Our Favorite Pittsburgh Coffee Shops

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1:03Hey, executive producer Mallory Falk here. Marla, Emma, what kind of coffee drinker are you? Like, do you just go for a black cup of coffee? Do you always order the seasonal special? What is your go-to? When I go to a coffee shop, I love to get a latte, depending on if it's hot, I'll get an ice latte. If it's cold, I get a hot latte. But when I'm at home, I usually just drink a black coffee. I'm a tea drinker. I'm a tea drinker. I'm drinking an iced tea. Sometimes I'm drinking a matcha, but I'm usually just drinking a green tea. If I'm having an espresso, it's like because I'm going through something. It's funny. I actually didn't start drinking coffee until Welland, my 20s. And now my partner, Sheamus, has, he's become a bit of a coffee snob, so I've actually been doing pourovers a lot lately too, which normally I don't have the patience for. But I've been liking them.

2:03And this is interesting to have your perspective as a tea drinker on an episode all about Pittsburgh coffee shops. Well, if they do, well, they sometimes do it all well. I am here with creative producer Marla Kaufman. And in her podcast debut, audience development manager Emma Huncharski, Emma, welcome. We're so excited to have you on the team. Thank you. What is one thing that people should know about you? One thing that people should know about me is that while I love Pittsburgh, I am not afraid to also love Cleveland, which I know is controversial for some people. But I think that we are so lucky to have such a special neighboring city where there's a swimable lake, lots of touring musicians go to Cleveland and don't come to Pittsburgh, which is fine because we can just go to Cleveland. People are so nice. There's so much good food. There's an NBA team. There's a lot to love there. So I'm kind of anti-Cleveland hate. I'm very bold of you to introduce yourself with a take that might get you canceled by some, but make some good points.

3:09We are here because Pittsburgh's 12th annual coffee week is kicking off this Sunday. So we're going to talk about how to take advantage of it. Some of our favorite coffee shops around town, places to work, places to socialize, places to take yourself on a little date. But first we want to give a huge thank you to everybody who became a city cast Pittsburgh neighbor during our fall membership campaign. Yes, thank you so much to some of our newest neighbors, Genie F Zoya D Bethany F Bres Ronald W Grace H and Sue K who actually is my mom. So welcome mom. Hi Sue. I'm excited to have you in the neighborhood. We're so grateful for all of our neighbor support. Yes, you are going to help keep the podcast going keep our newsletter going all the work we do here at City Cast Pittsburgh. And while our campaign is over, we are still a little short of our goal of 90 new neighbors. So if you want to help us cross the finish line, there is still time.

4:14And still join us now at membership dot city cast dot FM. And if you're kicking yourself because you really wanted that exclusive dad hat that Marla is actually wearing right now that has a Pittsburgh parking chair on it. We do still have a few left. So if you join now, help us meet our goal. You can still get one of the hats. It's only while supplies last and it's only for members. So get on it membership dot city cast dot FM. And this hat it is a really nice hat. I think it's my new go to hat. The quality is great. It's very comfortable. I have kind of a big head and it fits really well on my large head. It's got an adjustable band to yes. So whatever the size of your head we would love for you to join us. And words I membership dot city cast dot FM slash Pittsburgh. Okay. Now on to our coffee shop recommendations. We have divided these up into categories. We're going to talk about best spots to do work best spots to socialize like meet up with some friends.

5:15And then best spots to take yourself for a date plus a few coffee shops that we are excited to check out. So let's start with the best place to kind of post up with your laptop and get some work done. Emma, what is your go to spot for this one of my go to spots is LV coffee project in East Liberty, which is inside of lora lie in the daytime. Lora lie at night is lora lie. Lora lie in the daytime is LV coffee project. The quality of the drinks is really high. It's a really beautiful open space. Obviously it's a nice space to be in at night. But in the day it's basically all windows long tables. It never feels cramped. It's just a nice place to go and work. Have your space but also be able to like chat with somebody nearby. If you needed to. I did not even know that lora lie had a coffee component so that that's awesome. My pick for where I like to work is cafe de mori in Lawrenceville. I like to go there when I drop my dog off for grooming.

