Craig Street Coffee

305 S. Craig St.

(412) 683-9993

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It’s refreshing to visit… Craig Street Coffee

305 S. Craig St.

(412) 683-9993

$

It’s refreshing to visit a coffee shop that’s one of a kind. And not only is Craig Street Coffee unique, it’s more than a coffee shop. In addition to a nice array of the caffeinated stuff, the shop offers sandwiches, soups, salads and desserts. The extensive sandwich menu can fix you up with something grilled, something deli-style or even something vegetarian. There are always plenty of fresh baked goods; the chocolate chunk cookies are the largest you have ever seen.

The shop’s coffee beans are supplied super-fresh by a local roasting company – you can buy them by the pound to grind on your own if you like. There are many espresso drink choices and the specialty concoctions are tempting. You can order to go or eat there. Try to nab one of the sidewalk tables if the weather is pleasant.

– Chad Eberle

Crazy Mocha Coffee Company

116 S. Bouquet St.

(412) 621-7440

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Ah, coffee – that heady, life-giving elixir.

At Crazy Mocha Coffee Company, the employees, well-versed in coffeeology, can prepare any coffee drink from the lowliest cup of drip decaf to the most decadent mocha creation. Its signature drink, the Crazy Mocha, is a fantastic creation made with espresso, steamed milk, chocolate and ice cream.

But there’s more than just the delightful jolt of caffeine and chocolate at Crazy Mocha. You can also get pastries, like the almond mele, a buttery pastry pocket filled with sweet, fragrant almonds, or a panini that’s plump with spinach and feta cheese.

Relax at the outdoor tables with a blistering shot of espresso and The Wall Street Journal, or run in before class and grab a flavored Italian soda to go.

– Clare Perretta

Kiva Han

3533 Forbes Ave.

(412) 682-5354

420 S. Craig St.

(412) 687-6355

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Amid the clicking of laptop computer keys and the whispers of students’ fingers turning pages of classic literature, it’s easy to forget that Kiva Han isn’t a library. The main differences? You can talk as loud as you want, you won’t have to use any of your print quota and – of course – Kiva Han serves a variety of beverages that Faulkner and Descartes could never provide.

Both of Kiva Han’s Oakland locations sell the spectrum of coffee beverages, from your standard joe to the fanciest of Arabica coffee bean lattes. Have a pastry with your coffee or, on a warm day, ditch the hot stuff and sit outside with a cup of iced coffee or juice. Plus, Kiva Han advertises a special brew every month.

Founded in 1993 by Ed Wethli, Kiva Han is supposedly named for history’s first coffee house, established in Constantinople in 1471.

– Eric Lidji

Starbucks Coffee

3618 Forbes Ave.

(412) 682-3868

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Let’s face it: Everyone already knows about Starbucks. Talk about corporate America always seems to accompany talk about this coffee shop. Starbucks, then, serves as Pittsburgh’s coffee shop for customers willing to spend a little more money for fancy, eclectic pick-me-ups.

Starbucks offers everything from hot chocolate and iced lattes to coconut Frappuccinos and chai tea. Employees know their stuff when it comes to customizing and preparing the drinks. There is always a regular-, decaf- and breakfast-coffee blend of the day. There are 18 varieties of coffee beans – which range from $5.10 for a half-pound to $11.95 for a pound – and the array of coffee accessories are essential for at-home coffee consumption.

Drinks come in tall, grande and venti sizes, and the most expensive drink on the menu is $4.10. Food prices range from a 35-cent shortbread cookie to a $2.25 piece of crumbleberry coffee cake.

Although it continues to fight anti-capitalism protesters, this Starbucks will also continue to provide its customers with velvet couches, The New York Times and really big cups of satisfying coffee.

– Erin Brachlow