Saint’s Cafe

This is just your regular run of the mill coffee shop, free wifi, good coffee, nothing special.

Cute little café. Had an iced coffee and sat in the corner booth. Place was packed on a Saturday afternoon. It’s not very big, but they had a lot of good looking pastries and coffee shop type baked goods. It was a great place to stop and get out of the rain.

If you’re a Penn Stater, I feel like you at least know about this place. It’s somewhat like a State College secret but is popular at the same time. It is a French theme coffee shop that breaks from your typical Starbucks or Dunkin’Donuts.
There is a lot of seating options (high tables, seats along the wall, long tables). People tend to complain there isn’t enough room or it is too cramped, but that is what happens when a lot of people come in– definitely not from lack of seating. Personally, I think the window seats are where it’s at. There you have copper countertops, wrapping along the windows, which is a unique look and adds to the theme of the café.
The music is always good. I’ve heard your classic coffee shop playlists to some more European sounds. Good vibes nonetheless.
I’ve always ordered their Hot Chocolate and I think it is awesome. The taste is good, served hot and not boiling, and the presentation is on point (perfect for a good snap).
To me, this is the best coffee shop in State College; without a doubt. When I was a student this was my spot to get my work done. I’m always trying to find my «Saints Café» in whatever city I move to.

The espresso was dreadful. I watched it being made and saw all the mistakes. Management: retrain your folks.
The weekends are a crowded nightmare. Don’t even think about getting seat or a quick cup to go. LOUDER than a toy store on Christmas Eve, but less civilized. I saw two frat boys practically start a fight over a table.
Testosterone and caffeine — not pretty.

Cool vibe. Awful seating arrangement and cramped. Great coffee. Spotty to poor internet. Good (best?) coffee spot in State College, but average (at best) compared to real coffee shops/​cafes in real cities. Also, lack-​luster hours and a bit pretentious.

I wish they were on the north end of town. I would be in there all the time. Gimme that chai tea latte!

Love the ambiance here. Coffee is bitter for my taste. I always end up leaving because of the music. Its not relaxing and I think it doesn’t quite match the ambiance.

Given that this is a café, I’ll start this review by stating the most important thing– the coffee here is fantastic. Their house blend, sourced from Intelligentsia, is an extremely smooth, syrupy medium roast blend with lots of body, a hint of fruitiness, and overall just great to drink. Occasionally they’ll also have other Intelligentsia coffees on tap as well, if you’re lucky, they’ll have the Ethiopia Yirgacheffe available. They also have a rotating selection of single-​origin pourovers from Intelligentsia and espresso/​espresso-​based drinks made with Intelligentsia’s Black Cat espresso blend. It’s easy to take for granted just how good Saint’s Café is until you try buying their House Blend and making it on your own. It’ll still taste great, but you’ll wonder just how they got so much flavor out of the same beans. (I’ve brewed their blend with a french press, pourover, drip coffee maker, Aeropress, and clever coffee dripper and I still can’t even get close to Saint’s level.) Then again I don’t have access to professional equipment.
I’m personally not a big fan of espresso, but Saint’s espresso is great with lots of crema and syrupy body. They politely ask you if you’d like a glass of sparking water (to cleanse your palette) when you order one and hand you the espresso with a small spoon to mix it. During the summer months they also offer nitrogen chilled iced coffee, which is tapped like a beer keg and poured accordingly. It’s definitely an interesting drink; more like espresso than any normally brewed coffee. Drinking it results in a strange effervescent bubbling sensation on the tongue, similar to soda, and it’s got an interestingly thick and syrupy body with some crema present. Oh, and the baked goods are pretty great as well.
That being said, there are negatives to Saint’s. It’s a tiny café and it gets extremely crowded, especially after most classes let out, and getting on line to order involves awkwardly shuffling past people and crowded tables and chairs and mumbling excuse me. That, and often the people on line get confused with where the line starts (it starts opposite from the door). Additionally, because it gets so crowded, the WiFi often slows down to near dial-​up speeds, something to keep in mind if you’re pressed for time on an assignment. The staff here are polite though, which definitely helps, and there are often free York peppermint patties available at checkout.
Others have complained about the lack of seats, but I’ve never had much trouble getting a seat. You might be pressed closer than you’d like to strangers, but people at Saint’s are usually quite genial and friendly. There really isn’t anything Saint’s can do to improve this situation; the space itself is just too small. They would have to buy out Green Bowl next door or move to expand. The seating availability does improve a bit during the warmer months because 4 tiny tables each with a pair of seats or a bench become available.
Finally, there’s the price. Saint’s coffee is expensive and has been gradually been increasing over the last two years I’ve been going here. It sucks, but it’s not Saint’s fault; they said it was because of increased coffee supply costs from Intelligentsia. I’ve already seen it increase twice since Spring 2014.
All in all though, Saint’s is a gem in State College and the place to go if you want excellent coffee and pretty much your only option other than Webster’s for a quality espresso. I’ve tried many of the coffee places here in State College and found them all lacking in comparison (Callao Café, The Cheese Shoppe, Café Lemont, Naked Egg). Webster’s coffee is pretty great but it can’t touch Saint’s. The rest tend to taste watery and somewhat burnt. So yeah, go to Saint’s!
UPDATE 4÷15−
Saint’s has changed their coffee selection a bit. They used to only offer Intelligentsia but they now offer coffees from other roasters, ex: Verve and Heart Coffee Roasters. This is pretty great as it makes coffees from those roasters more accessible for State College residents. However, this is soured a bit by the change in the signature Saint’s Blend. I believe they’ve swapped one of the beans in the blend for a cheaper, sourer tasting one to reduce the price, as it was continually increasing. A bag of the revised blend is now only $ 15, versus the $ 19 of the old. That being said, it’s still enjoyable to drink.

