Grand Brew

I’m not a fan. I’ve been here twice– the first time, the owner was sitting out front talking to his friends. I went inside and it was empty. He saw me go in and chose not to wait on me, so I just left.
Second time– I walk in and he’s actually behind the counter but on his cell phone. I say hello and he doesn’t even look at me or respond. I wait a min, then he pulls the phone away from his ear, and gestures at me to order. I paid $ 2 for a sadly small, terrible coffee. It tasted old. He literally did not say one word to me (well, except «2 dollars») and continued talking on the phone.
Very rude service. Pretty bad coffee. I wish I had gone down the street to the bakery and gotten their better and reasonably priced coffee instead.

A coffee shop masquerading as a coffee shop.
As a new Mt. Washington resident, I am on the hunt for a new coffee spot. Being that Shiloh is within a short walking distance we checked it out. To our surprise this was the only place listed as a dedicated coffee shop. Upon entering on that early morning, the barista was in conversation with someone else and we waited until they finished their thought.
In the shop there are espresso machines, etc, but we opted for a regular black coffee to establish a baseline before we got into something fancy. We made the mistake of ordering 2 instead of sharing one. We took our coffees to go and paid more than I would have expected. We started walking toward Grandview and after a few sips had announced how displeased we were with the taste. A few more sips and into the garbage can they went. I hate throwing money away, but it was not drinkable and we definitely won’t be back.

One of my favorite parts about traveling is checking out local coffee shops. This was the closest one to where I was staying so I walked over.
When I got there the owner (?) was sitting outside on the stoop chatting and drinking coffee with some guys. I had to step around him to get in the door. The first thing i noticed when I walked in was how dirty the floor was. I don’t think it had been swept/​mopped in a month. There was dog hair, dust, small bits of paper, etc all over it.
I stood there trying to figure out if I wanted to leave for about 3 minutes when the guy finally came in to help me. He was very friendly and chatted but I noticed that he didn’t wash his hands before making my drink. I got a double espresso over ice in a cup and asked for a little heavy cream (he said that he had it). I saw him pull a container that said ½ and ½ on it and add it to my double espresso. The moment I paid, he was back out front chatting with the guys even before I left the store.
The reason this even got 2 stars was because he was nice and chatty and the espresso was much needed.

My fiancé and I try to frequent local businesses because we want to support our community’s business district, but we will NOT be returning to Grand Brew. We realized before that the owner (he also owns the ice cream shop two doors down) was incredibly grumpy when we stopped in to get a scoop last summer. We tried to write it off because maybe he was just having a bad day… But just this morning, we stopped in and my fiancé ordered two drinks while I waited outside with our puppies. The owner was on his cell phone the ENTIRE time she ordered. She almost couldn’t order the second drink because he wouldn’t even look over at her. The ONLY thing he said was «CASH ONLY» (and he pointed at his ATM) when she tried handing over her debit card. Still on his phone, he exited the store and stood on the stoop before my fiancé walked out.
We will NOT return to this coffee shop. We would much rather take our business to the MUCH friendlier Café Cravings by Chatham Village. The environment there is much more like a community, and you’re greeted with a smile by the owner when you walk in – that’s how a coffee shop should be.

Ordered a large iced coffee (24oz) for 3.50 and got mediocre tasting coffee in a 20oz container and was charged 3.75. Before I could say anything employee walked out of store to chat with his buddies. Never coming back here again.

I do not understand how anyone could give this place a one star?! Oh well. And thank you for no wifi! Get out and embrace the breathtaking view!!! This is a place is for a quick stop, not lounging all day. They have fabulous fudge! We had the German chocolate and it was divine. My tea was good too. Yes, service was odd but nice. The owner was probably just another hard working person. When we were there, it seemed like he had to run in and out between two shops. A customer before us told us that he would be right back, and we did the same thing for the people came after us. It was really nice to see how all of us strangers were brought together by such a small act of kindness. Every time I visited Pittsburgh, I stopped here like a ritual. I love this place

This place is absolutely terrible, what a disappointing end to an otherwise lovely afternoon up on Mount Washington. Coffee was expensive, tasted awful, and the server seemed a little off — not rude, just off. A 3+ dollar «homemade» pastry tasted like a Little Debbie cake. Will never come back here.

This place was good. Decent coffee. Kind of grumpy service, but maybe she was having a rough day. Really needs a sign that says «cash only.»

I absolutely love this place. The coffee here is easily the best on the Mount. Friendly owner and great service and baked goods to die for!

Great place to stop if your looking for something hot or sweet. Great service great food definitely stop in if your nearby

Just had one of the best pumpkin spice lattes ever! Very nice, intimate place with great service. Definitely a must try on Mt. Washington!

