Cru Wine Bar and Store

Heaven in a cup! Triple shot with homemade whip cream. Great place for a muffin and a cup of coffee.

Good pizza & nachos — pleasant place to relax on a Saturday afternoon.

Great coffee shops in eastern NC seem to be too few and far between. This is one of them. Always drop in for a coffee or Red Eye when I find myself in town.

Came in early Monday morning and had two nice lattes and looked around at the bar selection and small store. After a wonderful dinner and the Spouter Inn and Bakery, we decided to stop in for a nightcap before heading back to our room. It’s a very small bar and my wife and I walked around and sat down behind the bartender. She was obviously in an in-​depth conversation with someone at the bar and had no desire to speak with us. After sitting there for 10 minutes without even an acknowledgment, we left and went out the back door. There is no way she could not have known we were there and it just seemed very rude and uncomfortable. We’ve been going to Beaufort for years and this is the worst experience yet in this lovely town.

Okay so while I could write a novel on every detail that makes this place heaven, I’ll keep it short and sweet. Everything about this place is 5 stars. Service, quality of anything that goes into your mouth (I.e. Food and drink), and talent!!! All for no cover!
We just saw Stephanie’s Id and I’m obsessed! Who ever is their talent agent needs to hold on! This place is a gem!

We stopped in, to buy some wine. We met Nina, who was more than a bartender, sales person. She was energetic, delightful and very helpful. We purchased 6 varied bottles, based on her recommendations. The nice thing about this place is not only their selections, but Nina and her coworker– sorry I didn’t catch her name, but recently started working– shared their experiences as to why they settled in Beaufort. This town is a perfect sea town. Thank you for all your assistance and recommendations. We will return!

Really enjoyed my coffee although the coffee bar had to be stocked. They were out of whole milk and had and half and weren’t too concerned about it. The baked goods taste great. May be back

This is a cute little wine shop on one side and coffee shop on the other. All the antioxidants under one roof you could ask for :-) The wine shop has bottles of wines from all over and then a small bar area and high-​tops in the back. We tried the cabernet sauvignon that was on special from South Africa and the bartender recommended a very nice red called Zinfatuation. The bartender was so friendly and gave us great recommendations on dinner options and historical stories about Beaufort. The café side has ice cream, coffee drinks and looks like a great place to relax. The wine prices were very reasonable and they also had spirits and root beer floats. Located right off of Front Street, this is a great place to stop in while strolling though the streets of Beaufort.

If you order decaf in this place make sure you micro manage the barista. The shop was not busy, she didn’t have more to do than put the right coffee in the right cup. I am on medication that prevents me from having more than the very smallest amount of caffeine, otherwise I get extremely sick.
I am from out of town and was enroute to work an event when I got the coffee. The place was pretty dumpy looking (91% sanitation rating on the wall), but I was in a hurry. The coffee was supposedly imported from Escazu, and I noticed the sign at the register stating this. When I got in the car and tasted it, it tasted as though it was flavored. Odd, since it was assumedly single origin. I was pretty put off thinking they must have used a single grinder for flavored beans as for non flavored. I drank the entire 16 ounces and shortly after was sick for the entire afternoon and during the event I was attending. It was obviously caffeine. Lesson learned: pay very close attention when ordering decaf out, though this has never happened before. Not once. When you order from any establishment that provides things that go in your BODY you are trusting them to take your health seriously, not to need mention get it RIGHT.
After the event I went back into the shop to see if the morning girl who had served me was working. She wasn’t, but sure enough the sign confirmed her mistake. It said «Escazu Medium Decaf» Beneath that it stated the regular coffee was FLAVORED.
Pay attention when someone orders decaf. There is always a REASON. You are fortunate I didn’t end up in the hospital and you end up with a lawsuit.

The escazu coffee is good, food is ok for bar fare and there’s a good vibe any time of the day. Beaufort needs a coffee bar like this where patrons can hang out, get on the free wifi and order a custom coffee drink to read, talk with friends, or listen to music. The fact that folks can come for wine, spirits, desert or coffee is great. The location is in the heart of downtown making Cru and easy spot to stop by on your way to shopping or a night on the town. But it could use more big, comfortable chairs and clean, open seating areas with side tables.
One thing that drives me crazy about this place is the wobbly tables. Almost every single table wobbles because the base is uneven, and you have to put a piece of paper under the leg each time. This is a very annoying thing to deal with when you want to come in, relax and have a cup of coffee or glass of wine. Also, as a point of comparison, at the time of this writing Cru has the same sanitation rating as The Royal James. Sometimes I notice small things like the grime on the back door near the handle and the mysterious area behind the coffee bar and stage area. I would add a star each if the seating areas improved (no more wobbly tables and more comfortable seating for drinking coffee and reading) and if they would make the place spotless clean. Then this would be five stars.

