Cup A Joe

Best coffee house around, hands down. I have since moved out of town, and cup a joe’s is always my first stop when I’m back in Raleigh.

The place is run down and in need of an update. It has moved beyond the «cool classy» look and is just out of date. Coffee is battery acid, but their espresso is good. The espresso is really the only reason I gave it 2 stars instead of less.
Go to another coffee shop for a better experience.

A good place to have coffee and chat! Decent ambience and crowd. Best part is the WiFi connectivity, so u can sit for hours getting a cup of coffee and do your work.

I’ve been to this Cup a joe few times just because it’s so close from my house and I love the fact that they have Daily Special thing! You can get Huge coffee for reasonable price and I love it! I am a big coffee person and I like having a big coffee with me all the time. coffee makes everything better, you know?
But well it was raining, the weather was kinda depressing and all that today so I wanted to try something new: I decided to have chai tea with bubbles. When I was in Korea, I had bubble tea at least 4 – 5 times a week and I loved chewing and tasting bubbles.
So I was standing, staring at that bubble menu and was struggling for few mins because I wasn’t sure I should get mango or chai tea bubble. People who worked there were nice, they recommended me a chai tea. They are professional so I trust their taste, I got my chai tea with bubble and lots of whipped cream (yes, forget about diet/​calories! Wohoo I love whipped cream!). I got my Kingsize Chai tea bubble and yes their chai tea and whipped cream tasted so good like always. However, the problem was the bubbles. It was really hard, not that soft! I was so sad because I love chewing soft & gooey bubbles! It was not worth paying extra for bubbles:(
I loved my chai tea, but I just did not like bubbles at all! I was so sad that I had to pay extra for not gooey bubbles:(I probably would not get bubbles from now on, but I love their coffee and interesting atmosphere there.
But overall, I loved their chai tea, their workers were very helpful and nice and I love their big coffee with reasonable price!

I hang out here a lot. Not for long stretches because it’s a little divey for my tastes, but I do enjoy the jolt I get from their coffee. My normal drink is a cold medium with a shot of espresso, depending on my day’s activity level. It’s not uncommon for me to drop by here before hitting the mammoth walking trail that is Lake Johnson. You need real energy for that trek.
As far as the food goes, my circle likes the Chunky Chicken, which is a chicken salad sandwich with huge pieces, served on your choice of bread. I think it’s okay, but my new thing lately has been the bagel dog. And it’s just what it sounds like too. A hot dog (or two?) baked inside a long bagel jacket. It’s not even all that good, but I like it for some reason. Maybe it’s fun to eat? Great, I treat dining like I’m at an amusement park. No wonder I can’t lose weight.
There is a dining area deeper inside the establishment, but I never use it because it’s kinda dark and I’m a sucker for good lighting. Still, I’m not snooty enough to ignore the front area of the shop. The maroon chairs they have over there are the most comfortable damn things I’ve ever sat in.
Service can be downright cold, but you tend to know the nice folks from the not-​so-​nice after awhile. Obviously, none of the things I’ve complained about are strong enough deterrents to keep me away from the place, hence the favorable review. The head guy in particular is a cool dude and I make sure to give him a smile now and again.

Let just say I have an addiction to coffee. I live, breathe, study with coffee. I don’t know what they put in cup a joe coffee that just wakes me up. Usually, I have to order two or three cups from Starbucks to give me the same effect. The seats are limited and the outlets can be hard to find. But I like this place because it has a chill vibe.
I recommend the iced hong kong fusion tea which is basically milk tea with expresso or stay simple with an iced americano :)

I love this place.
At first, I was a little intimidated by the grungy atmosphere and worn out appearance. Don’t let that full you: Cup A Joe is a gem.
It’s always well staffed (an under appreciated trait) so the tables are always clean and the bar is always stocked. The coffee is solid and the prices are definitely reasonable. Seating can be a little tight, so peak hours can be a little crammed, but hey… that’s what you get a good coffee joint.

I have always had a pleasant experience here. The food and coffee are great, staff is nice, etc. The atmosphere is a bit grungy, but personally I like that. It feels like a college coffee place should. The internet is extremely fast, which is nice, even when the place is packed. It’s also one of the few places near campus where parking is free and abundant.

