I was left underwhelmed with my visit to Cocoa Cinnamon. The atmosphere is cool but it's small, seating is limited and parking was a challenge. My drink was just okay, as was my friends but they both tasted "off" and pretty bland. I added simple syrup to mine to see if it would help it but it made a minimal difference. My friend's drink had to be remade twice because first the barista forgot the vanilla and a milk alternative was not used which is extremely problematic for those who are lactose intolerant. Needless to say, she was very uncomfortable for hours following. I asked for my drink to be served in a glass and it was not. No big deal but it was very indicative of the fact they didn't really follow requests well. The menu items seemed to be unique but there was nothing about this visit that would make me return which is unfortunate because I had been eyeing it for a while. Maybe we just ordered the wrong things but I am not interesting in finding out otherwise. read more

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Great place, hip crowd. Good workspace. Excellent coffee. Great sweets. Alternative milks. Try a cashew milk latte.

One of my favorite coffee shops in Durham. This location has a cool layout of benches and tables with a Moroccan theme. They have a unique menu of hot chocolate and coffee. Go early! It's hard to find a seat later in the day. read more

Cocoa Cinnamon - Dr. Durham latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

SO GOOD. I had high expectations going in from the Yelp page, but it definitely did not disappoint! I ordered their signature Dr. Durham black salt lava. I was originally a little skeptical of the salt, but it was actually amazing as an add on. The drink itself was also really nice, not too sweet but also not bitter. The prices might be a little high for the Durham area, but definitely not outrageous. Would 100% come back! read more

Ok, ok, we know coffee here is OVERPRICED, that is not a shock, because we are hoping to go into places and have available to us a higher expectation in the quality of coffee. However, when you realize on their website that employees get 13 dollars an hour AND expect tips on top of that for preparing coffee, it kind of makes you sick to your stomach. The bigger problem is that these people at BOTH places DON'T want to bother even helping serve you at all. They ACT as if you are BOTHERING them when you ask questions. I went to both and out of the two I'm not sure which is worse. At this one I ordered a pastry that needed to be warmed up and instead of them doing it, they told me to go to this old, dirty toaster oven and do it myself!. These people want a tip and I hope to the high heavens that this coffee isn't expensive because they are getting 13 dollars an hour because my goodness, the lack of ethical morality in that is on PAR with other large scale coffee chains. Wont be back, meh I'd rather go to Starbucks or order my coffee online and buy my own press and call it a day. Ridiculous service and business infrastructure. Will only be back if I knew they reduced coffee prices or got rid of this living wage nonsense for employees who literally stand around and ring people up all day and give you attitudes for being a consumer. TIPS To improve professional service. Maybe if employees knew the value in working hard they wouldn't feel so entitled and have such horrible attitudes towards customers. Yuck, I didn't know that any service could be more bitter than the coffee they serve. read more

Loved this place! It's got a similar menu to the old location (at least the popular items), but I like the interior of this space even more. It seems like there's more working space and there's a nice outdoor area in the front! It's got great potential! Also there are bike racks on the left by the entrance in case you ride your bike to that location, FYI. read more

Cocoa Cinnamon - Cappuccino and ham and cheese bretzel on Cocoa Cinnamon's new porch. Lovely start to the day! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This is a really cool and relaxing hangout spot to grab a great cup of coffee. There's plenty of space to relax, talk with friends, and study. The bakery treats also looked really impressive and come from local bakeries like Strong Arm and Ninth Street Bakery. I ordered the a manual brew (pour over) coffee and wow, was it so full of flavor. I ordered one of the rotating beans, and it was so good. I had it black to enjoy the full, bold flavor, and the aroma was also amazing. Overall, the manual brew was the way to go to experience an amazing brew of coffee. read more

So Durham. It's overpriced. It's full of hipsters with laptops. The staff is rude. The atmosphere is exactly the same as every other garage/concrete patio/gentrified warehouse. I love it. read more

I absolutely love this place. The flavors tend to change but I don't know if it's a monthly or seasonal thing. Some of the flavors sound bizarre together but it's definitely worth tasting because it's always so good! Staff is friendly and know the menu pretty well! I try and stop here in the morning before I head to work. read more

Cocoa Cinnamon - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Wifi didn't work. Good drink. Bad service for followup. Ordered a chai latte. Wifi was a game changer as I had to leave and chug my drink down. Really disappointed they couldn't do something. read more

I'm a convicted serial coffee drinker!!!! But I love the hot cocoa drinks here so much that I have yet to try their coffee!! I especially live the spicy hot cocoa and at the moment am hooked (going twice a week, sometimes 3) read more

Selling Little Waves coffee makes this shop a no brainer! Love the vibes and the staff

This is my first time at Cocoa Cinnamon and won't be my last. The espresso has some serious kick, enough to wake up the whole neighborhood. They have a collection of croissants and treats that I will try during my next visit, but unfortunately was short on time. It is very affordable, and with indoor/outdoor seating, there is plenty of room to stretch out and get comfortable. It's a great spot to get some work done, or to drop by for a quick caffeine fix! read more