The owner here is an absolute pig. He hits on young girls and even harassed me to kiss him. I will NEVER go back here, and either should you.

The coffee is bad and the owner is worse. I went in and I guess all the customers were shocked to see a black guy because conversation stopped and all eyes were on me.
I asked for a cappuccino and the owner didn’t like that he had to get up to wait on a customer so he threw a little cup at me and poured me a shot of espresso that tasted like dirt.
I pulled out my card to pay and he barks at me «Cash only.» I didn’t notice the ATM at the time or I would’ve used it but he said «It’s okay have a good day.», rushing me out of the shop.
So I got a free cup of crap. Needless to say I never went back and I always recommend AGAINST this establishment.

Small and quaint. Loved this place. I had the most delicious Espresso Macchiato and Heath Bar Fudge. This place is owner operated and he was so warm and welcoming. Would definitely recommend the coffee here. Was such a nice surprise to be welcomed by Todd (owner). He’s worked over 2000 days in a row. Interesting story.
Cash only but have an ATM inside.

We stopped in after breakfast for a latte and encountered the proprietor on the phone and trying to take our order as he was talking on the phone. He had a look on his face as if we were inconveniencing him and we felt rushed and unwelcome. As we were leaving we had to say thank you and good bye and as he was reading the newspaper he uttered bye with no eye contact. The coffee was not good and we will not return here. This establishment is geared towards the locals.

A small little coffee shop, nothing special as far as coffee shops go. If you come in expecting comfy chairs and a quiet please to study or read, move on. If the regulars are in here, it’s noisy and cramped.
Normal coffee and tea offerings, lattes, brewed coffee, cappuccino, and espressos.

By chance Darren and I ended up at Grandview with a sweet tooth. We stopped into this little coffee shop. CHAI TEA!!! Yes I’m a fanatic! I also got one of the chocolate frosted brownies that I saw in the desert case. The tea was very VERY sweet! If you prefer your chai sweet, then you’d like this place. Me, I like mine more on the spiced side! And the brownie was ok. Not too sweet by itself, but waaaaaaay to much sugar when combined with the already sachrine chai.
I love the location of this coffee shop. Grab a coffee (or tea or hot chocolate) and enjoy the view looking over the entire city not even a block away! I plan to come back again in warmer weather.

Note: CASH ONLY! An ATM is inside.
We planned on heading to DiFiore’s for a sweet finish to our afternoon only to find that they were closed. 2 doors down, however, was Grand Brew with an «Open» sign hanging humbly on the door.
I don’t drink coffee, so I opted for a hot chocolate, and ohhhhh, how it washed away the memories of suburban chains (Five Guys) in a river of ambrosial, whipped cream-​topped rapture.
There sat a chocolate chip cookie the diameter of a manhole cover, the last of its kind for the day. It begged me to take it to the Promised Land to join its brethren, and I did. Crusty on the outside and chewy within, I tasted the perfect union of sugar and salt, savoring its small cocoa bits, breaking it into pieces to baptize in hot chocolate.
Despite having an ideally spongy texture, the chocolate gob I took home fell flat in terms of flavor.
Kay will have to tell you what she had in her own review since I cannot remember.
I am reminded that Mt. Washington is in need of more exploration.

After the hot walk from Duquesne Incline upper station to the Mon Incline upper station, Grand Brew was a welcome respite. We were able to cool off in the cute shop with a nice, strong iced coffee and a Shot in the Dark, husband’s newest favorite coffee drink.
Everyone affiliated with the store was incredibly nice, too; when we walked up the owner was opening up his ice cream shop two doors down, and one of the locals on the patio went and got him for us. Love the neighborly feel of this place.

In my quest to find the best chai in the city, I stopped into my little neighborhood coffee shop. The owner talked me into ordering a frozen «frappuccino» blended drink. I normally don’t order these because I know how much sugar and crap goes into these drinks from my coffee slinging years at the Bucks. Plus, they were the ABSOLUTE worst to make (usually because it was for some bratty tweens). But… I caved, I’m weak!
I CAN tell you though, it was really delicious! It’s hard to make a chai drink blended because they usually ends up tasting like water flavored chai. I don’t know what he did but the consistency was great! Plus he told me he mixes in a little vanilla and caramel syrup plus a touch of cinnamon. Now those are some mad Barista skillz!
Outdoor seating is always a plus for a nice day… plus you get all the local yocal gossip!
My only complaint is that it’s a little pricey. My drink was $ 4.75. I’m out of the Barista biz, is that expensive or am I cheap?! Nonetheless…
I may have a new addiction on my hands ladies and gents.