Being from Seattle, I tend to be a high maintenance coffee drinker. Waterbean is my go-to when I'm up by the lake. Great selection of sandwiches and treats, and the best coffee in town. (really!!) read more

My boyfriend and I both got different types of drinks from here (a white mocha, and a frap) and neither of us were big fans. They both tasted somewhat watery, and didn't quite live up to what we'd expect. The space is nice, though. read more

Try the mocha! Been going almost every week since it opened a couple months ago. Great little independent place that puts a strong emphasis on high quality coffee. Over time, I've become a little bit of an advocate because I value places like these in our community, but I'll try to be objective here in explaining why. 1) Focus on coffee Top quality beans, water, and equipment is all there. Staff knows what they're doing and does it consistently. The open interior has a light smell of coffee (and just coffee). While they have baked good, they're freshly made in the area's surrounding bakeries. They're not processed and they're not cooked there, so there's no smoky bread smell. I don't know anything about the tea and can't comment on that. They do fruit smoothies, which are great, but they're made in super quiet blenders and don't distract from the coffee experience. 2) Independent Staff has always been knowledgeable and friendly to me. The owner has also been around for most of my trips, and seems to make an effort to greet customers, chat, take orders, and carry out drinks, and clear off the tables (no need for customers to carry anything to the trash). I've even seen him keep everything open late a couple nights just so customers didn't have to rush their drinks. Compares favorably to another local place I enjoy, Summit, but more personal and consistent. Plus it has better hours and a lighter, more-open and clean layout with plenty of seating. 3) Capable It's hard to just explain in writing, but the end product is really good. Try a "coffee flight" for comparison and you'll notice the differences. Espresso shots are creamy, beans are fresh, temperature is consistent, etc. Lots of flavors on hand as well as Soy Milk and Almond Milk options for lattes. Can make anything the big guys can. It's a little on the pricey side, but comparable in price to any other good coffee shop. So while I'm a little bit of a fan, I feel like Waterbean is objectively providing unique value to the community and is exactly the kind of business we should be supporting. 4) Technology Outside of the high tech coffee equipment, they offer the best free internet connection I've ever experienced in public place. It's an open access point with no passwords, timeouts, or nag screens, and connected via a solid router to a fiber-optic line. Their register is run with a touch screen tablet that doubles as a finger-signature pad. And they also accept bitcoins as payment. My work-from-home days just got a whole lot better. EDIT: sorted points and added a few lines in response to some of Dorthy's points below (coffee smell, local pastries, etc). EDIT2: added the technology section after bringing my laptop and btc wallet and being super impressed. read more

Really good coffee... I got the Ethiopia Yirgi Kochere on a chemex and it was on point. read more

Waterbean Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Cornelius, North Carolina

Today started out as an Ugly Thursday, but a Waterbean Coffee stop turned it around for me. A well-made americano was apparently just what I needed. I'll echo what the other reviewers have said - the atmosphere is ideal if you need a break in your regular workspace, and the attention to quality coffee is top-notch. You will get a better value for your money here at Waterbean than in any other place that I've tried in the Lake Norman/North Charlotte area. Another plus that I didn't notice until it was pointed out to me is that the equipment is on the quieter side. How many times have you gone for coffee and had to converse at high volume because of industrial coffee machinery? Not the case here. Outstanding. I would give it more than 5 stars if I could. read more

It's a nice little coffee shop with coffees, teas and fruit smoothies to choose from. The vegan mango smoothie was deliciously awesome. They have outdoor seating, but if you're looking for peace and quiet outdoors, not gonna happen. Sits on a somewhat noisy road. If you need a vegan breakfast, they do have an oatmeal bowl that they'll prepare for you. Wife was not a huge fan of the glassware used for the iced latte with almond milk, the glass was better suited for the smoothie. Overall, they have plenty of seating, feels clean and I could probably get some work done there if I went alone. read more

I love this shop, from the open space with ample sunlight, to the details of decoration, to the friendly baristas, to the pint glasses they serve your iced coffee in. They have ample table seating, some booths, and plenty of outlets. They have a wide variety of tea, and even serve wine/beer. I haven't had any of the food yet, but they offer sandwiches, cupcakes, and some pastry items. read more

Waterbean Coffee - Love the iced coffee served in these glasses - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Cornelius, North Carolina

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My sister and I decided to check this place out on a Saturday late afternoon. I got a Mocha and she a Vanilla Latte. We both loved our drinks! Beautiful space, such nice employees, and the nicest bathroom I've seen in a coffee shop! :) they have a ton of teas also and I can't wait to try some of those! They also have sweets and sandwiches. We will definitely be back! read more

