Cary Coffee Week: 7 Local Cafés I Visited
Over seven days, I toured seven different coffee spots around Cary. I documented this series on social media and only went where my followers asked me to go. Here’s exactly where I went, and how the experience was.
Day 1 — Java Jive
Address: 2425 Kildaire Farm Rd, Suite 403, Cary, NC 27518.
Java Jive is tucked away in the Lochmere area and is as cozy as it is delicious. It is a low-key cafe that works for reading, catching up, or just zoning out for twenty minutes between errands. I went mid-morning and it was quiet and peaceful. Located right next to a greenway and Hemlock Bluffs if you want to visit some nature during your coffee excursion.
Day 2 — Chanticleer Cafe & Bakery
Address: 6490 Tryon Rd, Cary, NC 27518.
Chanticleer is a bakery-forward cafe with a full coffee setup and a lot of morning traffic. The pastry case is the main draw and the kitchen keeps a short, practical daytime menu of breakfast and lunch items. Lines can get LONG here, especially on the weekends, so order ahead if you’re on a time crunch. But trust me, it’s worth it.
Day 3 — The Williams House
Address: 210 E Chatham St, Cary, NC 27511
The Williams House is located in downtown Cary (in the old Bull City Ciderworks location). The concept runs morning to night with coffee in the early hours and a bar program that adds beer and cocktails as the day goes on. The interior is super cozy and spacious, and you’ll find lots of folks working on their laptops during the day and socializing at night. It is a comfortable place to sit on a rainy afternoon and an easy meet-up spot before dinner downtown.
Day 4 — Crema Coffee Roaster & Bakery
Address: 1983 High House Rd, Cary, NC 27519
Crema combines a neighborhood bakery with a coffee roaster, so you can pair a cappuccino with bread or sweets made on site. The bar is efficient, the pastry case is usually stocked, and the seating skews practical rather than fussy, which makes it a dependable weekday stop. This place can get seriously packed during the day, so get there early if you want to get prime real estate for getting some work done.
Day 5 — Carriage House Coffee
Address: 23 Fenton Main St, Cary, NC 27511
Carriage House is a coffee truck (or carriage, if you will) that sits inside Fenton. One quirk about Fenton is that it curiously doesn’t have a traditional cafe (though that is changing next year), so this is the spot you should go to if you need coffee while you’re shopping, drinking, or eating. It’s a nice spot with seasonal flavors.
Day 6 — Coffee Studio
Address: 370 S Walker St, Suite 123, Cary, NC 27511.
Coffee Studio is a new, clean, modern cafe located next to Downtown Cary Park and a menu that mixes espresso drinks, teas, and simple food like paninis and toast. It reads like a calm workspace during the day, with enough seats to settle in without feeling crowded. Expect lots of folks working on their laptops and excellent coffee.
Day 7 — BREW Coffee Bar (Cary Theater)
Address: 122 E Chatham St, Cary, NC 27511.
BREW anchors a corner of the Cary Theater building on East Chatham and functions as a simple, central meeting point downtown. It is the kind of spot where you can grab a latte before a show, sit for a bit, and then slide out for a walk through the park. The baristas here are serious about their coffee; expect to take a little bit of extra time for your order to be made – but it is worth it.
