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    Morning Ritual

    4.6 (27 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 7:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Morning Ritual Photos

    MORNING RITUAL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Sign (which doesn't face the main road)
    Smythe R.

    In the brand-new sterile areas of Brier Creek, developers are starting to put in businesses that are quite different from the usual nail salon/coffee shop/dry cleaners. The GOAT is a case in point. It's a coffee shop/restaurant that also has an outdoor pool and volleyball court. Their breakfast menu is served in a corner called the Morning Ritual. It's a very clean, efficient space that is trying to be a little more "cozy" with paper cutout flower pots suggesting various coffee/tea drink possibilities, glass cloches covering decadent cakes and cookies, etc. I was here for serious fare, however, so I ordered the breakfast burrito and Spanish Mocha. The coffee is a largish affair, with chili powder, salt, and steamed milk. It was tasty. I like the cups. They are heavy-duty chocolate brown porcelain (?) with a rough finish. I opted to sit outside, on a tiny 20'x20' concrete apron nestled into the side of the building. There are three tables and two rocking chairs out there. Service is through a window, but between the fairly loud country music and the shy, quiet voices of the kitchen staff, it's difficult to hear when your order is ready. They gave me a table flag, but the breeze kept knocking it over. But I liked the breeze after weeks of rain and 90° mornings. 78° with a nice wind feels amazing. My burrito arrived after a while, in a white to-go bag, which was disappointing. I told them I was eating here and got the coffee in a cup for here. Oh well, it's still edible! Wrapped in foil and waxed paper, it was easy enough to eat. The stuffing included eggs, bacon, cheese, and sour cream (which I asked for on the side). It was all wrapped in a flour tortilla, very tightly rolled so that it didn't fall apart while eating. The flavors were ok, but nothing spectacular. I love a good omelette/burrito, but the flavors here were muted. I couldn't put my finger on just what I felt was missing. There were no spices (even salt and pepper seemed to have been left out!), but nothing "popped." Meanwhile, the Wifi was great, the seat was comfy, and the shaded area kept me there enjoying the cool late morning air for a good while past noon. I may be back for the coffee, but I'll try a different menu item next time. And request some hot sauce or salt & pepper.

    Perfect entrance - peaceful and inviting.
    Rayo D.

    What a hidden gem! Awesome awesome food, coffee, service, ambience, quietness in the morning. Definitely coming back here again ... and again.

    Cold brew and cream
    Cassie V.

    Tasty cold brew, kind staff, cute ambiance, and a kicky breakfast sandwich. Nice stop while in town and not too far from the airport to make it an easy bite after a plane ride.

    Iced Salted Caramel Cuban
    Courtnay B.

    Love this place! Enjoyed a breakfast date here and thoroughly enjoyed the Herbivore Scramble - best $10 I've spent eating out! My husband had the chicken biscuit and iced coffee, both were delicious. Will absolutely be returning to this hidden gem.

    Having a weekday brunch with Carol after picking her up at Raleigh-Durham airport.
    Jim P.

    My wife and I had brunch here at around 10:30am on a Thursday. It was really slow and we had great service. I had their breakfast burrito and my wife had their huevos rancheros. Both our meals were filling and delicious and I would have them again. Carol also had their Spanish coffee which was also delicious but very sweet with Coco. I picked up my wife from the airport and this restaurant was just 10 minutes from RDU. It is a very large restaurant with a full bar and also a nice coffee shop with delicious looking pastries. I'd come here again.

    Amber H.

    Came here with a friend on a Thursday morning and had a great experience. The coffee was good, and my friend enjoyed her latte. We also ordered two breakfast biscuits. It took a while for the food to come out but it was hot, fresh, and delicious. Especially liked the bacon and egg biscuit. The barista was really friendly. Would definitely come here again!

    Riyona A.

    Really cute breakfast and coffee spot. The coffee is located off to the right and you order food/drink and find your seat. We decided to just grab coffee and it was pretty good! I would love to come back and try their food next time. They also had a bar! So interested to see what the vibe is like for brunch.

