The Optimist Raleigh

Unfortunately this place went down hill quickly, constantly out of food, the coffee is inconsistent and quality has dropped significantly, the staff used to be great but I assume the poor management of the shop caused all the good employees to leave. I will not be returning...

It's really sad, I used to love this place and stop by often but it really spiraled downward.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

My coffee was perfect. 🤎

Cute spot. Walked in and was greeted by a barista on his phone - i stood at the counter and waited for him to acknowledge me. He eventually glanced up, said hi, then continued to stare at his phone.
We stopped in around 11am and they were out of a lot of items on their food menu. All good, we still dined in. They forgot to make our drink order, so had to get up and remind them.
Overall, it felt like we inconvenienced them by being there - will chalk it up to an off day on their part.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 1

Love the new location! Super close by to me! The atmosphere is fantastic here, always cool to see different people there doing games and crafts. I had a delicious latte and bomb Goatmeal! Do yourself a favor and come here for your next cup of cofffee!!!!

This review was made in connection with a Toast Promotion!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Cool place, good energy, great staff. A hidden gem near Crabtree Mall.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great chill place to enjoy a cup of whatever you prefer! Their Chai Latte was great - the spicy kind!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

This Optimist location has a great selection of coffee with friendly baristas and welcoming service. It’s always clean and usually pretty busy when I stop by. I’m a little torn about that — it’s nice to see how much people love this place, but it also means it can get crowded. Still, it’s one of my favorite coffee spots - great for hanging out, studying, or teleworking. As a plant lover, I'm obsessed all the indoor plants they have. It's clear they’re well cared for and adds such a really nice vibe.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Been a usual since the store opened on Edwards Mill. Definitely going to give it the benefit of the doubt but noticing some changes. Crowds are down and perhaps this is why.. They seem to be cutting cost. Very expensive coffee which used to be offset by getting enough stars to get a free cup every now and then but it seems you know have to get more than double the stars to get your free coffee. Also, on my last visit I noticed my black coffee was extremely week. It looked like tea. I have noticed the crowds are down. Hopefully, this will change. Again, I plan on giving them the benefit of the doubt.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 1

Service: 2

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)

I used to come here a lot, mostly because of the ambience — it’s still the strongest part of The Optimist. The space is cozy, stylish, and perfect for hanging out or working.

Coffee is good, but other menu items are pricey for what you get. It doesn’t feel like great value beyond your basic drink order.

What really changed my experience is the staff. A couple of team members are friendly, but most don’t even make eye contact or greet you. That lack of warmth really affects the overall vibe.

Still a beautiful place, but lately, even the ambience isn’t enough to make me want to return as often.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 2

Lovely cafe, delicious coffee though don’t expect any punchy flavors.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Rude workers

Service: 1

Icarus of the vibe - ☀️ |📔|🪴| ❌🔌

Good for a chat, not for a working session.
Hard to find a place where the sun ☀️ doesn't hit you in the face, small tables, and sparse outlets ❌🔌.
Good ambiance if you like books and plants.

- It feels like you are a lizard in a big terrarium. large thin rectangle interior with big windows on one side and hot sunlight streaming in. 🔥🦎

- Been watching people try to position and reposition themselves to avoid being blinded by the sun while they chat.

Chairs are fancy rather than functional - feels like you are laying back in a beach chair.
They went for the vibe at the cost of customer comfort.

Atmosphere: 3

Couldn’t even try this place because it was impossible to park. It’s so frustrating to want to support locally owned businesses when you can’t even patronize them! Really disappointing

A cool coffee shop in good location with a great view. Not the best place to work or study in the summer because it is all windows, which can create a glare on your laptop and it gets kind of hot in the direct ligth. It's worth checking out though.

Atmosphere: 4

Good coffee, great breakfast

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5