Thoroughly enjoyed my first ever experience here! My latte and muffin were delicious, and the staff were super friendly and helpful! Will definitely be back soon!!

A huge improvement over their last shop! Service and coffee still the best in the business. I'm not familiar with all the "cool" coffee terms but the guys are always willing to take the time to teach me if I have a question. Great place!

This is the very best coffee shop! Excellent coffee, good vibes and friendly service. This is a cornerstone of the Hillsborough community!

Great place for coffee and more.

This place has the best coffee and tea. It's not close to the interstate, but is in downtown Hillsborough. Even my kids love going there especially on weekends. Great service and friendly staff too.

Walking into Cup a Joe makes me happy every time. It's pleasantly busy every time we visit, feels just full of fresh light, and the drinks and snacks we get are always great. (Today's were a dirty chai for my husband--a little spicy for my taste, but perfect for him--and a blue matcha latte for me, as well as a perfectly made blueberry buttermilk scone.) Cannot recommend this place highly enough. We live in Durham, but Cup a Joe makes us wish we lived in Hillsborough.

Out of towner here but this coffee shop is way better than anything we have in Charlotte. You can tell everyone is invested in providing the best product possible. 100% boss vibes.

Upon returning to Hillsborough after spending several years in DC, one of the first things I had to do was find a local coffee shop. I found CaJ - and haven't left since. It's the quintessential hometown coffee shop - filled with all the local chatter you could want (or not), an excellent selection of rotating beans for us mainly-drip drinkers, and an owner with a Midas touch for baking some seriously addictive creations. Try the rice krispie treats at your own peril... Both parking and seating can get limited during peak hours, but service is always quick if you need to take one to go. If you spend any time in this area and drink coffee, you really should check these guys out.

Hard, “get to it” young women who bake, serve and make your drink. Only the necessities for morning time when sleepy people are processing very little and hurried delivery men snatch their fill before their first stop of the day. A simple menu and people with a purpose...a very nice mornings at Cup-a-Joe in Hillsborough, NC.

What I miss most about Hillsborough! New location is great, with all the oldies but goodies of their past shop. Super tasty coffee, super tasty treats- salty chocolate chip cookies, flourless pistachio cookies, and their crunchy blueberry scones will keep you coming back coffee aside. The atmosphere is the quintessential Hillsborough experience- cozy, friendly, arty, and a wee bit exclusive... Just enough to make you feel like you're in on the secret. Whatever that secret may be.

Great coffeeshop with puzzling hours. The shop is often full to bursting when they close, suggesting that they would continue to be full if they stayed open past 3pm.

Best Cafe mocha I've ever had! Make sure to ask for heavy cream. If I can make it before closing, I'm getting another one! Bravo!

Great priced coffee and their staff was super nice. The chai latte for the Friday special was awesome!

I was happily surprised by everything here! The food was fantastic and certainly fairly priced. They have a pretty extensive menu with some really unique and cool items on there. The service could not have been more sincerely friendly and, generally speaking, the place just has a very cool overall vibe.

I had an oat milk mocha with half the syrup! The drink was spot on! Great job! It was super fun to watch the baristas create the drinks! My hubby got the cold brew and was very happy!

I’m visiting from out of town and this was the only coffee place I could find and they did not disappoint. I only got a coffee and their vanilla latte is MUCH better than Starbucks. You can also tell they try to use cups and materials that are recyclable and care about their carbon footprint. This was a Saturday morning and the place was packed!

It's a hard to find a good coffee in the US sometimes but this place nails it. Pastry selection is minimal but sufficient if you are just looking for a snack to go with your tasty caffeination.

Fabulous coffee beans, frequent mayor spottings, and a particularly charming original Howard the Duck on the wall. Usually a good dog waiting at one of the doors, if you like to pet friendly dogs. Requisite stop on a trip to Old Town.

I've been here two dozen times since my first rating. This is a local gem, with coffee, tea, amazing pastries, and coffee accessories for sale. You can also buy coffee beans here, though at a premium even over Weaver Street. And hey - you can also get comics! The staff is great, the coffee is a+, and the space - inside and outside - is cozy. UPDATE: I have lost count of the number of times I have been here. I am one with the dirty chai. All hail local coffee shop.

