McCune Smith

I have visited the café twice, just for hot chocolate though the sandwiches looked amazing and I will definitely try one the next time I am there. I really liked the art on display and the overall feel was relaxed, bright and welcoming. I didn’t have a lot of interaction with the staff, there was no chat at all when I ordered my drink so don’t feel I can comment fully on the service.

Went there for a quick coffee the other day and loved the place! nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Definitively will be going back to taste their cuisine :-)

What a wee gem. Having heard so many rave reviews already, it was about time I checked out the cute coffee shop/​café in my neighbourhood.
Teeny tiny (about 6 tables) we were lucky to nab a seat on a Saturday afternoon. The cosy atmosphere is lovely — the big windows means the space it bright.
I’d heard most about the coffee — and I was relieved that it didn’t disappoint. Great tasting and strong, and that’s hard to come by in Scotland! There was an epic selection of cakes, and we chose to share a rocky road. Thank the pastry gods we did as it was mammoth. The mallow was extra mallowy (it’s totally a thing) and there was an amazing kick with dark chocolate thrown into the mix.
Price-​wise you can’t complain either — only £6 for a cake and two coffees. There are even little trinkets such as prints of Glasgow art, teas and more that you can buy on top of your eats. Not to mention artists are featured on the walls — something I always love to see in venues that do so.
Will be back very soon to try some of the lunch bites from the great menu.

When I’m in Glasgow I’m never normally in the Eastern part of the city, much to my shame. After a weak to the Necropolis to check out the spectacular views of the city I happen upon this little diamond.
I initially bought a coffee (they use the fab Dear Green coffee) to go, but was then tempted by the range of delights they had on offer. I opted for one of the Brown bags — a sandwich, drink and snack for £5.50 if memory serves. Check out the picture for the range of sandwich, I went with the James McCune Smith — a NYC influenced delight.
It’s safe to say, that next time I’m in the city I’ll be trying out another option — I’ve got my eye on the Thomas Campbell

Very good options for breakfast. Very tasty!!! Recommended. I´ll be back when traveling to Glasgow.

I’ve been visiting Scotland for the last couple weeks to see my sister and this place served me the best food I’ve had since I’ve been here. I had a veggie McCune and it was AMAZING. Very fresh ingredients and incredibly flavorful, not to mention the service was spot on. Even the little side salad was delicious. I really appreciate a place that puts effort into every part of a meal. On top of that, they served me the best coffee I’ve had on my trip, and I’ve been all over the place: P do yourself a favor and try this place out on your next lunch with friends. I’m going to miss this place when I get home!

Sometimes people build up a place/​person/​experience so much that by the time you get round to it, your expectations are very high. This lovely little café/​deli had been mentioned numerous times on Twitter and also by Glasgow pals over the last few months. The sandwiches were mentioned with a sincere gastro-​awe (yes I made that up) and the bread itself had a really appealing description.
The lovely Briony and I headed there for lunch last Friday and I was very excited to try the famous fare!
I chose the Thomas Reid sandwich and a cup of tea :) The sandwich was DELICIOUS! The bread had a lovely thick texture which held the cheese, ham and piccalilli in place (just about!). The tea was braw, just enough milk and served in a good size cup. The atmosphere was lovely– clean and tidy café area with shelving to hold their deli items for sale. I would recommend this wee place just off High Street– it’s a great find!

Went to McCune for a light lunch before taking a walk around East end today!
I ordered the bagel sandwich with salmon, cream cheese and pickles (with a side of salad), water and hot chocolate. You can’t go wrong with that sandwich combo! Was super good and satisfying! Gave me a lot of energy to continue my day.
The hot chocolate was also great! Very rich and delicious.
The staff were friendly and quick to prepare my order. No complaints there!
The space itself is very comfortable and bright! I love café delis with a lot of light! It’s more warm and inviting :)
Will definitely revisit when I have the chance!

