Haraz Coffee House | University City

Description: Yemeni style coffee shop in University City with a big, modern interior, soft lighting, and lots of seating for singles, pairs, and small groups, plus some outdoor tables when the weather is good. Expect a long menu of espresso drinks, traditional Yemeni coffee and tea, and a pastry case loaded with saffron milk cakes, cheesecakes, and savory pastries rather than simple drip and muffins. The shop keeps long hours, draws a mix of students and remote workers during the day, and stays lively into the evening as a social hangout for people who want a non-alcoholic spot to meet up, study, or talk over dessert and coffee.

Comments: Haraz is now undoubtedly a staple in the Charlotte area, with this being their fourth location after Plaza Midwood, LoSo, and Ballantyne (with even more locations on the way). And like all their other spots, it’s gorgeous. Polished faux marble tables, black and gold accents everywhere, every corner of the place pristine and clean. Gives it a very calming vibe, with this spot specifically having large floor to ceiling windows letting in a lot of natural light.

There’s plenty of seating, with my favorite spots being the two person tables back towards the far wall. Feels out of the way and snug. If you’ve been to the Plaza Midwood location and struggled to find seating, that’ll be less of a problem here. They even have a living room looking lounge area with a couch and glass doors that I believe you can book if you’re bringing a group.

Parking right next to the store is in a garage, but the general area has a hotel and other businesses with lots you can park in if it’s full. Access to outlets is solid but not great, the booth style wrap around seating thing in the middle has no outlets, which is a bummer because those are great seats. But there are some along the back wall and near the entrance seating.

But let’s get to the most important thing here. This is the only Haraz location (that I know of) that has cinnamon rolls. They're medium sized, with cream cheese frosting that tastes almost exactly like the kind used by Amelie's, and pair nicely with a hot tea or chocolate. I’m glad I came here rather than assuming it’d be like all the other Haraz locations. I mean, it is in terms of decor, but that’s a good thing because all their locations are gorgeous. But having cinnamon rolls? This is now my favorite of all of them. I’m devoutly Christian, but they had me singing Alhamdulillah 🙌🏾🙏🏾 (which is the Arabic equivalent of Hallelujah and means praise be to God or thank God). Cinnamon rolls make any location better!