Undercurrent Coffee — Restaurant in Charlotte

Meal: I ordered the avocado toast based on many reviews, but unfortunately, the spiced seasoning left an undesirable taste in my mouth. If you have not tried “dukkah” before, I would suggest you get a sample before paying $10.75 for the entree. The presentation was beautiful and the egg on top was cooked perfectly, but the spiced nuts just didn’t taste good, imo. I ordered an almond milk latte, but they didn’t have almond milk, so I went with the oat milk latte for a little over $5 and it was delicious!

Staff: I received good service on a busy weekday at 1:30PM.

Seating: There’s couches and cushioned individual seats at the front, which seats about 9 people. The utensils, napkins, and water are located near the couches. There’s one 4-5 seater table located next to the bar seats. A divider book shelf separates the front of the coffee shop, and there’s maybe 10 more seats in the back portion near their “lab” and the restrooms. For a busy weekday, there were still open seats in the back portion of the shop where there’s plenty of wall outlets for electronics, but I wouldn’t recommend this setting for a group meeting since there aren’t a lot of tables where you can face each other. They didn’t have outdoor porch seating the day I came, but it is an option on other days, but those are still hard to snatch up. I recommend coming around 4PM. That was the least busiest time if you want to grab coffee and work on something real quick.

Parking: It’s tough to find parking in this whole area. Their back parking lot has 6 spots and a handicap spot. I circled around and eventually found a spot off the street where you have to back in. For those spots, if you don’t back in, it’s a $25 fine just FYI.

Internet: Sadly, it wasn’t working the day I came. I logged into another establishment’s WiFi, but it did slow me down based on productivity due to poor connection. The ambiance and music volume at the establishment was okay. It didn’t interfere with me focusing. I stayed 2.5 hours, read, and worked using my phone the rest of the time.

Restrooms: One of the restrooms was missing a handle, so the large hole had brown paper towel stuffed in it for privacy? The other bathroom was tidy. I would just recommend a good floor scrubbing/power wash to get the dirt off from between the tiles.

Though the Internet had network issues and the food was a miss for me, I’d come again to get another drink and try...

Undercurrent Coffee NAILS everything! From all the obvious things you'd want to the smallest details you didn't even know would add to your coffee shop experience, I was truly impressed. Visiting from Southern California, we're not lacking in coffee shops and as a student I've visited a ton over the last few years, but Undercurrent has distanced itself as my best coffee shop experience to date!

COFFEE / FOOD Delicious! Not only is their drip fresh and their lattes beautifully crafted, they offer a relatively large menu of options including non-caffeinated drinks and speciality drinks. Their coffee is a smooth, balanced experience and you really can't go wrong with their offerings. You can really appreciate their creativity in some of their drink. As for the food, while it might not blow you away, they have a number of brunch options including a grits bowl that isn't too bad.

SERVICE Every worker I've come across so far has been pleasant and helpful. I've had no issues and even when there was a power outage for a time, the workers were very accommodating to allow customers to still hangout inside while other nearby business closed down completely.

AMBIENCE / AMENITIES This is probably where Undercurrent shines the most! Inside, you'll find a spacious, clean, and modern shop accentuated by large windows and tungsten lighting that invite a remarkably warm atmosphere. I love the minimalistic feel of the whole place.

As for amenities, they offer a number of seating options from couches towards the front, a community work table in the middle, and small tables towards the back. Bar seating throughout. At each spot, you'll find conveniently placed outlets. Seating is comfortable and the desks are wooden in texture (I hate glossy/glass tables). Parking can be limited but there are no time limits on the main street!

Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend Undercurrent Coffee! Really wish we had this place in SoCal--it would be my absolute go-to for meetups, studying, or just to relax. Go...

I spent a few weeks living in Charlotte, within walking distance of Undercurrent Coffee. Most days I’d walk or ride my bicycle to the cafe and enjoy a hot black coffee. Either out front at one of the tables with my bicycle, or I’d lock up at the rack and sit at the bar overlooking the barista area.

I typically like to sit where I can watch the baristas working. When I catch myself admiring their productivity it snaps me back to my own toil. Either job applications, coursework, or if I’m lucky, just a book I’m reading.

It was during my second week sitting in this seat when one of the baristas acknowledged me for the first time.

“Do you think we’re funny?” she asked, assuming that I had been listening in on their conversation.

“I do.” I hadn’t been listening that time, but I’ve listened before and watched them enough to know that they were.

I’ve often worked in service jobs or been a patron in service environments where the staff do not particularly enjoy being around each other. Most times it’s hardly perceptible, but you can always tell when a group of employees are friends. And it’s a wonderful thing to be a part of.

And that’s what I go to Undercurrent coffee for. The baristas will learn your name, and use it. They’ll remember your order and know what to recommend if you’d like to try something new. But above all, they’ll be...