Ahh… McCune Smith how I wish you had been there when I lived & worked nearby *sigh* You would’ve saved me from all those times I drank inferior/​rubbish coffee & munched on sad sandwiches. My pocket may have been lighter but my taste-​buds & belly would have been happier that’s for sure.
Haven’t had the opportunity to sit in or try any of the food here but everything looks tasty & sounds real good. I’ve only been in for take-​away coffee on the (lucky) occasions I have been working at the Royal Infirmary. The name of the café itself is also pretty cool considering it’s location. James McCune Smith was the first African American to hold a medical degree & he graduated at the top of his class at the University of Glasgow. All the sandwiches here are named after influential Glaswegian men (although one on the online menu seems to be a typo as it says ‘Robert Adams’ {an American photographer} whereas it should, I presume, say ‘Robert Adam’ {Scottish architect}. Only thanks to the power of Wikipedia do I know this! Haha!), would also be nice to see a few Glaswegian women included, such as Isabella Elder, Mary Barbour or Jessie Campbell. Just a wee thought.
Two reasons I come here; the coffee and the staff. Both are very lovely indeed. The beans are Dear Green and I often ask for soya milk and it is always available and the coffee made is always top notch & served with a smile.
The food, as I said always looks & sounds really good and I like that they also sell a few bits & bobs such as coffee beans, reusable cups, teabags & other nice things.
Light, bright and airy atmosphere, super handy for town, the Royal Infirmary or High Street train station this place is hopefully not overlooked as sadly this particular part of town is becoming more & more run down (something to do with the local council & rent prices I think…) McCune Smith will hopefully be here for a long time and I am all in favour of more independent, local cafes/​businesses popping up especially in and around the centre of town. If you ever happen to be even remotely near the vicinity of McCune Smith then do pop in and check them out.

I really liked this place. The food was delicious and the staff were lovely. I had a pastrami sandwich and it was massive! Coffe is organic and strong. They could do well extending this place.
My only negative is that I didn’t feel that the communication between staff and customer was very good. The menu is small so I was interested in specials but there were none on the board and when I asked I was told that they could make a salad out of whatever I want. There’s no point in telling me that because I’ll probably want something you don’t have. Put things on a blackboard.

I really have to get into town earlier in the mornings. Of the four times I’ve visited here, I’ve only made it in time for last breakfast at 11am once. And what a great breakfast it was.
Subsequently, being too early for lunch and too late for brekkers, I’ve settled for some jammy toast, a coffee and a wee read of the papers. The window seats are nice and bright, although the stools are a tad sore on the bahookie after a while it has to be said.
I’ve still to make it in for weekend brunch, but I’m always drooling over the menu for that, which is inconveniently placed on the wall right at eye level beside the till so it’s practically the first thing your eye is drawn to, only to be let down like a punctured balloon when they point out that it’s not the everyday menu (why not? why???).
Classy 20s jazz music playing in the background — ‘Swingin’ at the Speakeasy’ (I asked). Immediately ordered that when I got home!
I still can’t believe this place is where it is. It’s a veritable oasis in what is normally a semi-​derelict part of Glasgow, the buildings run down by decades of Council neglect. You would expect to find somewhere like this in the West End, but not here. McCune Smith might well be one of those magic shops that disappears when you’re not looking, so incongruous does its existence here seem. It’s a prescient venture for sure, and with all the hi-​tech buildings springing up around Duke Street and the lower end of High Street the gamble of opening such a classy gaff here is bound to pay off in spades in years to come. Watch this space!

This place is legit. Had sandwiches and dessert. All way great and not too expensive.

Coolest café in the area!!! A place you could grab a window seat, sit for hours and watch the world go by! My first visit was the Unilocal brunch club. I fully intended to have one of the famous sandwiches however when I saw Mexican scramblers on the specials board, I had to have them!!! Scrambled eggs, jalapeño and tortilla chips! Spicy spicy! But really good!!! The eggs were creamy and had tonnes of cheese. made to perfection, the only thing I would say is that it could have had something on the side! The place was really chilled cool music and a cool selection of tea and coffee to buy! I saw a few sandwich and they do look heavenly! I will be back for on of those bad boys! Until next time!

When I worked across the road in the cooncil offices I frequented this place. The staff always had smiling faces and were very happy to advise if asked. Oh, and the food? Damn good fare.

I went on my first Unilocal brunch club on Saturday and I am really glad I did. This little café is not at all what I expected. From the location I had conjured up a different image in my mind and when I got their I was delighted to find it was a really cool and fresh looking place.
Food wise I had the full breakfast which was nice and a decent size without being over filling. It also was free from to much grease that you get at times when served up a full breakfast elsewhere. I also had a nice skinny (need to lower my calorie intake somehow) flat white and got to try a custard tart and some cake.
Why 4 stars and not 5. I will save the 5^th star for when I go back and taste one of the brilliant sandwiches they have on offer.
Cool place with a great name with history behind it. All in a location you would not expect to find it and with friendly staff. Definitely worth visiting.

