Cafe Taza

If you’re stopping by anything at the corner of Elmwood and Allen, you should definitely go here! They have almond AND soy milks, usually places never offer almond! The lone guy who works there, and most likely owns it, is super nice. He’s not very talkative (but neither am I) so I’ve never caught his name but he’s so sweet and polite. It seats about 4 comfortably, and they always have interesting books to leaf through and small art exhibits on the wall. They have a list of creative specials on the right-​hand wall for any kind of taste — I especially love the Chai Chihuahua. They’re cash only, but there’s an ATM across the street next to Cantina. Supporting local business is always a good thing!

This place is really, really small inside. But the coffee is amazing, and it seems like a cool place to hang out if you can find a spot inside.

This place grew on me. Very tiny. Enough space for you and 3 other people small. The menu has funky names which makes ordering fun. Your punch card stays at the store. I’m in love with the cinnamon chai tea. It’s my new crack. Gonna need an intervention to stop thinking about it. No bathroom. Atm across the street if you need cash.

I’ve come here twice so far during my lunch break. You’d barely notice the storefront– the sign is very inconspicuous. There’s usually spots on Elmwood a little further down the road, so parking wasn’t a huge issue.
Inside, it’s adorably tiny; there’s a small counter with an even smaller table off to the side. This is definitely a grab and go kind of place– no room for hanging out. Though both times I’ve been in, there’s been an interesting group of people lingering, chatting with the workers– which I liked! It really seems like a neighborhood place.
Both times I ordered the «Mike Tyson» over ice– which is essentially a cold chai tea latte, with a shot of espresso… and it’s one of the best iced drinks I’ve ever had! The spices of the chai tea blend very well with the coffee flavors of the espresso, without being too sweet.
My only complaint is that the male barista didn’t really say anything when he handed me my drink. Please be a little friendlier to those who don’t frequent your café on a daily basis! I’m happy to return when I’m in the area though, because the drinks were consistently very very good.

The most adorable tiny coffee shop I’ve ever experienced!
The owner and employees are all extremely friendly and helpful. Coffee is always brewed to perfection. Perfect for an on-​the-​go drink but not someplace I feel I could regularly go. There seems to be a lot of regulars and, maybe it’s just me, but I feel a little out of place when I go. It’s like being at a party and sitting in the corner because no one wants to talk to you. Okay, maybe an exaggeration but truly, I did feel a bit out of place.

There’s more hipsterness in this tiny Allentown coffeeshop than in most hip places in Toronto, brewing affordable and interesting drink concoction ideas that I have yet to come across in any Toronto café.
In some ways Café Taza reminds me of a particular neighbourhood coffee shop near my house: the down-​to-​earth relaxed friendly vibe, the cats and dogs roaming about. In other ways it is an experience unto itself – like, by the looks of it I’m sure there are regulars in here who haven’t left in a week. I did mentioned the place is tiny yes? There are maybe a small handful of places to sit inside and out, so it’s mostly takeout.
Sure you could get just a standard latte and run away from the hipsters quickly. But did I also mention interesting caffinated concoctions? Some is quite a stretch in the imagination that sparks curiosity, like the ‘gold rush’, which is like a mocha meets those orange Christmas chocolates. Or ‘chai chihuahua,’ which taste like cheap powder hot chocolate, but gets you quite hyper for much of the day. A lot of the board menu items are a tea and espresso blend, and a very few leave it up to the barista to decide. You like chance with your daily cup of joe?
100 square feet of friendly Buffalo that doesn’t take its coffee seriously: it’s a refreshing and fun change from life in Toronto where I find the coffee scene to be snobbish and too focused on the details of «good coffee.» I’m no coffee snob (in fact coffee is really not my cup of tea), but a stop at Café Taza should be in order for any caffeine-​loving Canadian stuck in Buffalo, whether you’re here checking out the Elmwood Avenue scene or doing some cliché cross-​border shopping.
Last I checked, cash only – great way to use up those darn wrinkly US$ 1 bills clogging your wallet.

As almost everyone has mentioned this place is tiny. It’s perfect if you are in the elmwood allen area and want to grab an awesome cup of coffee, espresso, or as I will do, an Americano. I actually own a coffee shop and if my place is not open or I’m in this area to check out Rust Belt Books, or one of the many little shops on Allen I will stop in for a great cup of coffee made by well trained, professional baristas.
My suggestion, stop in and grab a cup to go.

It’s very small with few places to sit. But the atmosphere is perfect! Not only that but the dude working there whipped up possibly the best caramel macchiato I have ever had. It’s hard to keep your eyes from dancing around the shop because of all the art hung up everywhere. Love it and would recommend it! I come here everyday after work!

**cash only**
tasty decaf soy latte served in a mug for here (yay mugs)
super friendly casual service
mellow hipster vibe, lots of beards
local art, cork board with area happenings, community-​connected space
mostly boys hanging out here, and they all seem to know one another
meters out front and easy parking
hoppin jams from 60’s-90’s; in between playing chess with his pal and serving customers, the cashier sang and danced, as did a few of the customers
only two very tiny counters, minimal seating, but a couple outdoor tables, one with a cool bench that says, «stop thinking»
bit of an oil-​industrial smell inside the shop, which was a bit odd, and smoke from the guys rolling their own out front wafted in through the open door
i liked the coffee and enjoyed writing here but i’d probably try something else next time through. glad i went though — i felt like part of a cool neighborhood scene, if only for an hour or so.