Cocoa Cinnamon - Menu - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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The music was SO loud that I could hear it through my headphones (which were playing music). Outside of the tables, it can be hard to find a spot to to work since the remaining areas use stools instead of tables. Open windows and decor are beautiful though! read more

I like this location for having meetings. Not that far from home and the staff is friendly. Definitely in walking distance from the Ninth Street district. read more

This location is smaller than the one on Lakewood. My drink didn't taste any better or worse here either. The one thing that will stop me from returning is the cashier placed three orders ahead of mine on the ticket board. I didn't want to say anything because I wasn't in a rush. However, if I had been on a time constraint, it would have been a different story. I wouldn't say to not come here but the vibes didn't sit well with me. I'll give it another chance in a few months. read more

Great spot. It's all about the outdoor seating at this spot. The coffee is always on point. Their ice coffee though...no sweetener needed. So delicious. The parking is difficult, but parking on the street isn't too bad. The area around Hillsborough St. (where this is located) is really building up fast. It's the spot to be at right now. read more

I just moved in down the street and was happy to see that there was a cute coffee shop close by. I brought a couple of friends with me who were visiting from out of town, one of whom is a vegan. They both enjoyed their coffees and the delicious pastry options (with a few vegan options!). The chickpea pastry and the very much non-vegan croissants were excellent. I had the brewed lemongrass drink which was very interesting but I don't think I'd get it again. The space itself is very airy and feels very homey. I also spotted some hanging bike racks on the wall outside. I think this will be a great study spot once the school year kicks off. read more

Best coffee around. Love both locations the ToonUp is my constant go to! Cool hip friendly staff.

Great new location. A lot more space than the original. Very comfortable and well decorated. The staff is great and the coffee is wonderful!! Out of the two locations, this is my favorite because it has a lot more room. read more

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I didn't love the flavors in my latte. Not the best service either. The overall vibe was lackluster. I went here a few years ago and really enjoying it, it seems to have changed a lot since then. read more

This is my go to coffee spot in the neighborhood. The staff are friendly and offerings are fantastic! However, when I visited today I was concerned about the energy usage from having the garage door open on a 90+ degree day. There was a sheet of plastic and the zipped door, however there were all kinds of open spots. Additionally, it was difficult to communicate with staff through the zipped door, which made it feel impersonal. I have seen many places just have one door open or create a pick up window - would this be possible? I will still be loyal to Cocoa Cinnamon, but would be much more satisfied if their practices were more environmentally friendly! read more

This coffee shop is creative in its offerings and always has several coffees to meet the tastes of its customers! Staff is always friendly and informative. It may take a little longer to get your coffee but that is because they are preparing it with. The greatest care. read more

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Awesome location to do work, pleasant outdoor atmosphere. Inside wall comes up when it's nice out, creating a really open space. Eclectic design and everything you'd expect of a cool coffee shop. Great lattes and cold brews too! read more

Cocoa Cinnamon - cold brew outside at cocoa cinnamon! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This place is the real deal. If you want real French pastries that are right out of the oven -yummy. Everything is made in house and by hand. I've tried a variety of their pastries and everything is delicious. The coffee bar as well. read more

This new location just opened up a few weeks ago so I jumped at the chance to come here and study :p while having coffee, of course. The menu seems to be a bit smaller from what was at the geer st location but it was still great. In terms of café space, there was more of an indoor seating area with long tables to sit at. There was still outdoor space too, but overall this location is a bit bigger and more comfortable. read more

I'm hoping this is a temporary review and that I'll see improvements, in which case I'll gladly leave a better one. I've gone twice now. Yesterday, the woman behind the counter was really struggling with the register and tried to charge me $15 for Big Spoon Nut Butter Bar that turned out to be really stale (I eat them frequently and know the desired consistency). I had to insist that it couldn't be that much and she did get help and corrected it. The total, with a 12-oz soy latte came to 8 dollars and change, which I expected. When I went this morning, she had less difficulty, but charged me $9.14 for the same order. Despite trying a different flavor, the Big Spoon Nut Butter Bar was again really stale. I just didn't have time to point out the discrepancy and attempt to get it corrected. There isn't the wait that there is at the Geer Street location which prevents me from going there, but they definitely need more time to get it together. It may be en vogue in the downtown area to wait for up to ~30 minutes for a coffee, but I'll gladly hang with the less "in" crowd and go to a more efficient, albeit slightly less tasty venue, in which I'll wait for up to half the time. I know the name is well established and the downtown location is super popular, and there's no denying their coffee is amazing, but I hope my experiences aren't a sign of complacency on their part. If so, they just might struggle to get this location off the ground. I, for one, will wait some months before trying it again. read more

Great coffee! Great atmosphere! Friendly staff! We love taking family and friends here to try it out. Always a crowd pleaser. The seating outside is great! read more

