Cardinal Coffee

Sara Hasenfuss

2023-12

Cute little coffee shop as we were passing through. Had a zebra mocha (half white chocolate half mocha) and added blackberry - you're welcome. We got two bagels, an everything and a cranberry with cream cheese. The cream cheese is whipped which is great, but if you're expecting Philadelphia cream cheese it's not going to have that flavor. The bagels were large, fresh, and toasted. They had lots of cute little jams, teas, and candles in the shop as well. Very quaint 😊Definitely recommend a stop if you're in the area!

Lexi Hodges

2024-04

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Laura Gracy

2023-11

Best bagels outside NYC! And the lattes were delicious too. Their hand crafted coffee is worth the short wait when they are busy. We loved this cute little place so much we went 3 times during our trip. Well worth a drive from wherever you are staying!

Vivs O

2023-11

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Leo Prose

2023-12

The coffee here is excellent, offering a delightful flavor that impresses with every sip. The staff are notably friendly and welcoming, adding a warm personal touch to the experience. The atmosphere is intriguing and unique, creating a memorable setting for coffee lovers. Service is remarkably quick, ensuring a convenient and efficient visit every time. Additionally, the extensive variety of options available is pleasantly surprising, catering to all tastes and preferences.

Beth Rekoske

2023-09

We came on a Sunday mid-morning and this shop was hoping with a steady line and two busy baristas. The atmosphere is quaint and cozy, everything was clean and tidy. The drinks were really good and I’d definitely return. There is seating inside and out, plenty of shade by the outdoor seating. We were a party of five and we were all happy. Unique decor and overall a gray morning choice! I was impressed with my chai latte.

Nicolas Beaton

2024-04

Cute little coffee house. Its unexpected locations truly adds to its atmosphere in an amazing way. Set inside or outside you won’t regret visiting this shop. My wife and I are vacationing in the area from Virginia Beach and decided to stop in and will be part of our morning routine for the remainder of our visit. The barista Katie was very kind and even filled us in on the local festival going on today. Katie’s kind and friendly demeanor and the coffee houses beautiful setting definitely cemented our plans to return next year.

Angelica Haber

2024-04

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Kayla L

2023-07

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Nathan Hale

2024-04

Absolutely LOVED our rainy day visit to Cardinal Coffee! The iced chai I ordered was one of the best I’ve had in a long time. You can tell they are using extremely high quality ingredients and that is reflected in their pricing. The kids ordered smoothies and they were both excellent as well.The shop is well-themed and the service was above and beyond amazing. Thanks for carrying high-quality Deneen Pottery mugs to purchase and take back with us to Minnesota :)We will be back next time we are in town!

Alison Sharp

2024-03

We are staying close by and decided to stop in for some Matcha & bagels. We were instantly in love with the quaint building and decor but pleasantly surprised by the variety of available options. Any kind of milk you could want including macadamia nut milk and coconut milk. The NY style blueberry bagels were the absolute best! The lady at the counter was also very sweet and knowledgeable. We will be coming here every day before we head out :)

B Ten

2023-05

Nice little gem! Solid cup of Joe and many options on the Cafe menu to please everyone. Such a cute and cozy little spot. Although it took what seemed to be a decade for them to toast the bagel, it was substantially above average for an everything bagel. They went a little light on the schmear of cream cheese, so ask for extra!

Rebecca “Becky” Vargason

2022-05

Such a wonderful surprise! They have a drive thru if you’re in a hurry. Fresh ground and true barista pulled shots! A fun and artsy shop with amazing things inside. The espresso drinks were so amazing! They were perfectly hot and no burnt shots. A MUST if you love your coffee! If you’re happy with Starbucks, this place will transform you and you’ll never go back!

Jennifer Ward

2024-05

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Sarah Cooke

2020-05

Love love love this place! Stopped in on our way to the Smokies for breakfast and coffee and I'm so glad we did! The staff is so friendly and helped us decide what to get. I got a French toast bagel and an iced maple spice latte which was AMAZING. My friend got the golden latte and loved it. Their food selection is pretty limited - just bagels and some pastries - but there is an extensive coffee and smoothie menu.Their logo is really neat (we got a couple stickers!) and the atmosphere of the shop is welcoming and unique.Highly recommend. Will definitely be stopping here the next time I'm in the area!

Lauren Rocco (EatingFTL and EATlanta)

2022-05

Cardinal Coffee is a cute coffee shop located right on US-74 in the town of Bryson City. They have great smoothies and bagels, and also sell nut butter bars and various chocolate bars. I enjoyed a toasted bagel, coffee, and a smoothie. All smoothies come with frozen bananas and then you can pick another fruit to go along with it, your choice of milk, and add-in a superfood if you wish.The latte I tried was delicious, it was their special at the time, named the Salted Haystack, with caramel, coconut, and hazelnut. It had a really unique flavor and I enjoyed it very much. I think they were serving Café Campesino at the time I visited. They have coffee beans for sale and also a few other market goods. This coffee shop is very rustic, almost like a coffee cabin, but they sure make a good cup of coffee. They didn’t have much staff when I visited, perhaps because of business needs or maybe because it’s such a small space to begin with, so depending on how busy it is when you stop by you might have to wait a little for your order to be ready. All in all, Cardinal Coffee is a great place to grab coffee at when you’re in the Bryson City area, and it was just the roadside coffee stop that I needed!

