It’s wonderful to support a local business that also gives back by contributing a portion of its sales to help people in need around the world. Great drinks, great food, great atmosphere, and a great mission—I highly recommend MOTW!