Gray Squirrel Coffee Company

Fine coffee shop with WiFi and plenty of seating. Cold mocha with no coffee (so basically chocolate milk…) that I got was good.

Their coffee is out of this world.

Great place to grab a cup of coffee and sit and study. Gray Squirrel is located where Yesteryears brewery is and can be easily overlooked.
They have cute wood tables and couches for seating. It’s pretty small, so it’s hit or miss if you can grab a table to study at. There aren’t many outlets either and most of the seating is not near them. They have a simple drink menu, but they do it well. I was happy to see that they carry almond milk but a little bummed that they do not have any flavored syrups. They have a small bakery menu, but I wouldn’t bother with it (I had a subpar madeleine that I did not finish).
I wish I hadn’t discovered Gray Squirrel so late because I no longer need a good place to study but if I did I would come here!

Coffee was really good. Mocha latte was a bit too chocolatey, but still really good. Latte art was really cool and the side of whipped cream was killer. Cappuccino was really good too. Very rich and velvety. Will definitely be back.

For fans of Vivace, Stumptown, Blue Bottle, you are in for a treat!!! We live outside of Chapel Hill and have been shipping beans to our country home for several years. Discovering Shaw at Grey Squirrel has been crazy amazing! I’ll even venture to say that his Main Street blend is the best beans I’ve ever had! His shop is open, welcoming and artisanal without trying too hard. Shaw is warm and friendly and fantastically interesting. His Americano will leave a tasty happy flavor on your tastebuds for hours. You’ll start craving these beans too! Thank you for opening such an amazing place Shaw!

WHYOB-​DIP is as flavorful and smooth as Firestone’s Union Jack but boasts extra abv. #5star

I’d give a solid 3.5. Would give a 4 though service seemed a bit slow. I waited 15 minutes for my Americano because the baristas were making 3 lattes. Kind of crazy how long it took. Luckily, I was in no rush. The space itself is absolutely beautiful. Large room with natural light, high ceilings, wooden tables, and attached to a brewery. What else could you really want? The café has limited food offerings, just a few pastry items (though there is a great pizza place next door). The coffee itself was tasty but hard to judge on an Americano alone. They were marketing a maple latte which sounded delicious for next time, or even the hand made whip cream drinks.

The space is warm with tables and a bar for YesterYears. The variety of beverages are also a good reflection of the quality of espresso drinks they make. The prices are also fair for their offerings. They do not do pour overs as they want to maintain a certain quality so it will come from a canister but may not be at your preferred temp. I had the Ethiopia and the fruity notes still come through although the temperature had cooled slightly so the flavor notes were disappearing quickly. My wife had the maple latte and enjoyed it. Their whipped cream looks incredible and they don’t force tip on you when you pay by charge. They have a good variety of beans in 8 ounce bags although the price point can be a challenge. Overall a very nice place for espresso drinks and coffee.

First review ever — Yowzaa ! Run — don’t walk and get yourself an amazing coffee ASAP. Such a great space, terrific owner and delicious fig almond biscotti !
And the beer at night is superb btw — I Feel like I’m back in Portland or San Francisco where going for coffee was a true pleasure in every sense. Bravo.

Café is open until 3:30(M-F)/4:30(S-Su) and the bar opens when the café closes, until I think about midnight?
Their coffee is a little pricey, but I think it’s worth it. I tried the mocha latte with whipped cream and it was delicious! I’m not a big coffee person so that says something. :)
Also, it’s a great place to study! Pretty reliable WiFi and lots of tables. Tables are pretty big so it’s nice to be able to spread stuff out.
Only downsides are that it can get a little crowded and sometimes there isn’t any open areas on busy days & there aren’t a lot of plugs so those with laptops, make sure you come with a full battery.
I will be back for sure!

Location tip: the sign outside is Yester Years, and it’s snuggled right between Amante and Cat’s Cradle (plenty of parking)
True coffee lovers will thoroughly enjoy this coffee shop. There are about a dozen different beverage options to choose from so it’s a bit more limited than most other places, but the quality is superb. I enjoyed an almond milk latte (they do not have soy milk) with the visually satisfying latte art. I might try the Con Panna next time – espresso with whipped cream.
There are only a few pastries to choose from, and they also offer toast w/​butter. Not sure about their teas, but I’m pretty sure this place is mainly focused on coffee.
Seating: plenty of wooden tables and chairs to share with friends or strangers. There’s a corner with a few small couches and table. There’s also a long, narrow wooden bar/​counter along a wall for just drinks.
Dislikes: I could only find one outlet behind the couch which is inconvenient for me to do work on my laptop. So I suggest to come with a fully charged laptop or bring a book. Plus, it was freezing inside – albeit it is winter. But I’m sure this place is perfectly fine in warmer weather with its wooden patio outside as well.
Listen for your drink order and pick it up at the counter!

Alright Carrboro, I’ll admit I am jealous. While I am happy with the coffee shops we have in Durham, when I was visiting a friend here recently Gray Squirrel still blew me away. Definitely the most impressive, delicious cups I’ve had in my 5 years in the triangle. Reminded me of some of the best coffee shops I’ve been to in much larger cities. The actual ambiance of the place is not quite as «cool» as I think the product deserves, but it is still a very nice comfortable space.
Props to this gem. Like I said, I am just a little jealous it isn’t in my neck of the woods.

Coffee is great. Ordered a Con Panna, delicious espresso with a homemade espresso whipped cream. Oh my! The barista was very nice, he didn’t mind explaining their coffee. Thanks!!!

