Cafe Carolina and Bakery

Simple place for breakfast or lunch. Pretty varied menu with a lot of options– some healthy, some not so healthy! It seemed more convenient than a typical breakfast diner. You don’t have a waiter, you order from the line… Similar to the style of Panera or something like it. I didn’t love the chicken texture that was in my salad, and my order was made wrong. So personally it wasn’t great. But the guest I was with had a great breakfast plate with hash browns and bacon and seemed happy. The staff seemed super friendly and it wasn’t a long wait. Lots of booths and outdoor seating for better weather. Just personally didn’t love my food.

Great place and we will definitely be back often. Super friendly staff with and great food. My son and I got two soup and sandwich combos and both were fantastic. Pastries were just $.99 with any meal so we got a lemon bar and inside out peanut butter cup. Love this place, glad I came.

Went here for lunch for the first time today. I ordered the turkey and avocado panini. When I received it, the cheese wasn’t melted and there was hardly any avocado on it. Additionally, the restaurant doesn’t even offer any sides other than chips or pretzels. I also ordered the Mac and cheese which was essentially Kraft brand that had shredded cheese sprinkled on top. Very unimpressed.

The food is always consistently fresh and tasty. They have sandwiches, soups, flatbreads, and lots of bakery choices. Make sure you get the blue cupcake. I never go without at least a couple to go. The staff is always friendly and the prep time is super quick. If you like a upbeat atmosphere, it’s always abuzz with people chatting and laughing or lounging in a corner getting some work done on the computer.

Not to self: Never come here for breakfast again. Gave three chances. Very bland and absolutely nothing fresh about it. This place used to be decent and that’s reflected in the awards on their walls (all 7 – 9 years old).

We catered lunch today for our staff at Hand and Stone Massage and Facial spa here in Cameron Village and everything was delicious! If you haven’t tried this location yet for breakfast or lunch when in Cameron Village make it a point to eat here! They made 72 mini cupcakes for our luncheon and matched the color of the frosting to our company’s exact shade of blue

This was my first time at Café Carolina. It is one of my daughter’s favorite places so we stopped in for brunch. My daughter ordered the French toast– which was thick slices of bread perfectly cooked. I debated between the French toast sandwich stuffed with ham and cheddar or a Panini. I went with the turkey avocado melt Panini, and requested no cilantro, which they left off.
The menu said that Panini was made of smoked turkey, crumbled bacon, Swiss, sundried tomatoes, with avocado spread, fresh cilantro and chipotle mayo on grilled Panini bread. Sadly, there was no bacon or avocado on the sandwich, the Swiss wasn’t melted in the least bit and overall the sandwich was very spicy, even the bread. I didn’t enjoy it at all, but I did not mention it to the staff because we were short on time. Despite this I’m giving it three stars despite because my daughter continually has a good experience here.
Having said that, I will go back. The staff was super friendly, there is a pretty extensive menu, the location is great and the Café does a lot for the community.

Decent food. A little pricey. Coffee is pretty good. Nice outdoor seating. One of the better lunch options in Cameron Village.

Yes, they get my order wrong more often than not. Yes, the wait is almost always too long for the amount of people that are in the restaurant. Yes, for some reason, I always return.
The food is good and the breakfast can be very delicious. Plus the location is excellent, so the shortcomings, I guess, can be overlooked.

The café Carolina signature salad is one of my top 5 favorite salads in Raleigh. Fresh and filling, their salads are packed with delicious toppings. If you’d like something more substantial, the chicken salad is amazing (love the tarragon), and their turkey is great, too. I love Café Carolina for lunch or a quick and healthy dinner. They have a new rewards program that is among the best for rewarding loyal customers. For every $ 80 you spend, you get a $ 10 credit. Oh & id be remiss to forget their baked goods and cupcakes! Great cupcakes at a better price than most cupcake shops in Raleigh.

