Public Espresso

Public Espresso has been my go to place since I was a freshman in college. The vibes are comfy and the employees are always so nice and warm. The food and coffee is great, but I have to say the bagels have been slacking lately. Still one of my fav places ever! I?ve dined in, taken out, and ordered delivery probably fifty times.

I love this coffee shop! Their iced mocha is my go-to, but everything?from the rich coffee to the delicious bakery items?is amazing. It?s the perfect spot to unwind and enjoy a great treat.

very good food and service but PLEASE invest in some sound dampening. impossible to hold a conversation. drip coffee seems to be a light roast brewed strongly, which is good but not my personal favourite. the "vegan egg," on the other hand, should really just be called what it is?tofu scramble. it has neither the taste, appearance, or texture of scrambled egg

I?m a flight attendant and I come to Buffalo every so often. Whenever I come into town I visit this place. Excellent customer service, love the atmosphere (even though it can get busy) and the coffee is excellent and fresh! I only come for coffee so I haven?t tried the food but the food and donuts look amazing. Great place!

(March 2024) enjoyed a strawberry crueller and loved the red eye gravy breakfast sandwich on the English muffin. Ham was a little thick? good but would?ve preferred a better ratio of egg to ham etc but great flavor. Great coffee as always. (2023) Always great coffee. a nice, spacious, fun spot to sit and enjoy! The cruellers are insanely good. Probably my favorite thing here. The bagel sandwiches are also awesome-bagel jar bagels are on point!

Cute location inside Hotel Lafayette. Pastries are delicious and the breakfasts are fantastic. Good service. The decor is unique and has an eclectic vibe. The coffee was great, and exactly what was needed after a wedding or other event in Buffalo.

Fantastic little coffee house and cafe! The cruellers were perfectly airy and light, nice flavor and a vast selection of flavors to pick from. I ordered the bagel and lox breakfast sandwich and enjoyed every bit of it, the cilantro was a wonderful touch! Came with chips, which felt odd for breakfast, but I never say no to chips, so really it just opened my eyes to the concept of chips in the morning (thank you!) The hubs ordered the breakfast sandwich, which he enjoyed as well. Coffee was great, not acidi

It?s a millennial or above Gen atmosphere. Most clientele on computers and working out of a coffee shop?? Self order delivered to table. I am not a coffee/latte drinker so there were no normal beverages to offer other than the the coffee that add all their odd ingredients. I personally would have bolted and looked for more of of Gen x diner but we needed something fast. I ordered BEC breakfast sandwich and my friend avocado toast. Both fresh hot and delicious. Wish they had some normal water and juice choic

Great big place, easy street parking out front. Sausage, egg & cheese bagel sandwich was delicious and their Nola iced gingersnap coffee was also great! They were very busy so food took some time but worth the wait.

I always experience a nice walk from work to this coffee shop. Love their bake goods, made daily and sooo fresh. I always go for coffee and sometimes I take a bake goods as well. The guy who always attends me is friendly, very attentive, seems relaxed all the time.

Visited Public Espresso for brunch on a Saturday. It was busy and had a long line, but plenty of places to sit once we put our order in. Vibes are 10/10 and the staff are super friendly. If you order one thing here, make it the French toast cruller. It was out of this world good! Something I wasn?t expecting to be so good was the croutons on the Caesar salad. While the chicken was just okay, the croutons were absorbed in some garlic oil that made them dense and unreal. Only thing that one person in our ord

Wow really really good espresso. Also came with a glass of Pellegrino which was awesome. Great looking place great atmosphere excellent desserts and coffee. Highly recommend definitely come in check out

This location is known for great coffee and gourmet baked goods. The service is different as it is a walk up cafeteria style restaurant with 1st come 1st serve seating. You will compete with hotel guests who may take 3 tables without ordering anything as 20 people wait in line for their food. The chorizo hash was very tasty but spicy both in the sausage and the rosemary and thyme added to the bowl. The cinnamon roll is very good but at $4.50 a roll, they would be better warm. I assume coming on the Sunda

The guys at public espresso are awesome, stopped in downtown and ate here regular for breakfast. Best bacon egg n cheese around. Staff are super helpful and there is a really good atmosphere in here. Thank you for the hospitality??.. Go Bills

Missed the donuts because we visited just before closing, but the decaf latte and chai latte were excellent.

