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Mon-Sat. 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
"I tried their red velvet cupcake and chocolate truffle, and both were soaring winners. The red velvet cupcake was moist and sweet, and…" read more »
Oh how i love 3 cups....because im lazy, a one stop place for my tea and coffee.
The coffee: No big secret here, but all of their coffee is repackaged counter culture coffee. The selection is decent with most roast being within 7 days of roasting. So fresh i have to vent the airtight container daily i store it in to keep the top from popping off. The quality of the roast is excellent which is to be expected from Counter Culture. Price is right too.
The tea: Sold in either big airtight ziploc bags or fancy tins depending on the amount you buy. Not as clear about the origin as they are with everything else in the store, but everything seems to be of good quality. Price is good.
The Baristas: For the most part good, however i have had a 1 or 2 that were a severe disappointment. However they have all been friendly.
The atmosphere: People have complained about it but the seating area never has a shortage of people.
They also sell brewing gear including replacement glass for bodum presses
Fair trade coffees, wines, teas, chocolates and farmer's market cheeses, meats and preserve jar types.
With an incredibly knowledgeable staff in all of the above areas, you really can't go wrong. They make drip coffee delicious again and keep it all new and interesting.
I think the only way they could improve is to kick out the bread company next door for seating and offer wi-fi...and merge shops with Loco-pops...mmmm!
Get your beans here! 3 Cups is serious about coffee, and it shows.
Traditionally, they mainly serve coffee by french press, but they just got an espresso machine so they can make you lattes and such now. (UPDATE: just tried a macchiato and it was perfect, so their espresso is up to par as well.)
The baristas are a bit pretentious, but that's ok, they know what they're doing.
The only thing that is slightly amiss is the cafe atmosphere. 3 Cups is really a coffee and wine shop with a cafe sitting area, rather than a traditional cafe that happens to sell beans.
On the plus side the dishware is great, they serve you coffee in ceramic cups, real spoons, and bodum presses. If it weren't for the utilitarian feel of the cafe area, I'd give it 5 stars for sure.
Oh and did I mention they have great beans? They have great beans.
Not only do they carry an excellent, wide variety of wines, coffees, and teas-- but these folks know what they're talking about! I've gone with several recommendations on both wine and coffee! Thanks 3 Cups!
I love the coffee here. It is my favorite in town. The interior is pretty but not comfy enough to sit down to work. It get that they want it to be a place to socialize, not stare at a computer screen all day. So unfortunately I cannot go there when I need to work. So this cuts both ways.
My biggest problem is that it's in an ugly strip mall. I realize that's the ways things are sometimes. Some of my problem is that I moved here from San Francisco where I could ride my bike to a number of great cafes with pretty views, even if it was just of the street.
I actually find the staff to be fairly unpretentious considering what they are selling. They are being fancy pants, so that's fine. The folks just hanging out there are annoying. I try to not listen in on their conversations, but they are loud, especially when talking about their time living in France or how cosmopolitan they are. I have a pretty high tolerance for that, but come on! I have found that in a few places in Chapel Hill. That's fine if that's you, but don't shout it like we're all supposed to be impressed. It's sad.
Ambiance is a big factor for me when it comes to deciding where to pay more than I should for coffee. I like comfy chairs, good relaxing music, to be surrounded by interesting people, and maybe even a nice outdoor seating area when I fork up the extra dough to buy a fancy coffee. 3Cups has good tasting coffee, but that is absolutely all it has going for it. So, if good tasting coffee is REALLY all you want from a coffee shop, than go for it. They will even drip coffee through a filter out in the open and make it seem new & trendy & special. You will probably love that. But, when they put your coffee mug on a tray and you carry your tray back to your uncomfortable metal chair whilst very loud renditions of Modest Mouse and such is playing on the speakers, you'll realize that 3cups really just wants you to buy your coffee and leave. Oh, and they have wine, but not a very wide selection. The End.
Best coffee shop bar none in the Triangle. Top shelf coffee knowledge without the faux-Starbucks pretense. You can buy beans here that have been roasted w/in the past day, as well as select from a variety of coffees from which I have not seen a match. French press-style cups with a mini hour glass (4 min) so you know when your joe's ready.
Another review said, "3 Cups taught me what coffee can be." Very accurate - check out their web site or try a Coffee Cupping (like a wine tasting for coffee). Stop drinking coffee from beans that were roasted weeks ago and freeze dried. Your coffee should be as fresh as produce, and the drinking ritual as fun as sparking dank.
They sell wine there as well, but I haven't investigated it as thoroughly. Very much the hipster scene for real coffee drinkers in Chapel Hill. Go here to cool out and read a book, or just sit in the courtyard & take it all in.
3 Cups has taught me what coffee can be. Sure the utility of the beverage is key, but 3 Cups reminds that coffee is much like wine its variety of quality and taste. Be warned, this isn't Starbucks where speed and size are the name of the game, but 3 Cups also isn't lost in its careful appreciation of java.