Happy to see Cocoa Cinnamon expand and open up their second location in Durham. They have a large number of outdoor seats available and inside, there are the options of tables or community "benches" without a table top. I think overall the space here is better than the Greer St. location, but still disappointed that there is not a great area to wait for drinks being made- especially since crowding seems to be a problem at this location as well as the original. If the Hillsborough Rd location is like the Greer St location, the weekdays are definitely a better time to visit if you are looking for a more relaxing experience without awkward shuffles amongst crowds of people. Still love their lattes here, however. Tried the Al Mokha and the La Villa Rica-- both are great. It's hard to beat the coffee at Cocoa Cinnamon, and that's enough to keep me coming back. read more

This was the first time I had ventured from their original location, which I love. This location is a bit more low key but sits at the duke students convenience. Inside, most everyone was on a laptop and most were there by themselves. The ones who had come with someone seemed to sit outside to chat. 4 stars because the quality of cocoa cinnamon never ceases to impress and the staff is always friendly and knowledgeable if you have any questions. Also, they had a vegan option if I wanted a pastry. Today they were oat balls, consisting of chocolate and peanut butter. I felt like I needed to not cause a disturbance inside because I got a sense of a library. The location is smaller than I had hoped because their original is alway hoping. So you know it has the potential for it to be too busy for too many people. Also, parking is a bit of a pain in the rear. The rear because that's where you will have to park... on the street of you can find an open spot. read more

Cocoa Cinnamon - I don't even know what this is but I thought my tea latte deserved a cool background! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

FOUND MY NEW FAV DURHAM COFFEE SHOP- Ever since I heard of this new location, I went three times in one week. I love the layout of this place- there are wooden benches and tables outdoors, along with some metal tables; the inside has more tables and a large U-shaped wooden bench with little Moroccan styled tables (perfectly sized for your laptop and cup of coffee); the u-shaped bench is half-indoor and half-outdoor- so even though it's inside the coffee shop, it's completely open surrounding this bench and so you have the comfort of being indoor while enjoying the beautiful weather. Wi-fi speed is fast, the street is fairly quiet, people are friendly young adults, and there's a small parking lot in the back along with parallel parking spaces. I wish they'd stay open for longer- absolutely love it here! Their coffee beans are tasty and strong-flavored. My favorite drink is the Dr. Durham (topped with black lava salt)- if you like desserts with Himalayan pink salt, then you might like this as well. I also liked the Al Mocka (for you chocolate lovers)! read more

Cocoa Cinnamon - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Great little find - interesting drinks, friendly baristas, seems to always be busy (kids and I are here midafternoon on a Wednesday and its pretty full!) read more

A little difficult to park, but worth the trouble. I consider myself a coffee connoisseur, so my expectations are high... This is absolutely some of the best coffee I've ever had. Incredibly smooth and exceptionally reasonable. Friendly staff. Helpful descriptors and knowledgeable concerning their product. read more

Cocoa Cinnamon - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This was my go to coffee shop when I lived in Durham! They've got fair trade coffee and signature cocoa drinks with a Mediterranean flare (think spices like cardamom and anise). I much prefer this newer location on Hillsborough as it's more open and less crowded than the clumped couches at the original Cocoa. Staff members are always very friendly and the glass case always has has a mix of vegan and butter filled pastries. While the painted tables and wooden seats in the main dining area are cute and allow for more bodies, the hard benches can be uncomfortable if you're there working for a long time. But the back wall is adorable and still a better ambience than most of the coffee shops in Durham. read more

Cute new location! Not as homey as the original location - this one is more modern and sleek. I also tried the Totoro latte (matcha with soy milk) for the first time and it was delicious. This place is a bit smaller than the original location, but regardless, it's still a great place to work or hang out with friends. There's less to do in the surrounding neighborhood at this location than the Geer Street location, so if you were planning to hit up a restaurant/bar/food truck within walking distance after going to Cocoa Cinnamon, I'd go to the original one. read more

I really liked this place. It's like a cuter version of the original one. I have to say the selection is small but I suppose it's because it recently opened. I was able to sit and do work and it was a nice atmosphere (at least during the day). Coffee is a little overpriced read more

I love the coffee here. The black salt that they put on top. OMGGggg. That being said it is a little pricey for coffee.

Bags of Cocoa Cinnamon's high-quality Little Waves Coffee are a must-have for us for daily brewing at home. We drop in weekly to pick up a new bag of beans and a barista-crafted cup of something special. While their pour-overs are top-notch, we usually savor a bespoke latte. The La Frida Latte with house-mode mole-inspired syrup and rose petal garnish is my go-to but I've also been enjoying the Palmyra Latte - cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper and anise, with date sugar and crushed rose garnish. I'd be remiss if I didn't give props to the barista team, who are as kind and patient as they are skilled at their craft! read more

They put regular milk in my drink even when I ask and pay for a substitute. I wish the baristas were more careful, esp. as I have a dairy allergy. Also, they close early - 6:30pm - wish they were open until at least 8pm. read more

Stopped here for coffee. The coffee was great and such a cute place to sit & work or visit with friends. The employees were delightful.