2/9/2025 Happened to get stuck in Buffalo with a long layover for my Greyhound bus. I was hungry and decided I'll just walk up to Public Espresso since it was nearby. Ordered a Peppermint MOKA and a Build Your Own Sandwich on an asiago bagel. Probably the best peppermint mocha I ever had, and the sandwich was tasty too. Everything was fresh. Staff was wonderful and offered recommendations. They were super accommodating aswell, since I had luggage with me. Overall, I'd definitely come back if I'm ever in the

Cute reliable cafe. Great baked goods and beverages. Very accommodating

Update Mar. 2024: What's with this place and burning food? I came back just for their bagels bc all the other food we got last time was so gross. I got 3 bagels and all of them are burned to oblivion on the inside. Barely any cream cheese either. Yeah, definitely won't be back for anything now. And I'm opening a credit card claim bc this is just ridiculous since I had to throw all of them away. Were they blind when they slapped a tiny smear of cream cheese inside? There's no way you could've missed that. At

Ordered through door dash and the sweet potatoes were essentially charred and grilled onions were burnt. The entire bowl was essentially inedible. Normally, I would chalk this up as a one off but principally, packing something of this low quality is completely unacceptable.

Cool staff. Solid coffee. Located in the corner of an elegant Art Deco building. Tons of light flooding through large windows on two sides. Great selection of music playing. The stylish bathroom, located in the hotel lobby, needs to be better maintained.

Loved the way the cafe is designed, it?s aesthetic, minimal and has a lot of natural light. The staff is super friendly and always has a smile on their face. I ordered a lemon ice tea which wasn?t that great, I should?ve probably ordered some coffee as that?s what they are known for. Overall, I enjoyed the vibe but was disappointed with my drink.

I liked this place. Bit busy, waited to order for a long time but popularity means it?s quite good. Crullers were yum and coffee was good too

Ambiance, coffee and donut are great. But the Sweet Potato food bowl is below average? it?s more like a frozen food heated up after the order and I can literally smell it. Avocado Toast is below par? not toasted well, and Avocado is not freshly scooped?

Just spoke to the owner (Steve Jobs look-a-like) to say how good the breakfast was. Coffee pour-over decaf was fantastic, Americano was great and the breakfast plate and hash bowls were really good. Very nice find. The owner was really attentive and has an eye for customer service. What more could you ask for as a visitor or regular.

Nice open space with a great menu! The homemade bake good rocked my socks off. Yum!!!! Looks at those beautiful doughnuts. Loved the vlad breakfast sandwich and my London fog!

Been at the hotel for several days and have really enjoyed having my breakfast and beverages from here. The staff is very friendly and very quick in serving the fresh drinks and food. I will miss not eating here everyday after I leave

Ordered off of Uber eats. I got the ?build your own bowl? option. When it arrived there was INSANE amounts of melted butter or oil in the bottom of the container. At least 1/2? covering the whole bottom of the container in every direction I moved the food around. All the food was saturated in butter and inedible. Good thing I don?t have cholesterol issues because? it would?ve flatlined me. Definitely wouldn?t ever order from here again. Not the first issue, either. Too pricey for such low quality.

The atmosphere was great and spacious. great food and coffee and I highly recommend it!

First time here and I will definitely be back! Got the honey lavender latte (iced) and the Sweet potato hash bowl (added roasted chicken). Both were amazing. Great portions with the food, friendly service and great ambiance.

Nice and cozy cafe. Friendly and patient staff. Ordered some pastries, a latte, The Vlad sandwich and breakfast burrito as take outs. Everything we ordered were super delicious. Definitely will visit again!

Great service although busy. We ordered the avocado toast, chai latte, cappuccino, and caramel macchiato (not shown). The toast was delicious and tasted fresh.

Good food, great coffee, friendly staff, and the perfect cafe atmosphere. This is my favorite coffee spot in all of Buffalo. The NOLA Redeye breathes life into me on a weekly basis.

Cute and spacious downtown Cafe with industrial feel. Substantial breakfast menu from avo toast to huevos rancheros. Artsy coffee choices like their Nola cold brew (chocolate & chicory) to cortados and ample tea selection. Self seating with table service. Total gem.

Public Espresso is a very nice coffee shop with what certainly looked like some nice food options. I only got an espresso (which was a little bitter for my tastes, but I expected it given what coffee shops do for roasting their beans), but lots of people got sandwiches and bagels and seemed to be really enjoying them. The staff were nice, even while being fully engaged in filling orders. The place's seating was easily 80% filled on a Friday morning, so I expect that it gets really busy during the lunch t

Service was excellent, a red eye coffee and what I think is one of the best sausage, egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches in WNY. Eat in and spent additional reading and enjoying the ambiance.

Start with the good: Portion size ,ordered two breakfast bowls and the portion size matches the price. Toast was also very good. Churro or cinnamon crueller donut was good too. Wait time for the food was good as well but then again maybe that explains the quality. The bad: ratio of potatoes to meat was wayyy off and the potatoes weren't tender enough, felt like they were taken out of oven or skillet too early. Onions were missing from my food and jalapenos were missing from my friends order. Eggs were aight

The staff here are friendly. I enjoyed the aesthetic and overall feel. The sandwich is yummy and the building Public is located is beautiful-must be explored while you wait for your drink!

