50 Best Coffee Shops in Durham

“awesome ice cream and delicious 😋 and the owner is very nice and down to earth! love this place!“

“They allow dogs 🐶 What’s not to like? 🫶🏻“

“Fun atmosphere and excellent drinks.“

“The BEST coffee shop that I have ever visited. Great drinks plus very friendly staff. 🥰🥰🥰“

“We tried the lemonade and the falooda at Salt N Cocoa, and both were excellent! The lemonade was fresh, refreshing, and perfectly balanced—not too sweet or too tart. The falooda was rich, creamy, and packed with great flavors and textures, making it a delicious dessert. Everything tasted fresh, the presentation was appealing, and the portions were generous. We’ll definitely be back to try more items.“

“Great idea and excellent products! Tastefully done. :)“

“Great spot for a delicious coffee and a curated book selection! Love the area for littles to play :)“

“Best bagels in NC! Looking forward to their new store.“

“The bigg C, is a wonderful servergiver , and dynamic personaa. Ohh and the coffee and servic is of the chart , go and experience it for yourselves.
The people who visit this spot, makes it even a bit smoother.

Warmly
Hw✌️“

“Aaktun is adorable. The decor is gorgeous food was so delicious, I really didn’t want to leave. Let me not forget 🤤 the drinks were amazing! Their bartender deserves a raise lol because every drink we ordered was on point 👌🏾.“

“Absolutely incredible coffee, clearly carefully and expertly brewed. Didn’t get to try the house made syrups, but had their cold brew and Cortado and the flavor of the beans were outstanding. Super friendly, great options. So grateful for the find. Ty!!“

“Everything! Love their chai latte.“

“I got the Greek omelette with light feta spinach and peppers ! It was amazing ! Great lil spot!“

“The best. Just the best. Try it!!“

“Yummy pastries! 🥐 🥮 Definitely recommend this place! 🥰“

“I checked this place out because it's the only dog-friendly coffee shop around me. Ordered online for pick-up so I could run in with my dog on our walk - fast and friendly!“

“Friendly staff and great food. Was worth the wait.“

“Román is a Gem! He loves what he does and you can really taste it! He sources local treats that he tries and loves! He answered every question my husband throw at him and we loved hearing his process on how he makes his tea! The Tea is AMAZING! It will ruin sweet tea because it is that good! His lemonade is equally amazing! We will be adding this place to our snack stop list!“

“I'm so glad this place came to Durham. Super convenient location. Extremely excellent customer service. Their coffee is better than Starbucks and cheaper than Starbucks. Do you want drip? They've got it. Do you want a coffee drink? They've got it. They've got non-coffee choices as well. It's a drive-thru, and I've never had to wait between ordering or picking up. Very fast.“

“I want to express praise and gratitude to Desmond at the Durham Hotel. I had been calling the rooftop restaurant for a couple of weeks to try and modify a reservation for a birthday party and after five or six attempts, they had not called me back. I eventually called the hotel and Desmond answered and even though it is completely separate and outside of his job responsibilities, he took down all my information and reached out to them on my behalf . Desmond was able to modify my reservation so that I did not have to drive down there an hour each way. He was very professional and I enjoyed talking with him. He is definitely in the right line of work because I felt like I was talking to a friend. Details matter, and Customer Service should still matter. Thank you, Desmond!! Sincerely, William / reservation 9546“

“Join the Open Mic Series on the last Wednesday of every month! FREE ENTRY. GREAT VIBES.“

“A must stop for vegans! Almost all desserts and drinks can be made with non-dairy milk, including oat and coconut condensed milk. The matcha limeade, strawberry matcha, coffee jelly, Thai tea, and douhua are excellent. The owner CeCe is also incredibly nice and the shop is so cute and comfortable. An absolute gem in Durham!“

“Definitely one of my favorite spots! Would recommend to anyone.“

“I placed a pickup order one morning while on vacation in Durham a couple of weeks ago. The baristas were friendly, the place was nicely decorated and clean, and my order was almost ready by the time I walked through the door. Thanks so much for the delicious waffles, chai latte, and açaí bowl! My fiancé and I enjoyed having some special extras for his surprise birthday breakfast and a refreshing late-night movie snack.“

“AMAZING FOOD!!!! My family loved it there and it’s also so beautiful!! Highly recommend“

“Wonderful place. I am there 3 times or more a week!!! Awesome Staff and Owners. Support Local!! Their outdoor clothing and accessories store is also awesome“

“Great place to get Boba!! Me and my boyfriend became OBSESSED going here. It got to the point, the one worker knows us and gives suggestions what we might like. Even though I like to experiment once in awhile- My absolutely favorite is the strawberry ice milk all mixed together with strawberry popping Boba...Sooo good! It's like drinking a strawberry milkshake. My boyfriend likes to be a little braver and try different kinds when he gets one- he likes more of the fruit Boba and has tried a few varieties. Definitely would be back, maybe more than I need to 😂😂 but it's definitely worth it.“

“This is my new favorite breakfast space! Every detail of Hatch is so beautifully curated and the food is insanely good. Arturo’s service was so warm and kind. I had the pork belly breakfast burrito and highly recommend it. Can’t wait to go back 💗💗“

“The apple fritters are HUGE and soooo good. All the other flavors I've had are also very good and always fresh.“

“Delicious and creative coffee options! I had the Yuzu Citron drink (espresso + something sparkling and cold) & cherry ice cream. Love that the cherry ice cream has actual cherries in it! I’m excited to return and try more items from their menu. Their window is located along the walkway leading to the parking lot.“

“This place is wow. Amazing beautiful deserts. Always fresh. Paninis! Unusual for NC as well, great selection. And the custom croissant sandwich I had today with egg, ham, tomatoe and lettuce was warm and heavenly. Also love the pictures on the walls.“

“Lovely place to drink Kava. The mojito is perfection.“

“Coffee World shares the building with a Subway and an ice cream space. I was here super early with a coffee and a bagel, sitting in a corner table for six solid hours. Easy to sit with my work laptop for this time, dialed in to calls and sending emails.

