Joe Van Gogh

This is literally the slowest service I have ever experienced in my life. Absolutely no sense of urgency even when there is a line stretching down the hall. Who cares if the coffee is good or not if you have to wait 20 minutes just to get an ice coffee! I have been here three times, three different employees and exact same mind boggling slowness and complete inability to multi-​task. Never again.

This used to be a cool shop before it was renovated. I used to come here a couple of times a year (my dentist is over there) for an espresso drink. They used to have really cool drinks on the menu (like the Grasshopper — mint & chocolate) and there were lots of other cool combinations too. Now, the menu is super-​plain (just «espresso», or «mocha» — no inventive drinks).
There was only 1 person behind the counter. He took my payment AND made my drink without washing his hands. That is a health code violation. You can’t handle money and prepare food without washing your hands. I asked for a large frozen mocha. He made it right in front of me. My 20 oz drink only had about 6 oz of «real» mocha total (espresso + milk). The rest was ice. I did NOT just pay you $ 5 for 14 oz of ice.
To top it all off, since he was the only one behind the counter and he took my payment & made my drink immediately, a very long line formed behind me (about 5 people).
The thing that really got me was the lack of hand washing. That by itself will ensure I will not be back.

Stopped by really quick once on the way to work — seems like the kind of place I’d enjoy so I’ll be back to take a closer look.
So far all I’ve got is: decent coverage on the menu, small area and very crowded at 9 am with people studying and chatting. Nice intimate atmosphere.

I showed up at JVG to do some work at 7:55 not knowing they close at 8pm. The two baristas watched me setup my computer, took my order, took my cash and then when they gave me my order said «You know we close in two minutes?»
It was a real dick move. I won’t ever come here again.

I loved this coffee shop! While they did not have almond milk, they did offer macadamia nut milk which is even better. JVG is a nice change from Starbucks with with a wide range of pastries as well. I splurged and ordered the chocolate chip cookie. Yummy in my tummy!
Friendly staff.
Great service.
Perfect latte.
Happy belly.

Good coffee, brightly lit ambiance, with snarky service.
Is it possible to get a cup of joe without pretension and snark around here? This is not always the case. I’ve been here where some of the baristas were friendly, cheerful and welcoming. Today they were blasting heavy metal and serving drinks with sarcasm. Please improve the service so that it matches the coffee.

Wag.
My dog loves this place and so do I. Located nearby
where I live it is a wonderful place to meet up with a friend, work on the Internet, eat a locally made pastry. Good coffee selection and knowledgable staff, this café also opens into a delightful movie theater on one side — The Chelsea. Dogs welcome outside and plenty of good seating there. Inside is spacious with plenty of tables for 2 or 8.

Dang. I was pretty disappointed when I found out the lavender syrup at Joe Van Gogh is only seasonal. Thanks to Cat P’s review my heart was set on an iced lavender latte with macadamia nut milk. Heart… broken.
Well, I still got the macadamia nut milk which made me pretty happy. That in and of itself made it the best vanilla latte I’ve ever had (though I can’t say that’s a drink I order frequently). They roast their own beans which you can buy there or at Southern Season. They used the espresso blend in my latte and the Don Isidro microlot from Nicaragua for the iced coffee of the day, which they have on tap. The Don Isidro was pretty light bodied so I would have preferred without milk — the macadamia nut milk was a bit too over powering despite the fact that there was only about a tablespoon’s worth in there.
JVG is in a Food Lion shopping complex. If your GPS doesn’t take you directly there, it’s in a back corner of the complex, about as far away from the Food Lion as possible. It’s not exactly a coffee shop I’d want to go lounge in all day but it serves its purpose and at some point in the year they have lavender lattes. Until that day, where can I buy some lavender syrup so I can make them myself?

Love, love, love this place. The more I come, the more that I find to love. It was the chai that initially attracted to Joe Van Gogh — I remember a period of time when I would come here every morning before school to grab a wonderfully spiced hot soy chai latte to bring to class. Like I mentioned in my previous review, the chai concentrate is made in house, and they don’t use a boxed concentrate like Tazo or Oregon Chai like most other coffee shops. I think the freshness of an original chai concentrate is what makes the chai latte here so spectacular. Have it hot or iced, and add soy if you want to have a sweeter (and in my opinion, more refreshing) taste.
Recently, I’ve tried several more of the items on the menu, and I haven’t been disappointed. Joe Van Gogh makes hell of an espresso — the soy iced latte is just spectacular. The espresso flavor is perfectly balanced (not too bitter) with the creaminess of soy milk, making for one of the most flavorful and refreshing soy lattes that I’ve ever had. They’ve also recently added macadamia milk to their menu, which you can substitute for regular milk in any drink. I haven’t seen macadamia milk in any other coffee shop before, and the taste of it is so creamy with a bit of nuttiness and sweetness that makes for a delightful treat! I would definitely recommend trying it in your favorite coffee shop beverage.
I also love that Joe Van Gogh has great accompaniments for your beverage from sugar syrup to cardamom and my personal favorite, Truvia (stevia)! Not many shops will want to invest in more expensive sweeteners, which makes me really appreciate the ones who do.
The staff members are also super nice and welcoming. Always willing to start a conversation along with your morning coffee. Wi-​fi is fast and free, and there is a lot of seating (indoors, outdoors, sofas) with outlets if you want to do work. Lots of natural lighting from the wall of windows, which is so pleasant. I would describe Joe Van Gogh as the ideal local coffee shop, with a cork-​board for local advertisements, a free book exchange, and paintings for sale by local artists hung along the wall.
If you’re looking for good coffee in Chapel Hill, this is the best place to go!

