Once a post office, a market, a liquor store, and home to the town historian, the Cafe is situated between the Rondout Creek and Old Delaware & Hudson Canal. The Cafe sits at the foot of Joppenburgh Mountain, named after one of the early Rosendale settlers. Joppenburgh is a magic green mound, and casts a shadow over the mysterious Iron Mountain, just a few hundred feet east of the great train trestle.

The mountain, trestle, and winding Rondout suggest a landscape/Haiku, three integral forms that speak of sense of place, an irresistible something...

The Rosendale Cafe is widely known for its musical offerings. The press has recognized the Cafe as: "Ulster County's answer to the Knitting Factory," and "...this tiny space has evolved to the most hollowed, non-classical space in the valley...," "Hot music scene at Rosendale Cafe." The Cafe consistently presents some of the best local, national, and international musicians and performance artists available on the circuit. It is an intimate setting that some performers refer to as a "living room."