Port City Java

The cute girl who wears her hair in buns is really cool.
Great coffee, better people.

These folks are the best ! They know what I want everyday, and are a part of my morning routine.

While Starbucks will do in a pinch and they are sprinkled all over Charlotte, I try to seek out local (or smaller) establishments when I’m exploring a new city. After seeing some of the reviews, I decided to give Port City Java a try. Well, two really.
After reading Adrienne G’s review, I was intrigued by the Black & Tan. And heeding her warning I added an extra shot to my grande. It was a little too sweet. I thought maybe it just wasn’t my cup of joe, so vowed to give them another try. Went back the next morning and opted for the Almond Joyful. Again, with the extra shot. Too sweet. Even with an extra shot on top of their extra shot, I felt like I was being witch-​slapped with sugar.
I’m not giving up on them & would happily stop by for a dessert at the end of the day, but they probably won’t be my first stop in the morning.

When is a Black & Tan appropriate in the morning? When it’s the Black & Tan Mocha from Port City Java
First morning I chose the small & asked for 3 shots instead of the standard 2; 2^nd morning I opted for the medium since it has 3 shots standard
Verdict? Would stick w/​the small + extra shot
That extra shot was the perfect bitter balance to the sweetness of the white & dark chocolates… the larger size was too sweet & the coffee disappeared in the mix
Still a good drinky but seemed more of a dessert than a morning pick-​me-​up
Thanks for the caffeine & see yall next visit!

Love the Italian sodas that they have here! Will go out of my way just to have a soda! I’ve had their coffee too but the soda is my favorite.
The only thing I wish they would do for more convenience would be to stay open later than 5 pm.

I couldn’t ask for a better place for a coffee break, than this Port City Java. The coffee is great and the staff is beyond great. In fact, after being disappointed that they were out of my favorite muffin yesterday, one of the baristas offered to save me one today. When I went in this morning, I fully expected them to have forgotten, but they didn’t. Further, they even remembered that I don’t like the ones with crispy edges, so the barista told me that she made it a point to give me one that didn’t have crispy edges. That quite literally made my day!
This isn’t just a one off occasion, though. Each time I walk in, they know my coffee preference, and begin making it as soon as I walk in. I’ve seen her just make a coffee and hand it to other. This may just seem nice, but as so many of us are just sneaking out of the office for a little pick-​me-​up, it’s helpful to not spend 15 – 20 minutes in there, just waiting for a coffee that may or may not be made correctly.
Before trying PCJ, I was a loyal Starbucks customer, but the coffee and service at PCJ is much better than the nearest Starbucks. Unless it’s closed, this is my coffee shop of choice, and I think everyone should give it a true shot!

Needing a break and looking for something outside of the corporate devil’s circle of trust (Starbucks) I stumbled upon this place. Gotta say, I like it :) The service was great and the coffee is on par with most other high end coffee shops. The interior at this particular location was pretty small but if the weather permits the outdoor area right outside of the Hearst Tower is a very fitting venue to unwind and/​or gear up for your day.
I’ll be back here if for no other reason to add a little variety to my coffee explorations!

The place is fine for a cup of joe. They have seating, internet, people watching outside. Their internet is a bit spotty, so you’ll probably have to use their next door neighbor’s wifi (Ri Ra).
All in all, nothing special. Their breakfast burrito wasn’t very good though, so I suggest you pass on that.
During lunch, the people watching is quite good. I saw a beautiful young lady in some weird design (turquoise-​ish) dress. Again, people watching, good.

This coffee spot is a real find! It is such a breath of fresh air from the Starbucks corporate machine. They offer free wifi and comfy couches. Personally, I understand that everyone has their own taste for coffee, but I think it is the best cup in Charlotte. I also had a chance to sample the club sandwich. The BBQ /​Ham/​CLub sandwich is simply delicious! If you are in the city, I implore you to give this restaurant a try. They also have beautiful outdoor seating at tables under umbrellas. Enjoy!
–Ian M.

It can be a little tricky to find this place, tucked in off Tryon at the base of the Hurst Tower, but it’s worth the trouble. The coffee is your standard high quality Port City fare — organic, fair trade, whatever — and you’ll like it just fine. I can’t tell the difference between coffees above the Dunkin Doughnuts level, I and suspect that the multitude of blends you see at Starbucks, Port City, etc are the same bean in different packaging. But I digress. I find Port City Java to be preferable to most of the other uptown coffee places because the baristas there are so friendly. It is consistently a very enjoyable place to grab a cup of coffee, read the newspaper, and postpone the start of the day.
The shop is spotless at any hour, which must be a lot of work during the morning and lunchtime rushes. As locations go, this one is popular for a reason. It is as close to central uptown as anywhere, but being slightly off the street it is a lot quieter than the neighboring Starbucks. The crowd here is homogeneous, being composed of business folks from the uptown banks, but people watching can nevertheless be entertaining.

Still groggy on west coast time from my flight in the night before, I find myself awake at 8am for my first day in Charlotte. My brain pleads for my coffee fix and my body cries for either sleep or sugar.
Thanks to Unilocal I am able to map out some café destinations within walking distance from my friends apartment. The Unilocaler before me was a big help with words like «pastries, smoothies, Mocha, etc» and on to Port City Java I go.
I was not disappointed and it was a perfect little spot to start my day. By the time I actually dragged myself down there it was nearly noon but considering I felt like it was 9am, I was so filled with joy to find out that they serve breakfast items all day as well.
I enjoyed a caramel latte, a hot breakfast sandwich, then I was re-​energized to start my exploring. I had also eyeballed the yummy smoothies but decided I was too full… maybe a mid afternoon snack hhmm???