I want to give them one star but I kinda like the place except for today’s lousy experience where a bitchy barista got all huffy and puffy because I ordered a «redeye,» meaning coffee with one shot of espresso. She announced to her trainee VERY LOUDLY so that I could hear: «redeye doesn’t exist here. It’s a Starbucks thing!»
Sorry but a «redeye,» as well as other terms like «dead shot,» etc are all industry lingo. Just because she hates chains or something doesn’t mean she’s right. But she obviously never entertains the thought of ever being wrong. She must’ve been in a terrible mood because she was so angry about this.
What a lousy taste she just left in my mouth. That’s bad business.

I really like the way the cups look.
I was hanging out with my brother for the day so I’m not sure if it was more sentimental than anything but I’m not sure I’d go running to another Cup A Joe. I had a Vanilla Latte, it was fine. The froth on top was exceptional, nice and thick. I liked that.
It was kind of dark on the inside, didn’t like that. There is a fun painting of animals in suits on the wall where you pick up your drink.
So if I am somewhere and I need a coffee and up pops up Cup A Joe around the corner as the only option, cool. It just quite didn’t leave that much of an impression on my brain or taste buds.
Happy sipping!

If you are hooked on caffeine and like lots of espresso shots in your lattes, Cup A Joe is your spot! Cheapest place to add extra shots of espresso to your lattes. If the 6 shot king size isn’t enough for ya.

I’ve been to this Cup of Joe location several times now. I usually only get a cup of coffee, which has been fine.
However, I prefer the Hillsborough St location because it has more functional outlets (I’ve plugged my laptop into several outlets at this location only to find it doesn’t work) and the Hillsborough Cup of Joe is more spacious. I feel like customers are packed like sardines in the Avent Ferry shop, especially around the corner in the left-​side sitting area.

I have spent many of my college days hanging out at this Cup A Joe. When I was tired and couldn’t sleep I would stop by often for a cup of warm milk with a shot of vanilla and it was the perfect cure for my insomnia. When I wanted to stay up all night long I’d order up one of their 6 shot espresso drinks and mission accomplished.
I got to say after my most recent visit nothing much has changed here. The interior is exactly the same, same tables, same chairs, same smell! I don’t believe they served sandwiches and a whole lot of food back in the day like they do now.
I ordered up a nonfat latte it was tasty, it’s just so hard to compete with all the other independent coffee shops in town now. What I do like about Cup A Joe is the space there are plenty of places to sit down inside or outside and stay for awhile. It’s a nice change of environment for me and a comfortable place for me to get some work done.
They do make some really good coffee drinks, and the staff is really friendly. I will be back and put Cup A Joe on my list of comfortable places to work. If you want to avoid the downtown crowd, even though this place is close to NC State campus there usually is a pretty diverse group of people hanging out here.

I’ve read the reviews here, and I can relate. The furniture is kind of cruddy, the baristas don’t put on a song and dance, and outside is smokersville.
All that being said, I just like this place.
I work near Cup a Joe, and for me it’s a perfect place to get an afternoon coffee and a cheaply priced sandwich. Come on, it’s like $ 3-​$ 6 to get lunch at this place, that’s not bad at all.
The food won’t blow anybody away. But it’s cheap, and there are healthy options as well as typical coffee shop choices (muffins, cookies, bagels). One thing that I have to applaud at Cup A Joe is the quality of their cheddar cheese. I don’t know what brand/​farm they get their cheddar from, but it consistently tastes great. Kind of odd. I typically order some combination of egg, cheddar, and meat, in a spinach wrap. It’s not amazing, but again, it’s well priced and tastes just fine.
I really don’t know what good coffee and bad coffee taste like, so I won’t go into that very much. One thing that I will say though is that after spending some time (and drinking a mug) at Cup a Joe I smell like their coffee for hours on end. I find it pleasant.
I like the Wifi. It’s one of the main reasons I go there. I can go and download whatever podcasts I intend to listen to on my way home from work and at the gym. That is a serious draw for me.
I don’t care that the baristas aren’t super friendly, because I’m not there to flirt. They haven’t screwed anything up, and they haven’t acted snooty, which is enough for me. I will say though it’s strange how they don’t seem to talk to each other at all.
The furniture coud use some work. None of it is comfortable.

