Solid, convenient place to grab a quick breakfast or lunch to go if you are already downtown Raleigh and a short walk to this part of Fayetteville St. (No frills, quick food, so this is a solid choice for people in the close vicinity for meetings or court, but not a place I would recommend you drive from afar for). There are some small spaces indoors/outdoors to dine, but not many people stay there and eat. It operates more like a carryout almost. My favorite quick meal here is the chunky chicken noodle soup and 1/2 grilled cheese sandwich combo. Comfort food on demand! Smile. You order at the counter and the wait is generally only a few minutes. 3.5 rounded to a 4. Docked 0.5 because the saltine crackers were somewhat stale. read more

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Some of the friendliest staff in all of Raleigh and a good selection of food for a quick meal

Everyone was super nice and helped me order, the vibe was super chill and relaxing. I got a breakfast sandwich and a smoothie 10/10 !! read more

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Crema is conveniently located in downtown Raleigh off of Fayetteville Street. The staff are friendly. I usually get a chicken salad sandwich on a croissant and a cucumber salad. I knocked off a few stars because personally I think the prices are high for the quality. read more

Was looking for a cute and quick coffee shop. The receptionist recommended this place and as a California girl I could see this spot was pretty good and decent pricing. If you're looking for just a quick bite and nothing too crazy then this is your spot. Service was fast as well. I ordered an egg and cheese sandwich on a croissant and it was perfect. Again, a CA girl and a lot of sandwiches I've had break and don't hold together well but this one was definitely worth it and not messy at all I also had their chai latte which was perfect. Not too sweet and they don't water it down read more

Crema - Egg and cheese croissant - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I'm sure this place is really great if you work above the shop and have no other choice in a pinch. If you can go somewhere else and have the choice: just walk... I was really trying to support local but as other reviews stated staff is either hit or miss. I swung a miss today when I visited. If you want consistency you can just go to Starbucks across the street, at least they won't be condescending to you. read more

Soup Nazi no longer owns Crema. The new staff has been great and very kind. If you had a bad experience in the past you should try again.

Know before you go. This. Is. A. Quickstopgrabandgo place. Order, pay, wait a few minutes, yum, bye. Clean, efficient, tasty brekkie and steamer. Not a full service restaurant. My oatmilk choco caramel steamer was the best Ive had in the triangle. Be kind. Be patient- humans work here. read more

Crema - Small cafe. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Watch out for the non dairy version of this place. It's called Non-Dairy Crema. This location of Crema is nothing like the other one which probably has something to do with completely different owners. The other one is superior especially because it has amazing bubble tea. This is really just a coffee shop that has crazy ice creams. It's not a bad coffee shop. But the location tells you what this is about. Getting caffeine to the people that work downtown. And also, since they offer decent breakfast sandwiches all the time, not just in the mornings, and because they have great service, I'll go with 4. read more

Crema - Crema de la crema - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I work in the building where Crema is located & I frequent it a lot. The food is great & the coffee is fantastic! The staff puts the cherry on top. read more

The owner has a very bad attitude and it's intentional as he has posted notes on the counter that states that he will yell at you if you stay in one spot too long. I was visiting the area and dropped by because I saw several firefighters going in to eat. He was extremely demeaning towards them and I saw several turn and walk away. He shouted,"You are costing me money!" He made fun of them ordering the same food and loudly stated to his employees that firefighters can't think for themselves because they order the same. I was embarrassed for them. My sandwich was dry and the bread was crumbly, and I just tossed it and went over to Jimmy John's. I should have checked the reviews before had and saved my time. read more

Crema - Note to customers. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I love this place so much! The food is always delicious, very fairly priced, and the service is incredible as well. All the employees here are super friendly and funny too. I definitely recommend the chicken salad on a croissant. 10/10 best I've ever had!! read more

This is a great breakfast place in the morning. Please do yourself a favor and visit this place. The Chorizo torta was amazing and the coffee is fantastic. read more

My sandwich was good but the service was terrible. The barista literally told our group (who was here for a conference) to "kindly f*ck off" when we were done with our order. We were just standing, waiting for our coffee without any issue and you're mad because you have to deal with customers? Gross. read more

I stop by here nearly every weekday morning because it's right across the street from my office. Plus, the employees are all so friendly! My order varies somewhat by day, but I always get a coffee. Since it's gotten colder I've ordered a hot coffee. Don't sleep on the cinnamon coffee! Seriously. It's fantastic, especially when you add some of the hazelnut coffee too. When it was warmer I'd get the cold brew. It was consistently great -- I always drank it black because it had a natural sweetness (as cold brew should). Never was there a day when it tasted bitter. Sometimes, I'll also order a bacon breakfast sandwich on a bagel. A couple times it's had only a slice and a half of bacon, which is less than ideal for a bagel sandwich. Most of the time, though, the bacon amount is fine so I still get the sandwich pretty often. I've also tried the biscuit (sausage & cheese, I believe), which I'd recommend as a breakfast snack! read more

