Does anyone know of any exceptional baristas in the Raleigh area. Most places I have tried where not very good at pulling espresso, and simply focus on lattes to hide their shots.

I'm a fan of New World Cafe on Highway 70 and Jubala Coffee by Falls of the Neuse Road. The latter also has awesome liege waffles and biscuits. Based on the positive reviews, a newer location I've been meaning to check out is BREW in downtown Cary. There's undoubtedly other good choices, those are just three that immediately come to mind.

I heard Jubala was good, any feedback on the new downtown location?

Went to Brew on Sunday, but it was just okay. They use Raleigh Roasting Company. Will try out both Jubala and New World.

Thanks for the report on BREW. I've only gone to the downtown Jubala location once. It has a smaller menu; I'm sure the coffee service would be similar.

I really like the Jubala Coffee by Falls of the Neuse Road. I don't live in Raleigh but visit often, and when I do I try to stop by. I only drink espresso not milk based drinks at home or in cafes. They often have two choices of coffee to pick from. They serve Counter Culture coffee, as well as selling it by the bag. Their work flow is one of the best I have seen. Lines are never long and service is very good. Out of the cup it is as good as or better compared to other cafes that serve CCC. I have had CC at HighFive in Asheville, and Not just Coffee in Charlotte. Of course everyone's taste is unique and not everyone will like CC but the baristas at Jubala are quite good.

I would say New World Cafe is best and most consistent. Jubala is also good, but I think quality of shot is not as consistent as New World Cafe.

I know this post was about Raleigh area, but Red Eye in Carrboro and Driade in Chapel Hill are great as well. Both shops use beans from Carrboro Coffee Roasters.

I'm a little biased since I've worked at a few Raleigh coffee shops and still currently work at one, but I think Jubala is the way to go. Both Jubala shops feature a weekly rotating single origin coffee on espresso which is usually super good. It's also free on Fridays so you can't really beat that.

Both Jubala locations put out great product, but I prefer the one downtown since they always seem to have MUCH shorter lines on the weekend (which is the only time that I make it to either). The location in Lafayette Village gets absolutely slammed at peak weekend hours.

If you're willing to head into Durham, seek out Cocoa Cinnamon (multi-roaster, two locations) and Monuts (Counter Culture).

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. I will start with Jubala and New World and branch out. Looking for a couple of things, mainly consistent shots, and hopefully real Ristretto, which seems to be impossible to find in the area. And some hands on barista skills. My home game is pretty good.

While I don't make it out as often as I used to, the Friday mornings at Counter Culture Coffee HQ are definitely worth the trip. That's where I've held most of the group taste tests for equipment under review on HB. The espresso types arrive at 8AM and clear out by 9ish. The public cuppings are at 10AM; I've only made it a few times since my real job interferes with my pursuit of coffee excellence.