Let’s start with the good. Excellent selection of beer and wine. Humble and welcoming ambiance.
The bad.
Staff is incredibly unfriendly. Two days in a row and TWO different staff. You have to get all in their personal space to get their attention and when you do that, they «welcome» you with a cold stare. And taking orders? Wow, such «enthusiasm» oozing from them as well. Really really ridiculous, but it gets better. The «kitchen» is actually right at the register. Yep, all the food prep and «cooking» is done right there. I watched as she used her bare hands to make all the wraps and sandwiches without so much as washing in-​between handling cold cuts, vegetables AND Money AND her nasty pen AND the menu. I promptly cancelled my order upon seeing this and she actually looked relieved. Pitiful. I thanked my lucky stars that the first day I came here I only ordered a drink.
Moral of the story? DO NOT EAT HERE unless you like consuming dirt and bacteria.
Guess what? I will not be back to eat a thing. Drinks yes.

Small but good breakfast menu — try to homemade granola with a side of steamed milk! Really good low key place to eat any meal and have an intimate happy hour later in the day. Deserts will wow you!

My boyfriend and I stumbled across this place our first night in the area and fell in love with it! The beer selection was great (at this time, they have Wells Banana Bread beer, which is one of my favorites) and the food was fantastic. We had our first encounter with the pimiento and cheese that is apparently popular in the area. It was interesting to say the least. We ordered a couple of sandwiches that were filling and full of flavor. We’ve come back a few times while we’ve been in town to grab a beer. The staff is super friendly and eager to please. Can’t get much better than that.

Horrible. Everything is made on a Forman grill. Coffee tastes burnt. Smoothie is not made with fruit. Will not be going back.

My husband and I love the wine bar. Renee is excellent– we go mainly to talk to her, drink good wine/​cocktails and then take her amazing cheesecake home. Very good cheese plates, pizza and nachos. Our favorite spot to hang our in Beaufort.

We were here 4 times in our two day visit. coffee was good, enjoyed a cocktail and music after dinner elsewhere, take out lunch, and coffee again on the way out of town. We like that it is both wine and coffee. Don’t miss a taste of the Beaufort Bar chocolate made there. Dark chocolate with sea salt and some other add ins. Liked that the pastry choices included small ones. and a delicious ham, cheddar, apple grilled breakfast sandwich.

Writing this review strictly from a «coffee snob’s» perspective (we didn’t go there for wine).
Great location, cool ambiance, and good coffee. They messed up my ‘Iced Americano’ order with a cold-​pressed coffee, but I’m not that much of a stickler to complain (the cold-​press coffee was great anyway). My wife had a hand made Italian Cream Soda that was awesome too.

Go here, get the toasted coconut ice cream and you won’t regret it. I’ve been to some of the best ice cream spots in the US, and this is definitely top ice cream. So divine.

This is a review for the wine bar… not the coffee side.
I could not love this place more! Each night on our trips to Beaufort, we end the evening at Cru Wine Bar. I indulge in the wine and hubby has beer so it is a neat little bar, although the emphasis is on the wine. The front of the place is a wine shop with lots to choose from. You can come in for a bottle to take with you or stay for a glass (or four).
The staff is super! They can make recommendations for the back door of Beaufort, not just the touristy attractions and recommend wine for your taste to enjoy and experience.
This wine bar has seating at the bar for about 10 – 12 folks then there are tables set up for about 20 more. There is often live music on the weekends, sort of a laid back folksy music flair which is nice.
Also, can’t forget the Escazu chocolate! It is made in NC and they let us try the Beaufort Bar, which was TO DIE FOR!!!
Wine, chocolate, Beaufort atmosphere… sign me up!

This is a wonderful little spot about ½ a block from the historic Beaufort waterfront and boardwalk on Turner Street. Half Coffee shop, half wine bar this spot will easily fill your daytime and nighttime needs.
Breakfast sandwiches, pastries, quesadillas, pizzas and cheese plates complete the simple fare available throughout the day and night at this great little spot. I popped in for a tasty hot chocolate on a rainy afternoon, and the next for a glass of wine and a chocolate bar. The wine — Hey Mambo! — is a varietal blend and bar favorite. Very tasty and perfect with my dark chocolate bar with roasted cocoa nibs.
This spot is also a wine store and has a nice little selection for a town this size. There are also devinely delicious chocolate bars made local in NC under the name Escazu.
Another perk of this spot is the free wifi — always a must in a coffee shop, especially in a sleepy little town in winter. This place is populated by locals and tourists alike and is a must see while in town.
The wine bar often hosts live music on the weekends and otherwise plays movies on a large projection screen. Yesterday afternoon was the classic «The Natural» and tonight «Confessions of a Shopaholic» so they play quite a range.
I am staying at a B&B one block away and am happy to be so close to this great spot. Another bonus is that this spot stays open over the quiet winter when other places in town close for a break.