I've been coming here for years. Often on a weekly basis. They always have baked goods and have been carrying strong arm bakery (Oxford, NC) items for a while now. Love those cinnamon pullaparts with my cup a joe! The only thing lacking is southern hospitality. I feel like I'm up north when I go. It's fine, but set your expectations accordingly.

Great local spot for delicious coffee and morning treats. I like the staff and the energy. Very delicious and high quality. It gets crowded, but folks are nice and friendly letting you squeeze in.

This is an old Hillsborough staple, known for their delicious coffees and pastries. Great place for meeting for a coffee date with friends or bringing your laptop to knock out some work or studies.

Excellent coffee, and perfect location!

Cup-A-Joe is the only real coffee shop in Hillsborough, but stands up well against good independent coffee shops anywhere. The staff are knowledgeable about coffee and friendly even during busy times. Their pastry selection often goes early in the day. They generally serve pastries, cookies, and biscotti's and occasionally more substantial food, so if you're looking for breakfast or lunch you might have to go elsewhere. However, the coffee is good enough that often we will pick up coffee here and go get food elsewhere. For lunch, coffee here and Steve's down the street is a good combination.

Today was the first time I visited Cup-A-Joe and it won’t be the last! I visited based on recommendations from friends and I’m glad I did. The people were friendly, but more importantly, the coffee was fantastic. I had a peppermint mocha, 1/2 caf with skim milk, and it was very smooth and not overdone with peppermint (other coffee shops I’ve been to have bitter and overly strong coffee for me). I also had the blueberry scone and it was perfect. It was the perfect breakfast! I look forward to returning.

Always good coffee and friendly, inviting, atmosphere. They always have a fun specialty drink and great bakery items. It looks like they now carry JP’s gluten free baked goods too!

Great coffee and espresso drinks. I love a good latte and they serve one of the best I've had. A variety of fresh baked goods are available most days. They also stock a rotating selection of whole bean coffees. The place can get a little loud at times when it is crowded, but that's expected.

My favorite coffee shop. I'm picky about my coffee and like it strong. This place actually gets it right and isn't watered down like so many other places. I no longer live in the area and am an hour away now but will absolutely go out of my way on occasion to go here

Best coffee shop ever! Locally owned and run. Ryan and Brooke are great. She bakes wonderful pastries, muffins, pies and more and he makes sure the coffee selection is unparalleled. Great atmosphere as well. Can't say enough good things about this place.

Great ambiance and a very courteous and knowledgeable staff. A colleague has been a long time fan of this shop. He invited me to meet him here over any other coffee chains in the area and now I know why. It's a great place to run into other locals and has a pleasant atmosphere. You get there on foot from most of "downtown" Hillsborough and drop right in to get quick and high quality coffee and hot beverages.

Great local coffee shop with great options for coffee and tea along with a pastry or bread item. Not too big or too small. Quaint and cozy atmosphere to catch up with a friend or colleague. Looking forward to returning

Our favorite coffee place in Hillsborough. They make an incredible latte, excellent baked goodies, kids friendly, and fast!

Great lattes, friendly staff, and the best biscotti around. The only knock is the large square tables they use in this very narrow space. Would be much better to replace with high chairs facing counters on the wall. Still, when that's your only complaint, this shop is clearly good!

adorable local coffee shop, the atmosphere was amazing and so was the food+coffee. i would recommend the limited-time dreamhouse latte inspired by the barbie movie!! so delicious<33

Love, love, love this place! The baristas are awesome, the atmosphere is great and the drinks are superb! They have the absolute best chai latte I've ever had! Definitely one of my favorite local coffee joints!

The best anywhere around. They also listen to your likes and dislikes in coffee and can help you make a perfectly suited selection. They will likely remember your preferences the next time! Owners and employees are always a great team! It shows.

Wasn’t sure what to expect but as I saw that the pumpkin menu was out I knew. I’m not a breakfast sandwich kind of girl BUT I HAVE CHANGED. Genuinely amazing food and drinks. This is amazing!!