    Caramel cold foam cold brew

    I constantly get catfishes by this place. First it was by The Goat, their restaurant portion of the place, then by The Morning Ritual, their coffee cafe portion. This place is connected to an apartment complex. Beautiful interior but always smells like a wet rag. Relaxing, standard patio beside the pool, with moderately low music. Nice bar and seating, but again, stinky throughout the entire interior. The food and coffee are below average. I really enjoyed their loaded tots from The Goat yrs ago, but got a wicked tummy ache afterward. The ham and cheese croissant is an overpriced, over-buttered, oddly seasoned smashed croissant with two slices of grocery store ham and two tiny slices of an unknown cheese. Not awful, but def average at best. Caramel cold brew is $6 for what tastes like standard brew from a cheap store bottle. The foam was nice! Staff is mostly friendly and helpful, and I wish it lived up to my expectation from the online pics, but this is prob one of those cases where the apt complex holds raffles for tenants who post the best/most 5-star pics/reviews for the place to make it appear better than it is. No pic of the disappointing croissant, but the display croissant at the register is worse, so there's that at least.

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    4 months ago

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    LC H.

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    20 days ago

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    4 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    2 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    5 months ago

    Beautiful new coffee shop with great food and adorable decor. Kind of close to briar Creek but a little out there really liked it.

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    8 months ago

    It's cute inside, the girls working were super nice. My coffee was good but want to try it again to know for sure

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    9 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    Delicious food, lots of options, friendly and accommodating service. Great little cafe.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    So happy to find a place open past 2pm or 4pm! Very yummy coffee and lattes. Staff was very nice too

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    3 years ago

    Was expecting more of a cafe type vibe but this is more of a restaurant with a bar. Cool spot

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    1 year ago

    Korean BBQ wrap was very good and so were the sweet potatoes fries, highly recommend this place for a good quick lunch

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Excellent food and service!! Great space, both indoor and outdoor. Will definitely visit again and refer others!

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    3 years ago

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    English: TL;DR: Beautiful atmosphere, fantastic coffee and…read morefood, thoughtful modern Latin flavors, amazing breakfast/dinner spot, and Fernando, the manager, is awesome. We've been to Aaktun in Durham multiple times for both breakfast and dinner, and it's honestly become one of our favorite spots. I'm Peruvian and grew up with Peruvian cuisine, so seeing lomo saltado -- a classic Peruvian dish -- on the menu immediately made me happy. Having also grown up in Mexico and lived in places like Miami, I really appreciate what they're doing with the menu: a modern, delicious take on Latin flavors that feels creative without losing what makes those cuisines special. The atmosphere is absolutely beautiful. You walk in thinking it's a stylish little coffee shop, then head toward the back and the whole place opens up -- gorgeous bar, tropical touches, cozy alcove seating, really cool vibe. One time we went with friends for a special dining experience they were offering, and it was excellent. The food, drinks, and whole experience were made even better by Fernando, the manager, who has always been incredibly warm, helpful, and accommodating. Highly recommend Aaktun for breakfast or dinner. Still haven't made it there for lunch somehow, but at this point we'd be shocked if it wasn't great too. Spanish: TL;DR: Lugar precioso, café y comida excelentes, sabores latinos con un toque moderno muy bien logrado, y Fernando, el gerente, es increíble. Ya hemos ido varias veces a Aaktun en Durham para desayuno y cena, y sinceramente se ha vuelto uno de nuestros lugares favoritos. Soy peruano y crecí con la cocina peruana, así que ver lomo saltado -- un plato clásico peruano -- en el menú me hizo muy feliz. Además, habiendo crecido en México y vivido en lugares como Miami, me encanta reconocer cómo integran sabores latinos con una propuesta moderna y de fusión. Se siente creativa, diferente y sobre todo riquísima. La atmósfera además es espectacular. Entras pensando que es una cafetería bonita y acogedora, pero luego caminas hacia atrás y el lugar se abre por completo: un bar hermoso, detalles tropicales, mesas tipo alcove... una vibra buenísima. Una vez fuimos con unos amigos para una experiencia especial de cena que estaban ofreciendo y la pasamos increíble. La comida, las bebidas y toda la experiencia fueron aún mejores gracias a Fernando, el gerente, que siempre ha sido súper amable, atento y servicial. Recomendamos muchísimo Aaktun para desayuno o cena. Todavía no hemos ido para almorzar, pero honestamente nos sorprendería mucho que no estuviera igual de bueno.

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