Here we are with yet another addition to my coffee shop adventures. Except this time, I write this with a heavy heart that they are closing.
Coffee Buddha has been almost a landmark in the McCandless area of Pittsburgh. If you ask just about anyone about their favorite local coffee shops, it’s for sure to be on the list. For me, it begun my obsession with local coffee shops and made me want to visit more of them. I’m so sad it took me so long to get one of these done for Coffee Buddha, but it’s now or never.
Coffee Buddha was all around a fantastic local coffee shop. Every time I paid a visit, they were almost always packed. If they weren’t, I was able to pick a seat to sit at in their various rooms. If I remember correctly, it used to be a vacant house, which they turned into a coffee shop in 2011. I think that’s the biggest part that makes Coffee Buddha feel like a second home. I know I personally would use it as a meeting place as well as a place to clear my thoughts and work on homework during my years in college. Chris and I would go there a lot in the summer time to enjoy some iced drinks before going to walk in North Park.
I loved the fact that they displayed local arts and crafts for sale and had a whole wall dedicated to local businesses and entrepreneurs as well as flyers for local events. They were really a shop of the people.
As I always do for my coffee shop adventures, I rate the beverages we have and the environment of the shop. Let’s begin with the environment. I give Buddha a 10/10 strictly because they have so much seating and you really can get the privacy you want or sit outside on a nice day or even play board games. They have things like Jumanji or Monopoly or chess and checkers. You’d never be able to say you were bored going in there (haha puns).
As far as their drinks go, they’re top notch. As usual, I always got the chai latte, iced when it was warmer, hot when it was cold. When it was hot, I sometimes got my drink and the barista made a buddha out of cinnamon in my drink. So cool. In comparison to the other chai’s I’ve had, I give theirs a 7/10 only because I have other favorites. Chris’ top favorite was always the iced coffee with peanut buddha flavoring which he gives a 9/10. This last time we went, he ended up getting an iced coffee with chocolate flavoring, which he also rates a 10.
If you’ve never been to Coffee Buddha, I suggest making a trip before they close forever on February 29th.
To Mike: thank you for putting your all into this shop. I’m so sad to see it close but I just wanted to thank you for all the amazing memories I, as well as most Pittsburgh residents, have made in your shop for all these years.
RIP Coffee Buddha 2011-2020.
Abigail McNatt Photography 