NoRa Cafe

NoRa Cafe is a coffee shop on Strickland Road that has turned into one of North Raleigh’s standard meeting spots. Coffee is the main event, and wine and beer are poured as well, so the room works at more than one hour of the day.

What sets it apart is the books. Used titles are shelved throughout the space, and a connected room called The Library gives you somewhere to sit with a drink and read through them. The cafe also puts its counter to work for local causes.

What to know

• Used books are sold for $3 each, with Blind Date books priced separately.
• The used book selection is carefully culled by the staff.
• During September the cafe donates to the Food Bank for every Community Hearth latte sold.
• That latte combines chocolate, pistachio and toasted marshmallow.
• The donations go to the Plate It Forward initiative of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.