Amazing coffee. Great food. Always the most friendly staff. They are so great! Highly recommended

The coffee was strong and very good but the Nutella croissant was the best I've ever had. I could only hope to one day visit this little gem again.

Coffee was great. Ambience is great too, in an old hotel. We weren?t expecting fresh donuts but we couldn?t pass them up and they were great too.

Me and my good friend Kelly used to go to Issa Raes coffee shop in Englewood Los Angeles and I remember telling her "K, I really wish there was something like this in Buffalo. You know a trendy and upscale alternative to Starb's & Timmies" "I mean without the crazy LA prices" It seems like the people at Public Espresso + Coffee heard my prayer. The overall atmosphere and aesthetics are amazing. Then the fundamentals of a coffee shop are in place as well. The coffee and pastries are on point and they even

Normally, I really enjoy public espresso, but recently I went and purchased a s?mores bar treat and it was over a week old, and very stale.

I like the space a lot. I got a cup of pour over and it was above the average. The pastries also surprised me! Cruller was delicious but personally highly recommend the croissant ??!

First time here ?? Food: So much to choose from! Lots of delicious looking pastries and an excellent Cafe food menu. I wanted to try one of everything ?? I got the sausage, egg and cheese sandwich, iced Moka, and a pumpkin spice cruller. All fantastic. Service: Staff was very friendly and inviting. Got my drunk and food pretty quick considering the large amount of people here on a Saturday morning. Atmosphere: Clean, bright, lots of space and places to sit, including a bar, long running sofas along the w

Fantastic all around, you can never go wrong with Public! Great drinks and that's without question. As for the food there are a variety of options for every dietary need out there including vegan, vegetarian and more. Mostly everything on the menu can be customized to your liking so you can't go wrong with just about anything! The atmosphere is fantastic, even when it's busy you feel like you're in a positive uplifting environment. Not to mention the staff is nothing but cool people all around.

It is currently 12 F outside and they didn't have any hot coffee or espresso. Just sat here while my friends suffered with their cold coffees. They've also been eliminating a lot of their menu without replacing things. Menu just had a lot of crossed off items now. Place isn't what it used to be.

Best coffee/food of any cafe in Buffalo, especially my fav the Vlad breakfast sammy. I love both of the locations and the staff is always sincere.

Wow, such good food and a delicious eggnog latte. The chorizo hash bowl was honestly one of the best things I?ve ever eaten. Sad I don?t live in Buffalo right now.

Super tasty coffee and awesome breakfast options. The sweet potato hash with breadhive sourdough was spectacular. Very busy place, so get there early to snatch a spot! Breakfast with coffee with run you about $15.

This place is perfection in my book! First off I loved thobopen and clean feel of the shop. Public hold the same coffee values that I believe in, craft beverages, but keeping things simple and classic. The cortado I got was very well roinded in flavors of acidity, sweetness, and savory notes. Another amazing thing I loved was so simple but made my heart skip a beat was that my opur over coffee came in the decanter the coffee was made in. If I could give the a 10 out of 5 I would.

The most delicious coffee and pastries. The vanilla cake donut is my favorite, it is the best donut I?ve ever had hands down!!

My fave lil commie coffee shop. In all seriousness, their caramel latte is divine. I miss their old bagels, the new bagels are very tough and not very bagel-y. Atmosphere is great, and their menu has a delicious variety!

Just tried the brewed coffee and an iced coffee both were very good. Tried a cruller and a double chocolate doughnut made on site. Delicious! It?s in a pretty storefront and right next door to the classic historic hotel Lafayette. Step into the lobby if you?re waiting for your coffee. Its beautiful!

I got the Iced Moka and brought it down to the outer harbor. Quick and easy to order and take out. And probably the best iced mocha I have ever had!

Clean, spacious, free Wi-Fi, excellent pour over coffee, plenty of seats, and free boardgames. Hard to find parking since it is in downtown afterall, but you else can you ask for ??

Great food.and ambience. The location is also perfect. It's little pricey though. A humus plate costed me $10.they have very limited options on the menu.

This cafe is so perfect. The vibe, so clean and welcoming, kind baristas, the drinks expertly made with quality ingredients, and the fresh baked crullers??Stopped here on a visit to downtown Buffalo and it?s worth coming back just to visit this cafe!

Nice location and environment. Diverse menu. I love that they had a cold brew and lemonade option. I enjoyed my drink although I do wish that it was a little sweeter. I would recommend this place to others and would also go back. PS. they do offer lids, I just didn't grab one.

I went there yesterday and ordered a portabella mushroom with egg on an english muffin. When it was brought to the table it was on a bagel and the sandwhich was cold. The eggs had some kind of orange tinge to it. It was inedible. We won't go there again.

