Undercurrent Coffee is a cool spot at Optimist Hall in NoDa. They have options for not only coffee, but also for food and it's pretty good. Service was really good and the staff was attentive, even when they were busy. They have nice size counter area for ordering and you can sit in multiple areas in front of the coffee shop or around Optimist Hall. Definitely give them a try if you're in the area or at Optimist Hall! read more

See all

My husband and I spent a few hours at Optimist Hall during a recent visit to Charlotte, and our first stop was Undercurrent Coffee! Not only do they have an extensive coffee menu, but they also have sandwiches and other quick-service food options, making it a great spot for breakfast or lunch on-the-go. We stuck to coffee this time, ordering two cortados. They actually have mini to-go cups, which is a nice change from other coffee shops I've been to that will pour your 4 oz. coffee drink into a 16 oz. cup. Our order was ready quickly, and this was just the caffeine boost we needed to kick off our exploration of Optimist Hall. I would definitely stop here again the next time I'm in Charlotte! read more

Ordering matcha makes me nervous because it can taste grainy, but this place blew me away!! I got the strawberry matcha latte with almond milk. They mix the strawberry with the milk first so it tastes more uniform and then HAND WHISK the matcha! This was not grainy at all or have that weird grassy flavor that matcha can have. My friend got an iced coffee from here (not pictured) but also loved that. They were also so fast in making the drinks and helped you answer any questions before ordering. Definitely stop by next time you're in optimist hall! read more

Undercurrent Coffee - Strawberry matcha latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Best Matcha latte I've had in months. I sub to almond milk and no sugar add honey and was perfect. The ambience is inside the Optimistic Hall which I love however this time around they were busy and the lines moved way too slow for a coffee. It took 20 mins just to order and another 20 to get it. They could use an extra hand. Service slow but friendly. read more

Undercurrent Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Always consistent. Great coffee. Good breakfast options like the breakfast burrito. The team is always willing to help and greets you with a smile. Probably one of my favorite coffee places in Charlotte. It is located in Optimist Hall so it is nice to grab a coffee and walk around to the other vendors. You can have coffee and breakfast there, work a bit, then have lunch at one of the other terrific vendors. Check it out! read more

This shop is located inside Optimus hall. There is plenty of parking all around the building. Just keep an eye out as some parking must be paid after 2 hours. We visited first in the morning The staff was friendly and ready to help. They offer a small, but classic selection of baked goods and nice variety of speciality drinks. For this visit I tried the Chai latte with vanilla flavoring and almond milk. Caution: the add-ons (milk type, flavoring, etc) add up quickly. I also tried a Blueberry muffin and it was delicious. It was a little expensive, but overall, I enjoyed it and would visit again. read more

See all

THE STRAWBERRY MATCHA THOUGH!!!!!!!!!! Goodness gracious, I wish this was a permanent menu item vs seasonal because it is delectable. I could drink one every day. Their matcha is so rich and smooth, and paired with the sweetness of the strawberries - a match made in heaven! Undercurrent also has some of my favorite avocado toast renditions, and they switch it up slightly at every location. Love this place! read more

Undercurrent Coffee - Strawberry matcha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

This coffee shop in the middle of Optimist Hall was super cute and had lots of different options. My brother got one of their seasonal lattes which had lavender and it tasted super yummy. I ordered an iced latte with brown sugar vanilla syrup, and oat milk. It was so good. The flavor of the coffee was strong and rich, just how I like it. You could tell it was good quality. Perfect little treat for my drive back to Greensboro to keep me awake lol. read more

Gem in Optimist Hall and one of the best coffee place in Charlotte. The seasonal menu is always creative and attractive for various flavors. Worth try - no guarantee that you would like all of them, but promise to fulfill your curiosity. They do offer light food as well. For something as an official meal, there are other options in the food hall as well. read more

Undercurrent Coffee - Cinnamon Roll Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

