The Best Coffee in Downtown Durham
Nothing makes a morning (and sometimes a very busy evening) better than a great cup of coffee, and in Downtown Durham you have plenty of options. Here are some of our favorites!
Cocoa Cinnamon
With its distinctive shabby chic façade – transformed from a former auto garage – Cocoa Cinnamon’s location on Geer Street is hard to miss. Inside you’ll find a cute, no frills coffee shop with an industrial vibe and local art; outside, you’ll find shaded seating with both communal tables and individual seats.
But the real star of the show at CC is the coffee. Snobs will appreciate their dedication to traditional styles, with pour over included on the menu. The shop’s distinctive “Wonder Drinks,” however, are what set it apart. The Windfall Latte – hazelnut syrup garnished with black pepper – is a great warmer in the colder months, and their Harvest Latte with pumpkin seed and cinnamon syrup is a great upgrade from your ordinary PSL. The lineup changes regularly.
Beyu Caffé
Just off E Chapel Hill and W Main is Beyu Caffé, serving up great food and coffee six days a week. While the shop definitely has great coffee, you’ll probably want to try the food. We recommend the breakfast wrangler with pastrami and pepper jack cheese, or the shrimp and grits with a delightful lobster cream sauce. There’s also a full bar, so it’s a great spot for brunch.
Beyu also features the occasional live jazz to really complete the vibe, and they sponsor a food delivery program focused on seniors and families experiencing food insecurity.
Joe Van Gogh
Okay, okay…so Joe Van Gogh’s location on Broad Street might not technically be downtown; it’s closer to Duke University. But it’s a Durham institution and you shouldn’t miss it!
The JVG menu is pretty simple with classic fare like espresso, cold brew, and the like. What really makes JVG special is that they roast their own coffee in house. Even better, most of that coffee is sustainably farmed from direct relationships the roastery has formed with growers around the world from the islands of Timor to the hills of old Sidamo. If you’re making your own at home, we definitely recommend using their beans.
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