Drift Cafe Village Plaza
Drift Cafe Village Plaza — photo 2
Drift Cafe Village Plaza — photo 3
Drift Cafe Village Plaza — photo 4
Drift Cafe Village Plaza — photo 5

Drift Cafe Village Plaza

111 S Elliot Rd, Chapel Hill, NC

★★★★4.2(127 Google reviews)

Crema's Take

Drift Cafe is a bustling Village Plaza spot where skilled baristas craft thoughtful espresso drinks alongside surprisingly excellent food, from standout fries to full breakfast spreads that locals genuinely rave about. The space draws groups of friends and families who linger over well-executed meals in a bright, meticulously kept setting where the staff genuinely seems to care about making your visit special.

What to expect

WifiTraditional drinksFull breakfastFamily friendlySignature drinksSpecialty drinksLight foodEspresso focusedSlow sitPastriesMeetings

Google Reviews

Jonathan “JES” Shough
★★★★★4 months ago

Great location for 2-8 folks to have a well put together meal. Staff are all attentive and hard-working and the facility is very well kept. All Baristas are competent and great to observe and talk with. Very highly recommend.

Jane Gulics
★★★★★5 months ago

I came in with my family for some brunch and I gotta say , the food was great ! The place was definitely busy but the staff made their best to make sure we had a pleasant experience. My server Gina was very patient with our specific orders and made sure to adjust them accordingly. She also kept checking in on us constantly even in such a rush and we definitely appreciate it that . The hostess seemed very attentive and kept checking on our water bottles . Overall a very good experience, even if we had to wait a little for our orders since everyone was so busy . Definitely recommend, but if you’re in a rush and what a little more quiet dine in experience I suggest going throughout the week rather than on the weekends.

Jeanette Malecki
★★★★6 months ago

We went to Drift for brunch and, unfortunately, the service completely overshadowed what could’ve been a really enjoyable meal. When we arrived, the hostess told us there would be a 15-minute wait because the kitchen was backed up, which we understood, but it was confusing since there were several open tables and we overheard a server say she was only waiting on one table. Personally, I’d rather be seated and wait a bit longer for food than stand outside for 15 minutes when there’s room inside. Once seated, things didn’t improve much. Our server, Gina, seemed disorganized and unfamiliar with the system. It took more than 15 minutes just to get our drinks — my cappuccino was actually a latte, and my friend’s iced matcha came out hot. When we sent it back, Gina later asked if she had even taken our food order (she had — we’d already discussed substitutions). The food, once it arrived, was excellent, fresh, flavorful, and well-prepared. But other servers ended up helping us more efficiently than Gina did all morning. To make things worse, my friend’s matcha, which had been delayed by over 30 minutes, wasn’t comped as promised. When we brought it up, Gina said she couldn’t adjust it because it was “under her name,” and brushed it off with, “Are you sure?” which felt dismissive. Overall, Drift’s food was fantastic, but the poor, confusing service really tainted the experience. I hope management takes note, because with better staff training and communication, this place could be great.

granny b
★★★★★10 months ago

I rarely give a review top stars, because there's always room for improvement, but this place here. So deserving! Everything was just incredible. The fries were the best-tasting fries I've ever had. I could go on and on, but you can gather that I was super impressed, and I took my son there for Father's Day. He took me to Gordon Ramsey's restaurant for Mother's Day. We both agreed that Drift's food was half the price and twice as good. I'm not putting down the other place, but the truth is the truth. Drift has some fantastic talent in the kitchen.

Mary Fincher
★★★★★11 months ago

I used to go to the previous tenant of here (Just Salad) all the time, so when I saw that Drift had finally moved in I knew I had to give it a shot! And wow was it great! As soon as I walked in, the beautiful atmosphere struck me, it was almost unrecognizable from the salad shop that used to be here! The employees were so gracious and kind when taking my order as well! I absolutely loved the breakfast I had. For the price, it was a surprisingly great portion of high-quality, flavorful food, and I left feeling satisfied and happy. For a drink I got the Blue Cloud Iced Latte which was beautiful and you can tell was put together with a lot of care but personally, wasn’t my favorite, but my friends got some other amazing tasty drinks that I will for sure be having the next time I come. Overall, if you find yourself looking for a new breakfast spot, I highly recommend Drift!

Crema Reviews

No Crema reviews yet

Been here? Be the first to leave a review in the app.

Write a review on iOS