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    Drift Cafe

    4.0 (14 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 4:00 pm

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    Breakfast sandwich
    Katie F.

    My fiancé and I stopped here to grab some food before getting on the road and it was delicious. Our food was also prepared in under 10 minutes which was great for time. I also enjoyed the choco banana smoothie which was delicious! The avocado toast was a bit messy to take to go, so I'm glad I grabbed a knife/fork before leaving the cafe. I really enjoyed the vibe of this place too, it has a lot of natural lighting and was laid back.

    Merch!
    Theresa Z.

    First... SO HAPPY FOR ANOTHER COFFEE PLACE IN CAROLINA BEACH!! Yes! Thank you, Drift! Now... experience and ambiance wise.... Super friendly and nice staff. Very helpful. They have menus at the counter by the to go ordering and paying area for easy access. Everything is also digitized. Easy pay and tip too. Super clean. Love that retractable wall option for exterior seating on beautiful breezy days. They have parking spots for mobile pick up orders. Location: off lake park blvd and easy in and out. Ample parking! Great location to go to before and after beaching it. Drink: One size iced drinks but it's fine, it's ample!! I had an iced amber and my little enjoyed the banana cocoa shake which I stole a sip and loved it! Food: No pastry items were out yet (we went as early as they opened) but I did order an egg and cheese (modified) sandwich. It was REALLY good! the bacon was that thick crispy bacon. Very happy they are finally here and look forward to meeting friends here for coffee.

    Avocado toast
    Mandi B.

    This is my new favorite coffee shop on the east side of NC. The decor is minimal and modern, the staff was welcoming and friendly ! The food was beyond amazing and healthy focused! I just wish they would bring one to lake norman!

    Menu cover
    Bill S.

    Fantastic again! Went with vegan wife and she loved the options. Staff was very personable and remember me from last visit.

    Gorgeous drink

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    2 months ago

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    Michael P.

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    14 days ago

    Avocado Toast was good, Crispy Potatoes good, mango smoothie good. Mishap with service on drinks but they made it right.

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    Michael P.

    Thanks for visiting. Glad the drinks were fixed. Welcome back.

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    9 months ago

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    Michael P.

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    10 days ago

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    Michael P.

    Glad you enjoyed the meal! Welcome back

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    9 months ago

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    Michael P.

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    18 days ago

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    1 year ago

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    Michael P.

    Helpful 1
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    1 year ago

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    Michael P.

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    4 months ago

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    Michael P.

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    1 year ago

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    Michael P.

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    10 months ago

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    Michael P.

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    1 year ago

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    Michael P.

    Always a delight having you. See you soon :)

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    10 months ago

    Food was excellent! Service was great, especially Tia who was a great hostess. This is a must see when at Carolina Beach!

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    Michael P.

    Glad to hear this. Welcome back!

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    10 months ago

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    Michael P.

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    The Sandspur

    The Sandspur

    4.3
    (106 reviews)
    0.7 mi

    "Delicious dive on Lake Park Blvd in Carolina Beach"…read more Came here for lunch on a Sunday at right around noon. The place is dark and kind-of makes you feel like you're in the bowels of a wooden ship. There's a large bar in the center, and a few tables around it, as well as a few tables outside in the back. We were seated right away. I ordered the hot honey shrimp wrap as well as the pickled veggies appetizer. My dining partner got the quinoa grain and greens bowl with blackened tuna. Our food came out in around 10 minutes. The hot honey shrimp wrap came with french fries, to my surprise (didn't see that mentioned on the menu), which were fine. The wrap itself was DELICIOUS. MAN, that hot honey was SO tasty, and the greens and corn batter on the shrimp really complemented it well. It is a very, very messy dish to eat with your hands, so be prepared, but it's well worth the sacrifice. The pickled veggies were local and very tasty-- also a very good value for $5. My dining partner really liked her bowl and the tuna in it as well. The staff were quite attentive, regularly checking in, filling drinks, and clearing dirty plates. Only caution is that a lot of the batters are corn-based, so be careful if you have that allergy. Overall, would very happily come back-- great in all respects. I recommend highly!

    The food is fine, but nothing special. The service is slow and they aren't very attentive (unless…read moreyou are sitting at the bar). Really hard to get a parking spot in the paid parking options. Cute little dive bar look but going once was enough for us

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    Inside view
    Inside view
    The Buoy Basket of cornmeal breaded shrimp with fries, slaw, buttermilk ranch, and cocktail sauce
    The Buoy Basket of cornmeal breaded shrimp with fries, slaw, buttermilk ranch, and cocktail sauce
    Outdoor seating

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    Outdoor seating
    The Spot

    The Spot

    3.8
    (151 reviews)
    1.2 mi

    If you're looking for a relaxed, welcoming place in Carolina Beach, we had a terrific experience at…read moreThe Spot Bar & Kitchen. We arrived around 4:30 and beat the dinner rush, which gave us a beautiful evening outside. From the moment we sat down, it felt less like going to a restaurant and more like coming home after a long day at the beach. Our servers, Abigail and Allie, were both wonderful--friendly, attentive, and made us feel genuinely welcome. Service like that is getting harder to find these days, and they deserve a lot of credit. We started with the fried okra, and there were barely any left by the time I thought to take a picture. Crisp, hot, and some of the best we've had. The Black and Red wings were excellent too--full of flavor with just the right amount of kick. The fries were seasoned and cooked just right. The outside seating has a great atmosphere, and even the little details stood out. The place was clean, including the restroom, and seeing their 97.5 sanitation score posted proudly gave us even more confidence. They even had a Venus flytrap outside--only in Carolina Beach can a restaurant have its own bug patrol on duty. Great food, great service, great atmosphere. We'll definitely be back.

    Nice casual lunch spot with typical bar food and sandwiches. There's a $1.50 charge for table water…read moreas they have a reverse osmosis system to provide clean tasty water on this island peninsula (it's worth it!) The decoration is casual beach theme, very fitting and attractive. Service was attentive and knowledgeable. Parking is easy, this is a great stop if you are headed to the Carolina beach boardwalk!

    Photos
    Outside seating
    Outside seating
    The Non-Cheesy Cheese Nachos
    The Non-Cheesy Cheese Nachos
    Dirty Diablo and traditional Margarita

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    Dirty Diablo and traditional Margarita

    Drift Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated July 2026

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