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| - I never get my coffee to go, but if I need to, this is the perfect location - right near where most bus transfers can be made downtown, tucked in the side of a building. AND it's intelligentsia! They didn't have my favorite diablo dark though and they offer just a couple of seasonal single sources for pourover or aeropress at a time.
I LOVE intelligentsia beans. I've tried a lot of very unique, memorable, delicious coffees in Pittsburgh recently, but I have to say that my cup of La Tortuga just... felt right. Maybe it's 21st Street's own refinements, too - I was told that they made slight adjustments from Intelligentsia's shops to optimize taste - just small things, but whatever they did, they made the best cup of my favorite coffee I've had.
Pourover takes a bit of time already, and some places would tend to rush the process when the lines get long, but they don't seem like they'd do that here. My barista weighed and timed his brew whereas many places don't really bother to that level of precision. For me, seeing this makes me glad that they can be counted on for a consistent cup every time!
The baristas are knowledgeable and super friendly, and I love their willingness to share knowledge and indulge my random silly questions about brewing techniques.
Also, no place I've ever gone to offers coffee made with the aeropress - so this would be a great place to try it out if you're curious about investing in one. I tried my first cup here, and it was quite nice. For someone who dislikes french press coffee, this has a bit more body but isn't all muddy and stuff. Give it a shot :)
Unfortunately, small location, limited seats inside, caters to downtown and business district. A shame that I can't do work here. But the coffee itself deserves 5 stars on its own!
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