I love this coffee shop inside one of the coolest places in Charlotte. MENU The menu is limited to only coffee and tea. There are some bagels available, but that's it. Still, the coffee is is great. LOCATION This particular Undercurrent Coffee is located in a very nice food hall with plenty to do while walking around with your delicious hot/chilled coffee/tea. PARKING There is free 90-minute parking all over the place. After the 90-minute mark, parking is pretty affordable. 100% recommended. read more

Undercurrent Coffee - the counter and coffee bar - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

We were in a market and they had this coffee. When I ordered the coffee the guy barista was very helpful. I ordered a latte. The service was fast did great coffee art. The coffee was good one of the better ones I've had in this area. Overall I had a good experience. read more

Undercurrent Coffee - people walking through a coffee shop - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

My first time to Optimist Hall and had to check out this shop. I was very pleased to learn they had some Ethiopian beans, boom! Good flavor, it was just kinda luke warm though, check those temps! Very friendly Staff and some great bagels too! read more

Undercurrent Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Absolutely perfect cup of Joe anyway you like it. I love their creativity with specialty coffees

Located in the infamous Optimist hall, Undercurrent has to be my favorite place for matcha/coffee! They have yet to disappoint me, not to mention the service is quick and friendly. My go to is their matcha latte with almond milk, but Today I tried their honey lavender matcha. So delicious! I love that they change/add to their menu often, I always find a new drink to try every time I visit. Definitely recommend when you visit the one of many vendors in this fun space. read more

Undercurrent Coffee - Honey lavender matcha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

The cashier was super friendly, and the coffee was made quickly. Very delicious! A bit overpriced for my liking, but still a worth it.

As an homage to my Yelpy pal, Bruce K., I ordered a Cortado. According to the Bible (aka, Wikipedia), "a cortado is a beverage consisting of espresso mixed with a roughly equal amount of warm milk to reduce the acidity. The milk in a cortado is steamed, but not frothy and "texturized" as in many Italian coffee drinks." I would have just said delicious. Easy, peasy service and expertly crafted, my Cortado was a happy end to a perfect afternoon at Optimist Hall. "Give 'em a whirl" and order up your cup of happiness. read more

Undercurrent Coffee - Cortado - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

Normally I have just gotten a quick grab-and-go coffee from Undercurrent, but I had more time this Sunday and got to experience some of their food. I ordered the avocado toast and added an egg. It was delicious. Early on Sundays, Optimist Hall is usually pretty sleepy (with the recent news and pandemic, it was extra empty). But it is great to have a place like Undercurrent in a food hall. Their staff are super friendly and quick. The food items do take a little while to get together, but the coffees and lattes come out at a good pace. I've never seen a huge crowd cluster around their place in Optimist Hall. Sharing the space is a benefit for Undercurrent since there are many different seating areas, tables, desks, outdoor space... you can pretty much grab your delicious snacks and coffee and bring them to wherever your heart desires. The food stall is decorated with modern flare with the marble tile, herringbone pattern and open shelving. It feels like a nice kitchen to hang out in. Small pastry case, but packs a whole lot of variety. I noticed they carry vegan options. My avocado toast was vegan until I added the egg to it, but I am sure it is just as good without the egg. read more

Undercurrent Coffee - toast + - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

Came here after work for an afternoon pick-me-up. Optimist Hall is going to be amazing, so I wanted to check out their coffee at a time that may not be as busy. I ordered a brown sugar and vanilla latte. I ordered an iced latte but after watching the gentleman make it hot with so much care... I figured "eh, go with it". It was amazing and the perfect treat to a rainy day afternoon. If you follow Optimist Hall on IG, they have a map for parking but you shouldn't need it... there's plenty. Plus, Undercurrent Coffee opens early (7am, I think) for the early risers/runners in the area. Hope to see you there! read more

Undercurrent Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

Simply put, this is a great coffee shop! I ventured into Optimist Hall, and I'm so glad that I checked out this spot. The menu has all of the classics as well as some unique drinks as well. I ordered off the seasonal menu, and got the lavender latte. Not only was the quality of the coffee great, but the lavender flavor was superb. A nice touch was that they even added a piece of lavender to the top. The barista working was super friendly and gave great recommendations on which drinks to order. The location within Optimist hall is wonderful. There is plenty of nice seating, and it's a beautiful spot to sit and sip some coffee. read more

