The Coffee Element

Quiet locally owned coffee shop in southern Durham. I’m not in this area that much but when I am I have some of my favorite spots. After seeing all the glowing Unilocal reviews I had to give this place a chance.
As others have mentioned they use Counter Culture coffee which is always a plus for me. I really enjoyed the atmosphere, it was super clean and quiet enough to study, hold a meeting, or just chill. The staff is friendly and they have some inventive latte flavors. I choose my go to latte with almond milk, it was extra foamy and delicious. I will always choose a place that serves my coffee in a ceramic mug while staying in, no paper cups only here.
I noticed a large assortment of danishes, bagels, and other baked goods. What really stood out was the waffle menu. I didn’t read all these reviews through so I had no idea about the waffles. Though I didn’t have anything to eat this time around, I definitely am looking forward to my next visit. I’ll be sure to fill it up with sugary deliciousness and many waffles.
I love my coffee, and I’m happy to find a great new spot in Durham.

Hands down my favorite coffee shop in the area. If you haven’t been to coffee element yet, it’s definitely worth the trip. It has everything you could want in a coffee shop: great coffee and tons of options and flavors, pastries and an awesome waffle menu, a cozy atmosphere, enough seating and outdoor seating for when it’s nice outside, plenty of outlets and good wifi connection, couches, and even board games! I really have no complaints about this place.
The staff are the friendliest and always take the time to spark up a conversation with you. They always act excited and happy to see a customer walk in the door and make you feel welcomed right away. The seating is comfortable and is generally quiet depending on the day so it’s a good place to get studying done. I’ve tried a lot of different drinks from the chai tea to the coffee or speciality mocha flavors and all are super tasty. They even give a student discount and the prices are fair.
It seems that more and more people are catching on to how great this place is since its been more crowded lately in the mornings on the weekends. So make sure to get here early if you want to ensure you’ll get a table.

This is my favorite coffee shop. I come here so often that the baristas have started remembering my orders.
There wifi is great and there are a good number of outlets for getting work done. The shop is just the right size to be cozy but big enough to usually find a table. Just be careful on a Saturday when many people have the same idea! There are games and books for you to borrow and a nice couch section if tables aren’t your ideal seating.
The prices are fair and they take care of their students. Plus if you use the same card each time after the tenth purchase you get a sweet deal!
Make sure to strike up a conversation with the baristas, they don’t get much nicer.

This place is good for both work (good wifi) and leisure read. The barista is super friendly and helped me decide on what I should try. They have many coffee options. They have very few places for charging your phone/​laptop. And they are not that big either. Good coffee coupled with pleasant interior is big plus to this place.
I haven’t tried their pastries yet which I intend to in the coming weeks.
Bottomline: Good coffee and wifi and Super friendly staff

Reason for the 5 stars:
— extensive waffle menu
— several pour over options (all good too!)
— genuine generous graceful staff
— bright inside
— good piped in music
— clean bathroom

Tried this place once (so far) and loved it. The coffee is great and love that they have board games!
Place is small and can get busy but great atmosphere.

I really struggled between a 3 and a 4 star for this place. Truly the service is what tipped in to a 4 for me. I came in for a to-​go breakfast around 9, and the business was a little steady, but by no means overwhelming, giving me time to review the menu. I chose a crème brulee latte and a everything bagel with garlic chive cream cheese. Here is where the extra effort service came in. I typically choose sugar-​free options, as I just don’t like too much sugar. The gentleman (I’m assuming the owner?) offered to make it with half the flavoring, and told me if I didn’t like it, he would remake it, or I could try something else. He seemed really dedicated to making sure I was happy. Additionally, when he pulled out the drawer for my everything bagel, he was out, and I watched him literally run to the back to get another one. I wasn’t in a hurry, but I’ll still take that dedication. He finished my latte, packed up my bagel and cream cheese and sent me on my way.
The latte was good, by no means the best I’ve ever had (maybe my fault since it was halfway?), but good none the less. He mentioned to me while making it, that their coffee is not bitter, and maybe this is the bite-​y flavor I felt I was missing when drinking the latte. The coffee itself just didn’t feel strong enough.
The bagel was somewhat disappointing. It was toasted, but was in no way wrapped to keep it warm. It was dropped in a bag next to a small container of cream cheese. Most places I have been to apply the cream cheese for you, and wrap it before placing it in the bag. I suppose this does allow for personalization of your cream cheese amount. Unfortunately for me, it forced me to sit in my parked car for a few extra minutes while I applied the cream cheese, since my plan was to eat driving.
The cream cheese was also an experience. I am probably the head of the garlic fan club. I will put garlic in nearly any recipe that is savory. Unfortunately, even for me, the garlic and chive cream cheese was too strong. The first couple bites were great, and then it kinda went down hill from there. By the time I got through both halves of the bagel, I was pretty concerned about my dragon breath. I ran in the store for a quick errand, leaving the cream cheese container in my car, and immediately had to dispose of it upon return as it caused a pretty awful smell.
I would try this place again, if I were in the area, but I’m not sure I’d go out of my way for a visit.

