Cafe Helios in Downtown Raleigh ~ Great Coffee and Good Times!

This past weekend I had the opportunity to stop in for a quick cup of coffee at Cafe Helios on Glenwood Avenue in Downtown Raleigh.  Helios is pretty popular among the downtown crowd and is well known as spot to get a great cup of coffee, sandwiches, and other libations.  They serve Counter Culture Coffee which is roasted in nearby Durham and I think you will find it to be pretty darn good.  I was there on a Sunday morning so I grabbed a cup of coffee and resisted the temptation of ordering one of their delicious breakfast sandwiches and opted  instead for a bagel with cream cheese.

On my few visits to the cafe I have noticed the crowd to be a good mix of ages. As I sat my table waiting for my coffee to cool down I noticed a steady stream of what I can only assume were regular customers being that they were on a first name basis with the barista.  I even noticed a few familiar faces including the guy who sells me the occasional wine bottle over at Seaboard Wine, another of my favorite downtown haunts.

As with most coffee places they offer free Wi-Fi access so the cafe is populated with the typical laptop lurkers perched at tables quietly crusing the internet or working on their college research paper.  I had my work laptop with me so I felt like I fit in nicely tapping into their wireless connection while I enjoyed my coffee.  It has been a while since I last visited the Cafe, but I think I am going to try and stop by more often.  It has a good vibe to it and offers more than just a good cup of Joe and free wireless internet access.

You can also stop by in the evening to enjoy a pint of beer or wine and take in some art and catch the  occasional live music act. They even hold occasional events and will be hosting a Valentine’s Dance Party with a DJ this weekend.  You can click on the flyer below for more information about their “Spread the Love” dance party. For more information on itshistory and how the cafe was created from what use to be the old North Carolina Association for Plumbing Heating and Cooling Control building on Glenwood  check out this extemely informative blog post over on Goodnight Raleigh.