Undercurrent Coffee - Lavender latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Solid place to snag coffee! A good chunk of interesting flavors and I chose their seasonal one (forgot the name but it had cinnamon) which was tasty! Gave me the boost I needed for the day. Wish I remembered to take a picture of it. Probably will be going here for my coffee fix whenever we are in the area. read more

I love the Undercurrent location in plaza. But I was kind of disappointed today after visiting Optimist Hall. My order is really simple - iced latte with almond milk. I saw fresh espresso was not being pulled for my drink, decided to sip on it a few times anyhow to give it shot. Tasted pretty mid. I asked the barista if I could please have a latte with fresh espresso. He told me that wasn't the standard for this location as they get very busy. I get that, but it's the middle of a weekday and Im the only customer here. He told me he would remake it but 1) I wouldn't have tasted the difference, and 2) Next time I need to specify I want a fresh shot before ordering. I worked for years as a barista, server, bartender. I try my best not never bother or inconvenience food service workers. I feel like my request was pretty small and was met with unwarranted attitude. For $6.77 a pop, I'll stick to the plaza location read more

I visited here as an out of town guest and have little to no context for what is generally expected for this local coffee shop. It's located in a really cool and busy food hall. For the most part, it seems to be on the "purist" side of coffee houses, meaning they offer a few specials but focus mainly on the craft of coffee making. I ordered a black drip coffee. It was good. I was not blown away. The barista wasn't up for sharing about the coffee and took little interested in encouraging a good experience. The counter was quite dirty, but seeing how busy it was, I can have some grace. It severed its purpose in that it provided me with exactly what I wanted, a coffee to get through the rainy afternoon. But I don't think it will be on my "I have to go back" list. read more

This place is absolutely amazing. Kind and welcoming staff along with great coffee. The coffee taste fresh and clean with no after bite or bitterness. I'm a consistent customer so I'll leave this to be a great review I have other about undercurrent. Trust me you will love the coffee in any form or fashion created from the lattes to the basic black coffee. Oh and yes they have non dairy milk options. Enjoy! read more

Undercurrent Coffee - The monarch - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I ordered iced Vanila latte with half of almond milk&half of oat milk. It reminds me N.J.C. Anyway the coffee was pretty good :) read more

Undercurrent Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

Best cold brew mocha I've had in Charlotte. :) Perfect amount of chocolate added. I'll definitely stop in again to try some of their baked goods next time. read more

I've become absolutely smitten for Undercurrent Coffee in their ever popular Optimist Hall location. I'm ALL about Cold Brew. I've had it from just about every shop in town, both local and regional/national chains, and let me be perfectly clear: my extremely subjective opinion is that Undercurrent has the absolute best Cold Brew I've ever had. How is this? I mean, coffee is coffee, right? Well, not quite. In fact I have news for you: If you're one to add a half cup of cream and 10 packets of sugar to every coffee you drink, I can almost guarantee you that you're not drinking good coffee. Not just because you're masking the flavor with fat and sugar, but ask yourself, why do you feel the need to do so? In most cases, the more cream/sugar I add to a coffee, the more I'm basically saying "this coffee isn't all that great." Guess how much cream and sugar I add to my cold brew from Undercurrent? Zero, I take it black, every single time. This isn't for dietary purposes, it's just that damn good on it's own! Cold brew can be very susceptible to over-extraction (think of how 'spent' coffee grounds smell, now imagine that as a taste), so consistency is key. I've probably had their Monarch Blend cold brew (roasted by Onyx Coffee Lab) a dozen times, and that same, naturally sweet elixir with a solid body comes through the time and time again. There is an underlying and appreciative bitterness similar to dark chocolate and a floral, almost berry-like aftertaste. It's the mirror opposite of your average mass market cold brew offerings, which typically are more often than not one-dimensional, which isn't always a bad thing, so long as that one dimension is a good flavor profile (looking at you QuikTrip). In summary, this cold brew rocks. If there was an Undercurrent in the UNCC neighborhood, I'd probably visit every single day. I love so much how they do business. How they go out of their way to support local farms and suppliers. How their baristas and employees know so much about their simple yet spot-on drink menu. And especially how everything I've tried so far is just so damn satisfying. Take their cortado for example. It's such a simple drink. And because of that simplicity it can be very hard for just espresso and steamed milk to stand out in a 4oz cup. Well, when your espresso game is spot on, you hit all the marks. Body, bitterness, sweetness, temperature, acidity, even the springiness of the crema in the espresso can all make or break an excellent cortado, and every time I've ordered it, they deliver a work of art. Side note: I've never had any actual food from Undercurrent. Plenty of my fellow yelp buddies give them high marks on the food, so check it out! I feel that my expeditious love affair with coffee will only grow more and more as I get to know this amazing, local brand. I can't wait to see you in line! read more

