This café is a real treat, but it can be a dangerous temptation! As soon as you step inside and see…read moreall those amazing pastries, you might find yourself adding a few pounds. Before you know it, you're thinking about what to eat or take home, and you were just there for coffee. Yikes! First off, all the pastries are made right at Asali. From what I understand, nothing is made outside the café. My favorite breakfast is their egg and cheese croissant. It's always just the right temperature. So good, you might even use your fingers to pick up and eat all the flakes that fall off. The staff is super friendly and even answers any questions you have about how they make their drinks. Speaking of drinks, you can pretty much get anything you want. Regular coffee, pour-over, all sorts of lattes--hot or cold. This is one of the reasons why I return time after time. The staff's ability to be creative and add some wow factor to your drink. Asali might just be the best cafe in the entire Raleigh area.

Asali Desserts & Cafe is a Middle Eastern cafe that serves baked goods and drinks. The inside is…read morefairly spacious and modernly decorated. They have so many pastries to choose from, ranging from macarons to cakes. They also have a small brunch menu. The service was fine and the items came out quickly. I got the Hazelnut Cheesecake Mousse and Breakfast Croissant. The Hazelnut Cheesecake Mousse had a stick blue fondant above it, which I think was mostly used for decor. I did not like it a lot so we took it off and it made the cake taste a lot better. There were not super strong hints of the cheesecake flavor, but it tasted fine. I wish the Breakfast Croissant had a type of meat in it, but it was still good. The croissant was very buttery and large. I would probably rate this spot a 3.5/5 stars if I could. The food I got did not impress me too much, but I would love to give them another shot and try their other pastries.

3 words - Believe the hype!…read more The Pastel De Nata is delicious! It's a Portuguese puff pastry tart with lemon-vanilla custard baked into it. The Tiramisu tastes exactly as you would expect. I also ordered a Chai Latte, which was okay. There are syrup flavors you're able to add to the Lattes but I decided not to.

I had to stop by here after reading the reviews. I was super excited. Got there early in the…read moremorning. When I walked in, it is a pretty small space, but they do have some seating where you can sit and have coffee. They also have some outdoor seating as well, 2-3 tables. They have lots of options. It was very hard to choose what to get, but I did decide to go with the cinnamon roll with cream cheese filling. The staff was very friendly and accommodating and helpful in choosing my item. I will definitely come back to try other pastries and the bombolinis.

I went in Saturday evening right before closing and the staff were extremely friendly and helpful…read more I'm very impressed with this bakery and the Macaron was delicious.

Paul & Jack Bakery is such a cute local bakery and coffee shop in downtown Raleigh! Everything we…read moretried tasted fresh and delicious, and their pastry selection makes it very hard to choose just one. We stopped in for breakfast and had coffee with their cheesy croissant with an egg baked in the middle. It was flaky, buttery, cheesy, and surprisingly filling, big enough for us to share and the perfect match with our coffee. We liked it so much that we came back the very next day just to try more of their pastries and donuts! Their crème brûlée donut was our favorite freshly made, creamy, and not overly sweet. Exactly how I like a dessert. They also have a beautiful selection of croissants, pastries, cheesecakes, and other freshly made treats. The shop is bright, clean, and cozy, making it a great spot for breakfast or a coffee date. Customer service was quick and friendly, which made the experience even better. Definitely a Raleigh bakery worth coming back to and we proved it by returning the very next day!

Ich liebe Annelores deutsche Bäckerei!…read more I first got goodies from Annelore's booth at the State Farmer's Market in Raleigh. The Apfel (apple) turnover was delicious, as was the Heidelbeerkuchen (blueberry cake) and Zitronenschnitten (lemon bar). I saw a nice gentlemen there that day who I think may be part owner; based on what I see on their website I wonder if it was Herr Norbert. While waiting for another guy behind the counter to bag my goodies, I happened to mention (to who I think was Norbert) that I'm learning German, and he spoke some basic German to me! Which I understood - OMG, must tell my German teacher. A couple weeks later I needed to bring desserts to our monthly Book Club meeting, and Annelore's was my first thought. I decided to visit their actual store in Cary. Even though it's an hour away from home, I stopped by one day when I had to go to Raleigh for an appointment. An Annelore's employee helped me with selecting about six cake slices and 2-3 different bars, plus some German cookies. The inside of the store is very clean, and there are some places to sit if you'd like to eat there. The employees were kind and helpful (and patient, in my case, trying to decide what to buy for a Book Club group I'd never met in person). Annelore's German Bakery is a wonderful way to take care of your dessert needs and support a local business at the same time. If you need a dessert, cake, scones, or other treats for your home gathering, BBQ, church social, potluck, business lunch, or other event, I would definitely let Annelore's take care of that part for you! 10/10, highly recommend! SO good! Vielen Dank, Annelore's... Ich werde Ihr Geschäft bald wieder besuchen!

Came here recently and really enjoyed my visit!…read more First, there's a small parking lot right next to the bakery, and I think a larger parking lot at the rear of the building. I got lucky and snagged a spot near the front, though :) I looked around at everything and it all looked so tasty! I decided to grab a loaf of pumpernickel bread, but next time I'll probably get a dessert or two. The staff were helpful throughout my visit. They asked me if I wanted my bread sliced, and when I replied in the affirmative, gave me a helpful chart with a lot of different options for how thick I wanted each slice :) I took the bread home, stuck it in the oven, and ate it with some butter and jam. Delicious! My kids really liked it as well. Overall, I will definitely come back!