It’s a nice place, lattes are kinda overpriced and not very good. It’s kinda cramped and could use some rearrangement of seating, if you are sitting on a couch right next to the very high tables, it’s not very pleasent.

Decent coffee, cakes, quiches, and tea. Pretty overcrowded during working hours and the music is usually played much too loud to a distracting level.
Will come again, just with a nice headset and less expectations in regards to stretch out and work/​dining space.

I wanted to like this place a lot. I enjoyed everything I ordered here, but it gets really crowded. This is one of those places where people come and order one thing and then stay there forever.

I wanted to like Saint’s as a whole, the coffee is decent as compared to the other options in town, however if you go while school is in session you will not be able to sit down to enjoy the atmosphere. I really wish they would get rid of wi-​fi because most of the time you see people on face book with a empty cup of coffee. There are specialty drinks and pastry items available if you do happen to find yourself there during a time when it isn’t full of laptops.

If you are looking for some flavored latte, this is your place. But if you are looking for a simple, good cappuccino then this absolutely isn’t your place.
I really want to like the café because of its cute and cozy atmosphere. However I have tried three times now, and every time my cappuccino has tasted like an over roasted latte

Antes de ir a este café, escuché muy muy buenos comentarios, así que llegué esperando lo mejor, y realmente no estuvo nada mal, pero no fue lo que esperaba.
Las sillas son un poco incomodas e inestables, la atención fue okey (en un establecimiento de comercio los trabajadores deben sonreír y ser cálidos), el capuchino estuvo rico, el shai de mi hijo fue calificada por él como bueno, el bagel tiene buen sabor y fue tostado en su punto.
La decoración me encantó, es muy acogedor el lugar. Volvería?, definitivamente sí, pero sola, para leer, o discutir con algún compañero o compañera un tema de negocios por tiempo muy corto.
Wifi gratis.

This place has a lot of potential — it has a good location with outdoor seating thats fairly quiet, a cute small interior thats decorated wih character, and they claim that they use Intelligentsia beans. They also are one of the few non-​starbucks stores to have a Clover machine. If these last two things are true, then there is some serious problems with the baristas… their espresso tastes horrible most of the time and often you get tons of grinds in your cup, especially with the iced drinks.
The staff are routinely the most unfriendly and snarky people you can find in a town full of that kind of person. Even if the coffee was the most amazing cup Ive ever had in my life, I would not come back. You feel as if they wish they could throw a cup of coffee in your face while simultaneously ripping your wallet out of your hands because you are clearly taking way too long and interrupting their facebooking.
Importantly, you must be reserved to the fact that you will never, ever get a seat if students are in town. I understand wanting to work on your computer but social etiquette is completely lost here. I think people come at opening, buy one cup of coffee and stay until close. Which reminds me, they close so early in the day its almost silly.
Because of its cuteness, I keep trying this place… maybe twice a year but always end up at the same conclusion. Why bother.

One of the things that popped out to me is that they have Intelligentsia beans, which are all the way from Los Angeles. Had a cup of coffee with some cream and felt the taste was just blah. Maybe it was too inundated with cream or the beans weren’t fresh, but either way, not impressed. Overall service was ok, but the place is crowded, with maybe 10 or so tables crammed into a small space and people speaking to each other at such close length. Great for grabbing a cup of joe with a friend to talk, not that great if you want a quiet place to study.