What a great place to get a coffee and work, read, chat. Its exactly what a coffee shop should be.

Yall are going to get a laugh, BUT it was our first time searching for a coffee shop in Hillsborough, and we ended up at the actual facility where they process the coffee beans that Cup-A-Joe sells 😅. The ladies at both places were awesome!! Everyone, myself, hubby, and daughter all enjoyed our coffee/tea, and we all ordered something different. We will definitely go back if we're in that area again!

A salty chocolate chip cookie was definitely the best choice this AM with an iced latte. Friendly staff, great coffee, awesome baked goods. What’s not to love?

Great ambience, friendly staff, despite being so busy the place was immaculate clean.

My wife and I hung out in here during a day trip to Hillsborough. This is a great place to get work done or to hang out with friends. On a nice day you can enjoy outdoor seating on the sidewalk. If you know the Cup-A-Joe by NC State, know that this is nothing like it. This one feels very modern and open. They are both great, but I was surprised at how different this was.

Great coffee! Nice ambiance…packed place though!

Tasty food / snacks, nice customer service and wonderful cappuccino!! Got second cup of cappuccino for rest of my drive!!

One of the best place in Hillsborough for coffee. Staff is always ready to go above and beyond to help you.

We’ve been visiting Cup A Joe several times a week since 2018 and have never had a poor experience! The staff is always warm and welcoming. The pastries are consistently delicious as well as the coffee beverages. Don’t miss out their fun specials board! My kids love the special touch of a “kids temp” option so they can sip their beverages without fear of scalding their tongues. It’s the small things making this a special community hub 💕You’ll find elderly, families, and co working professionals on any given day.

Phenomenal ambiance and coffee. Don't pass up the biscotti.

The cappuccinos are awesome! One of my favorite places to get coffee in the area, I stopped here every time I'm passing through.

Greeted with a smiling face every time I enter the door. Even when there is a line it moves quickly. Freshly baked pastries are always delicious!

I had a great oat milk latte, it was so good. The froth was thick, and the espresso was wasnt acidic and smooth. I was even surprised to see a chocolate chip vegan cookies, so I ordered 2 for my husband and I, they were bomb! I love that they had a selection of retail coffee related items for sale. Even cooler to see a selection of comic books for sale. There is more seating than you think is possible and I suspect Cup-of-Joe's is a popular place amongst locals and visitors. As a chef, I do wonder why a coffee shop has a health grade of 97 but nonetheless it is still an A grade. I will return again and grab some whole beans for home.

Drinks were great and staff was awesome!

In addition to a large selection of regular drinks, they always have some speciality drinks on their art board for people who are looking for something different. That, along with friendly owners and staff, as well as all of the awesome baked things......this is the definition of a home town coffee shop. Glad its in town where I work! Update! 10+ years as a customer, would still give a 5 star review after every trip! Anything you can order will be amazing, and so will the customer service!

This coffee was shop warm, welcoming, and delicious. We had the vegan chocolate chip cookies which were SO good! We had a slight issue with our order, and the staff handled it kindly and generously. They have fun gifts and a seasonal display, overall such a lovely experience. There’s street parking and a lot about 5 minutes away, and plenty of tables to sit at.

Nice establishment. The iced mocha is great and the staff is professional. A good, straightforward spot for your caffeine fix.

This is my absolute favorite coffee shop. They always have fresh homemade pastries and breakfasty items. Plus great coffee.

This tiny place truly “rocks.” Fast, efficient, accurate service, always with a smile and sweet spirit. There may be a line but I promise it will disappear before your eyes. The greatest chocolate chip salt cookie imaginable, and quite the scrumptious pull apart cinnamon roll

Cute coffee place. Limited seating but customers are willing to share

Colby took our orders and she was so friendly and helpful. What a great little spot! Very cute with comic book themed things. Perfect place to sit and enjoy a coffee! Highly recommend. And thank you, Colby for being so lovely to me and my grandmother!

I could not recommend this coffee shop more! I've been going here since middleschool, I'm a sophomore in college now, and still when I'm home for breaks it's my number one go-to spot. The coffee is amazing, they're really good at balancing flavors in their lattes, and the cranberry orange muffin is just a delight. They also have a super friendly staff who clearly love what they do and it shows in what they make!

