Coffee And Biscuits At Jubala Village In Raleigh, NC

By Anika Williams

Walking around Lafayette Village in North Raleigh is one of my favorite ways to pass the time. It’s an adorable European-style village in the middle of suburban Raleigh that approximates a small town in France but actually houses locally-owned gourmet restaurants and upscale shopping. It was on one of my strolls around the village, that I happened upon Jubala Village Coffee located on the perimeter of the shopping center.

The outside patio was empty but looked like a great place to sit on warmer days. Roasted coffee greeted me when I entered the cafe, and I could already tell this was a popular spot. While there wasn’t a line, almost every table was full. The hanging menu was a little hard for me to read due to its distance from the counter line but luckily, they had a stack of menus right at the front counter. As a first timer, I grabbed a menu and sat down at their espresso bar to read through it.

Their menu is eclectic, offering variations of sweet biscuits, waffles, traditional breakfast sandwiches and healthier fare like yogurt and oatmeal. While the exterior of the shop is old world European, the offered fare is decidedly Southern. I eventually settle on their biscuit with egg and country ham.  I asked the cashier to make a recommendation for coffee, and he suggested the mocha latte which I ordered.

I noticed the employees enjoyed being there and around each other. They laughed and seemed to get along well. There’s an open friendly vibe in Jubala, and I think it begins with the employees.

A lady seated nearby was unhappy with her coffee and the barista serving her happily returned it and remade her drink.  A staff that is friendly and truly happy to serve the customers, in my opinion, can really elevate the dining-out experience and Jubala has some of the nicest employees around.

The shop is decorated in dark tones, but there are also accents of lighter and brighter colors as well as soft lighting. This created an overall relaxing and inviting tone. Metal tables are located by the windows, and past the counter and the wrap-around espresso bar, there are more tables and booth seating along the back wall. In other words, there is plenty of seating in this cafe. The cafe features a large patio that opens into a grassy area where children can play and explore while parents enjoy their coffee or meal.

I was very pleased when I received my latte. It was beautifully crafted with a pretty design in the foam. A friendly barista. Pretty coffee drinks… It’s the little things that can bring a customer back to a coffee shop, but of course, the coffee has to be good. And it was. My espresso drink was great. Strong but not overpowering.

Shortly after, my breakfast sandwich was delivered by the same cheerful server who brought me my coffee. It came on a small round tin plate with a napkin – and a fork because the eggs are cooked very soft – however, you can customize the way your eggs are prepared.

The biscuits are made in-house and mine was sweet and soft. The egg was runny but not so much that it was all over the plate, just enough to get the flavors on the country ham that was stacked on the bottom. The ham was thinly cut and nicely salted, and I washed it down with sips of my coffee. The blend of these flavors was good and very filling.

On my way out of the door, I noticed shelves of merchandise for sale. Shirts, mugs, bags of coffee and boxes of tea were displayed next to a refrigerator that held cold beverages. A smaller shelf held pour over mugs, same as the ones used for dine-in customers.

While it can get a little crowded indoors, the patios in the front and back allow for plenty of space. The food was delicious, and the crowd was friendly. The menu is varied enough that customers should be able to find something they like, including tea. Lastly, if you’re on the go you can skip the line and order online.

Jubala Coffee is located at 8450 Honeycutt Rd, suite 104 in Raleigh, NC. Their hours of operation are Monday – Friday, 7 am to 8 pm,  Saturday, 8 am – 8 pm and Sunday, 7 am – 5 pm.