$ 2.35 for a medium, 16 oz. cup of coffee. But it was really good.
They had bakery items and other specialty drinks available.
If I had a bigger wallet, this would be a repeated 5 stars.

Get the quiche! A lady comes in each day with all homemade treats and they’ve always been good. Sometimes it’s really crowded and if you need an outlet you may not find one close. There are power strips all over to help!

When you have 20,000 kids, like I do (translated: 3 kids at home, 1 moved out and post 18), then you have to experience everything with that as part of it. You can’t go anywhere without some consideration of your kids.
In my case, I take them everywhere because I don’t really have family around or any babysitters. So, with that in mind, I took the kids on the trek to State College. I had to get some things and decided to make a stop at the local comic shop. z
So why not go to one of the State College coffee shops? Saint’s is right around the corner from the Comic Swap so, why not there?
Post comic shop, what time is it? COFFEEE TIIIIMMME!!!
My new favorite crack drink is the Americano. That is exactly what I planned to get.
Any time I go to a shop on this section of Beaver, I use the lot on the corner of Fraser and Beaver. There is a parking garage but I think it is cheaper to use the metered lot if you are under an hour. I could be wrong but this is what I do.
We walked from the Swap to Saint’s. No problem finding it. It is on the left hand side of the Canyon. (Local slang for this stretch of Beaver Ave.)
Immediately, I noticed outside Café seating. That is one for the plus column but not on this hot day.
Upon entering the café, I noticed smooth jazz, college kids, a beautiful antique wooden table in a corner and everything else modern style other than the cool old school brass topped table at the cash register where a young girl was taking orders.
Let me start with the service… meh… the young girl was adequate. No small talk, there. Not much in the way of friendliness. The barrista actually making the drinks seemed incredibly warm and friendly. My guess is, in the Summer, your gonna get what you get in that regard.
Honestly, that is the only real negative I have for the place. It wasn’t like the clerk was rude. She wasn’t. Just not seemingly overly thrilled to maybe wait on a guy with questions about the menu, someone with kids, or maybe someone pushing 40. Maybe it was just anyone. I don’t know. But she didn’t make any extra effort.
Maybe she didn’t like her job. But that isn’t really my problem. I was probably nicer and more respectful than any college age kid. So, with that, no tip in the jar and what would be a 5 star review is 4.
I bought the girls peanut butter cookies. My boy got a raisin cookie. They were big hits. Just the Americano for me.
Let me just say, this was the smoothest cup of espresso related drink I ever had. They definitely use some premium stuff. This thing was absolutely perfect. It almost shocked me, it was so good. It was the perfect temperature for sipping.
Most coffee shops make these things way too hot. Not Saint’s. This is the only coffee shop I have ever been to that got it this right. I can’t say enough about it. I will return here just for that Americano. It was amazing.
As for the rest of the menu, it was pretty standard coffee shop. There were some awesome looking baked goods. Prices were on the mark.
So, service is adequate. Atmosphere is win. Décor is win. Location is win. Menu is win. Tastes are amazing. It makes this place a must visit for now on.

Saint’s is definitely a college town café. Look around and all you see is tables full of students, backpacks and laptops. Oh, but fortunately there’s also the delicious coffee which obviously draws them all in. Well, that and the free WiFi, of course.
In my case, it was a beautifully made mocha latte, as well as the pumpkin apple muffin, which were satisfying and perfect for a mid-​afternoon snack to hold my stomach over until dinner.
Their prices are comparable to the typical Starbucks, but I always prefer the independent shops over the chains if the product and service are on point. Done and done.

I’m usually a Starbucks drinker but there are days when I want to support local cafes. The espresso here is really delicious. (Black Cat, I think it’s called)
If you «dine» in, your beverage is in a mug and for those who order lattes, get ready, they do LATTE ART!
I do think I get more liquid/​milk with a to-​go however. (Not positive but it seems like the mug is smaller than a paper cup)
They don’t have fancy-​schmacy ordering system. You just ask for a latte with such and such milk with such and such flavored syrup. Or just plain coffee. The café is relatively small but I’ve never had a problem finding a seat. There’s also free WI-​FI.
They have sugar-​water/​syrup which I think is great for Iced coffee instead of trying to dissolve sugar crystals.
Bakery items are decent, some are better than others and there are some relatively healthier options. And I believe they have sell some lunch items, although I’ve never tried any personally.
Metered parking is available across the street.