I finally checked out Drift Cafe and it's definitely one of those spots that feels like a mini…read moreescape in the middle of Raleigh. The space is super light, airy, and gives off that laid-back coastal vibe that makes you want to stay a while. The menu leans into that "wellness but still indulgent" balance. everything I tasted was fresh and thoughtfully made. The coffee was a standout too, smooth and not overly sweet, which I personally loved. A lot of people come here for the breakfast burritos, pancakes, and specialty lattes, so it's a solid brunch option if you want something a little elevated from the usual rotation. Service was friendly and pretty quick, even when it got busy, which I appreciated. It does get packed, especially on weekends, so just be ready for a bit of a wait.

Super cute place with plenty of parking options and gender neutral bathrooms. 10am on a Friday and…read moreit was packed. Conveniently with one table open. Drinks: I ordered a matcha latte, iced with oat milk. I knew it was a mistake as I watched them make it and the match came out of a squeeze bottle. My mom ordered hot black coffee, claiming it tasted burnt and was undrinkable. Mains: I ordered the strawberries & cream pancakes which came with three extremely tiny pancakes, that tasted like whole wheat. The "fresh jam" was overly sugared and had a smoothie like consistency. For $16 I was hungry and disappointed. My mom ordered the grain and egg bowl, wait it was underwhelming. Shocked there are so many positive reviews.

My mom wanted boba and we were in the area so we stopped here on a Saturday. Well it's Sunday and…read morewe are back. This is the only place she wants even though there is a place right around the corner from us. I decided to try one and I see why. They have so many choices and toppings, I made me a salted caramel milk and added all different types of boba. It's very clean everyone there is nice. They play good music while you are waiting and it always smells so good in there. They have probably two tables and a long bar, they don't sell food but some little cream donuts. I would highly recommend them!

BOBAPOP Tea Bar is a boba shop that offers fruit tea, milk tea, slushes, and some dessert. The…read moreinside is minimalistic with a few seating available. You order through a tablet, although I think ordering directly from the cashier works too. I got the Lychee Green Tea with Lychee Jelly. I initially wanted to not pick a topping as it cost extra, but there did not seem to be an option to opt out of that. I also got my drink with 75% sweetness and 100% ice. The drink tasted alright. I probably could have kept it at 100% sweetness to taste more of the lychee flavor. Overall, it is a cute little spot for boba.

We had some time to kill and were looking for a non-chain coffee spot. This one was close by and…read morehad great reviews. So we decided to give them a try. We had a little difficulty finding it. GPS brought us to the parking lot behind the building. There isn't clear signage to direct you where to go. We managed to find our way up the stairs and into the building. There are a number of businesses located inside. Lucky Tree is super cute. It's set up to encourage working, with plenty of charging spots all around. There is a variety of seating, from long wooden tables to smaller individual areas. We ordered a chai latte and golden milk latte, both with oat milk. Both drinks were good. Fyi there is a separate entrance from the side that takes you directly to another smaller parking lot.

I decided to try this out for a quick coffee stop while in town for a conference. The service was…read morefriendly and quick! I tried the breakfast bagel bites, which were soft and warm. I loved the cheese on top! I was not a huge fan of the flavor the almond flour gave them but it was not overpowering. I would probably get them again! They had a lot of options as far as specialty lattes but I am glad I went with the Vanilla Maple. I was worried that the maple flavor would be too much but it complimented the vanilla well. The inside was VERY well decorated, and I would've loved to stay and do a little computer work! I could see myself coming by and sitting down for a quick brunch, meeting up with friends, or staying for a work session.

For this week's edition of coffee shop Saturday, I chose Iris Coffee Lab. It's a block away from…read morethe Glenwood South area, located in a little neighborhood of condos, apartments and small businesses. There's plenty of seating inside and outside. There is street parking with a couple of garages nearby. I ordered as soon as I arrived and sat inside to enjoy my vanilla latte on a very hot afternoon. The service is good, everyone is friendly. The latte was perfect, strong and hot!!! It's busy and somewhat loud inside, but great for catching up with friends or working.

