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    The Optimist

    4.2 (22 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

    The Optimist Photos

    THE OPTIMIST ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Liz M.

    "Enter .... Coffee girl season" While I generally drink coffee most days - either instant regular or instant mushroom (do your research) - I'm finding my way to the pleasures of coffee. Enter The Optimist. We (a group of 4) were in the area - when the suggestion occurred. The Optimist is tucked away in a corner - sandwiched between businesses and other restaurants. I selected drip with oat milk - no sugar (counting calories and such). While I'm not a coffee aficionado by any means, I found the coffee smooth and complex (look at me!). Looking forward to trying other options. Service was good and the space was filled with, what appeared to be, students and remote workers feverishly working on life changing "tings" Looking forward to trying other options. Coffee house: 4.1

    Melissa Z.

    I love this place! Even though it's been pretty packed every time I've came, it still feels lowkey because of the quiet and peaceful ambience inside. There's both indoor and outdoor seating with plenty of parking at the deck nearby. The inside is gorgeous, with multiple rooms, different types of seating, and plants you'll want to take home with you. I got a breakfast english muffin and caramel coconut mocha. Both were exactly what I needed this morning and satisfied me. Everyone here is always friendly and the service is always quick. They even have board games to play if you're here with somebody. What I really love is the mini private room they have- big enough for just one person, a laptop, and a plate. I actually took many meetings in here when needing privacy. It's such a cute touch.

    Books
    Hannah L.

    LOVE LOVE LOVE. What a perfect coffee spot! Immediately upon walking in, the vibe was unique, friendly, and cozy! The vanilla latte was 10/10, the staff were very friendly and laid back, but it's the aesthetic... Between the games, books, plants, excessive windows, private areas, indoor and outdoor seating, and decor - we will definitely return!

    Pink matcha
    Demetrius A.

    Dropped into this location before heading to the mall across the street. We parked with ease in the parking deck attached to this building. Noticed that there were other businesses/restaurants on the walk up to the coffee shop. I was accompanied by 2 other individuals and we walked in with no wait to order. Although it was pretty busy from the inside, we found a table to accommodate our party. There are spaces to sit if you are solo as well. At first glance, the menu appears to be reasonably priced. I skimmed for a while and chose the pink matcha with oat milk. I love how pretty the matcha was! I could have gone for a sweeter version but it wasn't bitter as some other experiences I've had! The staff were friendly and happy to assist with questions about the menu and substitutions. There are so many lovely things about this space!!! From the unique private spaces to the collection of books that line the window. I was drawn to the plants and noticed they had a shelf for games. As we enjoyed our beverages, we decided to play, Cards Against Humanity! This made for a fun and interesting experience! There is outdoor seating available and since today was a nice day, the chairs and tables were occupied for most of our visit. If you're looking to get some work done, read a book, or simply drop in to try a new place, I think it's worth a try!

    McOptimist ($9.75)
    Hayley P.

    Unfortunately, we were so excited to try this but were very disappointed. I think this place is perfect if you are a single person getting only a coffee. Outside of that and you may be frustrated. It takes a long time to get what you've ordered. I was expecting the McOptimist like from the original location and instead got a flat sandwich. The flavor was there but I was still hungry after spending $10 on the sandwich. Come for a cup of coffee and the aesthetic.

    Cold brew w/ rose syrup

    I appreciated the wide selection of flavored syrups for my cold brew, though it would've been just as good black! Really cute spot to meet w/ friends or work from home surrounded by books & plants. The baristas were some of the nicest I've encountered. I'd love to sit on the porch area on a warmer day.

    Kerwin T.

    Kids were having dessert next door for shave icecream so stop by to get some coffee Beans supplied by black and white, barsita super nice and asked me how i like my macchiato. But i was expecting better extraction of espresso considering the beans by black n white. Still not bad and better than typical starbucks

    The Easy with Chicken
    JJ C.

    Atmosphere: The new Optimist location opened in Fiction Coffee's old space, which is across the street from Crabtree Mall. The space is small but has several tables and big windows to let in lots of natural light. Service: The baristas were friendly and our order, especially the drinks, came out quickly. One thing to note was that modifications to some items (like the Hulk Smash) could not be made, but that may change once their kitchen becomes more established. Food: We ordered an Iced Nat King Cole and Cappuccino for our drinks, and a Hulk Smash and The Easy with chicken for lunch. The Nat King Cole wasn't too sweet and had nice hints of nuttiness. The Cappuccino was fresh and had a nice, strong coffee flavor to it. Both of our lunch dishes were delicious, but we thought the portions were a bit small for the price. Overall: As big fans of The Optimist and their original location, we weren't disappointed with their new shop! We're looking forward to watching them expand their offerings at this new location.

    Front entrance
    Kayla M.

    Super cute coffee shop! I loved the vibes and people were working on their laptops so I fit right in. The person who made the coffees were so nice and the coffee was good! My cold brew was a bit bitter but still good! Def will return.

    Tom a Doe. It wasn't bad but definitely underwhelming.
    Sarah V.

    The place is cute and could be great. I didn't actually try their coffee only got food. The food was underwhelming. It said bruschetta style toast and it was avocado toast with a tomato. That's it. Barely seasoned. I expected more. I hope their coffee is better. I'll update my review then.

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Coffee and food are a little small for the price, but pretty decent in taste. Staff and service is always wonderful!

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Good ambience and workspaces with many outlets, wifi and good coffee; however, I wish the food portion sizes were larger for the price.

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    2 years ago

    Incredibly kind staff, outdoor and indoor seating, and overall just a beautiful place to hang out or get some work done!