Stopped in here on the way to take my father to duke hospital for an appointment. Went with the chocolate chip muffin, which was good, and the smores mocha as that caught my attention. For some reason the mocha had a weird taste to it I just didn’t really care for. It wasn’t terrible, just a little off. I’ll definitely be back to try a regular mocha or maybe some iced coffee as well as their pancakes which look absolutely delicious.

We looked up this place on the way back from Thanksgiving road tripping! Thought it would be an easy place to find off the highway for a quick, local coffee rather than your run of the mill Starbucks. It was right off the exit and easy to find with my smartphone.
The logo is super cute, and I enjoy how they carry/​use Counter Culture. We both enjoyed our coffees, too. He got the drip and I got a mocha. Overall a great choice, and we saved a few bucks, too.
It was a very welcoming and warm atmosphere and the lady behind that counter was nice even though we did come in maybe an hour before closing time. Being the day after Thanksgiving, they already had their Christmas decorations up. Now that’s keeping up with the holidays… geez!
Glad we made the effort to find a new place to try via Unilocal

I recently darkened the doorway of The Coffee Element in Durham for the first time. I like to patronize the independent coffee places when I can, and this place is convenient for me.
I had the 16-​ounce latte and banana nut bread. I will say I liked their latte better than the ones I get at Starbucks. I also liked the banana nut bread. It looks like they are known for their waffles so next time I will probably try one of those.
This place is small and seems to be a neighborhood spot with a lot of regulars.

We’re so happy to find this place after our sumptuous dinner. It’s just a few steps away from the restaurant. We closed our finger and hoped that they are still open. According to Unilocal,they are open until 7. And it’s already 7 during that time. We went inside and the guy accommodated us (I believe he’s the owner). He said that he’ll be very happy to make and prepare our drinks. He sounded very cool! He even asked if we want the waffle. I guess that will be too much even though it’s tempting.
There are too many options on the menu and he explained the difference and what it’s made of. The guy was very knowledgable. I chose the S’more Mocha (which is Frap equivalent). It is made of cold drip coffee. I was amazed on the taste. It’s very different and something unique. It gave a different taste and texture on that Frap, I mean Cold Fusion.
He let us know too that there are lot of stuff going on to that coffee shop. You can play variety of games and they have a session of painting or canvassing every now and then. I think that sounds fun!
I wish it’s close by so I can have more. I’m looking forward to have the waffle as well. I heard that it’s really really good! I will next time I’ll visit North Carolina.

Fantastic!
I use this word a lot for food all over Durham, so I think this sets the scene for Coffee Element’s competition.
In contrast to competition, Coffee Element’s mission is to provide local and organic ingredients inside store-​baked goodies rather than simply sourcing local bakeries. This is to their advantage! I haven’t had a single bad thing from the pastry case of the shop.
To supplement their baked goods, Brian (the owner) knows his coffee! This is my go-​to for my latte, but their «frappé-​style» blended drinks will also make you smile.
The setting is great. Unlike other spots, the music isn’t the main focus, but they have a good playlist to keep your work running smooth if you forgot headphones. Seats fill quickly, so working during lunch may be hard.
Customer service shouldn’t be left off this already lengthy summary. They know their regulars and welcome the newcomers with open arms. Brian is very passionate about his work and loves to chat and listen.

I’ve been here several times and everyone is always so nice. I’ve tried a few of their teas and they’re all unique and delicate in flavor!
Today I had to finally try a waffle as it was my last day in Durham. I got it with just banana (had to resist the Nutella) because I didn’t want to overpower the waffle and it was perfect! The waffle was perfectly crispy on the edges and soft and warm in the middle. I enjoyed every single bite!