Note to future self: please don't come back! I've been here once before and I think we tried the…read morecherry marzipan, and this time I got an iced vanilla latte with just regular milk. Pretty blah. Lexi you can make better coffee at home. Just stay home. Staff were very nice and space was open

I try a new coffee shop every Saturday and today it was Benelux…read more There isn't a lot of street parking, but there is an underground garage behind it, which is so convenient. It's located next to Village District. I was greeted immediately by a nice young man. I asked for his hot food suggestion, and of course he suggested the waffles! I ordered a waffle with fresh bananas and Nutella...every bite was absolutely delicious. I also ordered a lavender latte and loved it. They sell scones from a local vendor and I had a gluten free orange cranberry scone which was also delicious. Benelux is spacious and has plenty of seating. Tables, high tops and even a couple of comfortable love seats.

This is great coffee shop with a good, family friendly a diverse vibe…read more Benelux offers a good variety of coffee drinks and delicious pastries. We ordered lattes and other pastries, and they were all delicious. I met the new owners when I stopped by, and they shared their new plans for upgrades and improvements. They own other coffee shops in Colombia, so I'm guessing those improvements will be good. It is located in a shopping plaza centrally located. If you are not from the area, the GPS will take you straight to it. There is a parking lot for the entire shopping plaza with free parking. If you like to work in coffee shops, this one gets a bit busy and noisy at times. Keep that in mind. The staff was friendly and helpful. The space is comfortable and common areas are clean. Overall, 100% recommended.

This week for my coffee shop Saturday's I visited Cup A Joe's on Avent Ferry, near NC State…read more It's located in the Mission Valley Shopping center on the bottom level. There's plenty of parking in the adjacent parking lot. There's plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. They have breakfast & lunch menu's. They don't have a ton of options, but just enough. They have a huge drink menu, coffee, cold brews, their famous coffee smoothies, juice smoothies, and all types of teas from matcha to milk tea. There's so many options. The team behind the counter were very nice & helpful it being my first time. It's not fancy, but cute and cozy. There's lots of seating, plenty of outlets for laptops, it's a great place to work. The outdoor patio is covered with plenty of tables. I ordered the iced coconut latte and one of the baked goods from a local bakery on display at the counter. The latte was delicious & the Crumbcake was fresh and okay.

The coffee, matcha latte, and location, all earned 5/5. Cup A Joe is a lively, popular spot for…read moremeeting up with friends and peers for coffee. There is ample seating and restrooms in the room adjacent to the ordering counter. The line moves quickly and they offer numerous beverage options and coffee beans. My rating is reduced to a 3 due to how condescending the manager (?) spoke to a (presumably) new employee. There are appropriate ways to train and treat new employees without belittling them.

This is one of the smoothest lattes. I got the smoked sea salt caramel. The vibes were so laid back…read moreand chill. The staff were super nice

Jubala Coffee is a casual coffee spot serving drinks and light food! There is parking in a lot next…read moredoor or on the street. The space inside can get cramped at certain times of the day, but they try to make most of it with tables and booths. Service was friendly and quick. I got the Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit. The biscuit was a bit sweet which paired interestingly with the savory bacon, egg, and cheese. I think I prefer a savory or salty biscuit, but it was still good. i'll I really enjoyed the fried egg because of the runny yolk, especially since most of these biscuits use a scrambled egg so this was unique to me. The bacon and cheese on their own were also good. My friends and I shared a Fruit Cup/Bowl which was actually refreshing. The fruit was actually sweet and not tart! I did not try their drinks, although I probably should have considering how well-liked they are. I would come back if I was in the area to try the other items on their menu. Plus, this is a nice work or study spot.

