Penny's Coffee Shop — Restaurant in Buffalo

My new friend Shelby handed me the kind of insider tip you don’t ignore: Go to Penny’s. I walked a single Buffalo block from my office and wondered how I’ve missed this gem hiding in plain sight. The morning light was pure autumn—amber and generous—pouring through those wide, street-facing windows like a warm introduction.

Inside, the vibe lands somewhere between Norwegian-calm and neighborhood-hug: exposed brick that tells its own story, soft wood that glows, matte-black metal shelving laced with trailing ivy. It’s not décor for décor’s sake; it’s harmony. Along the back wall, a living tapestry of green frames a simple promise—eat clean and thrive—and the room delivers on it. Lantern-like lights along the banquette cast a honeyed halo on quiet conversations and open laptops. Across the floor, a swing-seat nook and woven pendant lamps make you want to linger, to read a few extra pages, to text someone you care about and say, “Meet me here.”

The chalkboard menu is as approachable as the space: quick caffeine when you’re on the clock, or stay-for-a-while brunch and cocktails when you’re building a morning worth remembering. The pastry case is dangerous—in that way where your eyes taste first—and even the branded cup sleeve feels intentional, the tactile kind of detail that says somebody here cares about the little things. There’s a modest retail shelf—beans, mugs, tumblers—threaded with vines against the brick, like the space itself is quietly rooting for you.

Shelby arrived, and we took the seats by the front windows, where the city framed our conversation like a moving postcard. We talked careers and life, the stuff that matters and the stuff that’s starting to. Penny’s did what the best cafés do: it lowered the noise floor so the real signal could cut through. I left charged twice—once by the coffee (a bold brew with a shot of espresso for good measure), and once by the easy clarity that only happens when the environment holds you steady.

If you’re measuring ROI, Penny’s trades in the highest-yield metric I know: quality time. It’s the rare third place that feels both designed and deeply human—where warmth meets craft, and the morning becomes a ritual instead of a rush.

So here’s my playbook: start your day at Penny’s on Main. Slide into the window light. Order something warm. Talk about life. And let this little love letter of a café do what it does best—make the ordinary...

I had to come back to change my review after this morning’s visit. My husband and I are staying at Oishei with our son and decided to walk to get breakfast. I placed an order through DoorDash so we could quickly pick up and walk back to our son. Well at 9:35am I placed the order. It was estimated to be ready at 9:55am so we made our way and arrived at that time. We didn’t get our food until 10:20am!!!! A 45 minute wait for 2 coffees and breakfast sandwiches? Next time we’ll go to the Tim Hortons at the hospital. The sad thing is I’ve gotten coffee here and other items and they were great. I understand on the weekends you’d expect a bit of a wait but it seemed like everyone that ordered in the cafe was getting their food before us, even though we initially ordered ahead to avoid a long wait. On top of that once we got back (we couldn’t waste any more time to eat there), I open my sandwich to reveal a large hair. I took the hair out for the picture but it was all across half the bagel. I’ve been nauseous and my stomach has been hurting since breakfast. $15 for a bagel sandwich with a piece of hair in it? Yeah, no thanks. After such an experience I don’t foresee myself coming back.

Old review:

This is a really unique coffee shop! It’s so cute and all the workers are very nice. I had a really good lemonade, Nutella croissant and a...

I am a coffee/espresso fiend! I love the atmosphere of this place. I could hang out here all day. I just stopped by an hour ago, it was my third visit, and my last visit. Outside of the beautiful interior, everything else has been a disappointment. My first time there, I ordered a double espresso - I waited more than 10 minutes for it, and tossed it out after a few sips. The taste was exceptionally sour, and bitter. I figured it may have just been the beans that day. I stopped by again weeks later, took photos of the interior and ordered a coffee. Again, I waited, and waited - after 12 minutes (I checked the time), I got my coffee - took a few sips, and couldn't finish it. Now months later, I decided to go for a walk and find somewhere for breakfast - Google said Penny's was the only place open - so I thought I'd give it another try. I'm an optimist, and really want to enjoy this place so I could be a regular patron, since it's practically around the corner from where I live. I ordered a breakfast sandwich, and coffee. This time the coffee was not as bad as before, but still not good. The sandwich was the big disappointment this time. I got a bacon egg and cheese on sesame bagel - it was flavorless, down to the bland bacon. I really wanted to love this place -...