I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Pittsburgh this year and found a couple of great coffee cafés in trendy little neighborhoods of Pennsylvania’s second-largest city.
Best Coffee In Pittsburgh
I found a great coffee shop called Commonplace Coffee in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
Commonplace Coffee
5827 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
(412) 422-0404
7:00 am – 6:00 pm (Monday – Friday)
8:00 am – 6:00 pm (Saturday – Sunday)
This place had the typical “third wave’ vibe with a nice coffee machine, young staff dressed casually, and a minimalist interior. Most importantly, though, the coffee was superb. I had a cortado on a Sunday morning and it set the tone for a great day ahead – the espresso was strong and had my favorite nutty chocolate flavor.
The lines were quite long at 9:30 am…
Benches had power ports and wi-fi was free, so you could stay here for awhile if you wanted to, though it was so crowded I did not linger all that long. I loved all the plants inside.
You can also buy beans to grind and consume at home.
Right down the street was the Tree of Life synagogue, which is an ever-present reminder of evil right in our midst.
Commonplace has other locations in Pittsburgh, but it’s a “local” chain with great coffee and staff.
Another place I tried was Arriviste Coffee Roasters, located in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood.
Arriviste Coffee Roasters
5730 Ellsworth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
(412) 204-7320
7:00 am – 4:00 pm (Monday – Thursday)
7:00 am – 5:00 pm (Friday – Sunday)
Kyle and I met up here for an afternoon meeting over coffee. Here, roasting is done on-site and the friendly baristas whipped up a very nice cappuccino with some impressive swan latte art.
This is the sort of place in which you can stay and make yourself comfortable. The couches and chairs are great and if I needed an office away from my office, this would be the place.
CONCLUSION
Pittsburgh has many nice third-wave coffee options, though I have most enjoyed the two I referenced above. Support the local company before going to Starbucks or Dunkin.
What is your favorite coffee shop in Pittsburgh?
I would expect the best cup of Joe at Kyle’s home. Hope you tried the steak at Gaucho.
I like the La Prima Espresso in the Strip District, as they’ve partnered with the pastry shop next door who makes a really good Apricot Miele, though I’ve heard commonplace is good as well
These “great coffee”’posts are boring & very local centric – irrelevant to 99.99% of readers.
Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket since I’m in the 0.1 % of readers here whom W Ho doesn’t represent and I’m not Pittsburgh based. Appreciated this post being here when in town for a short visit!
Maybe best to just ignore W Ho?
I’d say so.
And I’ve spent a lot of time in Pittsburgh this month – daily visits to Commonplace Coffee in Wilkinsburg and Mechanic Coffee Company on Ellsworth Ave is also great.