If you appreciate artisan coffee, Joe Van Gogh is an excellent Chapel Hill choice. With unique microlots roasted in their Hillsborough facility and skilled baristas ready to extract the most from every bean, you’re sure to get pleasantly caffeinated. House made syrups are also unique offerings, with flavors like rosemary and lavender as well as the basics.
Vegan? Or just adventurous? Not to worry, Joe Van Gogh offers macadamia nut milk as an option for a small surcharge.
While it won’t intoxicate you except in your taste buds, nitrogenated cold brew coffee on tap has a satisfying beer-​like mouthfeel. During my visit, an Ethiopian natural brought rich body and fruitiness to the brew with luscious results. A rare Sumatran natural microlot was a magnificent pourover.
The atmosphere is cheery and comfortable, with free wi-​fi and laptop-​friendly stations. Overall a very impressive offering. Do recommend!

Okay service but great drinks and interesting, folksy song choices.
They offered lavender syrup when we stopped by last week, so I had to get it in my latte.
Probably the best thing about Joe Van Gogh: They offer macadamia nut milk!!!
Wow! I’ve never ever seen that in a coffee shop before, not even most grocery stores. Pretty impressed.
The area’s crunchy granola vibe probably has something to do with it…
Anyway, the lavender syrup, good chai, and macadamia nut milk was a winning combination.
Like the environment. If only the staff could be a tad friendlier…

Very popular coffee shop in a strip mall near my friends’ house.
There was a line when we arrived but the staff was hustling so it moved quickly. My niece and I enjoyed delicious hot chocolate and some yummy cinnamon twists.
The space was a bit tight… because it’s so popular and there wasn’t much seating… or parking for that matter. I’m not sure if it was time of day or another popular business.
Great spot to grab a go-​cup.

Their coffee is the real deal holyfield. The atmosphere is only so-​so and my experience with the wifi is a bit shaky. But the coffee is delicious!

Joe Van Gogh is one of my favorite coffee places in town. They have great coffee, and service. They occasionally have interesting coffee drinks. For instance, they sometimes have herb infused coffee drinks, such as a rosemary iced latte, I found the drink completely refreshing, in comparison to the typical latte drinks I find at other establishments. Joe also has other interesting drinks and styles of drip coffee which are definitely worth trying.
One of my only complaints is the small space. Joe is probably not the ideal place for a larger study group considering the limited seating. In addition, I’ve been to Joe a few times and they were out of certain food times such as danishes, muffins and croissants. Although I understand they don’t make baked items in house, it would be great if they had something other than a bagel during the middle of the day.

As with the other Joey Van G’s, you can tell that the baristas know what the eff they’re doing. Very signature, flavorful cappuccinos in particular.
While it is part of a suburbanesque shopping center, it satisfies a need for this part of Chapel Hill, as there’s not much of this kinda thing this far away from Franklin St. The parking is ample, and seating is reasonable (tends to get crowded with moms and ECH kids after school, but welcome to coffee shops in Chapel Hill if you’re not used to them being crowded).
My only complaint is that I think they need to up their bakery game a little bit. i don’t know who makes their muffins, but they’re just not that good. But then again, pumpkin muffins are never as good as they sound

It’s my second time and I’ve learned the routine — seating can be limited at times. The staff is very friendly. Desert choices are limited but local and good. Coffee is very good — nice tea choices too.

This place has great coffee, which is why I give it 4 stars.
But it’s not really the kind of coffee shop you hang out in. The seating is very limited and the building is attached to the Chelsea Theatre. I used to come here before work, get my coffee, sit for a few minutes and then depart. You might see a few people sitting around doing work, but not many.
Good selection of pastries and bagels as well.

I love their coffee, which is smooth and tasty. And also, people around are really nice. I would give a 4 star but the wifi system totally ruin it. I mean, fuck the wifi. my mac kept having this «lost connect» thing popped up. And it really pissed me off cuz I am trying to do my homework online. I mean, I don;t really wanna be mean but i hope they can fix the internet thing ASAP. UGH

The question that always pops into my mind as I enter the lot of the complex that houses this Joe Van Gogh location is: «Why is this lot always so packed?» Seriously, it’s often to the point that cars are lined up along the outside of the lot! Where are all these people? But I digress…
This JVG location is above solid. The coffee drinks are good and strong. The baristas are among the friendliest you shall ever encounter. There is a pervasive laid back vibe. There’s free wi-​fi, and there’s plenty of seating. Also, it’s next to Chelsea Theater which is an awesome local, independent movie theater. In fact, the door linking the two establishments is often left open so you can easily pop in for a pre or post movie caffeinated beverage.
One thing is for sure: If I lived in Chapel Hill, I’d be frequenting this gem quite often!

Cup A Joe is my go to coffee place if I don’t get a chance to make my coffee from home and I don’t want to put any more money into the greedy pockets of Starbucks. I believe the prices are less than Starbucks, and the coffee is just as good. Not sure if they do all the fancy options that they do at Starbucks because I usually just get a regular coffee or a latte.
They have a variety of options for the adventurous types which are listed on a large chalk board behind the counter. The service is generally friendly and the baristas are quick when there is a long line of people waiting, which is common in the mornings.
A lot of people like to hang out here with their computers, so I would say this would be a good place to plugin and do some work or have a business meeting. I personally have not done so, however.
This location also has some outside seating so people can enjoy their beverages while reading an Indpendent magazine. Dog friendly outside as well (they even have dog bowls available).