Market Street Coffee & Ice Cream

closed down as of 12-​31-​2015.
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Just moved nearby and stopped here three days in a row for coffee. We got great service the first couple times, but today I asked for a green tea and got a black tea. In fact I asked for an iced green tea, but it sounded like too much of a hassle for the barrista to make it. Then I double-​checked to ask if it was green tea, because the tea bag looked pretty dark. Even said thank you when I left, no response. Bummer, guess it’s back to Starbucks.
FYI, for the food sensitive… there are a few gluten-​free snack options offered here, but no non-​dairy ice cream option :/

A decent coffee shop in the midst of Chapel Hill. I’ve been to this place a few times now over the past few years, and it’s undergone quite a lot of changes, from the name to the drinks themselves. This review will be based off my most recent experience… Which was earlier today.
I came here at around 10am on a Sunday morning, and there was a comfortable amount of people inside of the store. I ordered the chai latte and asked for it to be unsweetened, and the barista was really informative with how the drinks were created. She told me that they made the chai themselves by adding vanilla and cinnamon syrup to it and that it was really easy to just take out the syrup and add a bit of cinnamon powder to amp up the spice in the drink. I really appreciated how accommodating she was.
My friend got just a regular coffee and noted that there were only two brews. In fact, the whole store seems to be very limited in its variety, from brews to food items and pastries. Unless you want a bagel with cream cheese or prepackaged oatmeal, there’s not much else to eat. Market Street also sells ice cream, and by the looks of it, the ice cream isn’t really fresh — I was looking into the ice cream display, all the ice cream tubs were dug into, which was weird considering it was 10’o’clock in the morning. Ice cream tubs were obviously not changed when the day started… So definitely be weary of the ice cream.
Otherwise, I think the location is great (for people– and car-​watching), and the wifi connection is surprisingly strong. I’d come back here for the ambiance rather than the food and drinks.

This is my favorite coffee shop in Chapel Hill. The coffee is good and there are some tasty food options, including really good ice cream. I wish they had a consistent sandwich menu (the bacon, provolone, and fig is my favorite but they often don’t have it), but they usually have at least one good and tasty option.
Most important for me (grad student, writing dissertation), the atmosphere is wonderful and it’s a fantastic place to work. It’s pretty quiet, there’s usually plenty of seating, abundant outlets, and excellent wifi. There are lovely big comfy chairs to curl up and read in. There are big windows so it gets a lot of light, There’s abundant parking. Really just a great place to spend an afternoon – way superior to most of the Chapel Hill coffee shops, which are usually loud, crowded, and swarming with noisy students.

I recently moved to Durham and really miss this coffee shop that was right around the corner from my old apartment. The coffee is delicious and so cheap in comparison to every other coffee shop I have been to in the area. The staff is all very friendly. I used to come and sit for hours on the weekend sipping café au lasts and doing homework.

This place is below average. One would rightfully expect the coffee to at least be decent/​good but it’s just not. It’s really annoying that this place went from good/​great in previous iterations (most recently The Red Bicycle) to terrible.
There appears to be no investment into making MSC into a quality shop. Perhaps the location guarantees a certain level of income and there’s no motivation to improve it, but I’m drinking a coffee brought to me by my co-​worker from MSC — it sucks (again)!

Definitely not a glitz and glamor place but quiet, lots of light, cozy big chairs and tables for the academic types. You can order a cup of coffee and a small ice cream cone or cup. My hub ordered a latte and had them plop a scoop of coffee ice cream in the cup. delicious! Should go on the menu. Coffee was good and service was pleasant. Came here on Labor Day weekend so probably why quiet with students from UNC either recovering or at the beach! For us bab booms it was a nice respite!

If you want a quick cup of decent coffee this place shouldn’t make you nervous. On 8÷21÷14 a medium drip was $ 2.15, which may be a little high but probably about average. It’s quiet here with few people on Sunday AM but lots of seating — 4 cushioned chairs and 24 wooden chairs. Power outlets are in the walls and the diversity of drinks seems widespread. Relatively average quality in my opinion but excels in its current location given that there are very few other options. If a competitor opened nearby they would most likely be in trouble.

