Square Cafe

Square Cafe

1137 S. Braddock Ave.

Regent Square

http://www.square-cafe.com

 

So I got called a hipster the other day by someone outside of my family. My wife and my brother often call me a hipster ever since getting my sweet, new glasses from Warby Parker. Now, I have no problems being called a hipster because there is nothing wrong with being seen as stylish, cool, and trendy. Besides I think they are just jealous.

Now whether or not you think I am a hipster is irrelevant to that fact that I do enjoy eating like a hipster at fresh, trendy, cool restaurants. That is exactly how I would describe Square Cafe in Regent Square. Serving breakfast all day, this restaurant is a great place to go with a co-worker , friend, or significant other.The staff at Square Cafe is super friendly and they all seem super hip. I was contemplating getting a tat just watching them. We went on a Sunday morning and the place was bustling with local residents. Everyone was greeting each other and saying hello as if this was a usual gathering of neighbors. It felt as though family members were congregating to celebrate life.  What I love about this place is that you have the option to eat out side on the beautiful tree lined sidewalk watching the locals pass by on Braddock Ave. If the weather is icky and muggy as it was during my most recent visit then you can eat inside the restraint amidst bright colors and featured, local artwork. I love the irony that was used in decorating the restaurant. Bright circles explode from every corner of the room to remind you that the Square Cafe is anything but square. Yet they do not totally neglect their trendy name by serving your hot cup of coffee in a square mug. The restaurant seems to enjoy thinking outside the box from their style of dishware to the items on the menu.  The food at Square Cafe is definitely fresh. The other might we were watching one of those restaurant shows like Kitchen Nightmares were the celebrity chef goes into a struggling restaurant in an attempt to help them not close their doors. Most of the restaurants share a similar story line: poorly decorated restaurant run by a dysfunctional family (aren’t we all) that microwaves everything. What is so fascinating to me is how often the owners need convincing that microwaved Salmon is not what diners want. I mean to me this is obvious. “Hey, no one likes our food.” ” Do you think it’s because we nuke everything from being frozen.” “No people are just stupid and don’t know fine dining.” But you see when I bit into my breakfast burrito covered in some of the most delicious salsa I have ever tasted, I looked at Morgan and said, “You can definitely tell when a restaurant uses fresh ingredients.”  The breakfast burrito was huge stuffed with egg, Amish cheddar cheese, and sausage. You can tell the vegetables are fresh. The burrito was satisfying but it was not greasy as you might expect. And lets revisit this salsa. Yum! Give me a straw and I could drink this. It was so bright and full of flavor. Apparently it is so good that they sell it by the bottle.

Now the menu includes a huge selection of delicious breakfast items that it was difficult to make a selection on any one thing. Morgan ordered the veggie omelet with breakfast potatoes. The omelet was very tasty and, like the burrito, fresh, giant, and satisfying. However, those potatoes were cooked perfectly. I will go back just to have those crispy and perfectly seasoned nuggets of goodness. There is something about Pittsburgh and their ability to cook fried potatoes. We ordered Gray a buttermilk pancake but I highly recommend their Lemon-Ricotta Pancake, which I had in another visit. So light and bright its a perfect compliment to your meal. They also boast tons of smoothie and latte options to further challenge your ability to make any type of decision, which only means you will have to return to try something new.

Square Cafe is a trendy, hip spot to enjoy a morning breakfast, a weekend brunch, or a casual lunch using fresh ingredients in creative ways. I highly recommend checking out this place. You won’t be ashamed to be called a hipster if you are seen here.