Cafe serving drinks, savories, and vegan baked treats like donuts, whoopie pies, cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, banana bread, croissants, and muffins. Offers grab-n-go prepared foods such as wraps with mock-chicken or tofu, tamales, pasteles, and vegan soul food mealpaks. Has warm vegan soup to go. Plant milk available for drinks. Everything is vegan except for dairy milk option. Est. since 2016 and added a grocery section and gift shop in 2018. Confirmed closed with plans to relocate, Sep 2021 - please send updates.
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1114 Environ Way, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA, 27517
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- Outdoor seating
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 30 Sep 2021 by cjforst
Update business info -
Added by Tamara_Lackey on 17 Sep 2016
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21 Reviews
First Review by Rachelr832
Vegan_ACL
Points +2632
Pretty okay - Edit
Was super excited to try the peanut butter hot chocolate but couldn’t taste any peanut butter. For hot chocolate it was really good but I would have never known their was peanut butter in there. The banana bread was good but nothing out of this world. The staff was friendly but seemed annoyed by my questions.
Read morePros: All baked goods are vegan, They can make any drink vegan, Have a huge variety of alternative milks
Cons: Not as good as I wanted it to be, Staff seemed unmotivated to be super helpful
Guest
veganpatch
Points +5252
Disappointed - Edit
We had been hesitant to try this place bc it is listed as vegetarian even though the restaurant states they are vegan.
Read moreWe decided to call and ask if they were vegan or vegetarian. The lady who answered the phone said they were fully vegan but offered dairy, honey and butter options to their customers who don't want to be vegan.
.... So they set up their restaurant to not perpetuate violence but if they have a customer who says 'I really like to kill baby cows, I'd like dairy milk at a vegan restaurant even though I can get that at 99% of all restaurants in the area' they cater to them? WTF
Bewildered by this we still decided to give them a try based on the reviews.
We ordered:
Pumpkin Pie Latte with oat milk: Just ok, not very good flavor, came warm not hot and was not sweet at all (soem people prefer unsweet).
Mushroom coffee with oat milk: was okay, never had mushroom coffee before.
Coffee cake: Decent flavor but a bit dry and it look like it came in wax paper.
When we ordered the staff advised again they were vegan and that they didn't charge for vegan. To our surprise we were charged 0.75 for oat milk. Furthermore they asked if we wanted cream in our mushroom coffee. Luckily we instinctively asked if it was vegan cream and they said NO! They offered dairy cream in our coffee as a default just after telling us they were vegan and having a conversation about it! This is worse than a regular coffee shop.
Parking: small amount of parking in what seems to be a medical district near a parking garage.
COVID-19: They have a small window area for ordering and picking up.
Prices: Prices were reasonable prior to the markup for oat milk.
*Oat Milk is the most environmentally friendly of all the non diary milks, friendly to dietary restrictions and is inexpensive to make. There is no reason for an up charge for oat milk at a supposed vegan restaurant.
In sum:
Subpar food and drink even for a coffee shop
Hipocrytical: staff asked to put dairy cream in our coffee after assuring us they were vegan. They also have several signs that state they are vegan.
Charge 0.75 for oatmilk.
Staff not knowledgeable or conscientious towards vegan diets.
While we are happy with restaurants trying to be better its deceiving to call themselves vegan. They are a vegetarian coffee shop that caters to vegetarians not vegans. Anything that is vegan is by default also vegetarian therefore there is no need to 'cater' to vegetarians and have dairy available ....
Cons: Vegetarian but call themselves vegan, Staff not conscientious about veganism
Guest
zmvuillermet
Points +40
Lovely - Edit
First of all, the people who work here are so nice🥺 I used to go all the time after having appointments w a doctor nearby and I just love the place. They have such good vegan milkshakes and desserts. Such a nice ambiance and it’s so great to get work done at🥰
Read moreGuest
mjrnk
Points +109
delicious vegan pastries - Edit
This place is great for when you want delicious homemade vegan pastries. I tried their cinnamon buns and cakes and was really happy with all of them.
