Drift

Talk about yummy! Great coffee and amazing sandwich with Dubliner cheese… ricotta cheese on banana bread with honey and walnuts, delish! Avocado smash sandwich-​my hubby is in love. The best part-​a great staff… cheery, engaging, professional. We’ll be back tomorrow and everyday we are at Ocean Isle.

This place is pretty epic. Who doesn’t love a coffee shop that doubles as a beer and wine bar? I recommend the avocado smash, it was really good and the coffee was also a win. Service was great and they have a really cool location and view.

Great place right by the beach. Great coffee menu and breakfast food. I love the avocado smash and the salmon sandwich. They have a nice little selection of beer and wine you can purchase. Everyone is very nice and welcoming there. A great place to get something to go or sit down and relax with a great cup of coffee.

Excellent service + a great cup of coffee + perfect company = happy family
The service was great. The gentleman working was very friendly, warm, and gave us come tips on where to go. The coffee (we had the pour over) was worth the trip! We will def be back!
*just went back– second day in a row-​I thought I had posted but I guess I didn’t! Coffee and customer service was perfect again! our server today was also very hospitable. Apparently the owners are away on a coffee expedition (sounds like so much fun). It must nice to know that while away, those holding down the fort are doing an amazing job! Hope to be back to Ocean Isle Beach soon…

Simply an excellent experience.
I had the Avocado Smash which was colorful and delicious. My kids seemed happy splitting the ham and cheese. My husband loved the smoked salmon sandwich. The ambiance was quiet and chill and the service was personable and polite. Oh and the smoothie was very tasty. We will be coming back often and would gladly recommend it to anyone for breakfast or lunch.

Fantastic coffee and breakfast on Ocean Isle. Have been vacationing on this beach for over twenty years and have yet to find something like this.
Went with the iced coffee, a Berry smoothie, Açaí bowl and avocado smash (toast) with a poached egg — all for two people. Exceptional — could eat this for breakfast everyday.
Order online to skip the 5 – 10 minute wait for food. This is a can’t miss at Ocean Isle Beach, right up there with the Calabash Creamery in Calabash.

The coffee is absolutely excellent. I love the Black Amber! It’ll get you jacked up!!! The reason it gets four stars is that the sandwiches are a bit over priced for such small portions.

I really wanted to like this place. My family lives on Sunset Beach and we visit them as often as we can. We are always on the lookout for, how should I put this, more sophisticated options for grabbing food and drinks out. Unfortunately, although this place has a cool aesthetic it just doesn’t deliver on the food, drinks, or service.
My biggest grievance was with the service. When I ordered my iced cold brew they handed it to me as I was paying. I asked if I could get cream and sweetener. He gets cream from the counter behind him and sets it beside me (fine so far) then says, «sugar on the bar.» Ok. I thought it was weird they only had sugar for iced coffees but whatever. Imagine my surprise when I watch other people come up and ask where the cream and sweetener is and the guy (who is one of the owners) pulls out a simple syrup from behind the counter. Wtf?
As I start to notice this, we are continuing to wait and wait for the smoothies we ordered. I see them sitting on the back counter, so my husband goes up to ask about them and the owner guy asks to verify James’s name with his receipt to make sure those are our smoothies. (The same dude that checked us out and we ordered from.) By this point we’ve finished our toasts.
For my money, I’ll be sticking with OIB Surf & Java for better coffee and service. After my crappy iced coffee from Drift we stopped by OIB Surf and Java since we needed a grocery run and my husband and I did a side by side taste test with Drift and OIB’s iced coffees. Oh my lord… OIB was hands down better.
I got the avocado toast. Nothing special. I think they used Pepperidge Farm bread, for gods sake. One piece of bread, add one egg and cherry tomato slices for $ 7. Overpriced. Though the pepitas/​pumpkin seeds were a nice touch.
We also ordered the acai and light green smoothies. Both were a little too sweet for my tastes. But I’m probably picky since I make green smoothies daily.
As we left, I said something to the owner guy about how I would have appreciated being told about the syrup and his response was that I should have asked for it. (Weird since I said the exact same thing other people did…“where can I get cream and sweetener?”.) He doesn’t apologize when I point this out and says that, well, simple syrup is just sugar and water…(no sh*t. But, simple syrup is better for iced coffees, man.) No apology, no offer to replace my coffee since I’ve already put sugar in it, just offering the simple syrup bottle to me.
As I said, I threw the coffee away and went and got OIB. My family and I won’t be returning. And unfortunately we’ll have to spread the word about Drift to our friends and family down here. And not in a good way.