Crema - Coffee! Cinnamon is the best - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Extremely rude owner. I work downtown and went here today for lunch with some coworkers. I watched the owner yell at people to get away from the door, then said to us "if you are apart of that big group and you have your food, *clicks tongue* out the door you go". Unnecessarily rude and with at least 10 great restaurants within walking distance, why would you go here?? read more

I've been to Crema a handful of time now, but must have walked past it over twenty-five times before I entered. I'm not sure if it's the old awnings that threw me off or the neon lights in the widows, but it is truly a hidden gem and one that I would quickly recommend for coffee on the go, delicious ice cream or if you fancy a wine tasting. While Crema is a little behind times with decorations and even sometimes technology (I have been required to pay with cash a couple times when things aren't working properly), the owner will be quick to strike up a conversation if he's in the building, which he usually is. Whether you like bar seating, couches or to enjoy the outdoors, Crema's got comfortable seating for all. They also have a surprisingly good selection of wines at great prices with wine tastings weekly. I'd definitely recommend checking them out for wine and adding a mental note that if you're ever downtown and need wine you can go here (although, be warned, their hours are a little odd for a Fayetteville establishment). But what truly stands out in my mind as representing Crema is the ICE CREAM! They turn hard serve ice cream into soft serve and add up to three flavors from a little that's a little overwhelming. I remember one day when we were in their and the owner said how many options you had, it was well over the amount of ice cream I'll eat in my lifetime. But whatever your fancy, chocolate or vanilla, you get to add fruit, candies, sauces, etc. It's a perfect stop for a summer day in Raleigh and great for a group--everyone has options, whether ice cream, iced coffee, or even a beer float! So don't me like me and keep walking past, give Crema a try ASAP! read more

Crema - Pick a flavor and three toppings, best "soft serve" ice cream downtown! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

The customer service was awful. People were yelled at to leave the store and the interactions were snippy. The food was decent. I will not be coming back. read more

Partial review from my Local Yahoo! review 1/17/09: I believe my boyfriend and I ate here today. It was the 2nd coldest day of the year! Even though we were looking for American Pita and Grill but eventually saw it was close like many others on Saturday (why???), we decided to eat here because their window adverised sandwiches and COFFEE! We enjoy their delicious! club sandwich and ships and he had a latte and I had hot chocolate both with foam and chocolate syrup. It was so good. I will keep them in mind next time we visit Raleigh. I'm from Fayetteville and my bf is from Goldsboro. 11/25/10: I moved to Garner last year and wanted my sister to come and try the goodness. We came by twice but they were never open. I wasn't sure if they were on vacation or they had closed down. read more

I found it!! At last, the latte that became my daily addiction in Columbus (yeah, thanks for that habit, Brioso) can in fact be had in Raleigh as well. While I'd consider myself every bit as picky about my espresso as Brian W, I found they did a phenomenal job here. Anyone who can pour my latte and leave the crema intact (w/ a milk froth leaf design to boot) gets mad props, and that it was rich and full in flavor and not over-extracted just sealed the deal. Not to mention it's a funky little downtown shop with barrels of bulk candy and ice cream (!!!) in addition to small lunch items. Did I luck out with the fantastic cup of coffee? Maybe. Will I be back plenty more to find out? Count on it. read more

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Food is okay and overpriced, service is shitty and very rude and inconsiderate staff. Been here twice over the course of a year and it's still the same rude staff that was here the first time read more

This is my favorite ice cream place in Raleigh! I have been here numerous times and it has been a great each time. The mint chocolate chip is my girlfriends favorite and is excellent. I prefer to jump around their menu but tend to go for the hot beverages. On New Years, I had a great eggnog latte! Highly recommended. I haven't really had much of the food but I'm pretty sure that it's all pretty good. The only downside is the difficulty in parking. Being right on Fayetteville St is just asking for trouble. Walk peoples! read more

