Beehive Coffee

I remember the days that the Beehive was double its size. Even though it’s a little smaller than it once was, it’s still just as delightful to stop by.
On my way to a meeting I stopped in for a quick lunch, ordering a chai tea and a tomato mozzarella sandwich. The chai… man, I haven’t had a great one of this in a while but this one was it! The sandwich was also a pleasant surprise.
Great vibe, pleasant staff – I can’t wait to plan a work session here soon!

First coffee of 2016.
I went into Beehive after an interesting New Years in the Southside and on my way to work. Their POS system was broken. Immediately I thought, «they were right about the computers and Y2K.» They were just a little early. The very squirrelly barista let me know it would be cash only and it would take a painful amount of time for her to add up the total.
I got an almond latte and jalapeño pretzel. Which were satisfactory except I think she was really frazzled and burnt my espresso and under toasted my pretzel. Still it was an interesting experience.
The uniqueness of this place was only accentuated by the patron who rolled in after me and ordered a dirty chai with a shot of Tequila. Happy New Year.

I’ve been to Beehive a few times. mainly because rowdy buck would get crowded during a night out, we’d sneak over to Beehive for some peace of mind. I never had their coffee at that time. only mixed drinks.
Bobby randomly said it would be fun to get a nice coffee last night around 930pm. We literally live a block away from 2 of south side’s popular shops, but they were both closed. Thanks to my trusty Unilocal app, i found out beehives hours and we headed to get some coffee!
Initially, i planned on getting a nice latte. you know large coffee cups with art in the whip cream. but then we remembered Beehive had coffee cocktails (and spiked milkshakes)
Bobby ordered a traditional Irish Crème. You get to choose if you want well whisky or brand. (only a dollar or so difference) I went with the Toasty Almond (coffee, amaretto liqueur, hazlenut liqueur. The barista asked if we wanted more coffee than alcohol. We asked her to make it normal.
After trying the drink, we were both surprised how strong both drinks were. To be honest, mine was so strong i could only enjoy a few sips. Bobby ended up finishing mine. Next time i’ll be sure to tell the barista more coffee! lol
The reason im still giving Beehive 4 stars is because its honestly pretty cool. The vibe, atmosphere, drink menu & barista made up for my drink– im not gonna complain that a drink was too strong. im just a f* lightweight! haa

Coffee and booze? Certainly not a common combination, but they are pretty creative when it comes to it. Didn’t get any of the cocktails this time, though we had a couple of lattes instead. I love how they have so many different syrup flavor options available. We had a maple and an Irish crème, both of which came out very smooth and just a tad creamy. The large cups were indeed large, and the place had a quirky enough environment in which to sit back and relax while sipping away. A great place for coffee oriented drinks, even though it’s not a traditional café.

Great neighborhood hangout that stays open late. Good place to get work done. Tasty snacks too.

I don’t understand why people give this place a good review, unless they are all fake.
Beehive used to be a good place in the early years until the greedy owners added rowdy buck to make more money selling alcohol. This is not a coffeehouse and «dessertry», more like smelly dumpster next door to a bar with the attitudes to match.
The people working are short-​changing bartenders than baristas. Unfriendly, often talking to each other instead of helping the next customer. The seem to be the high school dropouts that steal to make tips. I got the same type of medium tea four different times and was charged a range of prices.
The same 1 Medium tea went from
2.00, 2.43, 3.00 to 3.25
When questioned, different ladies said things like «Oh that’s always been the price.» to just a shrug and «Sorry». It was completely unprofessional for any business owner to allow such poor customer service and unethical practices.
I’d argue that the Southside Chamber of Commerce and the community should get involved to stop places like this from spreading.

My fave coffee place in the ‘burgh. Downright bold and delicious coffee and a kitschy cool interior with vintage décor. Don’t you dare even think about going across the street to Starbucks. The better cup of joe is here. Trust me.

Favorite coffee shop in the Southside, great for people-​watching, getting some work done (if you’re so inclined), and/​or catching up with the day’s news.
The coffee is fine… look, I’m a coffee snob, okay? And when I lived in Boston, I lived within walking distance of George Howell’s ONLY café in the entire U.S. of A., needless to say, I am spoiled and used to excellent coffee. Overall, Beehive makes the cut, the coffee is decent and the space is more than interesting. All in all, a fine coffee shop.

Cool funky, unique coffee hangout with interesting art and usually good music. Free wifi and quiet enough to work. Check
Out the back wall for the best local events and art exhibits.

