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!

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.

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.

I went to Union Special Friday around noon. There were people at maybe two tables when I arrived,…read moreand I was first in line & helped right away. Paris was amazing, she gave me the run down of some of their most popular menu items. I ordered the Union Special Breakfast Sandwich , a Honey Lavender Latte & a Twice Baked Pecan Croissant. Everything was absolutely delicious. It's hard to find a really great lavender latter, but no longer, it was perfect. The croissant was like nothing I've ever tasted, every bite amazing. The Union Special was definitely that. It's a scrambled egg, fontina cheese, hash brown & romesco (roasted red pepper hummus) sandwiched between their spectacular freshly made brioche bun. So many people were coming in shortly after I arrived. I sat and worked there for about an hour and a half and it was pretty steady!!! There's maybe 5 tables inside, with a really long high top bar up against the window with seating for about 10 - 12 people. There's also several tables outside on their patio. I love that their bakery is visible through a window, they do some amazing work in there! I'll definitely be back.

Food: Was yummy! I got the Chai Latte iced. It was perfectly spiced and not watered down. The…read morespiced were well strained or finely ground, so there was no gritty taste or overly spices settling to the bottom. It was smooth and creamy. The Strawberry Danish was good as well. Flaky croissant twist with savory sweet cream and sweet fresh strawberries in the middle. Only con would be to have a more filling of the cream and strawberries compared to the croissant twist. But still good to have as a quick breakfast or snack for later. I also got the chicken sandwich too! Would highly recommend that. You get a fried chicken cutlet topped with melted American cheese, on a bed of shredded lettuce and cucumber. It came out piping hot. It was crispy, crunchy, savory, but with the fresh veggies it gave it a slight freshness to it as well. It was well balanced. Ambiance: it's a great brunch place and quiet for just doing some work as well. I wouldn't say it's a study place or office/bookish place as it is a bit echo-y and the seating is not soft and comfy. But for a quick bite and brunch during a work lunch break, this is your spot. Maybe a great place for first casual day date! Lol Service: everyone was friendly and service was quick. You order and the counter, they give you a number and bring your food to you. Overall no problems or concerns! Overall I would go there again if I'm in the area. The location is a bit out of my way and can be difficult to navigate if it's your first time. The roads rear off to another many times. So be sure to keep and eye on the road and the signs. The hours of operation was a bit hard for me as I tried to get there before my work at 8am but they don't open till 8am and then they close right before business hours end as well so had to get there before 3pm too. So I can see why they may be a quiet place most of the time. But if you get there and go the food and drinks are good.

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!

If you are downtown Cary, you have to check out this quaint German bakery. They do not use…read morepreservatives, so they cannot ship. This is the kind of place you need to experience in-person. Cookies, scones, pretzels, strudel, cakes and other German pastries. They have turnovers in savory and sweet flavors. We tried the mushroom cheese turnover, bacon potato turnover, ham & cheese croissant, apple strudel and apple lemon pie slice. They offer hot tea, but just give you hot water and pick from the self-service selection of teabags. They also offer coffee, but we didn't order any so I'm not sure of the options, like I said previously there is no menu board. Its a bakery, not a coffee house. My husband wanted brotchen (bread rolls) but didn't see any on the back bread wall rack. I told him to just ask if they had any in the back. The lady said she could bake 1 or 2, so he asked for a dozen, and she said it would take 20 mins. We got a dozen of the brotchen and loaf of rye bread to go. Quaint and simple. Most tables sit 2 chairs, but you can pull up a 3rd if needed. They have 2 individual, unisex bathrooms for customers. We were in town to stop by and visit with a friend. We will definitely come back to try more yummy treats.

This was a campus coffee shop, but NC State is an urban campus, so non-collegians can easily walk…read morein (if you can find parking). I came in search of the best chai in town and I may have found it, with a robust spice mix that seemed to include nutmeg and a sweet and smooth flavor that lasted a while. They had some food options, and the ample seating was quite crowded.

Jubala Coffee is a casual coffee spot serving drinks and light food! There is parking in a lot next…read moredoor or on the street. The space inside can get cramped at certain times of the day, but they try to make most of it with tables and booths. Service was friendly and quick. I got the Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit. The biscuit was a bit sweet which paired interestingly with the savory bacon, egg, and cheese. I think I prefer a savory or salty biscuit, but it was still good. i'll I really enjoyed the fried egg because of the runny yolk, especially since most of these biscuits use a scrambled egg so this was unique to me. The bacon and cheese on their own were also good. My friends and I shared a Fruit Cup/Bowl which was actually refreshing. The fruit was actually sweet and not tart! I did not try their drinks, although I probably should have considering how well-liked they are. I would come back if I was in the area to try the other items on their menu. Plus, this is a nice work or study spot.

First time in Raleigh, first breakfast, and we were nicely surprised and impressed. Unassuming…read morefront on street. Inside--friendly staff, great service, nice, great food. Went to counter to order and pay, took table number upstairs to second floor eat-in rooom, they brought food up to us. Very pleasant , great soothing background music, clean and all around nice experience. Go!

The morning times was a weekly if not daily staple in my life for 10+ years, after moving away from…read morethe city 3 years ago, every time I would come into Raleigh it would be my first stop and it would always feel like home seeing the same familiar faces every time. This morning, I walked in and saw not one familiar face there, and I've come to learn all the staff walked out simultaneously weeks ago. After getting to know many of the staff over the years of frequenting there, anything to make every staff member walk out at the same time has to be big enough to leave a sour taste in your mouth. Am truly sad to see such a Raleigh staple not see the value in the community their staff created. Cheers to Joe, Brennan, Brett, amber, and all of the others past a present (shout out Tim and Casey and Jackie!) for their place in our lives over all of these years! If you are looking for a coffee nearby, jubala (pendo), black & white (videri), heirloom are all great options (and sir Walter coffee and 42 & Lawrence are decent and close)

Fantastic bagels and fantastic service ! I lived in The Big…read moreApple for ten years. Believe me, This is the real deal!! Great ambience.

We really wanted to love this place, and I will say right away that the service was great. Everyone…read morewas friendly and helpful, and we had absolutely no complaints there. Unfortunately, the food just wasn't for us. I got the #12 Frisée Lardon on an everything bagel with the triple cut house smoked bacon, crispy potatoes, runny egg, frisée and Dijon vinaigrette. It sounded SO good, but there was a ton of frisée, and the combination of the greens, vinaigrette, runny egg and really thick fatty bacon made the whole sandwich feel very wet and slippery with burnt potato chips. I'm big on texture, and I just couldn't do it. I also wasn't a fan of the bagel itself. I was hoping for something dense and chewy, and this was much flatter than what I personally like. I understand that's a preference thing and that Benchwarmers has its own style of bagel, but it definitely wasn't what we were looking for. The drinks were decent and the service was great, but overall the food was a miss for us. I can see this being someone else's thing, but unfortunately we probably wouldn't go back.