Cafe Helios

Great food… but super slow service. Literally have been waiting 20+ minutes for our breakfast and it is still not here. I will give them a few more chances but seriously please get it together. There are only three other people here WTF?

Highlights — Coffee was good (despite many saying baristas are inexperienced). Interior is well designed and seating is comfortable.
Lowlights — Kitchen lost our order, even though the restaurant was half full. Steak not cooked correctly (asked MR, served WD). Egg on Benedict was hard boiled instead of being poached. Muffin tasted like it was from Harris Teeter. Salad served with no dressing. Plus brunch cost almost $ 40!
Bottom line — If you want a coffee, this place is fine. If you want brunch, go elsewhere.

The horrible customer service, combined with the lack of experienced barristas, makes this a less than ideal spot for serious coffee drinkers.
What brings me to this conclusion? For starters, when I asked to have a drink «to go» the girl at the counter said «Uhm, we don’t do that.» What the?! On what planet do you not pour coffee to-​go?
To make matters worse, the espresso was sour. When I complained, I was promised a new shot, but here’s the kicker: she didn’t actually pour the shot for more than 5 seconds! And she hands it to me like as if to test whether I could tell. I could. I was so angry, I decided to let it go because it was not worth it to me to get into an altercation with a person with such low self-​esteem.
To maka matters worse, I could hear her in the backroom talking about how she «tricked» me when in fact I had chosen to be the adult in the situation and not make a big deal out of it.
So, would I recommend Helios? Absolutely. I would recommend it to people I hate. But to my friends and neutral parties, I urge them to find another place with experienced barristas who are not insecure about their abilities.

I ordered the regular benedict, with smoked salmon on muffin. It is amazing! You can tell the ingredient are very fresh and prepared in a respectful way. Coffee is good, too. Highly recommend!

I was thrilled to hear Helios was re-​opening as I always enjoyed grabbing a cup of coffee and lounging with my iPad or newspaper on Sunday mornings. A took a friend of mine who has recently moved to Raleigh to check it out last Sunday and I was slightly disappointed it wasn’t the same Helios. Maybe they should have changed their name and my expectations wouldn’t have been so high.
I must say the staff is great. Very friendly and helpful. I also love the outdoor seating that’s available, though it was too cold to sit outside just yet.
My main complaint was the very loud Mexican music playing the whole time. This used to be a relaxing, chill place to visit and during our visit, my friend and I were having to yell at each other over the music. It never ended so we ended our visit.
The only other downside is that it’s a little small and cramped, but the old Helios was just the same and it will be easier to get a table when the weather turns nice.
I think if the music was not an issue, I would’ve given it 5 stars. Something very easy to fix!

Welcome back, Café Helios! Had a pretty perfect little morning here, outside on their sunny, Glenwood Ave patio. Wonderful cappuccino, a healthy and simple breakfast, and charming neighborhood café atmosphere. I’ll be back soon.

A «must add» to your Saturday and Sunday morning. The «new» Café Helios wonderfully addresses all the issues of the past failures. Gone is the «bad kiddies music», gone is bad «too cool for school» staff, gone is the concrete blocks on the patio, gone is poor design and décor.

Loved returning to Planet Helios! Came in two Fridays ago about 7-​ish and it was quiet which I loved. I got my Americano and a cookie and sat down with my BF. A few people walked in and there were scattered post Hipsters. The service was great although she did mention that they were concentrating more on booze than coffee. I’ve yet to try food or anything else but for now the memories of CH linger and I will return. The place looks amazingly cool, like a café in Norway sans the ultra sloshy people. Come to Helios and relax.

Café Helios is back open and it’s better then ever! A great upgrade with cool décor, very comfy chairs, and a great staff. Yay for coffee shops with yummy food. I spent most of my day here working and had a delicious almond milk latte, and a caesar salad.
They still kept things pretty similar as before. The large outdoor space is great and I can’t wait to enjoy it more once it warms up. There seems to be a lot more choices for beer and wine, and I believe I heard they are staying open late, till 2am. I saw at least 4 or 5 taps of local brews and a ton of wine bottles behind the bar. The menu is full of breakfast options, sandwiches for lunch, and super fresh salads. I loved my caesar salad, the dressing was made with greek yogurt which just makes it that much better. The caesar salad had kale and while beans in it, you could add protein like chicken if you wanted to.
There is PARKING! When I look for a coffee shop I’m looking for one that has parking and food, that’s why Helios is at the top of my list. Great vibe here, I’ll be adding it in to my work week spots.

The new and improved Café Helios is now open and it offers a stylish café experience. With affordable food and beverage during the day and an inviting staff, this restaurant will be a hit.
Ashley took great care of me throughout my stay, often refilling my beverage and chatting with me. I enjoyed a plain Caesar salad that was fresh and unique. The coffee is sourced from a local roaster; it is smooth and balanced. Every seat is plush and comfortable, the internet was fast, and there are power outlets at every single table, even at the bar.
The place now offers a full bar, complete with craft cocktails. Chatting with the staff, I was told that they plan to stay open late and be a spot for tasty cocktails and socializing.

Awesome Coffee, atmosphere and food.
Makes me want to get up and go in the morning, so I can get my day started at HELIOS

When my sister and I first saw the lights on again at Café Helios (after being shuttered for an entire year), we decided to walk up and take a peek in. After a few silent deep breaths, we both started mumbling a mantra of, «Change can be good, change can be good, change can be good…» a combination of hope and fear in our hearts.
I’m happy to say today that while BIG change has, in fact, come to our beloved Helios, change can and *is* thankfully good. In fact, it’s kind of great…
You’ll be pleased to hear that the espresso is still expertly pulled, the food still (so far) delectable. Many of the old Helios stand-​bys remain on the menu (although my fingers are crossed that they find a way to bring back my beloved grapefruit brulee, at least to the brunch menu). Had the smoked salmon open-​faced sandwich, and it was excellent — felt healthy and decadent all at the same time.
The atmosphere is vastly changed. The new interior is stunning, really, and at first I was concerned that it was a little *too* nice. But having spent the morning working here, it feels like my cozy little office just got a sexy new makeover. The seating is more comfortable (those blue chairs have some baller back support), the music is equal parts hip and soothing, and the staff is NICE!!! I mean, I’d become accustomed to the too-​cool-​to-​be-​kind counter staff of yore, but it’s really refreshing that the staff at least acts like they’re happy you’re here.
I know there will be some who long for the more casual, homey, hipster feel of Helios 1.0, but with my first visit down, I feel like I can let go of what was and breathe easy again. Happily adding Helios back into my coffee office arsenal. And with their new full bar, perhaps I’ll be popping in for Happy Hour as well!