After hearing so much about this shop, I decided to wander in with a few of my friends on a summer afternoon. The décor is eccentric and a little outdated but it has personality and charm for a younger crowd and I liked the dimly lit atmosphere. The barista working that time was attentive and very kind, willing to help with recommendations. She Also was very quick at cleaning up tables and multi tasking which was super commendable since it appeared she was the only worker there. I was attracted by the gelato dome desserts but opted to get a honey pesto spinach wrap instead since we hadn’t had lunch with a cocoa to follow suit.
First the wrap was very large they really don’t skimp on the spinach but they lacked chicken and the dressing was super sweet. Way too much honey and the pesto was barely tasted. Wraps also can’t be pressed very well (it was quite huge) so it was a bit cold.
The hot chocolate I received was also not very chocolatey at all. It was mostly milk and cream, but this is my fault since I should have specified I like it chocolatey. It was also not very hot? It was just a long period of warm which had me quite confused and would have been fine if the drink had more flavor.
The sofa we also sat in on the round corner table had a large rip in it. Did someone get hungry after hours? I was also expecting a larger café but it was adequate I suppose.
I’ll probably update this review very soon though, since I didn’t get the gelato this time around and I heard it’s the dessert that makes this place.

Really good coffee, I tried the hazelnut latte iced and it was smooth and creamy! Also got a tomato-​pesto-​mozzarella panini. Delish

Great coffee, great shop and location. Love the window seating facing East Carson St. They have a great selection of beverages and food other than coffee and plenty of seating. Good place to study or sit down and have a good kibitz. Enjoy.

This might be one of the funkiest places I’ve been to in my time here in Pittsburgh (going on 5 years here!) and I mean that in the best way possible. Loved the décor and the random disco ball. Every time I looked up from my reading, I saw something new, which I really enjoyed.
Speaking of reading, I was able to read a very dense scientific article with ease while here. The music wasn’t distracting nor was it too loud, lighting was perfect. Disco ball may have been a little distracting but that’s because I like shiny things :) Atmosphere at Beehive is wonderful to get work done or to catch up with someone over a quick coffee drink (with or without ALCOHOL! oo ahh oo ahh).
Speaking of coffee, I ordered their coconut mocha and found it to be actually a little too sweet for my tastes. It did the trick though, kept me up until very late that night! Reasonably priced as well.
Bottom line: definitely worth coming here. Whether you want to get work done or just wanna hang out!

The food is delicious and they have great options for anyone who is a vegetarian. Apparently it gets quite rowdy on Fri-​Sat, but when I went Monday evening it was the perfect place to come and get work done.
A++, would come again. :))

AVOID!!! This place sucks. Overpriced drinks and rude staff. I will never go to this place again. So rude!!!

The Beehive was the hangout spot most frequented by my roommate and myself when we first came to Pittsburgh. We were living in Regent Square and trying to decide which parts of Pittsburgh we liked best. Inevitably we’d end up here, drinking coffee and eating stuffed grape leaves. The walls are purple, the staff generally friendly, and the atmosphere is just funky enough… any more and this place would feel a wee bit forced. In short I love The Beehive, and I know I’ll be back plenty of times in the future.

I always hate to do this, but I feel the need to update my previous review and deduct a star in light of my experience here this past Sat. Although I’d been to the Beehive several times before, I never realized that this coffee shop has a split personality. How, you ask? Well, as I learned this weekend, past 10pm on Sat. (and presumably Fri., as well), the Beehive serves as overflow for the bar next door (the Rowdy Buck), which is presumably owned by the same owners.
I learned about the Hyde side of the Beehive’s personality when CM and I, who’d been there since around 8:30pm, were unexpectedly carded by a bouncer from the bar next door at 10pm. CM, confused, pointed out that we were sipping on hot (non-​alcoholic) beverages, to which the bouncer responded that he had to card us, per the rules of the establishment. We obligingly got out our IDs, but were confused as to the purpose of the carding, since we’d already seen the barista ID someone who ordered a beer at the counter when we ordered our beverages shortly after arrival (the Beehive serves some alcoholic beverages – not sure if this is only during certain hours – but regardless, they were serving long before we were carded). Soon enough, the reason for the generalized carding became evident, as noisy revelers from the bar wandered in via a doorway between the two establishments to hang out by the barista stand. Unsurprisingly, as more of them graced the Beehive with their presence, the noise level rose exponentially, driving the people trying to get work done out to seek a quieter and less chaotic refuge.
As for the drinks, CM and I were unimpressed. I ordered the mate latte, which sounded interesting, but tasted rather bland and monotonous. CM ordered his coffee shop standby, a café au lait, and was not a fan, placing it at the bottom of the ranking of the four indie coffeeshops in PGH he’s tried it at to date. I also ordered a slice of the flourless chocolate cake, which, in contrast, was excellent – very moist and chocolatey, without being overly sweet. However, I’d guess that like most coffee shops, the Beehive procures their desserts from elsewhere – although I may be mistaken, given that their name is actually Beehive Coffee and Dessertery.
To make a long story short, I’d recommend avoiding the Beehive after 10pm on Fri. or Sat., when if effectively serves as an overflow hangout for revelers from the bar next door. At other times, I’d still recommend checking it out for its characteristically quirky ambiance and delicious baked goods, even though it may leave something to be desired in the hot beverage dept.

