Published by Angie. Last Updated on July 12, 2023.
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Brown Bear Bread Cafe is a bakery located in Mt. Oliver offering up sourdough bread, English muffins, pastries, and more to go, plus a small cafe menu for dining in. If there's one thing we think Pittsburgh can always use more of, it's excellent bakeries (especially bread-focused bakeries)- so we are ecstatic that this lovely new spot has found a home in Mt. Oliver.
Modern Vibes and Delicious Food at Brown Bear Bread Cafe
We visited on a recent Saturday for brunch and were happy to see the place buzzing with customers. The renovated space has a cool, modern, raw feel with the walls revealing layer upon layer of paint, tile, and other wall adornments from over the years.
We were immediately drawn to the bread counter, where beautiful loaves of freshly baked breads tempted us, including sourdough, ciabatta, Italian, seeded sourdough, and more. Moving around the pastry case we also perused the sweet pastry options like bread pudding, muffins, and cookies.
A sandwich board outlined the menu options for hot food including breakfast sandwiches, chocolate challah French toast, and a summer hash. Although we wanted one of everything, we went for the classic Brown Bear breakfast sandwich and the summer hash.
While we waited for the food we helped ourselves to the self-serve coffee station. We were happy to see the coffee was from local roaster Commonplace Coffee- one of our absolute favorites.
As I was daydreaming about how much bread Jeremy would let me buy to take home (I wanted to buy the entire store out), our dishes showed up. The summer hash was served with potatoes, red peppers, sausage, and green onions. It was topped off with two dippy eggs and a bacon sourdough crumble, and served with toasted ciabatta on the side. The potatoes were perfectly cooked and well-seasoned, and the mix of flavors was everything you want in a savory breakfast hash. The ciabatta was so deliciously crispy and toasted, too.
The breakfast sandwich stole the show, though- a house-made sourdough English muffin was stuffed with sausage, eggs, and spicy mayo; home fries were served on the side. The English muffin had just the right amount of tang, and it was so fluffy and tender. Each component of the sandwich was just right, from the juicy sausage to the creamy sauce. The whole sandwich was like a giant breakfast hug!
I can't think of anywhere else in the city where you can get freshly baked English muffins- if there's one thing you need to eat here, it's these! They're just so perfect and special.
We then moved on to our to-go purchases, a package of English muffins (naturally) and a sweet brioche bun. The brioche bun was buttery rich yet light and airy, and it was filled with an orange blossom chantilly cream with strawberries. It was floral, fruity, and just sweet enough – perfect for a breakfast “dessert”!
We dream of the day when every Pittsburgh neighborhood will have a bakery as delicious as Brown Bear Bread Cafe. But for now, we will happily cross a couple of rivers to keep coming back to this great spot for a cozy brunch and our English muffin fix.
Brown Bear Bread Cafe is located at 225 Brownsville Rd in Mt. Oliver.