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    2 years ago

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    Ask the Community - The Optimist

    Review Highlights - The Optimist

    My favorite coffee spot in Raleigh!!

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    NoRa Cafe - Grilled cheese sandwich - lifewithhanny

    NoRa Cafe

    4.5(206 reviews)
    4.5 mi
    $$

    Needed a latte for my drive home, I got the chocolate turtle decaf latte and it was delicious. It…read morepaired chocolate, pecan and caramel to make the perfect road trip drink. The space was packed on a beautiful Friday morning. A lot of people working and connecting over coffee. The library space was super cute too! I snapped a photo and sent it to a colleague for a potential event venue in the future!

    This is such an eclectic place to connect, enjoy a cup of coffee or a bakery item or get work done…read more The most recent time I was in there I couldn't find a table to sit at. Needed a more quiet space to get some work done for about an hour, but once a table opened up the table next to it had some loud talkers and it was not conducive to focused work. The staff is nice and helpful. They seem to always have a smile! The coffee is great. Always fresh. The bakery items are good too! I have tried about half of their regular fare and they never disappoint. The only reason I'm giving four stars instead of five is it seems some people camp out there to get work done for hours on end. It makes those of us who want to just get out of a normal office setting to enjoy some coffee and a snack have a hard time finding a spot. Other than that, love the casual vibe and change of pace.

    Photos
    NoRa Cafe - Iced vanilla oat latte and rosemary olive English muffins with bacon and pimento cheese - lifewithhanny

    Iced vanilla oat latte and rosemary olive English muffins with bacon and pimento cheese - lifewithhanny

    NoRa Cafe - S'mores latte + Michaels English muffins breakfast sandwich - lifewithhanny

    S'mores latte + Michaels English muffins breakfast sandwich - lifewithhanny

    NoRa Cafe - "Chicken Salad Sandwich"

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    "Chicken Salad Sandwich"

    Lucky Tree - coffee ice!

    Lucky Tree

    4.3(161 reviews)
    3.4 mi
    $$

    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.

    Photos
    Lucky Tree - Cool light fixture made of bottles

    Cool light fixture made of bottles

    Lucky Tree - Front of building

    Front of building

    Lucky Tree - Ordering counter

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    Ordering counter

    Groovy Duck Bakery - Apple Pie Chunky Cookie

    Groovy Duck Bakery

    4.2(215 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    Groovy Duck has me quacking with joy!…read more This is a cute bakery tucked away in a small shopping plaza. I've wanted to try this place for years so I'm glad it was an Offline option. Here are the deets: I tried their duck shaped shortbread cookies and pound cake. Loved the cookies, and they are great with coffee, and my office loved them too. The pound cake did not wow me, but I would try it again. The staff? Helpful and very upbeat. The whole experience? Worth flocking to again. PS: They have a cute rubber ducky display and so many options to choose from.

    Ordered my birthday cake from Groovy Duck Bakery and to be honest I was a little disappointed…read more Looking at some of their other cakes, I may have set my expectations a little too high. Of the many cakes they offer online I finally decided on the Mango Mojito cake!. I wanted something diffrrent. They asked what I wanted written and I said a capital letter "D" the Leo Symbol and a "crown" (since Leo's are kings/queens) They said the crown would be an additional charge, no problem. they asked if I wanted green or white frosting and I asked if blue could be done, and I didn't care what shade of blue. They asked if I wanted any accent colors/decoration on the cake and I said I don't care, I'll leave that up to you just make it nice. I was thinking the cake decorator would get creative fancy or something, especially since I was open to the design/color, it was for a birthday, and already paying extra for a "crown" TBH I would have paid whatever it took for a really nice cake. The taste wasn't bad. I was expecting a slightly bolder flavor especially with a name like "Mango Mojito" cake but nothing stood out. There were some random bursts of mango. It tasted better cold/chilled but as it got warmer the flavors just kinda blended together. The cake did have a nice texture. It was done on time! Customer service was top notch. This was my first cake in North Carolina so I dont know how cakes are done here and have no other NC bakery to compare it to. Maybe decorating isn't their forté... I just wanted a nice cake for my bday party to celebrate in style!

    Photos
    Groovy Duck Bakery - Almond Croissant Chunky Cookie

    Almond Croissant Chunky Cookie

    Groovy Duck Bakery - Triple Chocolate Chunky Cookie

    Triple Chocolate Chunky Cookie

    Groovy Duck Bakery

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    Idle Hour Coffee

    Idle Hour Coffee

    4.0(143 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$

    Dropped off and picked up dry cleaning at the dry cleaners on the corner of Fairview and Oberlin…read more(see my reviews for "Drive-Thru Cleaners and Shoe Repair"). Since I was so close, an Idle Hour had 30 minutes until closing, I thought I would go in for a Iced Chai Latte--one of my favorites--I love the way Isle Hour makes it, FLAVOR TOWN! Even though it was 30 degrees outside, I still ordered the Iced Chai Tea Latte. I knew that I would be very comfortable in their lounge area. After I ordered, I saw the Hot Chocolate Bomb at the countered. I asked the staff member about it and ordered that also. The Hot Chocolate Bomb is the BOMB --Delicious! I drank my Chai Latte after and was not disappointed. Staff is great--friendly and enthusiastic. Atmosphere very homey.

    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.

    Photos
    Idle Hour Coffee - Counter!

    Counter!

    Idle Hour Coffee - Pumpkin cake

    Pumpkin cake

    Idle Hour Coffee - A view

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    A view

    The Optimist - coffee - Updated May 2026

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