6:25I usually takes about two to three hours. So I'll post up there while I'm waiting for his appointment to be over. They have their own coffee beans, which you can buy their beans in addition to getting coffee there. I've gotten beans there before and made their coffee at home. I have a bagel and lock sandwich, which is fantastic. I get that every time I go. It's cozy and on the quieter side, which is nice if you're trying to take calls or focus or really lock in on what you're doing. I never went to the beehive in the south side that you know people are very very nostalgic for it. But I imagine the vibes were kind of similar to what cafe de mori is. I don't know if either of you ever went or if anyone listening had would like to correct me if I'm wrong. But if you love the beehive and you've never been to cafe de mori, you could take this opportunity to go and see if I'm right. Interesting. I spent quite a bit of time at the beehive in high school feeling very sophisticated and very like 90s global coffee house vibes. But I haven't been to cafe de mori. So I'll have to check it out and see if it.

7:36Jives with my memories of the dearly departed always in our hearts beehive. Okay. Yes, please report back. I would love to know if I'm right. I've been to both and I know what you mean. I think there's a similar kind of like cozy comfy thing that both of them had and the beehive RIP so important to so many people. And there's a great book about the beehive written by a Pittsburgh author David Rulo called Gen X Pittsburgh the beehive and the 90s scene. So whether you were or were not there for that time. I think that's a really special part of the Southside history. Okay, that book has been on my list. Maybe I'll take it and read it in the next spot in my recommended spot for work, which is red start roasters in East Liberty. So this also has those cozy vibes you've been talking about and the long tables like you mentioned in your spot, Emma. I think the long tables are kind of essential to making a place feel good for work because like I'm always conscious of not wanting to like take up a table where a bunch of people could be sitting and chatting.

8:36And so I like like the long wooden table where if you're posted up with your laptop, it doesn't feel like you're in anyone else's way. So you know when you walk in there, you do see a lot of other people at work. So it feels like that's the right vibe there. I also really love that red start roasts and brews bird friendly coffee. So this is coffee that comes from organic farms that provide a good habitat for migratory birds like there's a certain number of native trees and enough shade and no pesticides, which would make it sound like the coffee there is really pricey. But it's actually like seems cheaper on than the average coffee shop in Pittsburgh, like it's very decently priced. But you also know that it's going to a good cause. And this spot red start is inside of what you might know is the detective building any celebrity because it used to house the city's bureau of police investigations. It's kind of fully been remodeled, but on the bottom floor there's this coffee shop lots of natural light lots of bird decor if that's your thing. So it's a really good spot to work for the day. I also have kind of a runner up, which is the Yens coffee inside the main branch of the Carnegie library in Oakland.

9:44Because what I like about that, you know, I also feel a little guilty sometimes like working in a coffee shop for the entire day or I feel the need to like keep ordering more coffee getting more pastries to sort of justify taking up space there. So my pro tip is to like go get something at the Yens coffee at the library work there for a little bit. And then you kind of can have like the rest of that big beautiful library to work for the rest of the day and not have to kind of like pay the coffee tax to justify being there. That's a nice way to spend the day. I like that. Yeah. And Yens coffee has a spot in Bloomfield too that is that's kind of my runner up. It's a great place to work if you're just looking for a no nonsense local coffee shop. And I love that they change out the art monthly to feature local artists. Today's show is brought to you by the Pittsburgh Valley Theater. They're opening their new season with a powerful love story.