Crema - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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I can't believe this place doesn't have a higher rating. Please allow me to run down the reasons why I give Crema 5 stars. FOOD -Crema offers some of the best sandwiches I have eaten in downtown Raleigh. My favorites are the Marinated Tomato and Brie sandwich, which is served on a delicious, crusty baguette and the Chicken Salad Sandwich, which is served on a buttery croissant. All the sandwiches come with your choice of side, either crunchy kettle potato chips or a light cucumber salad. -The ice cream and frozen yogurt are great. You can choose up to 3 toppings that they will mix in for you for no additional cost. There is a wide selection of toppings with everything from fresh fruit to Snickers for you to choose from. PRICE -Crema is an absolute steal for lunch. The super-duper yummy Marinated Tomato and Brie sandwich? $4.99 and no, that is not a typo. Even better, they're not shy with the brie. They also offer the traditional pick 2 out of three combo for lunch with soup, salad, and 1/2 sandwiches. The price on that baby is $6.99-$7.99, depending on your choices. PARKING -While street parking is hard to find, Crema is located below a parking deck. Enter the deck from Wilmington St. and exit on Fayetteville St. Look to your left and Crema is just a few steps away! read more

Crema - Marinated tomato and brie sandwich - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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So this is my third visit here, and for the life of me, I can't understand the overall 3-star rating! I'm really partial to the whole package: soothing gray and deep lavender walls (I had quite a parking fiasco downtown today when I accidentally pulled into a service deck behind a van that had accessed entry to a restricted area to then find myself gated in and trapped! Trust me, I needed to be soothed.); food that smells delicious, though I haven't tested it; lots of ice cream choices and toppings (also haven't tried); decent coffee; my kind of swingy jazz tunes; reliable free wifi; and barrels full of candy that kids will just go crazy for! Outdoor seating with prime people-watching on Fayetteville. Only gripe would be for the inside seating. There are a few small ikea-looking chairs -- sure they're modern, but they're teeny, squat and not too practical. Then there are a few small two-tops with chairs and about a dozen stools by the window-front. The stools are the sweetest set-up, but I wish they had foot rests built around the bases. I'm short and my feet dangle! read more

Crema - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

This place not only has a wonderful selection of coffee and pastries - ITS HANDICAP FRIENDLY! I love coming here any time I'm in the area buying groceries at H Mart. The service is amazing and the staff has gone above and beyond my expectations. One day I came in and ordered a matcha latte to find out they were out of matcha, so they offered me their personal supply of matcha (from the girl's purse)! Amazing! read more

Crema - a cup of coffee on a wooden table - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

It's a quick stop for coffee or a pastry, nothing special here. I'm only posting this because of this photo. What genius watched Seinfeld and thought the soup nazi approach was a good business decision? read more

Crema - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Ok, this is cool: there is a machine that meshes ingredients with the ice cream and whips out this delightful flavor that you've created yourself! You get to pick three ingredients and there are many to choose from. They do give some suggested pairings. I chose one of those suggestions: pineapple, coconut, and rum. Pina colada. Yummy. $3 for a single scoop, which was the perfect amount- I couldn't have eaten much more than that. I like it. read more

Working right next door, Crema is my go-to for quick breakfast sandwiches and muffins. Ooooooh my god are their blueberry muffins good. They also have ice cream and coffee/tea! Even with long lines, the service is quick and everyone is super friendly. The flow of the space works really well, and there are even tables to eat, drink, and work at. All in all, the prices are reasonable, people are friendly, and it's super convenient to anyone working around city plaza. read more

Wine/coffee/ice cream/sandwich all rolled in to one. It's the split-personality shop of Fayetteville Street. There's warm and comfy seating, bar style seating, and tables for groups. I had the pork and barley soup and a latte with hazelnut syrup. Yummy and warming. The counter folk were friendly conversationalist and had our good ready lickedy split. My friend ordered the Andy sandwich - turkey, tomato, cucumber, American cheese, mayo, red lettuce, and whole wheat bread. He said it was "satisfying" when I asked him to describe it in one word. My husband has the carrot ginger bread and I was only able to pilfer a tiny nibble. Must have been good! The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is it seems like this place doesn't have a solid identity. It's got an interesting vibe but not somewhere I'd come to stay and work. But hey, maybe they want it that way. read more

Crema - Soup on this cold day! Ask for a sample of you're not sure. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Decent coffee and food. Bad service. People that work the register come across very unhappy. With so many alternatives I would highly recommend another spot! read more

Great little place for coffee and deli sandwiches. It is a bit small inside but the service is personable. Prices are very reasonable as well. They greet regulars by name when they stop in, so obviously they get lots of repeat business here. read more

Very poor customer service, I will not be coming back. I asked a question and was met with a defensive & condescending attitude. Food wasn't worth the experience. read more

Friendly service but cappuccino was dreadful tasting and all foam. Had to add coffee to have anything to drink at all. Would not retire