See all

Pleasantly surprised to find Undercurrent Coffee in Optimist Hall! The friendly service and quality of drinks carry over from the stand alone location in midwood area. The Matcha used is quality - I watched the barista skillfully whisk the matcha. I visited during the summer and got to experience their summer menu item - Matcha Lavender Latte. After my first sip, I went back in line to ask if I could purchase a bottle of the Lavender syrup (No) - it was such a nice subtle taste. I love Lavender and just wish I could have it year round. Our barista was very friendly, gave us some recommendations on where else to visit in Optimist Hall. The line was non stop but quickly moving. Prices are very reasonable for the quality of products you'll get. read more

Undercurrent Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

I LOVE THIS PLACE! Incredible coffees and scones! I had 2 lattes from here today, one lavender and one vanilla/brown sugar! They were SO GOOD...I also had the sausage, tomato, and cheese scone--YUMMY!!! My new must stop place!!! If you haven't been, make it a point to hit this coffee spot while in the Optimist venue! read more

Undercurrent Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Taking a quick break from studying and decided to grab a tea. The selection was great and the cashier was knowledgeable. Be prepared to wait 5 minutes for the tea to steep. The cashier was kind enough to bring the tea out to me. It was delicious and lightly sweetened with a little honey. Thoroughly enjoyed it. read more

Undercurrent Coffee - Malamar tea! Delicious... very gingery (if that's your thing). - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Came back at the start of the day on 11.26.22, still not serving the single origin batch brew. So going down to 1 star. Honestly the only reason I'm here is for breakfast at next door Village Juice and Kitchen. Please update your menu if you refuse to serve single origin coffee in batch brew or just offer pour overs. I love the atmosphere. I want to love the coffee. I've probably been here a half dozen times and they never have a single origin on drip. Additionally, they don't offer pour overs at this location either. Save your time and just go to the other location. read more

The iced matcha latte is just ... green milk. There isn't enough matcha powder in the drink to impart any flavor whatsoever. Disappointing to say the least - I'll be taking this to another coffee shop and asking them to add matcha powder to make it taste good. read more

Great coffee and seasonal options. Yet like the stereotypical specialty coffee shop, poor service. How dare you the customer ask a question from baristas with "I don't care to be here attitudes". What is so difficult about being friendly and personable to your customers? Try smiling, try friendliness, you might get more business. Undercurrent is the epitome of a specialty coffee shop with attitude leaving you with a tasty coffee but wondering why you came when there are other options. read more

Undercurrent Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

The coffee and the ambience is one of my favorite in Charlotte. I'll be back every time I visit Charlotte.