The hot chai latte was great and the cold brew was good also. There was limited indoor seating and two outdoor tables. They were pretty busy when we arrived so we had to wait for a table. Our drinks were made well despite the large quantity of drinks the barista was making.

Allie

La mejor cafetería, sin duda. Soy cliente habitual desde hace más de 10 años. Su café siempre es bueno y sus pasteles excelentes. Nunca elegiría otras opciones de la ciudad por encima de ellas. He pasado mucho tiempo observando las interacciones en Cup of Joe, y la mayoría de las personas que se quejan de la amabilidad del personal o de problemas operativos, son ellos mismos los que tienen el problema.

EC

Super rico, y el sabado bastante concurrido. No olvides pedir tu Chai late, y el croissnt de spinach&feta es como un gol de Messi, deberias probarlo.

Katy Toro

Me encanta todo

Hannah Brown Graham

Este café era cálido, acogedor y delicioso. Pedimos las galletas veganas con chispas de chocolate, ¡que estaban buenísimas! Tuvimos un pequeño problema con nuestro pedido, pero el personal lo atendió con amabilidad y generosidad. Tienen regalos divertidos y una exposición de temporada; en general, una experiencia encantadora. Hay aparcamiento en la calle y un aparcamiento a unos 5 minutos, y muchas mesas.

My wife and I came here for the first time on a rainy day. Parking was not easy, we parked in the back. There is an back entrance to this place i didn’t know about. The coffee was good, but pricey, many single people on there phones or tablets sitting at a table for 4. There should be more tables for one or two people. The outside area looks nice. Wall art had some interest.

I wanted to get to-go and it was my first time. They take your order at the door. I got a sugar free vanilla latte with almond milk And a morning harvest muffin. The associate described the muffin as “like a carrot cake with carrots and raisins “. He was right AND it was delicious! I spent $7.82 and they didn’t give me an option to tip.

First time coming and really into this place. Wifi available "with a purchase," private parking in back, walkable to restaurants and other places on Hillsborough. I got a $2 ice coffee- good, a pizza pocket- great and a $2.5 rice crispy- awesome. All of it for $8. Lots of seating and outlets if you want to work and daily specials to keep you coming.

Put the menus back up please. I love trying the local favorites/specials. I had no idea what was available to order other than coffee basics. Coffee was great but I definitely would have ordered something different if I knew what my options were.

This bustling local joint is where most of the town of Hillsborough seems to convene for a decent cup of coffee. Neighbors and staff greet each other by name and people order their "usuals". Some baked goods are overly sweet and dense while other's are a home run (try a buttermilk scone! ). The flavors of specialty drinks can be poorly balanced or pretty tasty, depending on your barista. Come to this joint for the atmosphere first. With everything else, it's hit or miss.

Great place for coffee and meeting with friends. Friendly service! 4 stars I guess because not being a regular coffee drinker I am always surprised at the cost. Just seemed like a lot for an iced coffee.

This is a quality coffee shop tucked away in the little town of Hillsborough. I'm from the Wake Forest area, but periodically have meetings for work in this area and I always try to sneak in a trip to Cup A Joe. The coffee beans are fresh, and they know how to make a good cup of coffee. If you're in the area, I'd suggest you give it a try.

During Covid Cup-A-Joe in Hillsborough has been perfect. Get the a whole pizza when they do it on Fridays sometime! The have an awesome variety of baked goods. If they stayed open late then I’d be getting coffee all the time.

No question, best coffee in the area! Nice to sit for a while and watch the street. Have to agree with some others, the younger staff could use some improvement in the "friendly" department - but hey, it's all about the coffee, isn't it?.....

Tried their blueberry cream cheese bar and the koloach (blueberry). The first one was a little disappointing but Koloach was heavenly. The blueberry cream covered by a crunchy pastry made it taste like an upscale version of a blueberry pie. Sad to see that they were sold out as soon as I picked them up though.

Most everything here is so great, but one or two baristas who apparently don't know what espresso is supposed to taste like make coming here a bummer. To be honest, if one of them is working I'll try my luck at a gas station cappuccino machine before here.

