The Giddy Goat Coffee Roasters
Review! Charlotte, North Carolina // coffee shop & light bites // neighborhood gem
the ELEVATOR PITCH
At this point, The Giddy Goat Coffee Roasters has been around long enough for most Charlotteans to be able to recognize the funky logo of this Plaza Midwood cornerstone. A goat grinning madly, balancing on a surf board, all the while holding a mug of coffee… it’s quite a combination of activities.** Begging question: what’s the full story behind this coffee shop?
**The goat is an ode to the Ethiopian legend about Kaldi, a goat herder that discovered coffee after noticing his goats would run and dance through the night after eating coffee beans. One of the owners loves surfing, so that’s where the surf board comes from while
The surf board came from one of the owner’s loves for surfing, which also represents his passion to run a sustainable, environmentally friendly business.
It goes something like this. Once upon a pandemic, owners Carson Clough and Rhyne Davis, inspired by the social nature of European cafés, created their own space in Charlotte that’s not your typical coffee shop. That was when The Giddy Goat Coffee Roasters was born, in July 2020, as a neighborhood community staple and social force.
What I found cool about many of the amenities/unique-to-Giddy-Goat-things you see today are that they started as ideas from customers! For example, the yoga sessions on Wednesday mornings and the empanadas on the menu were ideas suggested by people in the community. Clough and Davis’ open mindedness to trying out new ideas, no matter where the source, is refreshing in a world where brands and businesses view customers as “numbers.”
The Giddy Goat’s physical space is also consumer-centric. The placement of the coffee roaster on the first floor provides customers a more immersive experience. The second floor bar, lounge, and heated patio area allows for more flexibility in event hosting and offers variety that you don’t typically encounter in a third place. In 2022, they even added “Calder Park,” a dog-friendly outdoor area right behind the coffee shop’s parking lot. (clearly, the sky’s the limit!)
The Giddy Goat Coffee Roasters is an example of how there’s always room for innovation. When you step onto their premises, prepare to be wowed by the multi-purpose, coffee-shop-café-bar nature of the establishment (which is also why this third place is SO packed most days… I frequently find it difficult to find a spot), the from-scratch menu, and the events they host. Their love for serving their community hangs tangibly in the air like holiday cheer during Christmastime.
what have we tried from the menu?
honest reviews to follow 👇
Cinnamon Latte: with whole milk, felt like a pumpkin spice without the artificial vibes ❤️ so MAJOR love (yes I love my PSL) (rating: 9/10)
Dirty Chai: with almond milk (my dairy sensitive husband); wished the milk was more foamy but I think chai typically comes like this. Strong spiced flavor, which I love! (also because it reminds me of pumpkin spice season, which should be year round) (rating: 8/10)
now for some of the food food~
honest reviews to follow 👇
Patagonia Empanada: had the profile of a shepherd’s pie—nice and warm and cozy 💕 (rating: 10/10)
Sweet Corn Empanada: more savory than the name implied; enjoyed this immensely with the harissa sauce and on its own. Highly recommend this vegetarian option! (rating: 10/10)
Caprese Empanada: tasted like a pizza, but with a cross section that looked like the Chinese homestyle dish Tomato & Egg stir fry (which I found funny!); would’ve liked the empanada to be a little more filled out. (rating: 7/10)
The Shaka Burrito: we wanted to try The Goat (keep scrolling for the review on this one) but they sold out so we got this one instead. While second choice, it pleasantly surprised us with how filling and delicious it was! While all of the ingredients kinda merged into one homogenous burrito personality, the crispy toasty-ness of the wrap scored this as a quality experience. (rating: 8/10)
brb, just back to try more of the menu (November 2024)
honest reviews to follow 👇
Chicken Empanada: had the profile of tex mex pulled chicken, salsa-y and moist. Lower rating only because compared with the others it was a little done-before. (rating: 8/10)
Breakfast Empanada: waaaay more cheesy than I bargained for. I couldn’t even taste the ham nor the egg because the bechamel took over the whole stage. It felt a little too heavy, oily, fatty for me. (rating: 3/10)
Mediterranean Empanada: ooooh so the lemon here POPS. The first thing that will hit your taste buds is the lemon, which is super unexpected and it’ll really wake you up. Loved the overall profile of this and it felt very unique. Haven’t tasted a filling like this before! (rating: 10/10)
The Goat Burrito: the homogenous-ness of the burrito’s ingredients didn’t bother me on this one, because the sausage texturally did a great job acting as a “separator” for everything so it wasn’t a same-y blob wrapped in a tortilla (phew). I love this one a smidge more than The Shaka because the sausage really brings a dimension of flavor that the other one doesn’t have! Lastly, the crispy toasty-ness of the wrap was just like I remembered from The Shaka. Stellar. Only thing that’s missing is some more veg. (rating: 9/10)
the RÉSUMÉ
address // 1217 The Plaza, Charlotte, NC 28205
operations // Sunday - Wednesday, 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM; Thursday - Saturday, 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
logistics //
free parking lot next to the brick-n-mortar, but it’s usually always packed
free parking can be found along the streets too
amenities //
public bathrooms, changing tables available
public WiFi & outlets available
semi-accessible (i.e., well-lit, wheelchair accommodating table heights, but no elevator option to get to the second floor)
plenty of indoor and (uncovered) outdoor seating options
zero-waste shop—all drinkware, plates, utensils are compostable/recyclable if you take to-go, or you’re served with silverware if dining in
they also sell shop swag & bags of their house roasted coffee beans
vibes // mid-century modern meets wonky weird artsy
menu // all house made!
beverages ($2.50 - $6.00): coffee (drip, cold brew, pour over, etc.); espresso (cappuccinos, lattes, etc.), hot tea, chai, matcha
⭐ dairy-free milk options available (almond, oat)
⭐ house made syrups
⭐ libations ($6.00 - $8.00): beer, wine
baked goods ($1.50 - $4.00): banana/zucchini bread, lemon pound cake, muffins, scones, granola squares, protein bites/bars
⭐ vegan, gluten-free options available
viennoiserie ($3.25 - $5.00): croissants (butter, dulce de leche, guava & goat cheese, ham & cheese!)
food food ($4.00 - $21.00): empanadas, burritos, wraps, sandwiches, yogurt parfaits, salads, quiche
⭐ vegetarian options available
recs // the empanadas are flavor bombs of perfection 💕 (check out the honest food reviews above for details)
kudos // owner Carson Clough participated in the 2024 Paris Paralympics and won a Silver medal in the paratriathlon!
site // The Giddy Goat Coffee Roasters
~ cath!!
Oooh I love empanadas!