We have ordered at Crema several times as an office. Granted, our orders are larger than the average customer (15 at most), but the attitude we've received has been consistently terrible. We try to facilitate the process by writing our orders in a legible manner, trying to call ahead to allow enough time so other walk-in customers would not have to wait, and patiently waiting for our orders to be filled. However, each time, we were faced with a rude and disrespectful manager and team. You would think that they would appreciate the high volume of business our office brings, but by the attitude we've been greeted with, you would think that we were hasseling them with our patronage. On both occasions that we've ordered here this year, it hasn't been at peak times (i.e., breakfast, lunch dinner). In fact, only one other customer came in during the period of time it took for the Crema staff to complete our order. We've never been treated with so much disrespect and annoyance by a top-level management of a small local business. This order is based on customer service only. The drinks and ice creams here are wonderful, but not worth all the trouble. read more

This was seriously one of the best random "let's try this place out" find. I am sooo glad I ignored the 3.5 stars. ICE CREAM! Probably one of the coolest and yummiest ice cream I've ever had. I mean, hello? You can CREATE your own flavor. Not just toppings, people. FLAVORS. You can choose up to 3 ingredients for your ice cream, either a vanilla or chocolate base. There are fruits, nuts, and extra goodies like chocolate, coffee, cheesecake, etc.. I opted to create a savory ice cream of pistachios and coffee in a waffle cone. Oh boy, was it savory. The pistachios were perfectly salty and the coffee added a great base flavor. This ain't your Coldstone where they use metal thingamabobs to mix the ingredients together. There's a magical contraption unlike I've ever seen. They add your selected ingredients and the machine mixes everything together and dispenses a perfect-sized portion AND automatically rinses and cleans itself for the next creative concoction. I was so excited and grateful I waited up front instead of chilling on the many seating options they do have, including comfy mini leather one-person sized couches. (My grammar is beautiful in this review, eh?) I'm coming back for sure!!!!! read more

I've been to Crema several times. In the downtown Raleigh area, Crema certainly offers delicious sandwiches and lunch fare at a reasonable price. The Tomato & Brie sandwich is wonderful, as is the Turkey Club. They also offer combo deals (soup/salad/sandwich) which are a good choice for lunch. Any meal comes with kettle chips or a tangy cucumber salad. For those of you with a sweet tooth, their ice cream is rich & creamy and you get a choice of any three toppings to mix in for free. Crema is definitely a solid choice for lunch downtown. read more

The staff here was rude to me. The lady taking my order got annoyed when I changed it. Then came back to m and said "make sure you know what you want before ordering". She made sure to make this comment twice. Then made a comment to her co-worker " she should have read the menu before ordering". I'm not sure if this is how they treat all their customers but I won't be back just off of my first experience. read more

First, I don't know why Yelp has combined the Crema at 121 Fayetteville St with the one in the Bank of America building (421 Fayetteville). This review is for the one in the BoA building. I was starting to think that I had been too hard on them previously. While I never ordered coffee from there again, I had started to get quite fond of their breakfast sandwiches. Even with the pre-cooked egg slabs, they were pretty tasty. Today, I went in for the first time in a while. Looked like some new people working there. They had a new sausage breakfast sandwich on the menu so I tried that. Pre-cooked sausage and cheese were literally still cold. Disgusting. Bagel wasn't toasted at all, either. Won't be going back there any time soon. read more

I haven't made it to the restaurant yet but I'm addicted to this place! Everything I've gotten their is delicious! For breakfast they have muffins, cookies, bread.... my friends seem to really enjoy a sausage/cheddar biscuit thing they have. They also have a variety of coffees/mochas/hot chocolates. They're right across the street from very popular coffee establishment and they're cheaper and better! They also have a variety of sandwiches for lunch. I typically get the tomato and brie with their cucumber salad as a side. It's delicious, a decent sized portion, and doesn't break the bank! My favorite by far is their frozen goods. They have fruit smoothies that are so refreshing and actually taste like fruit not some sugary mess. They're yogurt smoothies are also amazing with so many different choices of toppings to mix in. My favorite thing their, ice cream! I saw a picture of a blueberry banana cone on the restaurant page and had to try it. AMAZING! This place is worth a try! read more

So glad to work very close to the lil Crema (in BOA building). I am currently addicted to their mocha's -- they are delish and I think the coffee is better than Starbucks. I also tried some of their lunch items and everything is made fresh & reasonably priced... I really liked the tangy cucumber salad that comes with the sandwiches, it's very refreshing and super fresh. I am a fan... I only wish that the girl who works there would smile a lil more :p read more