1st time there. Cappuccino was on point. I think they need two more tables. Or just tall chairs just to sit. It is a small place but we wouldn't mind squeezing in a seat. Enjoy

Fantastic coffee shop in downtown Hillsborough, North Carolina! Great variety and friendly staff. I love the granola bites for a morning snack. Seating can get a bit crowded, I do wish people were more friendly to share table Space on those crowded days - Come on, Hillsborough! Let’s expand that community spirit!

First visit here! Initial thoughts: Great atmosphere! Art/photography for sale on the walls. Music playing but soft enough to not be a bother. Great variety of baked goods and even some bottled beverages/juices and yogurt. There could be a few more tables present but I was able to sit after one opened up about 15 minutes after I arrived. The Vanilla Latte I had was good for this non coffee snob. It didn't taste burnt at all and had a delicious vanilla flavor.

Stopped in with my granddaughter for breakfast. She had a decaf iced caramel latte and chocolate croissant and was very happy with her choice. I enjoyed a London Fog with oat milk along with a delicious orange cranberry muffin. Recommend you stop to check Cup-A-Joe out when in Hillsborough!

The choice of coffee and other offerings are of the usual fairs found in this type of coffee cafes. The decor is nice and open with both inside and outside seating. But sometimes it can be hard finding a free table as there always seem to be several customers sitting alone at a table busy on there laptops. I guess that means they have good WiFi.

Love this place. Would give them a 5 star, but they don't take tap to pay which is really obnoxious and inconvenient. I often times I'm just perusing downtown and don't take my wallet with me. Otherwise staff is nice and friendly and the drinks are awesome.

It's a quaint place with tables and chairs filling the main area. Also seating outside either side of the entry door. I chose to sit on the bar stools along the front windows for the warm sunshine. It was late morning on a Tuesday, a couple days after Christmas. The place was full of people but they seemed to handle it well. They had several choices for goodies but I do wish they had a lot more bakery items to choose from. The chocolate, chocolate chip muffin I had was wonderfully soft and delicious. I also sprung for a gingerbread latte. I found this to be slightly on the sweet side. Of course that's my taste being that I prefer a little sweetness. I will probably get an extra shot of espresso next time. Yum! I'll be back!!

Hillsborough's fantastic local coffee shop. A great atmosphere and friendly employees. Their rice crispy treats and pastries are worth it. They generally offer three rotating specials every couple of months. The flavors sometimes lean towards being more experimental or niche. I applaud and encourage them to continue as they are fun, and it's exciting to see what is next along with the accompanying art work. Which brings me to the only gripe I have to keep this from being five stars. The rotating specials are not always what my partner or I want/enjoy. I think it would be great if they offered a few standard specials that were always available for when the rotating ones do not appeal to a customer. They do have a list of their syrups you can ask the cashier for, but figuring out your own flavor combination while the cashier and the line behind you waits is a little much- at least for me.

Great mocha and muffins. Atmosphere good, tables do get taken by people/students using the free wifi and stay forever.

Nick D

La fantástica cafetería local de Hillsborough. Un ambiente genial y empleados amables. Sus postres crujientes de arroz y sus pasteles valen la pena. Suelen ofrecer tres especiales rotativos cada dos meses. Los sabores a veces tienden a ser más experimentales o de nicho. Los aplaudo y los animo a que sigan, ya que son divertidos, y es emocionante ver qué hay después, junto con las obras de arte que los acompañan. Lo que me lleva a la única queja que tengo para no darle cinco estrellas. Los especiales rotativos no siempre son lo que mi pareja o yo queremos o disfrutamos. Creo que sería genial si ofrecieran algunos especiales estándar que siempre estuvieran disponibles para cuando los rotativos no le atraigan a un cliente. Tienen una lista de sus jarabes que puedes pedirle al cajero, pero crear tu propia combinación de sabores mientras el cajero y la fila detrás de ti esperan es un poco excesivo, al menos para mí.

Went for the pastries and they were pretty much all sold out on a Sunday afternoon (totally understandable). Got a compost cookie as consolation and was pretty disappointed... Too sweet and on the dry side.