For a coffee shop rating, I’m giving the coffee element 5 stars. Everything from the atmosphere to the coffee here is great! I went for the first time on Saturday, and was already back again the next day on Sunday. They have a lot of different coffee flavors and teas to choose from. All of the pastries are homemade as well and looked really good! I need to try the waffles eventually, because they all sound amazing too. I tried the green tea and the vanilla white mocha and both were great! With the green tea you can taste a hint of mint and I could taste both the mixture of vanilla and white mocha which was delicious. I will definitely be trying some more mocha flavors, since the flavors were so hard to choose from! The staff here is super friendly as well. After ordering my drink, they brought it to my table for me instead of making me wait. They also make an effort to have a short conversation with you and are invested in what their customers are studying.
The atmosphere here is great if you are looking for somewhere to study. There are lots of outlets for charging purposes near every table. It’s also fairly quiet inside so it’s easy to focus on your work. The only downside is that it closes by 7:00 pm each evening which is fairly early for people who work during the day and want to get some studying in after working hours. I will be coming back here often!

Loved studying here today! Plenty of wall outlets to go around and great background music. I wish they had like one more bigger table to accommodate groups (mostly small tables) …but it was overall never too crowded to find a spot. I’m not a coffee drinker, but they serve counter culture coffee which I hear is legit. I tried their hot chai tea (non latte) and it was excellent. High quality silk tea bag and the price was comparable to Starbucks. The guy at the counter was so nice and helpful… even refilled my hot tea and brought it to my table. Very friendly and laid back atmosphere. There is also outside seating. I’ll definitely be back to study another time!

Came back here again because my girlfriend wanted to go to Waffle House and I was like ha ha let’s try here. I got the resolution breaker and of course it was delicious. I also think I really like this place because unlike some closer areas to get coffee they aren’t so pretentious. The shop itself is kept clean and not cluttered.
Also I really like their other selection of pastries they have. I love croissants and they had a ham and cheese one, a guava one? and an apple turnover-​which I love! I didn’t get any this time but the size and the pastry looked tantalizing. I’m just picky about my pastries I suppose. Some places have ones that looked burnt or mushy but these looked really aesthetic. Can I say that about a pastry? I’ll probably be back to try the apple turnover sometime soon.
The service is always great. I also love that they had reasonably priced waffles that they make right then and there for you. I rarely leave 5 stars but I really like this place. It’s priced nicely and it’s just a clean, relaxing place to get coffee

Among all the coffee shops I’ve been to in Durham (quite a few), this is the one I’m most excited to come back to.
The atmosphere is modern and inviting, and the guy holding down the counter was very pleasant to chat with. Waffle with butter and syrup, as well as latte with vanilla flavoring were excellent.
I’m already planning my next visit.

Speaking of coffee itself, the store uses counter culture beans. I have to say, I will never be a fan of counter culture beans. The bean tastes like burned and too sour for coffee. Well, it happens in multiple coffee shops which use counter coffee beans. So this is not their fault. And I have heard that they have great coffee choices for try. But I am on a diet now, so next time, on my cheat day, I will come back to try those flavors.
Let’s talk about the service. From my knowledge, (visiting market street coffee, cocoa cinnamon, respite, etc), I think here has the best service attitude. The owner is friendly and shows huge southern hospitality to all the customers. I really appreciate the effort and such hospitality is really matched with the cozy theme of this coffee shop.
The only thing I am little bit concerned about is the internet. It is kind of one and off for multiple times.
Owner just informed me that they roast their own coffee! Sounds exciting for me!

I’m very pleased with this coffee shop since the new owners took over. The service is great and everything I’ve ordered has been delicious, including the espresso drinks and pour-​over coffee. The barista can also make a flat white, if you’re so inclined, even though it’s not on the menu.
The atmosphere is great for getting work done, and the waffles are delicious too!

I will start this off with a disclaimer: I am not a (regular) coffee drinker. However, this does not mean I don’t know anything about coffee, I’m just pickier. So, when I tell you that this place just gave me one of the most delicious mochas I’ve ever had the pleasure of sipping on, then you should probably trust my opinion.
I just finished a lovely bike ride down the American Tobacco Trail for Valentine’s Day with my honey, when we both decided to get something to warm us up for the bike ride back. He had been eyeing this coffee place for a while and since we were nearby, we popped in. It has a great vibe, friendly and knowledgable without the pretentiousness. There’s even board games! And OMG they serve waffles!
Now to the coffee. The menu isn’t overwhelming, but has many interesting options to choose from. This is where I may be bias, because they had a bunch of different types of mochas, which is my coffee of choice when I drink. The guy at the counter was so genuinely nice, and I’ve never had anyone ask what TYPE of chocolate I wanted in my coffee! Dark chocolate? YES, please! He didn’t even judge me when I asked for skim milk, but still wanted whipped cream on top! And when I asked for a swirl of chocolate on top, he said something along the lines of, «of course, is there any other way?» Oh, sir, you have captured my mocha-​loving heart!