Coffee

ECHT Coffee House Review – Go For Coffee, Stay for the Food

ECHT Coffee House in Mount Oliver is more than just a coffee shop. In addition to roasting their own coffee and serving up cafe-style food, this sleek and design-focused spot will also soon be home to a distillery and cocktail bar giving the neighborhood a must-visit spot that will soon be enjoyed morning, noon, and night.

While we visited this one to get our coffee fix on, we ended up staying to enjoy the food menu and exploring the soon-to-come additions on the building's lower level.

You will be wise to do the same when you visit as well!

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Soluna Review – Coffee in the Morning, Mezcal in the Evening

In early 2023, the Honduran coffee shop, Cafetano, rebranded as Soluna Coffee & Mezcal Bar. The coffee shop portion of the restaurant operates similarly to the former concept plus the addition of night time libations and food in the backroom Mezcal bar. We visited the coffee shop when it was Cafetano and revisited Soluna for the mezcal bar shortly after opening.

When we found out the Honduran coffee shop Soluna (formerly Cafetano) was opening in the former Gaucho space in the Strip District, we weren't entirely sure what to think of it. This had nothing to do with the coffee shop itself (we will never say no to more amazing coffee in Pittsburgh), but rather the use of the space outright.

By Strip District standards, Gaucho had one of the larger building footprints in the neighborhood and, when it comes to coffee shops, we're not used to seeing any of that size anywhere in the city. So hearing that a coffee shop was moving into this particular space was a bit of a surprise.

Thankfully, their wonderful coffee shop offered a hard reminder how much good space in coffee shops is sorely needed, and when this one rebranded as Soluna in 2023 to also incorporate a late-night mezcal bar in the back, we saw the perfect utilization of this space all around.

So whether you visit Soluna for their delicious coffee and small plates during the day, or for a Mezcal cocktail and more unique food in the evening, you really have several reasons to visit this gem in the Strip District!

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Margaux Review – A Cafe, Restaurant, and Bar in East Liberty

East Liberty's recent growth always has made us wonder what will open in the neighborhood next. One thing East Liberty felt like it was lacking was a large, approachable coffee shop where you could both hang out for hours to work or stop by for a quick drink in a unique ambiance.

When Margaux opened, we knew it would be just that- this spacious cafe, bar, and restaurant space satisfies the need for a space to hang out as much as it is to drink and dine.

While we will need several visits to truly work our way through the menu here, on the first visit we visited for a light brunch and coffee.

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Colombino Review – Coffee, Cacao, and Arepas in the Strip

Colombino closed its Strip District location in October 2023; however, they maintain two locations in the South Hills- one a storefront and one a drive-up stand. The below review is from the former Strip District location; however, we believe the menus are similar at the other locations.

When walking around the Strip District in early 2021, we noticed some changes in front of Reyna's grocery store. Their short-order taco stand was replaced by a Colombina arepa stand. As we are just as crazy about arepas as we are tacos, it didn't take long for us to place an order.

But, as it turns out, Colombino is not just an arepa stand, but rather a coffee and cacao bar that also serves arepas. 

This one is truly the best of all worlds, and in the span of 36 hours, we visited this one twice. It is that good.

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44 Pittsburgh Coffee Shops to Grab a Delicious Brew

I love coffee. And I don't mean sugar-laden, heart-attack-in-a-cup frappuccinos.

When I say I love coffee, I mean I love single origin coffee that actually tastes like something besides burnt beans (sorry Starbucks). Because I love experimenting with coffee brewing techniques at home, and have a good idea of how to brew a good cup, it takes a really excellent coffee to get me excited about visiting a coffee shop.

There is good reason for this. When I first moved to Pittsburgh I was pretty underwhelmed with the coffee scene. Luckily things have greatly improved over the past few years and they continue to get better all the time. Thanks to this new scene of coffee shops in Pittsburgh, I am on a quest to find the very best.

So which Pittsburgh coffee shops are worth your time?  Our ever-expanding guide gets to the bottom of that question.

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