We just left this coffee shop, maybe 10 minutes ago and I had to leave a review ASAP. First, the aesthetic is so calming. Music not too loud, vibes were so chill. The barista was a vibe because we love a casual chat. Mind you, this is our first time coming here. I ordered the Stacy and he ordered Life's A Peach. We also ordered food, 2 different breakfast sandwiches and from the first bite, you know what I immediately tasted? SEASONING. Let me preface this by we bop around to so many different shops to try food and coffee and this exceeded our expectations. Whoever made the sandwiches seasoned these eggs to perfection and please know that we appreciate it so much. Like foreal. 5 stars. Vibes. Food. Delicious. Seasoned. Round of applause! We will be back! read more

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Came for an end of day coffee and blueberry muffin. The taste of the muffin was decent with good amount of blueberries throughout. I had a cold brew coffee which I thought was pretty tasty and I enjoyed. The sun makes the location less enjoyable in the evening because the sun beams on you. Otherwise it's a nice location that's centrally located. The person was nice when I had no idea what I wanted to order. read more

Met a friend to work at the coffee shop in Raleigh. It's across from the mall set right behind Perry's Steakhouse in a convenient Raleigh location. Come in and the vibe is chill and relaxed yet at 9 am it was still bustling with prime grabbing coffee and getting work done. Being my first time I asked for a recommendation on what to drink and ordered their signature latte which was fine. Now here is where the good goes to meh at best. I was starving and ordered the cheese danish. Starving should mean anything tastes good but it was stale. I'd guess it arrived at the beginning of the week at best. Presentation was lack luster plopped on the counter in plastic wrap. So if you are headed in, I'd avoid the food and stick to drinks. Overall I'd say it's an average Space and Place to grab some coffee and work but nothing to grab your gals and flock to. read more

The Optimist - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Cool place, nice atmosphere. Lauren was the barista, extremely nice and personable. Knew the coffee menu, and had good recommendations. Coffee was great, had the "Island Boy" just the right amount of sweet. Plus some of the flavors are made in house. Overall, great place. read more

The Optimist - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

"Enter .... Coffee girl season" While I generally drink coffee most days - either instant regular or instant mushroom (do your research) - I'm finding my way to the pleasures of coffee. Enter The Optimist. We (a group of 4) were in the area - when the suggestion occurred. The Optimist is tucked away in a corner - sandwiched between businesses and other restaurants. I selected drip with oat milk - no sugar (counting calories and such). While I'm not a coffee aficionado by any means, I found the coffee smooth and complex (look at me!). Looking forward to trying other options. Service was good and the space was filled with, what appeared to be, students and remote workers feverishly working on life changing "tings" Looking forward to trying other options. Coffee house: 4.1 read more

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Part of the Coffee Passport. Optimist is right near my apartment and always a great location for coffee. Food is a little overpriced for the quality. Staff members are friendly. Only reason my review is not five stars is due to the limited seating. read more

I love this place! Even though it's been pretty packed every time I've came, it still feels lowkey because of the quiet and peaceful ambience inside. There's both indoor and outdoor seating with plenty of parking at the deck nearby. The inside is gorgeous, with multiple rooms, different types of seating, and plants you'll want to take home with you. I got a breakfast english muffin and caramel coconut mocha. Both were exactly what I needed this morning and satisfied me. Everyone here is always friendly and the service is always quick. They even have board games to play if you're here with somebody. What I really love is the mini private room they have- big enough for just one person, a laptop, and a plate. I actually took many meetings in here when needing privacy. It's such a cute touch. read more

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Baristas are always super friendly when I stop by. Was luckily enough to stop by May the fourth week to get myself a blue milk (blueberry matcha). Does get a little sunny inside with the big windows. read more

The Optimist - Blue milk (blue drink for May the fourth week) $ affogato in white cup - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

The place was inviting and friendly. The drinks were good and even though they made a mistake they fixed it and were super nice about it. A great place to sit and drink. read more

LOVE LOVE LOVE. What a perfect coffee spot! Immediately upon walking in, the vibe was unique, friendly, and cozy! The vanilla latte was 10/10, the staff were very friendly and laid back, but it's the aesthetic... Between the games, books, plants, excessive windows, private areas, indoor and outdoor seating, and decor - we will definitely return! read more

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Dropped into this location before heading to the mall across the street. We parked with ease in the parking deck attached to this building. Noticed that there were other businesses/restaurants on the walk up to the coffee shop. I was accompanied by 2 other individuals and we walked in with no wait to order. Although it was pretty busy from the inside, we found a table to accommodate our party. There are spaces to sit if you are solo as well. At first glance, the menu appears to be reasonably priced. I skimmed for a while and chose the pink matcha with oat milk. I love how pretty the matcha was! I could have gone for a sweeter version but it wasn't bitter as some other experiences I've had! The staff were friendly and happy to assist with questions about the menu and substitutions. There are so many lovely things about this space!!! From the unique private spaces to the collection of books that line the window. I was drawn to the plants and noticed they had a shelf for games. As we enjoyed our beverages, we decided to play, Cards Against Humanity! This made for a fun and interesting experience! There is outdoor seating available and since today was a nice day, the chairs and tables were occupied for most of our visit. If you're looking to get some work done, read a book, or simply drop in to try a new place, I think it's worth a try! read more

