The original location of The Oak House in Elon, NC was such a success that its owners decided to expand. Their craft coffee/wine bar concept is now in the heart of downtown Durham on the ground floor of One City Center. Grab a cup of coffee during the day, and at night, cozy up at the bar or table with a great glass of wine. The Oak House prides itself on having the best of both worlds.
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Hours:
Monday: 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM Tuesday: 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM Wednesday: 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM Thursday: 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM Friday: 7:00 AM – 12:00 AM Saturday: 8:00 AM – 12:00 AM Sunday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
A nice location with a nice atmosphere and lovely staff. I’ve heard that they make wonderful coffee (the crew of a tour that was passing through was glowing over the quality of their coffee, so this appears to be true), but as a tea drinker, I cannot recommend their tea. I ordered an herbal tea—the three berry blend, and what I received was hot water that tasted vaguely like it might have been near something that was berry adjacent. It clearly was not heated to the proper temperature or steeped long enough (the bag was floating on top as if they plopped it on top instead of pouring the water over the bag), and the leaves and debris had escaped the bag to float in the water. Even after another ten minutes of waiting for the water to cool enough to drink, it barely tasted of anything (except for the sugar I added). A nearby customer overheard what I ordered and leaned over to chat with me because she had gotten the same thing and was also unhappy with it. Her advice was to add a couple of shots of vanilla and a load of sugar, which in her words, almost made it good. I ended up just putting the full cup in the dishes bin, because it was so unpleasant.
I’m docking a star off the atmosphere because there were some large flies harassing the customers despite the freezing temps outside (so they must have come from inside), and the windows which faced the sun didn’t have any shades or window treatments to reduce the suns’ rays (had I sat in that seat for much longer, I’m sure I would have walked away with a sun burn).
In short, apparently the coffee is wonderful. But do NOT get the tea here; This is not a tea house.
Moses Ochola
Jan 27, 2025
5
I walked in, not sure what to get. Olivia was warm and patient as I tried to decide. Miguel politely offered to make me a custom flat white, which was exactly what I needed. I love that I can grab a flat white here and work until 10pm on a Monday.
John Post
Jan 1, 2025
5
The Oak House has been one of my go-to study spots in Durham (the only late night coffee shop in the city). The staff are great and always make me feel welcomed. The coffee is also a nice quality. I've recommended Oak House to multiple friends and they also love the atmosphere/vibe. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.
Katelyn Ice
Dec 15, 2024
3
An underwhelming experience I'm sad to say. $13.50 for a single pour of Jameson to make an Irish coffee that cost $20 altogether, served in a mug so chipped it should have been thrown out. I ordered macarons; the person serving them to me didn't know what flavors they were and couldn't be bothered to find out. The other pastry we ordered was forgotten in the toaster oven for so long I had to go back up and ask about it. And sat down in a chair so wobbly it was nearly broken. Not a stellar experience.
Nema Johnson
Nov 12, 2024
5
I love this place! I always come here after work to get things done. It’s a very nice and comfortable space. Taurean is always there to help me out. He’s absolutely amazing! He always makes really great suggestions! I’ve become a regular. I 100% recommend this place if you want somewhere quite and cozy to work or have your morning coffee!
Madame Katharina
Nov 7, 2024
5
Oak house is truly a magnificent place. Its ambiance and magnificent decoration make our eyes beautiful. Their coffee is magnificently very good. The service was fast and professional. Thanks to the Oak house family
Robert Stephens
Oct 23, 2024
4
I love the Oak House, and I am a regular here. I know many of us use the coffee shop in the evening to study. The music is routinely a little loud and not conducive to learning. I purchased noise-canceling headphones to work in the coffee shop. That feels slightly counter-intuitive.
If we can address this, this place will be five stars for me.
Miguel Fee
Oct 19, 2024
5
I love this place and the new seasonal martini they have. It’s called a pumpkin spice martini. It comes with a thick vanilla foam on top with cinnamon sprinkled on it.
Gina Z
Aug 18, 2024
5
Traveled to Durham for work and stopped at the oak house for my morning coffee. The vibe is cool! And the latte was good!
Lith K
Aug 10, 2024
5
I absolutely loved this place! Hussein was incredibly kind and helpful, making our experience truly exceptional. I had a wonderful evening and highly recommend everyone to visit here. I’ll definitely be coming back!” ✨✨🤍🤍