The cutest, most quaint little coffee shop I’ve come across in my life.
Perfectly sized place for a quick drink on the craft stool and wood tables placed along the window. Mostly though, its built for a on-​the-​run drink.
The service is incredible and the warm, hipster vibe is just perfect to get your java on.
The latte, which is my usual to go drink was made to the point with just the right amount of milk and at the perfect temperature.
If you ever find yourself in the neighborhood, walk in and get a drink.
Also, it is a cash-​only place. Again, CASH ONLY.

I’m all for independent coffee shops. This one is very affordability priced and the coffee was delicious!
Décor:
— The space is quaint and cozy, lots of magazines and books to look through if you’re looking to kill time
— No washroom
Service:
— Very friendly
Coffee
— I had the red eye, it was plenty strong and bold, not sour nor watered down.
I’ll be back if I’m ever in the area.

I love this place! Great coffee and the staff is always so friendly! Great place to frequent especially in the nicer months. I used to live by café aroma but moved closer to Allentown so I needed to find an eclectic coffee shop, this is it! It’s too bad they don’t have a little more space inside so they can have a bigger area for people to sit in the winter time. Overall, great place! Dog treats inside for you pups too!

This is a tiny place near the corner of Elmwood & Allen. We love in the neighborhood so walk our dog by often. She now knows that they have biscuits for dogs, so we canny pass without going in! My husband enjoys their Americanos, but I’m a tea girl. Solid chai for chilly weather and a refreshing green tea spritzer when it’s warm. I plan on trying the rest of the tea offerings on return visits. The staff and other patrons are super friendly so even though there’s not room to hang out, it’s a comfortable atmosphere.

It’s a tiny place and drinks are packed with intensity (sweet/​strong). Not sure if I’m hip enough to be allowed to return here on regular basis, though…

Café Taza is a tiny café serving coffee and espresso drinks. It accomplishes its main goal, serving those drinks and some snacks. However, if you are looking for a place to «hang out» this is not your coffee shop. There are about 7 chairs and most are already filled with regulars who all seem to know each other.
The drinks are great and on point. There is usually only one barista behind the bar at a time so they really give each drink special attention.
I grabbed a savory pastry here once and it was amazing, it had also been made by Betty’s if you’re interested in that. In addition to delicious out of house pastries they sell cliff bars, cookies-​that sort of thing.
All in all a great place to stop in. But you won’t want to stay too long.

As others have noted, Café Taza is very, very small. But I imagine this would be a perfect place to stop in the summer before you do some walking on Elmwood. I’ve only gone in the winter, and luckily no one was inside so I could enjoy time with my friends. The baristas I’ve met are all very nice and they take time with your drinks to make sure they get them right. You see it all happening right in front of you! My favorite is their Chai Tea latte, although there is an upcharge on non-​dairy milk. Bring cash!

This wonderful, cozy café on Allen & Elmwood has the most amazing espresso drink, THE MIKE TYSON. Chai & Espresso is the most delicious thing on the planet. Any drink is well worth the wait, they make it right there in front of you and it is very warm inside and laid back. You can always check out their annoucement and event board for things going on around Buffalo as well.
Will definitely be back for another Mike Tyson (even had it iced recently and it is succulent as well).
Cash only.

This place rules! It’s so small that you walk in and can immediately join a conversation which is sort of neat. The romanticized view of a coffee shop is a place of conversation, new idea and just people talking, but I’ve never been in anyone like that. This is the only place where I could easily join in with the topic of the day.
Oh yeah, the drinks are really good. The Mike Tyson is the most popular drink there. Also, known as a dirt chai at other coffee shops, but none of those are able to duplicate Café Taza’s Mike Tyson. The Chai Chihuahua is really good too, but it will get you wired.
Brena the owner is really awesome too. Definitely a good place to stop if you’re in Allentown.

No joke about this place being a hole in the wall, and it’s got a super hipster vibe. There are two tiny tables with four-​ish tiny seats, just enough for you to sit your butt down while waiting for your drink, but not enough to actually hang out and chill.
The prices are decent, and they served me a damn good Americano, which is my drink of choice. Looking forward to coming back and trying their other coffees/​espresso. They also have Vietnamese coffee, a drip coffee mixed with condensed milk, another of my favorites. I haven’t tried theirs yet, but I’m really looking forward to it!

Tiny – no exaggeration, this place is really small. It’s definitely a place to get your hipster on and hang out with other locals in the neighborhood who almost definitely walked /​rode their bike here. There’s only about 5 chairs in here and some of the smallest tables I’ve ever seen.
When a fellow Buffalonian insisted we come here for a meeting, I wasn’t entirely sure how we were both going to even sit at this one table, but it worked out. The Americano I had here was really smooth and perfectly made at the right temperatures. I recommend stopping in and seeing this place and trying the various drinks they have, but it’s not a place I can make my regular hang out spot, just because it’s too small for me.