For this weekend's edition of coffee shop Saturday, I chose Yellow Dog and I'm so glad I did…read more Yellow Dog is located in a really busy location. There are several other businesses that share the small parking lot, so parking is slim. It's super cute and cozy inside with a few tables. There's also a few tables outside. I was greeted right away by the awesome staff. My daughter and I both ordered iced coconut lattes, she has a 12oz, I had a 16oz, and I ordered a slice or coffee cake to go. After my first sip, I wished there was a 24 oz. That was the best iced latte ever!!! The coffee cake was so perfect, but made me wish I had a hot latte to accompany it...I'll have to go back!! I'm super made at myself for not buying any of their bread or any of their other locally or in house made goods, everything looked so fresh & delicious.

Why is the staff so miserable? I came in ready to order …read more.. no line and the woman behind the counter gave me the dirtiest look. It felt as though I didn't belong there. There was a " what are you doing here you don't belong here" kind of look etched over her face which is a surprise because I've been a customer ever since they opened and while I'm not a regular for to remember my face I am a part of the community, even if I don't look like it. Whatever preconceived look she was expecting I don't know. I'm not expecting anyone to smile like I'm someone's long lost relative, but I am hoping in this world to be treated with kindness that I offer as well. Civility would be welcome. I honestly felt like they couldn't wait for me to leave the store which is a very odd and uncomfortable experience. Oddly enough, the case was kind of empty. They had their signature cinnamon rolls and pecan buns, which are always on point, but the vibe was really off today.

Lovely chocolate cafe in Holly Springs. The truffles are so rich and flavorful. Plus they are…read moregorgeous! I've stopped here a few times after work for chocolates since they make a perfect gift. Ample parking is available out front or by Lowes foods The lot does get crazy at busy times, however, I have always found a spot.

I used to love it here but I had a really bad experience recently. I walked in and asked for a…read morecoffee with citrus in it...my husband had remembered a drink he ordered there and asked me for it and that was the best way I knew how to say it. The lady behind the counter (middle-age, petite, long brown ponytail under a hat) scrunched up her nose at me and said..."we have lavender...that's the closest thing we have to citrus." She looked at me like I had two heads, but we went back and looked at old menus and saw it on there. It was an espresso with orange juice. Anyways, I changed the order and asked for a brown sugar cinnamon latte instead and when I asked her what kind of oat milk they had, she just gave me a look and said "the expensive kind." Then I tried to gently explain that I needed to know because my husband is super sensitive to gluten and sometimes oat milk has gluten and she all but rolled her eyes and said "our entire facility is gluten free." I get that...but no need to be snide about it! I was wearing sunglasses because I had been crying about some bad news I had gotten on the way to the shop and her mean attitude made me feel so much worse. There were a couple people in line behind me while she was making my latte and a sweet teenager walked behind the counter and said, "can I help who's next?" And I said "oh actually I wanted to order a cookie as well" and the lady practically yelled "I'LL GET TO YOU." and told the teen to help the other people, even though they weren't ready to order yet and were just standing there when I was ready and knew what I wanted. Then I asked for a lemon cookie and she tried to upsell me something else and I said no thank you. I was also having a tough time standing for long periods of time that day due to chronic illness and her making me wait made it worse....just abysmal customer service. I don't know if I freaked her out by keeping my sunglasses on inside or what but it felt very personal and I'm disappointed. And that lemon cookie was the worst thing I have eaten there by far. Very dry. Do better! EDIT: response to the owner: No, Michele is not always nice. You just missed it. Please see the attached picture for proof of the citrus coffee drink I was referencing. Very disappointed in my experience there and your dismissive response that somehow puts the blame back on my "bad day." Will not be back.

Running errands in Cary Crossroads shopping center on Mother's Day and needed a bite. Discovered…read morethis little place and it was so charming! French Parisian music playing and adorable Van Gogh impressionist interior themed after his famed abstract work The Starry Night. We shared a Strawberry, Banana, & Nutella crepe and drooled over everyone else's savory crepes with fresh mesclun salads. The waitstaff were especially friendly and we were so grateful to have such great food, accessible service, and parking on a holiday where I typically avoid trying to compete with other diners. A real find!

First time here and very happy I tried it out. Got the cherry almond mocha latte (half chocolate)…read moreand it was delicious. They have plenty of specialty latte flavors as well as regular coffees. Sweet and savory crepes and waffles. Will be coming back with my grandson for a treat for him and coffee for me! Great service, clean, and not too busy on an early Sunday morning.

7/16/22: I'm confused. Is this Smallcakes or nah? The inside of their cupcake box has the same…read morepolka dot design, but the cupcakes look different. Finding this place was like going on a scavenger hunt. All you see is an UPS industrial area. You'd never find it unless you call them. Drive into the UPS parking lot, go over the speed bumps, and you will end up at a white building where they will come out and take your payment for the cupcakes. You can call them to order over the phone or go online. Their online portal didn't work for me though. Anyway, we ordered 2 pink chocolates & 1 lemon. The chocolate cake left a weird taste in my mouth, but my son loved the lemon. The chocolate cake was a bit dry too. I did like their cute little touch on the packaging with the ribbon around the plastic bag & the thank you sticker. The customer service needs a little work because the lady taking the order and the payment wasn't very friendly. We went around 3:30 pm, so maybe she was ready to get off work. Who knows? I think I will go back if I don't feel like driving far for a cupcake. Otherwise, I'm going to the real Smallcakes.

The service is amazing and the owner which I think is who served me, she is very professional and…read morepolite.