I think three stars is spot on for this place.
I’ve been coming to the coffee shops housed in this building since I learned how to drive… its been under so many different names/​managers. I really just want to see one of these coffee shops succeed.
Unfortunately it just does not match the quality of the other CH/​Carrboro coffee shops (Cup a Joe, Jesse’s, Open Eye). The coffee isn’t consistently good, and their food options are just meh. I agree with other reviews that the stuff is overpriced. What it does have going is that its extremely convenient, has parking, and there is outdoor seating, and pretty good indoor seating.

Came here with a friend. She got a hot chocolate and after her first sip she realized there were lipstick marks left over on her cup from another person. The place was not busy at all, so I feel the barista should have paid attention to that. Mentioned it to the barista and she was nice about it. Overall kind of overpriced for the drinks. Other market street locations are better in my opinion.

Out of most baked goods by 9am. Slow service not helped by guy in back not helping customers.

I love the ice cream, pastries and coffee and the dining area is nice and bright with big comfy chairs too.

The location is right, the mood is right, the food and coffee are disappointing. There are better places for the price and this place is pretty small. Overall, this is a pass at 2.4 out of 5.
I really want to like this place. It’s got a good space and decent atmosphere, but I simply can’t get over the thing I came for: the coffee. It’s not terrible, but it’s really weak and left me feeling bloated after my vanilla latte. If you’re a fan of Starbucks you might like this, but if you like more coffee than creamer you’ll have a bad experience. The sandwich I had was alright, but disappointing. It was bland and the apple slices it came with had browned before they had got to the table. I wouldn’t make such a big deal about it if it wasn’t nine freaking dollars! For that kind of money, it better be the best sandwich I’ve ever tasted! If you’re looking for some decent coffee or a good snack, continue the search.
The only redeeming factor about this place is the space it’s in. Big storefront windows and lots of comfy chairs. It’s not a bad place to sit and enjoy yourself and possibly get some work done. If it’s a nice day, take your coffee outside and sit beside the fountain. I had a good, relaxing morning with my family here. However, I shall not be returning unless the prices drop or the food gets significantly better.

this is a great quiet place to meet friends, study or grab a delicious coffee. the staff always seems very friendly and while it’s not really somewhere to grab a meal, it’s a great place to stop off for some quality drinks and snacks. i would definitely recommend it, some of the best coffee in the chapel hill/​carrboro area

Had a great cup of coffee here! And the people were all so friendly and nice, I will definitely be coming here again!

I think this place could be really awesome because the environment is very nice and the coffee is pretty good. The food is probably some of the worst most overpriced sandwiches I have ever tasted. The sandwiches are $ 8.50 and they come with either chips, apple, or banana. The chips are just some crappy ruffles from the big bag which is fine for a $ 5 sandwich but just ridiculous for a sandwich that is almost $ 9. The sandwiches were very plain and not even well toasted, again fine if the sandwich is 5 $ but the quality was so low that asking $ 8.50 should be against the law. There were no toppings on the sandwiches just basically grilled cheese. The owners should try going to a real sandwich shop like Parker and Otis in Durham the sandwiches are cheaper, they have toppings, sauces, interesting flavor combinations and they come with a decent side. I know this place just changed owners so I hope they can turn it around. The former owners made real sandwiches with toppings and meats they even had a Reuben and they provided a small salad as an option for the side which could justify the sandwich price but I personally wouldn’t pay over $ 3.50 for what I had today, it was pitiful.

I usually pop in here and get a muffin while my dad gets dry cleaning next door. The raspberry-​chocolate muffins are really good! The place smells nice and there are always people working on their laptops in here. The seating isn’t as cozy as Starbucks, but it’s quiet so I guess you can still get work done. Parking lot is a little tight but there are quite a few spaces.