The Optimist - Pink matcha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I stopped here to have a coffee, a snack, and do some work on my computer . Maggie and Emma were behind the counter and were alot of to talk. When employees enjoy their job and like the place their place of work it lifts up the atmosphere and recreates a fantastic experience for the guests. I had a delicious warmed up chocolate chip brownie with an excellent espresso. The menu had many tempting items that i hope to experience soon.Overall great place to stop by and get some great food and relax. read more

Unfortunately, we were so excited to try this but were very disappointed. I think this place is perfect if you are a single person getting only a coffee. Outside of that and you may be frustrated. It takes a long time to get what you've ordered. I was expecting the McOptimist like from the original location and instead got a flat sandwich. The flavor was there but I was still hungry after spending $10 on the sandwich. Come for a cup of coffee and the aesthetic. read more

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Enjoyed my first visit yesterday! What a fabulous place - the food was yummy! Banana bread loaf is outstanding! Service with a smile and very helpful!! We'll be back read more

I appreciated the wide selection of flavored syrups for my cold brew, though it would've been just as good black! Really cute spot to meet w/ friends or work from home surrounded by books & plants. The baristas were some of the nicest I've encountered. I'd love to sit on the porch area on a warmer day. read more

The Optimist - Cold brew w/ rose syrup - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

My favorite coffee spot in Raleigh!! It's located in a central location that is accessible and has plenty of free parking. This location is welcomed by lots of windows and natural lighting and plenty of tables and outlets for remote working. There is a small room for a meeting space and there is also a phone booth room for meetings as well. This location gets busy during peak times but I've never had difficulty in finding a table. They also have outdoor seating as well. I prefer this location as I love the bright lighting and colors that make the space so welcoming. The drinks here are always consistent too. It's definitely my preferred spot for remote working as they have fast and reliable WiFi. Make sure to visit this spot--it's a hidden gem! read more

Kids were having dessert next door for shave icecream so stop by to get some coffee Beans supplied by black and white, barsita super nice and asked me how i like my macchiato. But i was expecting better extraction of espresso considering the beans by black n white. Still not bad and better than typical starbucks read more

The Optimist - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Atmosphere: The new Optimist location opened in Fiction Coffee's old space, which is across the street from Crabtree Mall. The space is small but has several tables and big windows to let in lots of natural light. Service: The baristas were friendly and our order, especially the drinks, came out quickly. One thing to note was that modifications to some items (like the Hulk Smash) could not be made, but that may change once their kitchen becomes more established. Food: We ordered an Iced Nat King Cole and Cappuccino for our drinks, and a Hulk Smash and The Easy with chicken for lunch. The Nat King Cole wasn't too sweet and had nice hints of nuttiness. The Cappuccino was fresh and had a nice, strong coffee flavor to it. Both of our lunch dishes were delicious, but we thought the portions were a bit small for the price. Overall: As big fans of The Optimist and their original location, we weren't disappointed with their new shop! We're looking forward to watching them expand their offerings at this new location. read more

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Coffee and food are a little small for the price, but pretty decent in taste. Staff and service is always wonderful!

The place is cute and could be great. I didn't actually try their coffee only got food. The food was underwhelming. It said bruschetta style toast and it was avocado toast with a tomato. That's it. Barely seasoned. I expected more. I hope their coffee is better. I'll update my review then. read more

The Optimist - Tom a Doe. It wasn't bad but definitely underwhelming. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Super cute coffee shop! I loved the vibes and people were working on their laptops so I fit right in. The person who made the coffees were so nice and the coffee was good! My cold brew was a bit bitter but still good! Def will return. read more

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Good food, tasty coffee, friendly staff, welcoming atmosphere. I've only been to this location twice but have had a nice experience on both occasions. Would recommend. read more

this is my favorite place to stop by every morning for my go-to iced vanilla oat milk latte, and it hits every time! the atmosphere of this new location is so welcoming. there are tables to get work done or meet with a friend, a bar to sit at, a small conference room, and an outdoor seating area as well. the baristas are always kind and welcoming, and they know my order by heart now! highly recommended. read more

The Optimist - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Good ambience and workspaces with many outlets, wifi and good coffee; however, I wish the food portion sizes were larger for the price.

Incredibly kind staff, outdoor and indoor seating, and overall just a beautiful place to hang out or get some work done!

Raleigh is a growing area of trends. We tried to give this cafe a fair chance. Food is average to below can list tons of places eho do it better. Drinks are creative and tempting, but for me to continue service has to be 100% and gracious. cashier couldn't count money . Begore I paid her for anything she guessed and punched in what I would give and when I grabbed for the change she said I can't take that. I was getting my money ready what is she talking about. in the end she did take my change but shorted me a dolla. I have no patience for a grown adult who works a cash register who can not count money. it's a shame society has fallen so much to where so many young adults can't count money and can't tell time . Want repeat business focus on employees who know how to do their job ....money is so important to a business. I will not return bc obviously the owners were five feet behind me and did have respect of there business to help there employee do her job. My guess let's see how long they can pay there over the top rent running a business like this. read more