My husband, 2yr old, and I ate here on Saturday for lunch… I got the summer berry salad… For 9 bucks… The strawberrys were over ripe and should have been thrown out, blueberries were ok… Lettuce was lettuce and not spinach… Pannini was cold and not good… And flatbread was just ok. The lettuce on top of that was subpar… This place fools you with the nice atmosphere and cute menus… But food is substandard…

I love this place. Introduced my 4 year old and he loves it too! It’s become our mother son date place. We share a blue cupcake every time

I was on a mission for a late breakfast and was in line at 10:56 reading the sign that breakfast is served until 11am. I didn’t want to be «that girl» so I asked to be sure that I could in fact still get breakfast. My cashiers first response was no-​my rather abrupt «really?» And probably the look of disappointment on my face caught the attention of the manager who asked what breakfast item I wanted and he he said that he would be able to fill my order. I proceeded to order my breakfast sandwich and a side of the cheesy potato casserole (which is heavenly!) I proceeded to cash out and asked why I wasn’t charged for the potato casserole and I was told that it’s came with my breakfast sandwich. This was a nice surprise, but surprise surprise, it was not ready when my sandwich was. So I asked and was provided with the side of potato casserole. I’m still puzzled about
My potato casserole but it was delish and it was free! My breakfast sandwich was ok.

Café Carolina at Cameron Village is a great place for brunch and lunch. This particular Café Carolina is in a great location, surrounded by shopping. It is a great place to stop and eat, whether you want a place to study or if you want to catch up with friends. We went for brunch on a Sunday and the food was good as always. Not anything incredibly special, but a very solid meal.
My favorite thing to order off the brunch menu is the ham and cheese French toast sandwiches. This is my «go-​to» choice, because it is not something that you see in other brunch spots. Everywhere else has the standard french toast OR breakfast sandwiches, but no one but Café Carolina combines the two. The dish comes with 3 small French toast sandwiches, with a side of syrup to drizzle on top. I love the combination of the sweet from the French toast and the salty from the ham. My family also tends to order a chocolate croissant or 2 for us to share as we wait for our food. The chocolate croissant here far surpasses the chocolate croissant at Panera.
If you are looking for simplicity and a relaxed, bright environment in the Cameron Village area, then Carolina Café is a great choice.

I arrived in Raleigh before my friend got off of work. Since she leaves near Cameron Village she suggested I grab lunch and hang out here. This location has free wifi as well as two small TVs which were on ESPN (it was SuperBowl week). It was not crowded at all. It is one of those places you order at the counter, have a seat, they call your name when your food is ready, and you proceed to go get said food (similar to Panera). There wasn’t much employee interaction and the little there was was uneventful.
I ordered the grilled cheese sandwich with bacon and it comes with chips. The sandwich was pretty darn good. I enjoyed every bite. The free wifi worked very well. Well enough that I could stream via the watch ESPN app on my tablet since I wanted to hear Sportscenter vs just watching it.

Great place to go if you want to grab a quick and tasty lunch, especially if you’re in the mood for cold cuts (I find theirs to be more flavorful than those of other lunch spots).
The Turkey Avocado Melt was recommended to me by the lady behind the register as «the best item on the menu» and it did not disappoint. I like it with a sweet potato biscuit on the side.

Quaint restaurant with a Jason’s Deli-​esque system and vibe. Seems to be a popular spot for a quick and quality-​crafted meals with family and friends. The menu items resonate with those at gourmet sandwich shops — not a lot of adventurous items, but reminiscent of comfort food.
I went for breakfast and they have a lovely array of pastries available, including croissant donuts! I couldn’t get myself to buy one though. I loved that the coffee – to go or dining in – comes in a huge cup they fill to the brim. I ordered a croissant breakfast sandwich with sausage, cheddar cheese and egg. Not too greasy and filling for breakfast. The service was also incredibly sweet.

I find this location much better than the one I usually go to which is in Weston Parkway when it comes to friendly staff. However, it is also the busiest I have been to. Getting your order in time or in order can be test on your patience.
Bottomline: Good place for brunch or an evening coffee with some snacks.

Café Carolina isn’t my absolute favorite but it still lands in the rotation fairly often. Consistently good, convenient and easy, great for takeout or a quick dinner when you don’t feel like cooking at home. Great spot for lunch too and their brunch is pretty good. We usually end up here for dinner or brunch when we can’t agree on where else to go.
My favorite is the chipotle panini with turkey and avocado. Delicious!
All in all, A-​OK but I’m upping them to 4 stars for their great service and consistency. That is what makes me a fan and keeps us coming back.

Delicious! Clean establishment. Of course the big bonus is a wonderful staff. Great customer service. I had a good cup of coffee and cinnamon scone. Other breakfasts looked hearty.