Waterbean Coffee - Mocha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Cornelius, North Carolina

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Love Waterbean as a satellite work space. Staff is unfailingly welcoming, and the Chai keeps me going. Highly recommend! read more

Waterbean Coffee - Chai-ahhhhhh! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Cornelius, North Carolina

Simple, tasteful calm environment and delicious coffee and teas. Good selection of drinks, baked treats, and very friendly atmosphere. It doesn't seem to get too much business later at night, but I'm not sure why not. Definitely stop by and give it a try if you're on the fence about it. read more

Waterbean Coffee - Main counter and pastry display. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Cornelius, North Carolina

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Top notch coffee in drip, pour over, french press, espresso forms. Warm sandwiches served on ciabatta with their signature sauce are scrumptious. A macaroon and apple turnover I had were nothing special, but I can forgive that given their other perks. In terms of atmosphere, it's a lovely, comfortable, and relatively quiet place to work in. read more

I was pleasantly surprised by my trip here. I agree with the other reviews that it is on the pricey side. However, they do have darn good coffee. The service is excellent and they try very hard to deliver quality. They have ceramic mugs if you want to hang out and drink your coffee there. It's a great place to study or read. They also offer to go cups. In addition to coffee they also offer smoothies. Those are great as well. Definitely worth a stop if you are in the Lake Norman area. read more

The coffee is so FRESH! Customer service is excellent. Have a bit of an addiction to the coconut latte. Wonderful place to spend time with friends and family. read more

I am not a coffee drinker, I was meeting friends. I had a delicious peach smoothy and a great little veggie sandwich. Service was great, and they took Bitcoin. I wish they were closer, but now I have an excuse to go out that way. read more

Waterbean Coffee - Here is the delicious peach smoothie I got from Water Bean and paid for in Bitcoin. I loved it! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Cornelius, North Carolina

This used to be my favorite place to come for coffee but they have had horrendous customer service since covid.

Great alternative to the coffee chains. Friendly staff and plenty of seating. Ordered the Mocha and it didn't disappoint. I noticed they also had teas at the counter to choose from which I will definitely try next time. Go support your local businesses! read more

Love it! Excellent choices of coffee drinks and teas. The muffins, bars, cookies, etc looked delicious. I tried the carrot bar and it was moist and delicious. I ordered the iced mocha and loved it. Cute atmosphere and friendly service. They also have breakfast and lunch sandwiches you can order. Highly recommend! read more

Great lattes! New place ; open awesome hours. A little off the main road but worth looking for

I stopped in this morning with a couple of friends to try a locally owned business....wow what a huge disappointment! It was 10:30a and I asked if they had chocolate croissants, answer was no. Asked if they had bagels, answer was no, asked if they had lemon for tea, answer was no, asked if they had pancakes, and they said pancakes weren't served during breakfast hours. NOT kidding! That being said, we turned around and left. Not an apology, not a thanks for stopping in. I'm shocked a small business would treat a new customer like this! I won't be returning. read more

Excellent local craft coffee. Can't say enough good things about this place. If you haven't been yet definitely give it a try!!!

Waterbean Coffee is an amazing place to get coffee, have a conversation, and relax. Modern decor is clean and bright without being showy or obnoxious. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. I had a large hazelnut latte with macadamia nut milk. My guest had a small salted caramel latte with macadamia nut milk and a cappuccino macaron. All was delicious! I paid under $15 for all three items which I think is more than reasonable for the quality. I can hardly wait to go back and take more people! read more

This coffee shop serves genuinely good coffee. If you love coffee and appreciate the taste, you will like this place. If you love fru fru sweet Starbucks drinks where you can barely taste the coffee, you probably won't like the coffee here. They have soy and almond milk options, which I love, and their pastries and macaroons are awesome! The coffee drinks are a bit on the pricey side but definitely worth the money. Did I mention their sandwich's? I work at the salon a 3 doors down and if I'm not diggin' the lunch I brought to work, I never hesitate to get a hot sandwich. Staff is super friendly and helpful and although the décor is not super coffe shop-esque, its a great place to hang out. read more

Nice little spot. Went in for tea after my yoga class. Got the iced ginger peach tea and it was good. There was some type of artist gathering going on when I arrived. Art on display, a foot reflexologist on site, people standing in a circle meditating. Real cool and peaceful vibe. I subtracted 1 star however because it took the staff a long time to even acknowledge me standing at the register. And even when the young girl did, it took at least 5 more minutes for anyone to take my order. I didn't understand the delay because there were 3 staff behind the counter and barely any customers in the place. Finally, a young man took my order and he was very polite, good eye contact, smiling. He asked me how my day was going, chitchatted with me for little bit and then thanked me for coming in. He seemed very genuine and genuinely friendly. However he did not apologize for making me wait. I will not hold this one minor issue against them. I'll be back. read more