The Beehive was hands down my favorite coffee shop in college. That’s certainly not the case anymore.
Back in 2006 – 2008, there were three spacious rooms to sit in, eclectic furniture and art on sale, a great mix customers, with older locals alongside college kids, and reliable Internet access. It was a go-​to place whenever a few friends and I needed to get school work done. We’d sprawl across a table with our laptops, sipping on coffee and picking up snacks.
I can’t see it being a really effective study place now.
The quirky décor hasn’t changed, but a lot else has. Two of the three rooms that were used for seating were closed off, so that a bar could take its place. (As if there weren’t enough bars on East Carson Street.) The remaining room is very long and narrow, and feels crowded. The décor, which has always had 90’s bohemian feel, just seems kind of dated. They’ve also gotten a liquor license, which I think brings in the wrong kind of crowd for a coffee shop.
Of course, a place like this should really be rated on the coffee and food, but my two visits there this year were sub par.
One of those times I got a veggie hummus sandwich that was pre-​wrapped on display in the fridge, but it was squished and didn’t taste very fresh. The other time I got an iced coffee, which I immediately regretted buying as soon as I took a sip. It was extremely watery and had a peculiar aftertaste. I wished I had just gotten a drink from Starbucks or Big Dog Coffee on Sarah Street instead.

If you love coffee. If you love alcohol. If you love bohemian atmospheres. If you love chachkies. If you love Pittsburgh people. If you love cool people. If you love local places. If you love anything that’s worth anything, you’ll love Beehive Coffee.

In my right, cynical, blue-​collar, anti-​bohemian mind, I would resent The Beehive as I did back in the 90’s when it stood in a more spacious Oakland locale where movies (‘Forbidden Planet’ for me) and even live concerts (a past-​expiry Nazareth gigged at the old ‘Hive!) and indy pro wrestling cards could be caught there. I came to the South Side incarnation with a date 6 years ago in an attempt to escape an early May heatwave. An expensive phosphate beverage rinsed my throat of an arid panini that took far too long to reach my table. Service was provided by a duo of detached, indolent hipsters.
However, today, I’m forgiving them for a sole reason: The Beehive provides quiet, eclectic refuge for those who are stranded on Carson Street on an insane Saturday night and refuse to booze it up in any of the infinite bars that infest the area.
I didn’t care that my brownie (brought in from elsewhere according to the… barista?) was a tad stale. The purposely chintzy interiors, which looks to have been decorated by Fred Schneider of the B-52’s after ransacking my deceased grandmother’s kitchen and living room, only amused me as did the attention-​seeking, pink-​haired patrons who were trying very hard to appear self-​absorbed or engrossed in whatever they were looking at on their laptop computers. The graffiti that overwhelmed the bathroom walls made me chuckle whenever I wasn’t reading something bigoted and hateful, which thankfully was outnumbered more than sufficiently by the witty and the blithe.
The ennui of the heavily-​inked gal bothered me not a bit, either. I’m sure it is boring to work at the Beehive during a time of the week when people party stupidly, and for that, she should be thankful. Knowing what I know, I would be.
Hey, it’s better than ‘Buck’s, y’know? After all, what national coffee chain has a Heavy Metal Vinyl night. Oh, I got some of my own, rarities that is, and I’m headed down one of these Wednesday evenin’s with somethin’ like this under my bicep…
P. S. Happy Halloween to yinz all. I used to have this on vinyl, but it was reissued on CD, and my tradin’ fingers were itchin’…