Finally stopped by the Cup A Joe in the Mission Valley Shopping Center and I must say, i’m just as impressed! Probably even moreso thanks to the slightly cleaner shop!
This Cup A Joe is a lot less dirty than the one off Hillsborough and slightly less snooty. The girls at the front counter were super nice and had a smile on the whole time. They made my drink quickly and perfectly. The crowd was a bit older over here which was also pretty nice, as I could sit down and relax without having to wade my way pass laptops, backpacks and other student odds and ends.
The only thing I don’t like about this one is it’s awkward location. The front door was surrounded by smokers, so I had to hold my breath until I got through the doors. Also the shopping center is a tiny bit sketchy… Especially at night. It’s all not very well lit.

Look, I get that some of you are skeeved out by the random assortment of college students, hipsters that are trying to relive their college years and the occasional homeless person.
And I can’t vouch for the food anymore because I haven’t had it in years, but the MV Cup a Joe is like an institution to me. I’ve been going there since I was able to drive myself wherever I wanted to go, and in my eyes it’s never changed. Yes, the baristas are frosty. And yes, the best drinks they make are calorie-​sugar bombs, but trust me when I say that if you like an iced mocha, you will not find a dessert to rival the King Liquid Brownie anywhere.
I modify my LB to be more like the «old way»: I get 4 shots instead of 6, nix the heavy cream and ask for skim milk. It’s a delicious chocolate-​espresso treat. DELICIOUS. Just get one after the movie, not before, because one way or another you will have to go to the bathroom at some point. It’s a HUGE drink and some people are, well… sensitive to coffee’s diuretic properties.
Enjoy!

Dive
Bus station
A place to start a drug habit
never liked the frank zappa taking a crap into a bag of starbucks poster on the wall.
While you can playa hate on mcstarbucks all you want, some people cut their teeth on the stuff then learn better and move on up to independents like you and learn what good coffee tastes like. You got to start somewhere.
Why insult them the first time they come to your door? Tad insecure? Just be proud doing what YOU do. You don’t need to slam others to promote yourself
Oh, I almost forgot, the mean little sign that says you can’t eat food you’v brought with you.
Hmmmm. makes me think they should do a little soul searching.
uh. If you served edible items, you wouldn’t have people so desperate for EDIBLE food, that they bring food with them… and uh… maybe they are coming thru the doors JUST for the coffee? ‘Cause it icertainly NOT for the ambiance. Sitting in teeny tiny elementary school chairs (and having to fight over them when it is Saturday) has gotten old.
I wouldn’t mind if your coffee as all that and a bag of beans.
It used to be.
It’s not.
Helios and Jubala beat you to bits.
Grow up clean up the dirty digs and rotten attitude.
Resting on your Laurels will only make your legs numb.

This is one of my favorite coffee places in Raleigh, and possibly the one I visit most often. I mainly go for the iced coffee but have started getting lattes again since they just started offering almond milk. The only thing I feel they really lack is a good pastry selection, but what they do offer is pretty good.
Good coffee, fast service, what else do you really need?

Why I like Cup A Joe and you should too.
— It’s local
— It’s efficient.
— The staff remembers who you are and what you like.
— There is free wifi.
— They don’t suffer from the coffee snob bug.
— They have tasty mocha bread and chocolate croissants.
The only thing keeping it from 5 stars in my opinion is the outlets — some don’t work or are in hidden locations which can hamper a good working session with a drink.

I have a «love-​hate» relationship with Cup A Joe.
This has been one of my «spots» since college. My only issue is that the baristas seem a bit «stiff» when it comes to being friendly. I’ve *NEVER* seen any of them have conversations with each other — I’ve only seen them communicate what the order is. Seems a bit weird for a hipster coffee spot. The only conversation I have had with a barista was when I was waiting for my mentor to meet up with me, and I got yelled at for taking up space. It left a sour taste in my mouth.
If the baristas could take on the personalities of the ones at Helios, it would be *perfect*! If they could put some smiles on their faces and not act like their job is torturous, I would not feel like a burden ordering a simple coffee.
The interior is… grungy, BUT I love the murals on the walls.
Recently, I came here with my boyfriend to grab a coffee and it seemed a bit weird that the cashier didn’t give him his receipt. After he handed the barista his card, she said «You’re good» and waved him off.
**I do, however, recommend the «Crowbar» — it got me through my long nights of studying.
Coffee here is decent. Service here is «meh».