Despite living in Raleigh for over a decade, I just visited Boulted Bread for the first time last…read moreweek. If you live in Raleigh, you've heard people rave about Boulted Bread - from their titular bread to their morning bun to their croissants, they have everything a carb connoisseur could desire. I visited with a friend on a Tuesday morning (they currently are not open on Mondays) and it was busy. I ordered their seasonal fig leaf latte, the morning bun, chocolate croissant, and a tartine that was kind of like a pizza on a piece of bread. The latte was delicious - it has brown sugar in it, which was perfect as the iced version. The morning bun was delightful - probably my second favorite morning bun/cinnamon roll in Raleigh. The chocolate croissant was filled with chocolate ganache - which I was not expecting - it was messy but also very good. Lastly, the tarine, which like I mentioned, was kind of like a pizza on a piece of toast - it had cheese tomato sauce - simple and savory and tasty. Overall, I felt Boulted Bread lives up to the hype. A Raleigh classic that is a perfect stop for a morning treat.

Delicious as always. The morning bun stays being the best! Went around 2pm which made the seating…read moreeasier. If you go in the morning you usually can't get a table/seat. My tip is to walk over to the Platform apartments and sit in the common areas under there. The biale was a little hard, maybe because it was early afternoon. But morning bun was good. They had sold out a fair amount of the pastries by 2, but still had lots of morning buns. The light in the building is very nice. Good place to get a treat!

Stopped by Black & White Coffee while looking for a cup of coffee downtown. I noticed that there…read morewas a coffee shop located in the local Videri Chocolate shop. Parking can be a bit tricky here as the coffee shop is located in the heart of downtown Raleigh. The vibe inside this coffee shop is bright and open. I ordered a caramel latte which was excellent and the latte art was also a nice touch. If you are trying to work remotely there isn't much seating available here. If I'm in the area again I'll definitely be stopping by black and white coffee for a cup of coffee.

The perfect coffee roaster might actually exist -- and it might be Black & White Coffee Roasters in…read moredowntown Raleigh. I'm a big fan of lighter-roasted, funky, expressive coffees, and Black & White absolutely delivers. Their roasting style leans into vibrant, fruit-forward profiles, and they do it with confidence. The downtown Raleigh location is fantastic too. It's right in the middle of everything, making it a great stop for a date night, meeting up with friends, or just dropping in for a quick but exceptional cup. Their seasonal menu was small but mighty -- just a couple of options -- but the kind where every drink looks so good you wish they'd never rotate them off the menu. I started with the orange cardamom flat white, and it was perfect in every way. Beautifully presented and incredibly balanced. The espresso, milk, orange, and cardamom all complemented each other without any one flavor taking over. It was nuanced, aromatic, and just a joy to drink. For my second drink, I ordered a Rodrigo Sanchez pour-over, a co-fermented Colombian coffee labeled with passion fruit notes. It was everything I want from a pour-over -- bright, juicy, and expressive, with the kind of sweet stone fruit and berry notes that make light-roasted coffee so exciting. Black & White continues to prove why they're one of the most respected specialty roasters around. If you love adventurous coffee with huge flavor and careful execution, this place is an absolute must-visit.

Really cute spot. The coffee was good. We tried the Fruit Loop latte special and we liked it. Staff…read morewas super nice and the vibe was great. They have some outdoor seating. Didn't try the food this time but it looked really good so I'd come back for that.

I think its a cute little spot to stop by! Ive worked remotely here a few times and its been a…read moresmooth experience each time! The staff is very friendly and their coffees are good. I recently found a hair baked in in my blueberry banana bread and the cashier was quick to rectify this w the option of refund/replacement. Their bakery desserts are beautiful but they aesthetics are as far as my compliments go for them. I tried the strawberry raspberry cheesecake and majority of it was gelatin and chocolate. Didnt taste any cheesecake. Maybe their other items are better! The GOAT is yummy but felt very skimpy on the toppings. I wouldnt say their food is their strong suit here.