Square Cafe is a popular breakfast destination for those visiting Regent Square. I went to Square Cafe on January 14, and when I arrived there were very few seats available- I actually got the last open seat in the restaurant, and I was seated at the counter. The cafe was very open, but it felt like we were seated on top of other people. There were so many tables that if there was a wait, you had to wait outside because there was no room inside. The cafe was colorful on the inside and had local art on the walls, and overall, it had a very artistic feel. The cafe had a diner vibe in which service was quick and the flow of customers kept moving. They also had T-shirts, mugs, cups, and water bottles available for purchase.

This was the protein pancake I ordered. The taste was great, but the plate was too small to hold the pancake.

I arrived at Square Cafe at 9:10 and left around 10, as service was quick. I got all of my food at 9:30, which was impressive considering the number of patrons at the restaurant when I was there. The waitstaff was quick to get our order and bring out the food; however, once we got our food, they only checked in on us once to see how everything was, so it felt as though they gave us our food and dropped us to move on to other people. I would definitely make sure that if you plan on going to Square Cafe that you get there early, and if you arrive later, anticipate a wait.

This was the crepe my mother ordered. The presentation looks nice, but the overall taste was lacking.

The food was nothing special compared to other breakfast places I have been to in the past, but overall, it was good. The menu was large and diverse, which was a little overwhelming. They also had gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan options for different dietary needs. To drink, I had a chai latte, which was very sweet and creamy. It had a good taste to it but was nothing particularly special in my opinion. However, it did come out quickly after I placed my order. My mother got a skim latte, which was nothing special. It was a typical latte and is comparable to a Starbucks latte. Although it tasted good, there was nothing that set it apart from other lattes that I have had in the past. For my starter, I had a single protein pancake. The pancake had a good taste and flavor. It had cinnamon in the batter, which was easy to taste. The chocolate chips added a nice sweet touch to the pancake. However, I thought the the plate it was served on was too small, which made the pancake hard to eat at the beginning. The presentation was clean but typical. The overall taste of the pancake was very good. My mother got the nutella crepe with banana as her starter, which had a good taste but could have been better. The crepe only had the banana inside, so the nutella did not get the chance to melt at all. The crepe was also cold when it came out because the nutella was not keeping it warm because it was on the outside. The presentation was nice, but it was very typical to how crepes are often served. Overall, both of our starters were nothing special and there was room for improvement.

This was the Vegster Bene that I ordered. It looks nice, but there was very little flavor, and I could not taste the hollandaise sauce.

For the main dishes, I got the Vegster Bene, which was a vegetarian eggs benedict, and my mother got the crab and portobello bene, which was eggs benedict on a portobello mushroom with crab. The Vegster Bene had lots of vegetables with a small side salad on the plate. It started with an eggs benedict base with mushrooms, zucchini, tomato, and leafy greens added. It was all placed on toast; however, the problem with this was that as I continued to eat the dish, the toast got soggier and soggier until it reached the point where I could no longer pick up the toast cleanly. I also could not taste the traditional hollandaise sauce on the benedict, which was disappointing because it is a fundamental part of the dish. It did have a clean presentation, though, and the portion was quite large, so the dish was very filling. Overall, this dish could have been greatly improved. My mother’s benedict could have also been improved but for different reasons. The dish had a good flavor and the combination of crab, tomato, eggs, and portobello was unique but good.  The dish also had roasted red peppers throughout, which overpowered all of the other flavors in the dish. It wasn’t until my mother removed the red peppers that she could taste the other flavors, like the tomato. Again, the same issue was faced where the hollandaise sauce could not be tasted. The concept of the dish was good, but the proportion of flavors could have been improved. Overall, this would not be my first choice for breakfast in the Pittsburgh region.

This was the crab and portobello bene that my mother ordered. She faced the same issue of not being able to taste the hollandaise sauce.

Square Cafe is located in Regent Square, which is a quiet neighborhood located east of Pittsburgh. There are multiple restaurants near Square Cafe that are great to stop in and support. Regent Square is an example of a neighborhood that needs some love, and supporting local businesses is a great way to do this.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Location: 1137 South Braddock Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15218

Telephone: (412) 244-8002

Hours: 7am to 3 pm (Mon – Sat) 8am to 3pm (Sun)

Accepts: Cash and credit

Parking: Street

Pricing: $