Read moreGuest
Miro1
Points +52
Convenient small market - Edit
Convenient small market because it's all in one place, and it is nice to support small local businesses. They do carry items I struggle to find at Whole Foods or other big stores, like soy curls, some nice "specialty" vegan cheeses, candy; and they already read all the ingredient lists themselves, so their canned soup selection is handy (I spend so much times reading labels at the supermarket…)
Read morePros: Nice presentation , Well chosen items
Cons: Small/limited
Guest
Suzanne_Setti
Points +69
Small vegan market with hard to find items - Edit
This is a great little market inside Coco Bean Coffee Shop. It's nice to shop in there knowing everything's vegan. They have a small selection of refrigerated and frozen stuff, and then shelf stable things like chips and sauces. While the market isn't that big (it's a small room in the coffee shop), they have many hard to find items that you cannot find elsewhere in the Triangle. Popular products, like Just Egg, can sell out in a day, though. The prices are higher than at larger grocery stores, but it's nice to support a smaller, vegan business. They also have some non-food items like greeting cards, cook books, and toys.
Read morePros: small business, all vegan, hard to find items
Cons: expensive
Guest
SamanthaBarber
Points +60
Lovely - Edit
The two working were great and kind , great vibe with lots of people
Read morePros: love the all vegan bakery options and market , lots of plant milk options
Cons: expensive (understandably), have dairy milk option , for some reason
Guest
sydneybarber
Points +42
great ambience - Edit
The cafe was beautiful and had so many options. It was welcoming and homey and all the bakery items I tried were delicious
Read morePros: lots of vegan options , very cute , variety of options
TamaraLackey
Thank you, Sydney!!
Read moreGuest
Jeff81
Points +342
Friendly vegan coffee shop - Edit
The parking is around the back in this cute strip mall. Easy parking.
Read morePros: Sweet treats , Great coffee, Friendly service
Guest
Samily
Points +166
My Favorite Coffee Shop - Edit
Love this coffee shop. It is my favorite in the Triangle. My favorite is any coffee drink made with macadamia nut milk.
Read morePros: All food is vegan. Don't charge ectra for nondairy
Cons: Do offer dairy milk for there coffee drinks.
Guest
scmari
Points +24
AMAZING - Edit
This cute cafe offers goods for vegans and gluten free alike- tons of sweet treats as well as full-on meals. The Mocha lattes are to die for!!
Read moreGuest
PlantFan
Points +20
Favorite Coffee Shop - Edit
I go here nearly every day. Coffee is from Carrboro Coffee roasters, direct trade even better than fair trade. Super eco-friendly. Vegan cream cheese for my bagel and coconut whipped cream for my small apple pie. Seems like new foods every week. Love the mock chicken wrap. Great atmosphere, comfy couches, huge windows, Friendly baristas every time.
Read moreGuest
kgiovacco
Points +203
only a coffee shop - Edit
Wanted to love this place since it's vegan but it's not a cafe in my opinion, only a coffee shop. Came for lunch right at noon and managed to get the last entree which was in a cooler that could then be microwaved. There were no wraps or anything close to a wrap. Pastries are all gluten free, from a local company whose products can be found in many places. This coffee shop doesn't seem to make any of its own food. Nice atmosphere but I think you're better off going to a veg-friendly place. I wouldn't come here expecting real food as it was slim pickins' in the cooler. Also the trash cans in the seating area and the bathroom were almost overflowing while the barista was on her phone between customers. Also they have cow's milk so I was under the impression they should not be labeled as vegan and should not be entitled to 5 stars.
Read morePros: Nice atmosphere
Guest
cheeseonwheat
Points +44
delish! - Edit
Really enjoyed the vibe of this single location coffee shop. All baked good are vegan, and many are gluten free. The chocolate chip cookie and cherry pie were our favs. Wide selection of plant milks, too. All packaging is 100% recyclable.
