Third Place Coffeehouse

the best neighborhood coffee joint in town. everyone is family. more

Ooooh, I just love love love the campy artsy atmosphere! All the peeps who work there are great, and David Benson is hilarious! Great art on the walls, wonderful place to meet up with friends for the best coffee in Raleigh, non pareil, of COURSE always Larry's Beans! Snazzy menu of organic foods and gluten-free pastries, too. Love Love Love! more

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. more

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.\r He also serves up fresh baked goodies all day as well as coffee and tea.\r He encourages local artists to show their work in his coffee shop as well as has local musicians play there some evenings.\r Very cozy, laid back atmorshere - it feels like Raleigh or SoHo. Check it out more

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 more

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 more

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 more

You used to be a casual, comfortable coffee bar where friends could meet and linger late into the night, sipping delicious coffees and slowly becoming entranced by the siren call of the desserts displayed in their glass case. Now you close before I'm even out of work! The atmosphere is lacking, and it seems that you've lost your mission to provide wonderful coffee and are instead aiming to be a rather lackluster cafe. Don't change, Third Place! We loved you just the way you were. Pros: Larry's Beans coffees, great place to people-watch, best coffee cake Cons: Unevenly skilled baristas, ridiculously early closing, music can be loud for the space more

This is the spot for coffee in Five Points. Cool staff, good food, better coffee. The service is pretty slow but if you're not in a hurry it's worth it. Finding a seat outside to read the paper is tuff but at the right time of day it's the best spot to people watch. more

Since I cut out certain types of meat I can really appreciate establishments that offer a lot of vegetarian options. Third Place has all sorts of interesting salads, soups, and sandwiches without meat being involved. I haven't tried everything on the menu yet but the food has been fresh and delicious each time so far. They also have a lot of interesting coffee and tea drinks. Prices are also very reasonable. The only downside is that this is mainly a coffee shop, so it isn't a very large establishment with only a few tables. Also it is not a place to go if you are in a hurry, I've had to wait 30 mins just to get a plate of hummus and raw vegetables before. They make everything behind the counter in a very tiny space as you order it. If you can relax and enjoy the music the food should be worth the wait. more

We used to love going to Third Place on the weekends, meeting friends, socializing, reading, occasionally working, and enjoying the coffeehouse atmosphere with people doing much the same. In the last few months the atmosphere has really gone downhill-there are so many toddlers and young children there, poorly supervised, with toys strewn everywhere, kids jumping on the couches,there was some sort of hide and seek going on today, running between the very tightly spaced tables, and the noise level made it difficult to hear what my husband was saying this morning. It is simply too small of a place to have unsupervised children running around- McDonalds playroom anyone? I recommend Morning Times to anyone who misses the peaceful coffeehouse atmosphere like we do. more

The food and coffee is tasty, but don't go to The Third Place if you have to be anywhere. The workers are friendly to varying degrees, but don't know how to manage when it gets busy (and it's always busy). I spent 40 minutes waiting for a breakfast burrito. They were working hard, but not in any efficient manner. I admit they were trying, but it didn't seem anyone taught them how to multi task. The worst part was, while I watched them go from the till to the food I never saw them wash their hands. Money is dirty. I know they were busy and rushed, but to not wash your hands is disgusting.\r I will go back, but never to eat or if I have to be somewhere within the next 45 minutes. Pros: location, coffee, veggie soups are yummy Cons: dirty employees that are rarely friendly, no managment more

Great coffee and desserts with menu offerings for vegetarians and vegans! Always an interesting crowd assembled for homage to the available wi fi. The Third Place is definitely where to get a pick me up before the bars or hang out and watch the Glenwood traffic fly by. more

IF YOU A SMOKER OR YOU WANT TO TRY TO SIT IN THE OUTSIDE PART IN THE FROUNT AND ENJOY ONE OF THERE GREAT CUPS OFF COFFEE YOU WILL NOTICE THAT YOU ARE BOMBARDED BY LOTS OF FLYS. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE!! Pros: GOOD COFFEE Cons: BAD FLY PROBLEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!###FLYS EVERY WHERE AHH###!!!!!!!!!!!! more

I've been going here since they opened, a very long time ago! VERY KID & DOG FRIENDLY! And the kids and dogs are friendly too. Seriously, this is a great place to hang out in the morning or the afternoon. I don't spend much evening time there - but it's usually pretty busy. The staff is always friendly and the coffee is always fresh. Pros: How many thumbs do you have - put all of them UP! Cons: sometimes it's busy and parking can be an issue - so walk or bike more

This is more than a great coffee shop with good java. They're an excellent place for pies, cakes, etc too. Also, a great place for lunch/supper...sandwiches are some of the best. Try the Plethora! Pros: Sandwiches, chips & salsa, coffee Cons: can get crowded more

This is a great spot for anyone looking to read, relax, and/or people watch. The location is unbeatable, and everything's well-priced. The coffee is very good, and service is generally friendly and quick, despite the occasional grouchy staff member. Try any of the items on the menu-they're all good, and vegetarian. The coffee is quality, and their espresso is awesome! Try the Americano, iced or hot, if you don't want a straight up espresso shot (or 2, or 3). They're open until midnight every night, which is a change from all the other coffee shops in Raleigh. The only complaint is that at night, the obnoxiously loud high school set takes over the outside, weather permitting, and inside when it's too cold. Also, they really need Wi-Fi! Other than that, though, if you go during the day or evening before 10, the place is great. Pros: Nice atmosphere, Good prices, Good coffee Cons: Loud teens at night, No Wi-Fi more

Great place, look and feel. I do agree service could be a bit warmer. Greet folks! Must have is WiFi! Got to work with that caffine buzzzz.... Pros: Coffee, Atmosphere Cons: No WiFi, Service sometimes, No WiFi more

I think that third place is a great place, they serve good stuff the joint is jumpin,at night ,but in day it is yuppish, A good place to hang, rember to TIP!!! more

I have been going to Third Place for four years or so now. I love the atmosphere, the coffee and sandwiches are great, and it's wonderful to see an independent business be so successful. But please, please please get the staff to shape up. For the most part they are not very nice, bordering on rude, and often act like the customer is indebted to them for making the coffee. THere are a few employees there who are a cuy above the rest, and they make my visits wonderful- they should be an example to the rest. Down with Starbucks! Pros: Great food & drinks, Atmosphere, Location & hours Cons: service, service, service more