Waterbean Coffee | NoDa

Description: Here at Waterbean Coffee, we always try to stay original and never follow the trends. In a time when most coffee shops focus on getting the customers in and out of their doors the quickest, we try to give them a place to relax, hold meetings, go over schoolwork, or just hang out with friends. We want to be more than just another coffee shop.

Comments: Waterbean Pineville has been my favorite of all their locations ever since it replaced Unwind Tea and Coffee. But this spot is giving it some real competition. The interior follows the Waterbean style guide: bright, clean, and energetic. White walls and faux marble tables. A mix of black and green velvet chairs with gold legs.

It feels like the café you'd find in the lobby of a tech or tech adjacent company, a look that matches the overall Waterbean aesthetic, as seen at their South End location at the base of LendingTree headquarters. Elegant yet approachable and perfect for getting work done. Outlet coverage is decent. The coffee bar has some tucked underneath for extra convenience.

The real standout is the rooftop patio. It seats around twenty, is strung with lights, has shaded corners, and plenty of open sky. If it's not too hot, it's a great place to post up and read, study, or chill. Many coffee shops have patios, few have rooftop ones!

Food/drink wise, I maintain that the Waterbean Special sandwich is one of the best in town. But their respect for tea remains why I love their locations. A magnetic display of tins lets you sample nearly twenty herbal blends by scent before you order. Temple of Heaven, Honeymilk Ginger, and Sweet Green Oolong are my favorites.

As someone who runs a site cataloguing almost every coffee shop in Charlotte, it may surprise you to learn that I don't drink coffee. I'm a tea guy, and as such, respect any place that treats it with this much care. Bravo Waterbean, bravo.