I had been eyeing Drift for a while, and decided to stop by while on vacation this past week – it certainly did not disappoint! I ordered an iced chai latte and a pesto grilled cheese sandwich. Both were delicious and made to order. I also enjoyed the beach décor and relaxed atmosphere. Check this place out if you’re in Ocean Isle!

Amazing friendly staff and oh so delicious food I have the avocado egg smash yummy !!! And an iced espresso with caramel I will probably go everyday while I’m here in OIB

Great breakfast or lunch spot. Variety of sandwiches and breakfast items. A great selection of local beers, one Belgium (Orval), and a few good wines. The food, expresso, and coffee drinks are great.

On my most recent annual retreat to OIB, I wanted to try out Drift from a Unilocal friend’s review she recently posted (shout out to Rose L.). Not only did I get to stop by once, but twice this time and had a great visit to Drift each morning. What we found once we scaled the steps up to the coffee shop was very satisfying.
Chris M. and I hit Drift early to mid morning these days (first day around 8am) and it was not a bad time to go. Even around 9−930am on the Saturday going out traffic day the crowd/​line was manageable. Bonus, as I hate to wait and I’m all about some instant gratification. The line progressed pretty quickly. As we came in and settled into our queue, I got to appreciate the vibe and atmosphere here. Lots of wood, finished and unfinished, and simple but nicely done décor found inside, and there is a pretty nice area outside to enjoy your selection. Nice blend of hip/​modern/​simple all together. Lots of different areas to sit, ranging from a nice leather sofa area to typical stool and table setup. Some had their laptops, other gathered around in groups, so it’s a good dynamic for whatever your needs are while getting some joe. The service was great, I mean from management down to the girl taking our order they all were positive and attentive but most importantly kept that line going well with a smile on their face. They already had memorized our first names and what we liked to drink from our first visit and got it right on when we were there the next day. KEEP IT UP GUYS, that’s a differentiator! But how about that coffee, eh? Well I had some great coffee here, I enjoyed my latte very much. The bites I took from Chris M.‘s ham and cheese scone were worth it also. Good experiences each day. They even have live music nights looks like from the little posted announcements seen, and I noticed a nice craft beer selection board as well (snapped a shot of it). For Ocean Isle Beach, this little place has it going on for a coffee shop.
Bottom line: I am going to say 4.5 stars for Drift down in OIB. The service/​staff is the differentiator that has me rounding up to 5 stars. Along with great coffee, tasty bites, and a nice atmosphere/​vibe I say Drift should be a morning mainstay for trips down here.

Coffee: the only true coffee shop I could find in this area. As per my usual I ordered a double espresso in order to sample the coffee. Joe VanGough is a legit roaster, so I know that the beans have potential. I didn’t ask which bean/​roast they were using for espresso, but it tasted like a single origin. I was pleased that my drink was served in an appropriately sized espresso cup, and the shot was close to perfect. I was also pleased that it was served with a small spoon for stirring the espresso before drinking. There was a slight hint of spoiled coffee aroma, perhaps from old grounds caught in the grinder, but not enough to spoil the experience. I will say, this place was busy, and for good reason. In this location it can’t be beat. Not even close.
Food: the acai berry bowl was really nice. Just enough of a good thing to leave you feeling great.
Atmosphere: almost perfect for my taste. Minimalist, but not sterile. Very functional use of the space. Vintage turntable was a nice touch. I just wish they were actually using it while I was there.

