Fortuitea Cafe — Restaurant in North Strabane Township

Fortuitea is a diamond for vegans and non-vegans alike. Like most places there are upsides and downsides, but knowing what to expect can calm your qualms.

The upsides: -The food -The selection of tea -The care put into your satisfaction by the team

The food rarely disappoints, and among some of my favorites are the buffalo “chicken” dip and the meatloaf. The food is innovative and caters to exciting vegan food and food that mimics animal products. The menu is well thought out and the food comes out tasty. They have an entire wall selection of loose leaf tea to accompany your meal. It’s a relatively new business, so while they do seem understaffed at times, the crew checks in enough and will make sure your meal is to your liking. The inside has enough seating for the typical traffic that comes through their restaurant and the parking is sufficient/free. To me, the food and the care of the owners outweigh all of the negatives, especially since now I know what those less than perfect items are and what to expect.

The downsides: Location Wait for food Understaffed The price Food sells quickly

Due to its location outside of the city all the way in Washington, PA, it is a bit of a hike if you are from Pittsburgh, PA or Morgantown, WV. It shows that they don’t have the foot traffic of other vegan restaurants in the city, especially when there are more than two parties eating at the establishment. What I mean by that is… it takes a while for them to prepare the food. And it’s delicious! But what is a typical wait time for this amazing food (about 15 or 20 minutes) if it were just your party at the location increases significantly if there are other people there. They are understaffed and this shows when they are busier. It shows by the wait time at the counter to pay, the wait time for your food to come out, and the wait time if you need water. In addition to this, a lot of their menu items are $10+. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t actually think any of their items are overpriced… in fact some of their items are definitely under priced for how much effort must have gone into creating it (looking at you, buffalo chicken dip), but there is no way I would have gotten some of these items if I didn’t often travel through Washington, PA for work and was on a company expense. It can be a turn off for many people. In addition to this, some of their more popular items sell out quickly. I had to try ordering the meatloaf sandwich 4 separate times before they actually had it in stock. It was worth it, I see why it sells out.

Overall, Fortuitea is a yes in my book. If I’m ever close to or going by Washington, PA, I will stop there. The location, cost, and the likelihood that they might be out of certain menu items currently means I wouldn’t go out of my way to go there. But certainly, if you’re near Washington, PA this is the...

I visited to see what it was like for coffee and was extremely disappointed. There was an entire wall of glass jars (maybe 100) filled with coffee beans, some cracked open, some not. They all seemed to be of flavored coffee or such.

When I surprised and asked Jeffrey who his supplier was he said "they're local, we don't give out their name", and I asked if they were in Washington, to which he responded they we're not...ok...forgot to mention the building was warm.

Once I picked the flavor (Grogg) he took the jar in the back and "made my coffee". I never once heard a grinder (though they had two on the counter surrounded by junk), and never heard any water or brewing. I asked the girl there how things were and she said good, getting ready for vegfest, I asked her about it, and she didn't know much and asked Jeffrey who came out from the back to talk to me about it....where's my coffee?!

You don't store coffee (beans or grinds) in large amounts unless you're going through them quick (ala Starbucks), nor in warmth, or sunlight... Your coffee starts to break down and turn acidic, which is exactly what happened here. When I got my coffee and tried it, there was no sugar...nor was I offered any...the cafe was so crowded with promotional material/junk...I didn't stick around.

Recommendations: Cut back to like 20 flavors of beans... Tops. Only "store" about 3 days worth...any longer than that, your supply will go bad. Grind/Brew in front of the customer. Presentation with coffee is everything unless you're making phenomenal coffee. Clean up your store. Show what styles you brew, drip, French press, cappuccino, moka...whatever.

I won't name another cafe (though I could) your own competition...

This is such a special place place and I'm not surprised to see glowing reviews. It can be a nightmare as a celiac AND vegan to find places I can eat where there are actual options. This place is 100% vegan and they are extremely knowledgeable and intentional with offering loads of gluten free items**. The bulk of the menu is either already gluten free or can be modified to be gluten free.

Everything is made in house and the love they put into their food shows. I had a bowl of soup with GF croutons that changed my life. We also tried some starters and desserts - all amazing.

The space is cozy and eclectic. This is not a place to rush through on your way to a movie. This is a place to take the time to enjoy your food and catch up. It is a slower experience and if you go in expecting that, it is wonderful. Perfect for catching up or a date. The owners are wonderful. I can't wait to go back.

** This is not a 100% gluten free space or kitchen. The kitchen is shared but the owners are highly knowledgeable about celiac needs and take care to avoid cross...