Elizabeth M

2024-02

This place was such an amazing find! Such a great vibe, amazing coffee, incredible cookies/ chocolates/ bagels and the guy working was so accommodating for my big crazy family (plus we had a dog with us!) If you’re in the area, it’s so worth a stop!

J B

2023-05

Pleasant baristas. Kind enough to grind my coffee two different textures to accommodate our needs. The coffee drinks that we ordered were perfect. Would most definitely recommend this tiny shop to coffee enthusiasts and casual drinkers alike. We'll certainly be back for more when back in town!Dietary restrictions: Alternative milks: Almond, soy, oat, and coconut

Cerra Hilton

2023-05

Opposite of prosaic; Initially drove by this hidden gem and decided to turn around. After a 3 day camping trip and 5 hour trip - The “Golden” was a nice kick start to my habitual coffee needs and journey back home.Plus: Was able to achieve some last minute Christmas Shopping.

Kim Tuggle

2024-02

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Aimee Kuelling

2023-12

Excellent coffee shop... I'm never sure what to expect at little roadside coffee shops, but I'm always always willing to try. This one is tops. Many milk alternatives including my favorite coconut milk, and I saw macadamia nut milk on the menu too. I added an image of their menu board, so you can check it out. Definitely worth a stop to get a little break from the car if your are buzzing through town. 🤩

Bethany Rose McRae

2023-05

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Michael Rodriguez

2023-05

This place is amazing! You come out of Nantahala Gorge and boom, there’s this awesome coffee shop. The coffee was fantastic, the owner very friendly, and the coffee shop is decorated so cool. Great atmosphere, definitely highly recommend stopping in here! I’ll be back for sure

Arianna Morgan

2021-05

This was a really cute coffee shop to visit during our stay in the mountains. The shop itself was very well decorated and offered unique products. I got a caramel frappe and it was absolutely amazing! The girl working at the counter was working alone and did an amazing job balancing all the different tasks she had, while remaining friendly and attentive. Definitely would stop here if you get the chance. I would warn that due to COVID they have a 3 person occupancy limit so all others have to wait outside if the maximum capacity is reached.

Amy Plemons

2024-02

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Electa Taylor

2024-02

I am a local that enjoys supporting my home town shops. However I have now had two bad experiences at Cardinal coffee. The first bad experience was over how I chose to use my free coffee card after purchasing ten drinks. He accussed me of trying to get one over on him. I had bought a milk shake to finish my card. It shouldove already been full as the day before his employee forgot to punch my card. So I filled it up and said I would like to do another order and use my card. He argued with me. I said if I need to I can come back later to use it but shouldn't have to. He continued to run his mouth to me so I tossed the card to him and said keep it and he accussed me of throwing it. I had to get it thru the drive thru window over the counter only. I went back eventually in being forgiving and in knowing owners have bad days. Also because the shop is near my house. Today though I went in and he jumped on me again! I ordered a Mexican mocha and asked for alittle more chocolate in it as I could only taste the cayenne pepper. He acted like I had just inconveniced him. He proceeded to say to me what happened the other day won't happen again in not getting charged for syrup. I had a talk to her. I was dumbfounded as he was talking about last week when I questioned his employee on what she charged me on my normal drink in being less than my usual amount I paid. I made her aware of it but she just said I'm just charging for the mocha as I only put alittle raspberry in it. I said oh OK. Well thank you. I mean it's 8.02 for a large coffee and I hadn't bothered with the free coffee card after my bad experience. And I know I had bought enough to probably have 3 cards filled. It was still over 7.00 that day for my white chocolate with raspberry. I can get a xlarge cinnamon Carmel cream cold brew from Starbucks for 6.62 and they make it extra sweet for me when i tell them. I can't help what employees do. I come in to get coffee, not to be lectured. I told him I would not be back. I buy a cup of coffee 3 to 5 times a week and tip employees. I figure that 50 cents lecture cost him way more as I will drive completely to town to bryson city bakery for better service. And they don't lecture no one in how they want to redeem their points they've earned in being a customer. The atmosphere is always pleasant an friendly too at that bakery and coffee shop.

Mark and AmyMichele

2021-05

The BEST coffee in the area & wonderful service behind the counter!We just happened upon this coffee shop as we rolled into town, and went back every day (regretted it the couple times we tried others throughout the day, just sayin lol) during our stay.The very friendly and helpful staff gave us great recommendations in the area, and every one was as good as their coffee (and cookies)This will be our first stop if we visit this area again...

Monica Teixeira

2023-05

Súper cute little coffee shop with a beautiful mountain view. They have a lot of locally made products :) love the aesthetics of store. Their lattes are really good , I had a chai tea latte and was delicious! Great costumer service

Ishtyaq Qadri

2023-05

A coffee oasis in the mountains. If you are in the area try them out. The coffee is great. Service is auper. The bagels are decent too .

samuel port

2024-03

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