Carrboro, you don’t know yet what you’ve got in Grey Squirrel. It may be the best coffee shop in North Carolina.
Grey Squirrel is Shaw Sturton’s little coffee shop on East Main that is built in a handsome package of stainless steel and reclaimed woods countertops.
Shaw is the ex-​bean buyer for Blue Bottle. Shaw brings his experience, scientific knowhow, and his passion for beans to Carrboro. Blue Bottle is currently *THE* premier coffee in the world. Blue Bottle is the best cup of coffee I have ever had and there was not a cup that was even a close second. Until now.
Grey Squirrel’s coffee is «next level» coffee, something that really only coffee snobs will truly appreciate because of how nuanced it is. But I encourage you to become a coffee snob. Once you have a cup of coffee this good, you will be ruined with the burden of knowledge. Everything else afterwards else will taste like muddy water and you’ll mutter hipster stuff like «I knew Grey Squirrel before it was big» and «Starbucks, [eye-​roll] yeah.»
Coffee beans are like musical notes. You can have a single-​source that hits a clear note. You can blend the coffee sources and craft a melody of flavor. You can wash and roast the beans differently to bring out even more character from the beans. Coffee tasting notes are usually bull pucky — but a well crafted coffee like Shaw’s really do follow what the tasting notes describe. You can have a light trill of lemon descend into a more orange/​cherry blossom, punctuated by brass notes of herbs, while a percussion-​section of nuts, earth, and smoked woods plays in the background, and ending with the crashing ending cymbal of 70% dark chocolate ringing across the palate for a long time before fading. I drank his coffee, my eyes widened in delight, and then I reverently said «wow.»
If there is a downside to Grey Squirrel, it’s that Shaw doesn’t communicate his coffee blends, styles, or specials overtly. Things aren’t really labelled very well to describe what he has. But Shaw is usually there and he was happy to chat with me about what was going on — but he expects customers to «pull» the information from his website rather than communicate via a bit of signage. So, discovery of his craft takes a bit more time to truly appreciate the place.
Grey Squirrel also offers a «Kyoto», which is essentially a style of cold ultra-​slow brewing that extracts the flavors of the beans — substituting time to extract the essences rather than heat. The result is a cup of coffee that captures a different set of flavors from the same bean. Kyoto process will bring out more of the fruity high notes but extract less of the dark notes behind that tend to mask some of the more subtle flavor. If you’re like me, you’ll immediate think «I didn’t know coffee could be this way» and go back for more.

For the quality you get, the prices are really reasonable. This is top-​shelf premium coffee. The Kyoto is more expensive, but you should really treat yourself to one of those in your life. And I am absolutely kicking myself for not picking up a few bags of his coffee last time I was there. If you’re not a coffee snob, go there and welcome to the hipster club of next level coffee snootiness. If you are already a snob, come here now [eye-​roll] and stop drinking what the ignorant masses are drinking.

I live in Nashville, and I have tried every coldbrew coffee in all of Nashville, and I can say their Kyoto coldbrew is better than anything I’ve had at Nashville or any other coffee shop in Nashville or Durham.
I also coldbrew my own coffee at home, and experiment with different roasts, brew times, grinds, and brewing methods, so I do not give this review lightly.
If I lived in Chapel Hill, this would be my coffee place.
The coldbrew is smooth and chocolaty, without any hint of smoky or sour flavors commonly found in coldbrew.

Beautiful space to do work in on a Saturday afternoon in October. If you are a coffee snob, you won’t be disappointed. Convenient (minus limited outlets) and very nice staff. The banana walnut bread I had there was pretty yummy too!

The coffee here is excellent, and I am picky about coffee. There’s lots of room and tables to spread out and study. My favorite part is that the owner pays employees above a living wage so that tips are not needed (or taken.) It’s a more sustainable model for people working in food service.

I have been looking for a new place to study/​hangout around the area and found this place on Unilocal so I decided to check it out. The café is located inside Yester Years Brewery next to Amante Pizza.
As soon as I entered, I fell in love with the the natural lighting from the big windows, the wooden tables, the café counter layout, and the laid back atmosphere. The espresso drinks were great. The espresso whipped cream on the drinks was such a good idea. Some improvements can be done about the limited pastries and the lack of tea selection, but that is not going to stop me from visiting the place again.
Amazing service, family friendly, and carry board games. Definitely a great place to study or hangout with friends and family if you don’t mind a little bit of noise in the background and limited electrical outlets.

The coffee here is amazing! I ordered the Kyoto less than a week ago and I’ve come back several times to relive the experience. Impeccable iced coffee!
The space is great too. Tasteful lighting – a rare find. Perfect for studying. I’m excited that this is now my go to coffee shop.

I’d seen a few fliers up for this place and decided to check it out one morning. As others have ever said Gray Squirrel resides inside of Yester Years Brewery which is pretty smart! Morning time they get you with great espresso and evening they have you with beer.
I’ve only been here once but the service was fantastic! The barrista was incredibly friendly and laid back and brought the drink to me. If this is the norm for Gray Squirrel I think it’s going to quick snag the crowd which gets frustrated with some of the other local establishments. It doesn’t hurt that the product is great too!
Though no place is perfect and I have a few nits which will hopefully be worked out. The biggest is lack of pastries. I saw three options when I arrived and none really were what I was wanting. They had two bread dishes and a sugar cookie. The other is lack of outlets which really only effects us workers and gamers who like to caffeine up in the morning.
With that all said this is a fantastic coffee shop. I’ll surely be back!