10:45Jacelle with the PBT Orchestra October 23rd through 25th at the Benadam Center. Jacelle is a timeless story about falling in love having your heart broken, finding forgiveness. It is hundreds of years old, but the heartbreak well, I feel like we've all been there right add in the release the sisterhood of vengeful ghosts. And Jacelle is kind of tailor made for October. It is a romantic masterpiece, but it's got the perfect spooky season twist. Jacelle is also a favorite for dancers to perform so you know the hype is gonna be high. The production features add off a dom's beautiful lush score performed by the Pittsburgh Valley Theater Orchestra with this combination of stunning dancing live music and a timeless supernatural story. Jacelle really is a must see ballet. You can get your tickets at PBT.org slash Jacelle. Okay, we are going to move on to the best coffee shops for socializing for meeting up with friends for just chatting and hanging out.

11:46Emma, what is your pick? My pick is Spigalo in Edgewood. It is kind of the classic neighborhood coffee shop to me. It's very close to my house. So I walk there multiple times a week. I feel like most people who go there go there multiple times a week. It's really like cheers vibes. Everybody knows your name kind of thing. It's like there's always dogs. There's always toddlers. It's a lot of neighbors friends. It's just like a good it's a good hang it makes me feel like I'm a part of a neighborhood in a really special way that I think is kind of like one of the best functions of coffee shops. And I think they do a really awesome job of kind of fostering that environment at Spigalo. They also have great drinks. They always have a couple of fun seasonal syrups. They have a lot of food from different local vendors. They brew red hot coffee. They have food from Pittsburgh Taco Boys in Oakland, which is super good. I love to eat that burrito. And then they always have like some juice and some hand pies and sweet treats sometimes from pigeon bagel sometimes from other places like BB and bird.

12:54There's just always there's a lot going on there in a really amazing way. It sounds like your cat might be a fan too. I hear Claude weighing in. Claude is also a big fan. She's never been but if she could she would love to be gossiping there as well. Because Spigalo is relatively new, right? I've heard people say that they really feel like it was filling a gap in edgwood as well. Yeah, I opened I believe two years ago, which is so funny to me. I've been living in Wilkinsburg for many years. And I can't even remember. It feels like such a different time to imagine my life before Spigalo was kind of like the neighborhood watering hall. Yeah, BS. My pick for socializing is defer in the strip district. I have also gone to work at defer, but I think if you're, you know, really looking to like lock in and focus on your work, it can get pretty crowded and noisy, especially on the weekends. So it's a great place to like meet up with a friend. It does hold a very special place in my heart because it's where I went on my very first date with my partner, Shamist.

14:05We sat there for like three hours and talked and had coffee. So that that's when I always think of fondly, but it also has good breakfast sandwiches. They have their own beans. If you watch curb your enthusiasm, you know, it's all about the beans. But yeah, that's my pick for great place to socialize. And so your spot is specifically in the strip because I know defer has a few different locations like there's one downtown, there's one in Trayhill, but for you, the strip is the place to go. Yes, I do like the strip. And there's a lot around too. So you know, if you're meeting friends, you can do a little shopping, get some coffee, maybe do like there's a lot of places to do workout classes down there, walk around for the market. I love the defer spot in the strip. I'm going to recommend an effable cafe and Lawrence fill. I like this because it's pretty spacious. So it doesn't, you know, if you're gossiping with your friends, it doesn't necessarily feel like you're right on top of the next table over and everyone's going to know your business.

15:06And there's like a few different spaces, depending what vibe you're looking for, like they've got a nice patio in the front. There's some really cozy couches and then there's also some booths in the back. So you can kind of like choose your own adventure for where you want to set up. And then they also have a nice menu too. You can get a good bond me. There's great food there. If you, you know, if someone's telling an especially long tail and you, you know, it spills over into lunchtime and you need some sustenance. It's a really nice spot. And if the tail of gossip extends later into the night, I do believe they also have a speak easy. They do indeed. Yeah, I think they close in between. So you could, you know, go take like a little walk around the neighborhood and then come back for part two of the tale. Next up, the best spot for taking yourself on a date. If you just want to kind of enjoy the coffee, enjoy the atmosphere, have some me time. Where do you like to go? My spot for taking myself on a date is commonplace in the north side. I like I said live in Wilkinsburg. So sometimes it's just as simple as going across a river in a bridge to go to another neighborhood that feels like I'm going on a little vacation.