Coffee was good and the bagel with cream cheese was good.

No one bothered me. I watched customers come and go. It was a great "office" for a Monday morning.

Vegetarian options: They have some vegetarian options.

Dietary restrictions: Ask about allergens.

Parking: Easy parking for the Sprinter van.

Kid-friendliness: Yes, they have donuts too!

Wheelchair accessibility: Step free access.“

“My favorite coffee shop in Durham hands down! They have the yummiest coffee flavors!!! I love walking in to one of their new flavors of the season! It’s always something new and refreshing-combos I’ve never tried at other shops before!!! It’s so fun and I’ve never tasted a limited time drink I didn’t absolutely love. The staff is always so friendly and there’s always many people studying/working in their comfortable seating area. Big windows with lovely natural light with comfortable and relaxed decor. I really enjoy coming here !!

Edit: over a year of coming here and the quality of the staff and drinks remain the same: fantastic! My barista was so kind when she realized my drink was made wrong and quickly remedied it with no fuss. They hire some really great people here!!!“

“I’ve been ordering whole bean coffee from Joe van gough for awhile and love trying the newer blends and specialty coffees, it’s what we get up for! So fresh!“

“Lavender Bloom tea is so good as are the Cappuccinos“

“Excelente cervicio deliciosos batido bebidas y waffles“

“I’ve been ordering whole bean coffee from Joe van gough for awhile and love trying the newer blends and specialty coffees, it’s what we get up for! So fresh!“

“Fresh everything! Great sandwiches, salads, ambiance, & service. Highly recommend this Durham gem!“

“Ordered a drink that came out wrong, explained it so I could order something different as it wasn't tasting right at all. Still get charged for the old drink, infact my drink points I redeemed didn't even get accounted for. Terrible service. They won't remake your drink either, even if it's clearly wrong. don't recommend cary location its only gotten worse.“

“Lo mejor de lo mejor , buen servicio , excelente limpieza , la comida exquisita ?.“

“I love the lattes here becauae they're strong. I always stop by when I come. My kid usually plays with all the toys and the staff is just fine with it. The staff tends to be really nice and friendly. Also, I almost always watch the the train in the ceiling make a full route back and forth because it really is mesmerizing.“

“I used to live two blocks north from this Cocoa Cinnamon location during my two years in grad school and would order from here at least twice a week. I have so many good memories of studying here after class and seeing friends randomly drop in. The coffee is actually incredible, and I mainly ordered iced lattes like the Amuleto. I’d also go to the other two locations but not as often. As soon as March 2020 hit, this location took sanitation and safety very seriously, quickly implementing contactless ordering and pickup. I remember when they also sold their iced ternura coffee in quarts, which I was so excited about, especially because they had an option with almond milk. Although I graduated in 2020 and moved away, I still regularly purchase ground beans from Little Waves’ website (with a longer break in 2025)! I’m drinking a cup of Ternura right now. I want to credit Ternura, Amor Prohibido, and Positive Pressure for helping me through grad school. I still visit Durham every year and come in person to this location. I haven’t really found any other local roasters that I want to support like this one. :)“

“What a Durham Treasure! Beautiful projects and Toni and her team are so patient. Do yourself a favor and go visit. It’s really a treat!“

“So far, I recommend the French toast donut and the maple bacon donut.“

“I’ve been consistently coming to this cafe since my sophomore year, and highly recommend the place to anyone who wants a caffeine boost around campus.

My personal favorite drinks are either Thai Iced Tea or Iced Vietnamese Coffee. Both cost around $5.

In addition to coffee, there is a lot of food sold, ranging from a chicken caesar salad to red velvet cake squares. The food rotates throughout the semester.

Scott runs the place and he is a fun person to talk to. He is energetic and is clearly passionate about running this cafe.

Vegetarian options: Beyond the usual salads, there are vegan pastries sold seasonally.

Dietary restrictions: Gluten free food is sold here, but the menu varies by semester.

Wheelchair accessibility: The Wilkinson Building is wheelchair accessible.“

“You just have to hope you caught this Starbucks on a good day... most of the time it is working normally and well, but when it's not... they can go from having one person working to ten quickly. they'll close early if only one person is on shift but 10 others are hanging around in uniform. I was once here at like 7 pm and they all started yelling at each other. when it's good though, staff will engage in Convo, be quick and kind, the works.“

“This Whole Foods Market near Duke University has lots of vegetarian choices in the restaurant. The hot bar is big and there are salads as well as dessert choices. They have good vegan cookies for dessert, which is a treat. The only negative was that some of the cashiers at this store are, occasionally, less than friendly and helpful . In addition, there is usually an armed guard on duty (typically an off-duty police officer), which is something you don't see at most other Whole Foods Markets around the country.“

“Really enjoyed the experience! Thank you for the excellent service. 🙂“

“Ordered a drink that came out wrong, explained it so I could order something different as it wasn't tasting right at all. Still get charged for the old drink, infact my drink points I redeemed didn't even get accounted for. Terrible service. They won't remake your drink either, even if it's clearly wrong. don't recommend cary location its only gotten worse.“