Pittsburgh is one of the best coffee cities in America, so Pittsburgh baristas are serious about coffee. The city celebrates caffeinated beverages with Pittsburgh Coffee Week, starting October 13, but there’s no reason not to enjoy Pittsburgh’s coffee scene every day of the year. Earlier this month, we asked bartenders which watering holes they frequent, so in another series of insider tips, we’ve now asked baristas where they go for coffee. Plus, since baristas get to judge everyone for their coffee orders, we asked them what they order, too, so you can judge right back.
Pittsburgh Baristas Share Their Favorite Coffeeshops and Signature Orders
Al Ebeling (Arriviste Coffee Roasters)
“Personally, I really like De Fer (2002 Smallman Street) in the Strip District. I also really like Kaibur (3138 Dobson Street) in Polish Hill. I make a lot of coffee at home so I’m biased, but I keep it simple with my order. Oat cappuccino and iced americano, usually just a touch of milk.”
Aedan Symons (Redhawk Coffee Roasters)
“Delanie’s (1737 East Carson Street) or Ineffable Ca Phé (3920 Penn Avenue) every time. At Delanie’s, I do their house favorite blend, and at Ineffable I do their Vietnamese cold brew. Ineffable gets actual Vietnamese beans that have cocoa in them. It’s sooooooo good.”
Casimir (Mechanic Coffee Company)
“I like Biddle’s Escape (401 Biddle Avenue). I tend to get a drip, since I don’t go out for coffee a whole lot. It’s more for the atmosphere, since I like to get coffee at places that have the opposite vibe to where I work. Biddle’s has really fun décor!”
Morinda Rivera-Hoelzle (Bantha Tea Bar)
“I have a lot of favorites. I like De Fer (Multiple locations), Coffee Tree Roasters (Multiple locations), Caffe D’Amore (3808 Butler Street), and Convive Coffee (Multiple locations). In the summer, the peanut butter draft latte at Convive slaps. Everywhere else, I always get a hot oat milk latte with cinnamon and honey!”
RJ Kozain (Needle & Bean)
“I can’t cheat on Needle & Bean (320 Castle Shannon Boulevard) with this answer. I just get an Americano. The roasts Needle and Bean bring in have so many different notes and the Americano brings out the best in all of it. But also, for customers, get the Vanilla Lavender latte. I push it on everyone because I love lavender and am really picky about how lavender syrup tastes…and we do it right.”
Story by Emma Riva / Photo courtesy of Kaibur Coffee
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