Recently ordered through their online app for in person pickup and it was fairly easy. I do wish certain menu items had better descriptions on the app for their specially flavors as I’d love to try them, but I wasn’t able find what they consist of. We received our order a bit late, and unfortunately the coffee order was wrong. The coffee was still ok and I would go back again.

I've been there about 12 times in the last few weeks and feel qualified to give a review. I haven't tried any of the 'food' though. It's insanely expensive. The latte isn't bad and the staff mildly polite. I don't need to be best friends with them but I'm very unlikely to even consider a tip for that kind of service. I'd keep going though. There's lots of room for improvement when it comes to hospitality though. They don't even say 'thank you' when they take your money or give you your drink.

With table outside and no menu, the young man let us know in order to view the menu we had to download an app *sigh* ...or call ahead We sat at the outside patio area and ordered through the app. They brought it out to the table and called out names per the order. Nice and corona friendly. Unique drink - matcha and eggnog (matcha wasn't mixed well and too much foam on top) overall taste decent to try again. Chai latte was tasty

Firmly, skip the pastries. Order the coffee & sit. - Pastries’(review mentioned they come from Oxford,NC?)feel only, example, 20% better then a Publix Grocery brand. And a good 20% over margin cost. Save the coin. …Comparing to down the road, the must-have, Kim’s Bakery or say Genevieve pastry…who I could easily throw a 75+% quality experience. Lively, yet restful enough to enjoy a good mug with both Young and Mature alike.

Updated 1/25/25 after outreach from the owner: **Updated Review:** Cup a Joe is the best coffee option in Hillsborough, but my experience has been consistently mixed. The drip coffee is alright, but the milk-based drinks tend to be overly frothy rather than a smooth microfoam - but for what it's worth, I'm snobby. The attitude of the staff is typically cold/rushed, rather than warm and engaging. I appreciate the owner’s engagement with a reply to my initial review and request for feedback. If you need coffee, this is a good spot in Hillsborough. If you're particular about espresso drinks or warm service, it may not hit the mark.

I stopped in on a rainy day. All the larger tables were occupied by a single person, and all the groups were crowded around the smallest tables in the room. I wasn't really in the mood for coffee, but generally these types of coffee shops make decent cocoa so I ordered that and a muffin. The cranberry-nut muffin was stale, rubbery, overrun with nuts, and had only 1 cranberry. The cocoa....This must be the kind of order the barista has to psych themselves up for, because before they started mine, they brewed coffee for the two people who ordered after me. I hoped this meant that a cup of cocoa was something difficult that would taste handmade. Nope. It was made with off-white tasteless powder, that produced an off-white cocoa with most of the powder either floating on top, or sludgy at the bottom. It wouldn't surprise me if their cocoa is just Swiss Miss powder out of a can instead of a packet. I'm not exaggerating when I say that both McDonald's and Starbucks make a better cocoa...and that's just depressing.

bad service at the end of the day. No eye contact or "thank you" or "you're welcome". I get it , I was also a waitress. At the end of the day U want to get home. But you still gotta treat people with respect. I miss the old Cup a Joe and the excellent service they provided at any time of day. I'd rather go to crappy Starbucks, those people are nice as hell. Won't come here again.

I have been coming to this coffee shop for 4 years. I always get the same drink, it is convenient. The pastries are decent. I wish there was another coffee shop I could go to because these people are so rude! They made a mistake in my order today and tried to blame it on me. When the correct order was finally made, they didn’t call my drink, they just put it on the counter and avoided eye contact. The atmosphere in this place is not customer service oriented. They act like they are doing you a favor by selling you their product rather than appreciating your business. I’m sick and tired of being miss treated at this place. I may never come back.

this was my first & last experience w this coffee shop. it was not a good experience from the moment i walked in the door. the employees were cleaning up given that i came in an hour & half before they closed. they took a min to take my order & made it seem as if i was interrupting them. the coffee was horrible it tasted like burnt coffee beans w that weird syrup feel in the coffee. Super disappointed i just moved to the area & was looking forward to having a homey local coffee shop but this is not homey at all it was a cold standoffish local coffee shop.