16:13Like I'm having a sweet little special time with myself, the commonplace in the north side really has a different vibe than the other common places. They're outside garden zone across the street is so special and nice. I feel like all the people that work there so friendly. That definitely has a neighborhood coffee shop vibe where I feel like a lot of the people that go there go there all the time. But I'm not one of them. So to me, it's feels really unique and the kind of like little way to change up my weekly routine. So that's my pick. I feel the same way when I've I really love that spot and I feel like the last time I was there is like the only one in line that didn't have a pre-existing relationship with the Marista. Yeah, definitely as a neighborhood spot. But I love that of going to someone else's neighborhood spot to have a little vacation and take yourself. I've never been to that commonplace before. So I'm going to have to take a little vacation to go there. That was really going to feel like vacation for you. Yes.

17:14I've been to a lot of the other commonplaces and they're also great for a little self date. But yeah, maybe this weekend I'll self date myself to commonplace in the north side. They could make a t-shirt. Self date yourself at commonplaces in the north side. If I'm taking myself on a date, I love to do either white whale in Bloomfield or kinder being at the government center in the north side. So these aren't strictly coffee shops. But if you want to enjoy a delicious beverage while you're shopping, I love to buy things that I don't really need when I'm taking my cell phone a self date. So either a book or a record while I'm enjoying my coffee. Both of these places do great non-coffee drinks as well. I know I've gotten a really good like mango lemonade. I think a white whale this summer and did a little book browsing and probably spent way too much money.

18:15But that's okay. What else are these types of places for other than spending too much money? That's so smart to take yourself on a coffee date somewhere where you can also browse. Create literature or great music. I also really love that coffee shop at white whale. But then yeah, it's like impossible not to get drawn into the books and the merch there. There's like a really good last time I was there. There was a really great collection of like Richard scary merch that I was very tempted to buy and had to be talked out of. But when you're sitting with a coffee, you're spending more time just gazing at it, thinking about how nice it would look. Yes, and white whale is open until 8 p.m. now. So if you're looking for a later night spot to have coffee or even there's workspaces. If you're finished with your browsing, you can stay there into the evening. Hi, I'm going to go with Delaney's. There's locations on the south side and in shady side. This is strictly because they have some of my favorite specialties seasonal drinks.

19:18Like I just recently got a maple miso latte there. And so when I want to be able to just kind of like actually concentrate on the drink, like not be distracted by work, not be distracted by conversation, but just like. Read a book and soak in the like interesting combination of syrups that have been combined to make some like a thumbnail latte. This is where I like to go and really focus in. And they're both always bumping. I feel like Delaney's in the south side. There's always such a good vibe. There's a lot of young people that are always there. The one in shady side too that took over the old auto location is like the energy is always so good there. My dad really loves one of the smoothies at the Delaney's in the south side. I don't remember which one it's called, but he's going there all the time to get some blueberry smoothie. So shout out to that. Thanks Delaney's for keeping a H. Hi, Dre. Definitely.

20:22And last up some aspirational spots. So coffee shops that we ourselves have not been to yet, but want to try next one for me is no very coffee in the strip. I'm not sure if that's how you pronounce it. I haven't been there. I will find out when I go, but they have Syrian coffee drinks, food, smoothies, pastries. They have Boc Leva and a bunch of other Syrian pastries that I love. So I'll have to make it down there. I don't go to the strip that often to be honest, but whenever I do that also is a little Pittsburgh vacation for me. So I'll have to check that out. I think they've been open since 2024 and only just landed on my radar, which is an L for me. So I'm excited to learn about that and go there sometime soon. My pick, which is actually not yet open, but dynamic coffee is moving in to KLVN's old spot on Hamilton Avenue and Larimer. And I think we have talked about it on the pot already that I was very upset when KLVN closed. I go to Pilates over there. I go to the sauna over there. So being able to stop in for a coffee after those activities was really great.

