Last updated on July 5, 2023 Angie
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Brown Bear Bread Cafe is a bakery located in Mt. Oliver, which offers sourdough bread, English muffins, pastries and more, plus a small cafe menu for dining. If there’s one thing we think Pittsburgh could be more of, it’s excellent bakeries (especially bread-focused bakeries) — so we’re thrilled that this beautiful new spot has found a home in Mt. Oliver.
Modern atmosphere and excellent food in the cafe with brown bear bread
We visited on a recent Saturday for brunch and were delighted to see the place buzzing with customers. The renovated space has a cool, modern, raw feel, with the walls revealing layer upon layer of paint, tiles and other wall decorations from over the years.
We were immediately drawn to the bread counter, where beautiful loaves of freshly baked breads, including sourdough, ciabatta, Italian, seed sourdough and more, beckoned us. As we moved through the baked goods, we also checked out the sweet baked goods options like bread pudding, muffins, and cookies.
A sandwich board outlined hot food menu options including breakfast sandwiches, chocolate challah French toast and summer hash. Although we wanted one of everything, we went for the classic brown bear breakfast sandwich and summer hash.
While we waited for our food, we helped ourselves to the self-service cafe. We were delighted that the coffee was from local roaster Commonplace Coffee – one of our absolute favourites.
As I was daydreaming about how much bread Jeremy would have me buy and take home, our dishes appeared. The summer hash was served with potatoes, red peppers, sausage and green onions. It was topped with two poached eggs and a bacon sourdough crumble and served with toasted ciabatta on the side. The potatoes were perfectly cooked and well seasoned and the mix of flavors was everything you want in a savory breakfast mash. The ciabatta was also so deliciously crispy and toasted.
The breakfast sandwich stole the show, though – a homemade sourdough English muffin was stuffed with sausage, egg and spicy mayo; home fries were served on the side. The English Muffin had just the right flavor and was so fluffy and soft. Every component of the sandwich was just right, from the juicy sausage to the creamy sauce. The whole sandwich was like a giant hug at breakfast!
I can’t think of anywhere else in town where you can get freshly baked English muffins – if you need something to eat here, it’s these! They are just so perfect and special.
We then moved on to our usual purchases, a packet of English muffins (of course) and a sweet brioche. The brioche was buttery rich yet light and airy and filled with strawberry orange blossom cream. It was floral, fruity and just the right amount of sweet – perfect for a breakfast ‘dessert’!
We dream of the day when every neighborhood in Pittsburgh has a bakery as delicious as Brown Bear Bread Cafe. But for now, we’ll happily cross a few rivers to keep coming back to this great place for a cozy brunch and our English muffins.
Cafe with brown bear bread is located at 225 Brownsville Rd in Mt. Oliver.