Read moreGuest
KittyGirl1228
Points +23
Delicious! - Edit
So many options to choose from, Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate (with almond or soy milk!), Vegan Cinnamon Buns, Vegan Yogurt, it’s all great! Very vegan friendly and would recommend.
Read morePros: Lots of options, Vegan-friendly, Great service
Cons: Long wait, Busy, Too many options 😂
Guest
LANoL
Points +124
Vegan Gem in the Southern Part of Heavenr - Edit
Super happy to find Coco Bean!! So many yummy options- Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate (with coconut whipped cream), Sticky Buns, Chickpea Tartini, Souly Vegan entrees and wraps and soooo much more!!! Also cool retail items including coffee mugs and cute tee shirts. I also got to meet Tamara! Very nice and welcoming. I highly recommend visiting Coco Bean when you are in the Triangle area. But, don't wait (like I did)- go before your last day in town so you can go back and try more of the awesome drinks, treats and nosh.
Read morePros: Beautiful Store with Lots of In/Out Seating, Tons of Delicious Options!, Friendly, Welcoming Staff - Great to Meet You Tama
Cons: I didn't have time to try/buy more. ;^)
TamaraLackey
Thank you so much! It was wonderful meeting you. I love your support of vegan businesses and the kind things you shared about ours. I sincerely hope you can come back through again soon :)
Read moreGuest
VeganSince2009
Points +39
Cozy and Clean Coffee Shop with Delicious Fare! - Edit
This is quickly becoming my favorite coffee shop in the triangle. The shop is kept very clean and they have a friendly staff. The vegan offerings for milk are exceptional. It is not every day that I can find soy, almond, coconut, and macadamia nut milk for my coffee drinks. And if I want a special coffee drink, the syrups are vegan too! Hello, mocha drinks! They also have coconut whip cream.
Read moreThe vegan and gluten free sweets are amazing. I tried an English muffin that was out of this world delicious! They also have cupcakes, bagels, brownies, candy, etc. One will not go hungry after a stop here.
My only complaint is that I'd like a shop closer to my house so I can go more frequently. ;-)
Pros: Clean atmosphere, Awesome selctions, vegan/gf sweets
Cons: They aren't in Durham
Guest
veggie_htx
Points +2089
Great vegan pastries! - Edit
Coco Bean has delicious vegan savory and sweet pastries. The chickpea tartini was incredibly rich and "buttery". They have so many nondairy milks to choose from. I got a PB hot chocolate made with macadamia milk. So delicious!
Read moreGuest
Jfer
Points +204
Vegan goodies galore! - Edit
This is a vegetarian coffee shop with an all vegan selection of baked goods and ice cream. Baked goods are not made in house, but come from several local bakeries with vegan options like Dee's and JP's. There is ample room to hang out and use the free WiFi while snack ng on vegan goodies. The coffee is good too and nut milk choices are plentiful!
Read morePros: All vegan baked goods, macadamia nut milk, vegan ice cream
Cons: would love if they had kitchen and served hot vega
Guest
turtleveg
Points +1656
expansion - Edit
As of May 2017, they expanded into the space next door so now there is more table space and they are offering more food options (all vegan!) including locally-made ice cream from Sweet Hazel's. I love their wide selection of non-dairy milks and they have the best selection of vegan pastries.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2017-05-16
Pros: all food is vegan , several choices of non-dairy milks, friendly staff
Cons: not 100% vegan - offers dairy milk option
Guest
Rachelr832
Points +59
EXCELLENT - Edit
This is basically and entire vegan coffee shop and bakery that also happens to have cows milk on hand for those who want it in their coffee!!! THE ENTIRE OFFERING OF BAKED GOODS is vegan!!!! And a huge number of them are gluten free as well. I had a delicious coffee and a cranberry walnut hand pie which was fantastic. I also got a chickpea pastry to go which I had later that evening and completely filled me up.
Read moreI'll definitely be back!
Guest
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