I was delighted to find this upscale coffee bar had thrived and was now in their second season. They’ve added some food items and extended into evening hours as a wine bar, and I can see a lot of efficiencies in their operation, like the Express line for coffee and espresso drinks. But the essence has remained– still a comfy, San Francisco coffeehouse vibe. Nice!

Nice addition to the OIB food and coffee scene. I really enjoyed my avocado smash breakfast with a poached egg.
We even got to enjoy their open mic night on a Tuesday night while we were at the beach in July.

Nothing that hasn’t been said before, but I’ve only come here twice while staying in OIB, and I already fell in love. Even caught some live guitar music in the evening!
The space is open and amply lit — naturally — from windows on three of the walls. Casually mismatched décor, like a reclaimed wood table with a selection of books in front of a comfortably worn couch, coffee burlap sacs repurposed as pillows, plastic bar stools, even a pew set against the windows — all bring together a relaxed vibe. The room has air conditioning, making this an oasis from the sweltering NC sun. Staff & baristas were chill and efficient.
They are serious about their coffee, and this is coming from a self-​professed coffee snob from Montréal. Great espresso, perfect steamed milk, and a small selection of whole bean coffees to take home from a local roaster. On my first visit, I picked up a freshly-​roasted single-​origin Honduran coffee, which went great in a french press.
The turkey/​avocado/​swiss/​arugula sandwich was good, nothing extraordinary, but it hit the spot. They have a small number of other sandwiches on the menu, but a much better selection of wine and beer. Also available are various fruit smoothies and healthy breakfast options made with eggs, açai, granola, and avocado.
Very impressed — a must if you’re in the area, and worth going out of your way for if you’re craving excellent coffee.

So glad there’s a local coffee shop on OIB now! The menu is simple but has everything you would need. The iced coffee with homemade vanilla syrup was delicious. Also had the avocado smash which was a great simple but filling breakfast option. Will definitely be stopping by here every time I visit OIB!

For the location and taste of the coffee, this place is definitely a five star for Ocean Isle Beach. There is literally no direct competition at this beach, so they’ve got a monopoly on what they’re selling. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be the lack of competition that has given them good stars, but I can assure you it’s not. Drift is a breath of fresh air (and it’s not because it’s located close to the ocean!) Just walking into the second floor location I immediately felt relaxed in the clean and inviting shop. Lovely couches, an inviting wooden counter and glass cases. We ordered an iced chai and iced coffee. I’d skip the iced chai next time, it was a little too sweet for me, but I also was comparing it to the coffee which I LOVED! The iced coffee took the cake though, it was some of the smoothest coffee I’ve ever tasted and almost tasted naturally sweet, is that possible?! I don’t even like sweet coffee but something about this made my mouth water. I need to start going to Joe Van Gogh’s more often, they’re located right here in Durham and I don’t think I’ve ever been there for an iced coffee. Definitely worth a visit if you’re a coffee lover and looking for a treat for the beach!

My husband is the coffee lover in our family and enjoys a good cup of flavorful coffee. He fell in love with the Americana coffee and we visited multiple times during our stay at Ocean Isle.
Myself, I admit that I am a tea snob. Nothing but the best, flavorful, loose leaf teas from England will do for me. However, I gave their tea a try. It is looseleaf tea bags and Earl Gray blend from a Canadian based company. I give the tea 4stars as it was quite flavorful and not very bitter at all! Pleasantly surprised.

Great tasting coffee!
Ordered a plain latte and the sandwich of the day. The coffee was delicious and exactly what one would expect from a latte, strong espresso, good milk ratio, and stiff foam. The sandwich was also very good. Excellent bread, tasty spinach and cheese, and grilled to perfection. I also really enjoyed the atmosphere and friendly staff. I can’t wait to return!