McCune Smith is a fantastic addition to this part of town, located on the edge of Merchant City at the junction with High Street. I feel I must create a new genre to describe the hip interior: Scandi-​Scots, I hope this becomes a «thing» :) It’s bright and spacious with windows to the ceiling, minimal décor, natural wood floor, blackboard menus, Harris Tweed shades lined with Tunnocks Caramel Wafer decal, matt-​grey walls (actually Dulux «Perfectly Taupe», I asked!), themed around fascinating local history.
My first visit here was for Saturday birthday brunch with fellow Unilocalers, and I’ll definitely be back soon to explore more of the menu. This coffee shop /​deli sandwich /​breakfasting café serves high quality fayre at reasonable prices. Attention to detail is high — both the interior design and food quality and presentation. The small, but mouthwatering menu is hard to pick from as everything sounds so delicious. During the week the breakfast menu stops at 11am when the deli lunch menu starts, and there’s a special weekend brunch menu alongside the lunch menu for maximum choice.
My «Thomas Reid» honey roast ham, cheese and piccalilli ryebread sandwich was the perfect combination of flavour and texture (check out my pic to truly appreciate its awesomeness!). At £4.50 served with dressed salad leaves (eat-​in) it’s excellent value for money. Latte and mocha coffees accompanied lunch, both well presented and delicious.
The staff were great, and service was friendly. Despite our lunch lasting 2.5hrs, we weren’t rushed or made to feel like we’d overstayed. I really recommend paying McCune Smith a visit.
Oh, I just remembered that menu items are available for takeaway too, at a a reduced price than eat-​in.

After a very disappointing visit elsewhere nearby, Briony and I popped in here for a drink to cheer us up! As soon as we walked in here we felt better, it was nice, bright, clean and smelled amazing! We got a table in the window and ordered our drinks and B had a portugese custard tart and a mint steeper which was so pretty when it came!
I had the hot chocolate, made with Montezuma 73% chocolate and it was delicious! Served with a chocolate straw on top, it wasn’t too sweet and had a lovely smooth flavour.
Staff were very friendly and chatty and we felt so welcome and comfortable.
I can’t wait to go back next weekend for brunch!

If you do anything after reading this review, go and look up Dr John McCune Smith on Wikipedia. His story is a pretty cool one, and is a little piece of history regarding Glasgow that I knew nothing about. It’s an interesting name for a café, and it’s good to see the owners putting a bit of his story on the menus.
As for the café itself, there is a lot to recommend. The double front shop space is nice and airey, with a tabled section on one side and a bit with high tables on the other. It seems to be focusing on sandwiches (all named after clever Glasgow people), and while none of them looked to be your usual standard flavour combinations they looked great. I quite happily spent half an hour or so there, and felt pretty relaxed.
Having said that, I didn’t have a sandwich, and went for one of their specials: chili with a corn muffin. This was nearly brilliant, but a few things left it short of the top mark. On the plus side, it tasted lovely: the chili had loads of flavour, and wasn’t overpowered by lots of heat (a nice dollop of cream on top helped), and the muffin was great broken up and dunked in. The main minus was that I could have done with more of it: it was served in a wee dish, and I could have used a bit more, or some rice to go with it. It could also have been a little but warmer in temperature, but then I didn’t ask to get it warmed up, so it’s as much my fault as anything else. Don’t focus on these last comments though, as it was a really good lunch, and was well worth the visit.
Little things take this place above the ordinary, and mean the score from this visit is a solid 4: it looks and feels lovely, they do lots of cool things like French Language nights, the brunch menu looks interesting and overall you get pretty good value for money. The sandwiches look cracking though, and ill definitely be back to give them a go.

I had some time to kill and ventured here for lunch. I’d heard good things and thought it was about time I gave it a go. Inside it is absolutely gorgeous — simply decorated but oozes class. I had a look over the menu and the hot dish of the day (chilli) but decided to go for a sandwich as I saw one being made and the bread looked delicious. I opted for the Thomas Reid with ham, cheddar and piccalilli as well as a bottle of fancy fresh orange and lemonade.
Initially there wasn’t any seats available but it seems like seats turn over fast as people go on their way so I was able to nab one. This place is pretty tranquil and relaxing, I would definitely venture to hang out here again.
When the sandwich arrived, it was on pillowly bread and massive. Check out the photo — that’s a dinner plate it’s on! For £4.50 dine in, I think that’s a really good price. It was as good as a fresh sandwich could be — perfect bread and luscious fillings with a great balance between the flavours. I ate it so quickly and vigorously that at one point I thought I might have pulled a muscle in my back, but I think it was just the slightly uncomfortable seating.
This place is like an oasis in the East End of delicious sandwiches. I’ll definitely be back to try more of the sandwich menu. They also do breakfast menu with rolls, yoghurt, toast and porridge.
Note: they take Swipii card.

I found this newly opened café on Duke Street just off the High Street, and found it a pleasant surprise. Lovely Coffee, tasty sandwiches, well I had the McCune Smith sandwich which was a deli style Pastrami, gouda and gherkin on some lovely bread. But the other sandwiches looked nice too, I remember a Jerk Chicken one and a hot smoked salmon one too, but never tried them, but I will be back to feast on the others!