I really like this place now. They have changed staff a couple times and the current staff is warm and friendly and can make a latte in a reasonable amount of time that tastes good. The place gets more business now, has kind of a more warm relaxed feeling. I've gotten used to just asking for my half-and-half from back under the counter - no big deal. I like that the owner and staff remembers me they seem to have gotten to know the neighborhood pretty well. I think this place will make it and I'm glad.! read more

Tony, I really do want you guys to succeed. I love the location and the interior. I don't wish to get into a back and forth on this, because I stand by my review, and find it neither harsh nor unfair, but accurate. In fact, I could have mentioned a few other things and chose not to. Again, the coffees I had were cold, and we're not brewed on the spot when I ordered them. And while I believe you get the pastries from a local bakery, I don't believe that you get them fresh every day. As for the milk situation, yes, it was brought out when asked. But the attitude that came with the request was chilling, as cold as the coffee. read more

I love this place, hands-down I will take Waterbean over Starbucks any day of the week. Staff is well-trained, polite and the atmosphere incredible. I pretty much use this place as my office and love bringing clients there for coffee and desserts. I only wish they had music like they do at their store in Huntersville. read more

Coffee is a 2/5 and the atmosphere is a 3/5 but the customer service is not so good. The lady that took my order was inconsiderate and awkward. On the plus if need a place for a meeting or something this is a great place to do it. read more

Love this place! Great service, fantastic atmosphere, and wonderful coffee. Also great for business meetings outside of the office, not loud and great seating selection. Just overall a fantastic place and I'm glad I live so close! Would recommend this to everyone. read more

My number one coffee place used to be a little shop in Downtown Cornelius. Ever since Water Bean opened close to my office I make sure to stop in at least once a day. The Espresso is quite amazing, nothing compared to Starbucks, or the other mom and pop shops around town. I was quite surprised with the latte that i get each and every day. A+ Coffee A+ Service. Love it here. read more

I'm in Cornelius from out of state, and I've enjoyed sitting at this coffee shop and working on my computer in the afternoons! It has a great environment and is quiet enough for me to get my work done. The coffee is excellent, too. I've had the iced coffee, which is good, but my favorite is the latte. They have a huge selection of tea. They have great cheesecake and macarons, too. Plus, their macaroons are under $1, which is the cheapest I've seen them anywhere. I've read reviews that say Waterbean is expensive, but I don't think it's any more expensive than any other coffee shop I've been to! The staff is very friendly. This is just a great place to hang out! read more

New favorite coffee shop, recently moved to the Cornelius neighborhood. Chocolate covered coffee beans with every cup, excellent! Ima regular! read more

Fresh coffee! Would recommend this place to anyone wanting a relaxing place to feel comfortable when waking up or doing business meetings.

Excellent craft coffee and tea locale in the Lake Norman area. Staff is very friendly and knowledgeable, and always answer all my java questions. Coffee selection is top notch, with rotating single origin options. Cool interior environment too, tucked away in a small shopping plaza. read more

Good coffee and I like the staff. I will go back for sure

I always enjoy dropping by Waterbean Coffee, to meet a client or enjoy a quiet moment of coffee splendor!!

Stopped in for a quick drink to-go. Ordered a large espresso based drink, but was disappointed when my 6$ drink was very tiny. If I poured it into one of their mugs there is no way it would have even filled it half way? Maybe it was a fluke and I received a small. I might go back, might not. read more

One of the best coffee shops around, with great tasting coffee and a NY styled Cappuccino that you'll keep coming back for. Want to enjoy a beer while your there? They've got several bottled selections to choose from. Great place to enjoy some coffee and an Internet connection. I'll see you there! read more

It always smells so good there. The place is spotless. Fantastic coffee. The service is very good too.

Excellent service, great coffee and love that they offer almond milk. Love their almond milk latte with honey and their cold brew is fantastic. Definitely a favorite! read more

Vast improvement in recent weeks- new hires give place a warm and friendly atmosphere and customer service is on track! Neighborhood friends and I are again making this a regular stop. Has good chance of having long-lasting business success if owners continue to listen to the community. Lattes good, room for improvement with baked goods and art on walls, great location and nice decor generally. read more