Order: Drip Coffee, Cappuccino Price: $8 Positives: Good cappuccino, awesome space, can't want to see once it's all open Negatives: No pour over, a tad weak tldr: I'm super excited for this space in general. I love the whole "market" feel and I really think Undercurrent is going to bring a lot to the space. I will say that all the coffee had good flavor but tasted just a little weak for my preferences. Thoughts: Even though we were only in Charlotte for a few days we went to a few different cafes. This is sort of a thing for us, we will often go to several coffee shops a day for up to five days before finally settling on our "regular". We are aware we have a problem. Anyway something that I was beginning to notice is that very few places do poor overs. They just have a drip coffee and then espresso drinks. That's super weird and jarring for me because most coffee places I like have pour overs, and it's both one of my favorite ways to have my coffee made, and one of the most consistent ways to see if a coffee shop has high quality beans and a good brewing process. So the fact that none of these coffee shops could do a pour over kind of threw me. Regardless, we got a drip coffee instead, and a cappuccino. Both of them were actually very good. I was honestly surprised at how good the drip coffee, was which is a testament to the quality of their coffee beans. Normally I don't like drip coffee because it sits in an insulated container and gets so hot that it taste burnt. In this case it didn't taste burnt at all, it still had depth and complexity of flavor. The cappuccino was very flavorful and rich. That being said, I do think that both of the drinks were on the weaker side for my taste but not as extreme as some other places I've been. Undercurrent also has a unique scenario going on because they are in a market. The entire place is super cool and when it's done, seems to be ready to be filled with places to hang out, a few small unique shops, and a bunch of restaurants. Right now it definitely isn't finished (it being the market, Undercurrent is 100% up and running) and there's only a handful of restaurants open but I can't wait to see this place when it's finished. I will definitely make a point to come back if I'm ever headed through Charlotte. For this current trip we just hung out for about 20 minutes and spent some time looking around and drinking our coffee, but I could definitely see people hanging out here for extended periods of time. All in all I think Undercurrent is a pretty solid place to go get your coffee especially if you also need food or want to hang out with anyone. Like I said, the flavor was definitely there but for people who like really strong coffee this might not make the cut, or you may need to ask him to put more espresso in the drinks. But I know that my wife and I will be back in the future. read more

Undercurrent Coffee - Pour Over and Cappuccino - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Tonight July 30 (8 pm) I went to the Undercurrent coffee counter. No other customer in sight. I walked up to the man there and he asked if he could help me. I asked for a large hot coffee. He pointed the the ordering station and ask me to wait for him there. After a few minutes he walks up like we haven't talked and asked if he could help me. I asked again for the large hot coffee. He responded that they don't make it after 5 pm. That may have given him some strange satisfaction being rude but I'll never go back again. The not making coffee after 5 pm is not a problem but now I can see why there is no other customers. read more

I really enjoyed my experience here. The barista that took my order was very friendly and helped me figure out a drink that I'd like. They also were ready to make me a new drink if I didn't like what I ordered. I ended up ordering an iced sea salt mocha and it was super good. It was not overly salty and it was good flavor combo read more

Undercurrent Coffee - Sea salt mocha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I've been to Optimus home multiple times. But this is the first time trying under current coffee. The staff was really sweet, and recommended a really good drink, a dirty chai latte. I love chai! This one was pretty good. The barista put a really cute flower on top. I'll definitely try again! read more

Undercurrent Coffee - Diry Chai Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Smooth and balanced and a touch of sunshine when we stopped by the booth in Optimist Park. Come by for a cup of Joe

I don't remember the exact name of the tea but I have to say, trying matcha with lavender is game changer. The staff was very friendly even with the place being busy. read more

Undercurrent Coffee - Lavender matcha with almond milk - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

What a cute little coffee shop! Sunday's after church it's become a bit of a tradition to go have a latte! Today, we ventured out and tried this place! First, it's beautiful on the inside and I immediately said I wanted to come back and work remotely one day! Second, I love how open and inviting the space is and being able to see the process "behind the bar." Everyone is super friendly and wants to provide you with great coffee and a great experience. We had already eaten brunch, but they do have a nice selection of items to eat, seasonal drinks and standard coffee selections. I decided to be adventurous and went for the golden milk latte and my sister got the mulled apple cider! Both were great choices and we wished we had more - lol. Looking for a coffee shop in CLT? Give this place a try! read more

See all