21:33But dynamic already has locations in the south side and on Penn Avenue and East Liberty. I hadn't actually had their coffee before, but I took a little field trip over there yesterday in anticipation of this episode and had a lovely pour over and a brownie and it was fantastic. So I'm really looking forward to trying their new spot on Hamilton Avenue and dynamic in general just seems like a great place because they support independent farmers and ethical sourcing of coffee beans and they do a lot of, you know, coffee snob type pourovers and fancy drinks that I don't necessarily have the knowledge about, but I know a lot of people who get really excited about coffee are very into. I know people were really upset about KLVN closing down. So I know there's been a lot of excitement that if there's not a second life for KLVN, Kelvin, we've had to be about how exactly to say that one. That there is a second life for that spot as a coffee shop. I actually have two picks. One is I really have been meaning to check out grim wizard and Alan town, which is a heavy metal themed coffee shop. It recently started in the US. I think it was a very interesting place to be able to see the coffee shop.

22:49It recently moved into a larger space over the summer. So I definitely want to stop in there. I don't think Pittsburgh has enough like niche themed coffee shops in this way. So I am excited about this one. And I also really want to go to Kiber coffee and Polish Hill mainly because I've just heard people recommend making a little morning out of grabbing a coffee there at Kiber and then going upstairs to browse the record at pleasant dreams. So that just seems like a nice way to spend the day like coffee downstairs records upstairs and also Kiber has a lot of vegan breakfast sandwich options, which is intriguing to me. So those two are next up on my list. There's also above pleasant dreams. There's doomed planet comics. So you can go coffee records comics art books. They have some other used books to so that's a really nice trifecta for me. That sounds like a fantastic self date day. And before we go, we do want to talk about how to take advantage of Pittsburgh coffee week, which is happening this coming week. It kicks off this Sunday, October 18th.

23:56Myla, I know you've been checking out some of the events that are happening this week. So what exactly do you have your eyes on? Yeah, one that I'm excited about is on Sunday, October 18th at Cafe Conmigo in Wexford at 6.30 p.m. It's called Behind the Blend tracing the origins and to me, the supply chain of coffee is so interesting because it's being grown all around the world. Probably most people in America are drinking coffee every single day. I think with all kinds of food, it's so easy to overlook where it comes from and whose labor goes into bringing us the food and drink that we consume all the time. So I think any window into the process of like how we get to have a cup of coffee every day is so interesting. And I imagine that is what they will get into this Sunday, which is the first day of Pittsburgh coffee week. Yeah, Emma, that event sounded really interesting. The events that I was kind of eyeing up were the more dancing celebratory coffee events on Thursday, October 22nd from 6 to 8.30 at 19 coffee company in the South Hills, which I have never actually been to.

25:15And event is happening called grounds for celebration, which what a cute punny name. There's going to be an open mic, roaster demos, coffee tastings and a tattoo artist, if you want to put your love of coffee on your body forever. And then on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at defer in the strip, there is going to be a coffee cocktails and dancing happy hour, which you can get pecan Irish coffee espresso martinis and then all the usual and a options if caffeine is enough for you to get on the dance floor. Yeah, a couple of espresso is definitely going to get me a little more energized than any alcohol might. I agree. But all of these events look really great. And I would be interested in going to any of them. And a lot of coffee shops around town are doing special drink specials for Pittsburgh coffee week. So if you want to learn about more of those and get a full list of the events, all of that information is going to be on pgh coffee week.com.

26:26That is all for today here on CityCast Pittsburgh. Reminder that it is not too late to get a citycast Pittsburgh dad hat with a Pittsburgh parking chair on the front. If you become a member today, you can do that at membership dot citycast dot FM slash Pittsburgh. These are very cool, very exclusive hats and they're only available while supplies last once they're gone. They're gone. So become a neighbor today to get yours. We will be back tomorrow with more from around the city. Have a great day. Okay, sorry, can I move my cat? I just feel like it's only going to get louder because she's getting closer to the mic.