3 Cups is situated in a secluded square just off of Chapel Hill's busy Franklin Street. It's joined by a specialty Popsicle shop, a fancy French restaurant, a Mediterranean spot, and the specialty sandwich shop that it's connected to. All of this combines with the cool interior of 3 Cups to create the ideal backdrop for an unbelievable cup of joe.
Quite possibly the best part of the 3 Cups experience is the staff. Not only are they friendly and unassuming, but they all seem to be well-informed coffee experts who excitedly fill you in on what the shop has to offer.
The coffee is served in a french press alongside a warm mug and a timer. The guest takes the tray to their table and waits for the timer to expire, at which point they do their part in the brewing process by pressing all of the grinds to the bottom (it really is a simple press of a lever, but it's fun when you have time).
Though it's certainly ideal to sit around and enjoy your coffee with a good friend, book, or newspaper, they'll also package it up to-go for the busy customer. Though I'm often tempted into picking up a cup (because it's SO much better than Starbucks or any other chain coffee) on the run, I prefer to take a friend and try a couple different kinds over good conversations. I try to utilize the knowledgeable staff to help me pick out a new one each time, too, so I don't get stuck in a rut.
3 Cups also has an outstanding wine, tea, and chocolate selection. They have great community tastings and lectures on four foods that are even more enjoyable when you can properly appreciate them.
Best of all it really isn't that much more expensive than other java dealers in the area, though it's light years better.
Did I mention that they have an outstanding pastry selection that is brought over fresh each morning by a local baker?
While I wish they were open on Sundays when I often have time for 3 cups, 3 Cups is a cut above its competitors and a truly unique experience.
This is why I fell in love with coffee, really fell in love; 3 CUPS of course. Yeah! I've tasted coffee at those other outposts and I'd even learned about being a "Coffee Connoisseur" some time ago in a barista training in NYC. I was excited and blown away to think that coffee had different flavors and "varietals" if you will.
Nevertheless, 3 CUPS, heart of my heart, bean of bean allows one to experience the variations of coffees from around the world singularly; yes that is a single roast, fresh ground, french pressed cup of loveliness. It's so much fun trying different ones, having your friends taste and guess which "Bin" you selected and describe what their palate captures from that bean; whether it be fruitiness, chocolate, acidity, or earthiness.
If you love loose teas, the best chocolate you can buy and not to mention fine wines, 3 CUPS has it there for you too! Oh, might I recommend the "drinking chocolate" smooth, rich and decadent, you're gonna love it!
There is FREE wireless internet services, outdoor seating with a lovely water fountain and stream creation and on most occasions there is additional indoor seating next door to Sandwich. It's a wonderfully relaxing courtyard to eat, drink, read, study, think, create, play, as well as, mingle and meet new friends!
Let's do 3 CUPS sometime! :-)
3 Cups is a main reason I miss the area - there are so many things to miss, but I do miss the great coffee and service there.
My strong appreciation for coffee has come from my many visits to 3 Cups (and their supplier, Counter Culture Coffee Company). They truly appreciate the finer things, so they take their coffee, tea, wine and food (the food selection consisted mostly of fine chocolate, occasionally cheese and pastries when I was last there) very seriously and with a great deal of thought. Though the food selection is limited, Lex Alexander, the owner, does cover food topics on occasion in his weekly email (which I highly recommend).
When you go to 3 Cups, you can expect a knowledgable staff help to answer your questions even if you don't know the right questions to ask. They can help guide you to selecting a coffee that may fit your taste if you buying by the pound. If you are buying a cup, they can help tell you what to look for. When you go to 3 Cups, do not expect that you can order a latte or cappuccino or even simply an espresso. When it comes to coffee, they deal with strictly with great coffee.
Lastly, if you want to brew a great cup at home, they have plenty of accessories for sale there. The staff can also help you make the right choice.
Great tasting coffee, tea, wine, cheese, and chocolate. Staff is very friendly. Atmosphere is cool, usually accompanied by good music.
Outdoor seating is available in the courtyard if the weather is nice, and the shop offers a number of interesting classes on coffees, teas, and wines.
If you stop by at lunch time, you can grab a great sandwich at SandwHich next door (the sandwHich people bring orders out to the coffee shop).
Downsides?
Hours. They're only open till 10pm during the summer, but usually the place looks pretty dead by 9pm. They're also completely closed on Sundays (suck).
Also, no wireless internet (free or otherwise), and outlets are scarce.
3 Cups moved out overnight -- there's not a stick of furniture left in the place! The N&O ran an article on the sudden closure that you can link to from the 3 Cups website. They are relocating in CH, but no word yet on exactly where...
I was dissapointed in the coffee but plan to go back and try the wine. .. It doesnt feel nearly as cozy as it did .. I liked the old feel better and now I have to drive to a strip mall to get there .. ugggh
worth saying .. they re-opened in a new location
I just found 3cups two weeks before it closed. I know they have plans to reopen, but its far away from Carrboro so meetings over some of the best coffee I've had in this country are sadly going to be few and far between. Please support 3cups at its new location.
Small but excellent coffee and chocolate shop for the gourmet. Selection of blends is limited but wisely chosen. Coffee served in press pots (small or large).
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Category: Coffee & Tea
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