Third Place Coffeehouse

01/02/11

love it

by coffe nerd

if you like great coffee and espresso, this is the place. the atmosphere is laid back, the feng shui is good (local artists show their stuff here), but the parking is a pain in the butt. i have been coming here pretty regularly for over a year because the coffee is just that good. they use top notch beans (larry's organic) and the employees actually know how to pull shots (timing and everything)!! this isn't one of those "push a button to pull a shot" type joints (aka starbucks). and the pastries are always fresh! this is kind of a big deal since just about every other shop in this area (e.g. it's a grind, that little coffee joint in wake forest -- the name of which eludes me at the moment -- and several others, have pretty regularly tried to feed me treats that were AT LEAST 3 days old). if you like to do your paperwork at places other than your office, this is a good place for that since their internet connection doesn't choke every time more than 5 people try to use it at once. i know one reviewer complained about people with kids coming in on the weekend, but i consider this a testament to the kind of place i want to support as a consumer. if you don't like children in your coffee shop, then just don't come before noon on the weekends and you'll likely never have a problem. oh, and for those who have never been here before: the "men" and "women" markings for the bathrooms are written about 3 inches from the bottom of the doors -- don't ask me why.

12/19/10

Great coffee, great people, great culture

by AngelofRaleigh

Did you know the Raleigh Acorn is parked next to the Third Place coffee shop for its annual cleaning - David Benson, who owns the coffee shop, is also the sculpture that created that acorn.

He also serves up fresh baked goodies all day as well as coffee and tea.

He encourages local artists to show their work in his coffee shop as well as has local musicians play there some evenings.

Very cozy, laid back atmorshere - it feels like Raleigh or SoHo. Check it out

11/03/09

Best smoothies

by Anilegna12

Third Place has a great location, right in the Five Points area, facing Glenwood Ave. People that live in that area can walk up to the coffee house and no worry about parking. Although, it has a great location, it lacks customer service. My question is...why leave an employee in charge with no one else in the coffee shop that does not know how to make beverages. In my opinion it is very irresponsible to leave someone new in charge. Third Place is competitive in prices but still pricey. If a customer is spending almost $4 on a drink, why not have the best employees possible. If the owner is reading this, please do something about it. Thanks!

• Pros: Best smoothies!
• Cons: poor customer service

08/18/09

It's ok, but not my first choice for a coffee shop.

by alwaysopinions

The staff is not too personable. One employee at the counter did not even make eye contact with me.

This place just seems filthy and unorganized to me.

I'd like to give a better review since they have decent coffee, but these are my first impressions.

• Pros: Decent coffee
• Cons: See the details

03/28/09

Almost perfect...

by duchessbee

Third Place is almost the perfect coffee shop. The decor inside makes me want to settle down with a book or a friend, hot cup of coffee (at a good price, $1, with $.65 refills), and relax. The music is always something interesting, from indie rock to reggae to old hippie music, and they tend to play full albums instead of satellite radio or an iPod on Shuffle.

Plus, you MUST try the food! They have a great selection of sandwiches and wraps, which all come with tortilla chips and house made (?) salsa. Try the Plethora--it is awesome. Baked goods: I've only had a cookie from here, and it was a little lackluster, but I can't speak for anything else.

The staff, though, have never impressed me. They've been quite rude on occasion, especially when nearing closing time--which is ridiculously early. 7pm! It's still light outside, and sometimes when I'm leaving Lilly's all I want is a coffee or hot chocolate, and they're closed up for the night. I don't get it. Maybe they'll stay open later in the summer months? I hope so.

• Pros: great coffee, good prices, good art/music
• Cons: close at 7pm, rude staff