Super nice place to grab a quick bite or do work in. Lots of choices to choose from on the menu, my personal favorite has got to be the avocado toast and the matcha latte

Best Coffee spot in Downtown Buffalo..Baristas are Cool and Quick..Room is Spacious and Adjoins w Lobby of Venerable and Gorgeous Hotel Lafayette

Unexpected art-gallery inspired coffee shop. The coffee is outstanding. The cookies and treats are also good and it?s a great place to work on your laptop or chat with friends. Enjoyable vibe and decor. Coffee was good enough for me to buy bags of beans for grinding at home ????

I love the atmosphere of this place; nice for meetings or reading. The Public convinced me that I didn't dislike COFFEE...I just dislike mediocre coffee! Their stuff is great. Today I got a delicious (tho quite salty) rosemary bagel & autumn leaf tea from Public.

I cannot say enough good things about Public Espresso. Despite good competition in Buffalo, Public is my favorite cafe. From food quality/selection to service, Public is unmatched. A must-visit for anyone, whether a lifetime local or an out-of-town visitor.

the seasonal coffee is great! I can tell when they make it with love

A bit on the pricey side, but a unique space in the Historic Lafayette Hotel in Central Downtown Buffalo. Stick to or share one latte/mocha and ask for water to sip in between. The drinks and exciting to watch the barista make yet I?ve not had the chance to try any.

Their pour overs are good and the place is a great for meetings. Quiet buzz of pre-work conversations with a well designed asthetic for just the right ambiance. The avocado toast is the best in Buffalo?I would not say Buffalo is the best place for avocado toast but it's good enough. I typically get mine with tomato and sometimes an egg. I like this spot because I can take the train from my hotel near the HarborCenter.

First time visiting this place. Got a cortado to go. Service was nice. Cortado was good.

Cubano sandwich excellent. Mocha coffee with oatmilk tasted watered down.

Absolutely loved and recommended to friends. Get the bowls...So healthy and yummy {(rare combination)

This is a charming spot to grab some coffee and breakfast. They serve A2 milk, which is generally easier on the stomach for lactose-intolerant customers. I tried their matcha latte and a breakfast sandwich, and both were excellent. The place tends to get a little busy because it's a popular spot in the downtown area.

High quality cafe goods and coffee. A modern and comfortable atmosphere, full of light on the corner, or cozy in the hotel lobby next to the fire. Great staff and overall customer-focus.

Excellent yogurt parfait. The avocado toast was decent as was the latte. The food takes quite a while to come out though. About 20 minutes, which is kind of long for a coffee shop.

Fantastic service, cold brew is top tier, donuts are amazing, and they're very progressive with recent events. Will be giving them more business.

Great spot!! Awesome coffee. Great staff. Banana bread is amazing.

Great food and vibe. Takes a while to get a toasted bagel!

Great place for a cup of coffee, a quick snack or a business meeting. Cozy atmosphere, great staff, amazing coffee.

This place under cooks food all the time .They also have some insufferable customers .If they get a better cook this place would be fire .They have good products the but the cooks do a bad job.this place also has no responsible managers

Best coffee place in buffalo by far! Best breakfast sandwiches too

My favorite coffee/breakfast place in downtown Buffalo. The coffee is obviously great, but the food is just as good. They have become known for their donuts, but everything on the menu is just as good. Don?t forget the lunch options either. Cafe is bright, modern and spacious and is usually filled with a mix of people working or just hanging out. Super friendly staff make for a nice start to the morning before work each day.

Wonderful atmosphere for Sunday morning espresso and breakfast...wonderful staff as well! Definitely will be back!

Superb food and great coffee, but very pricey

Ordered the grilled cheese and tomato soup lunch along with a gingerbread latte, it was very delish and it even came with chips. There is water at the table and beautiful gorgeous setting

We're up visiting for the eclipse and we stopped in to get some drinks and snacks. The drinks we ordered were a medium latte and a small chai latte. I had the latte and it was the best out of about 4 or 5 that I've had in Buffalo and rivals some of my local coffee shops. Well textured milk, not too hot. The coffee flavor was slightly strong but still very good. My wife said it was an excellent chai latte, high remarks indeed. The snacks we had were the butter chocolate chip cookie, the double chocolate donu

Most of their desserts are well-made and very good. Their selection of sandwiches is bizarre, I am not a yuppie, I want a healthy, tasty lunch at a reasonable price. Their printed menu would be easier to read if it were in a larger font. There menu that is posted high on the wall includes "dinner items" that can not be ordered at lunch time, although I don't know that information until I actually try to order it. Then I have to quickly decide on something else while the line behind me waits patiently. I us

Great food, lighter than air cruellers and decent coffee.

Coffee was very good. Food was delicious. Only three stars because service was so slow. Waited 20 minutes to get a bagel and some toast.

Pretty good food and coffee in a convenient location but my god of this place doesn't have the slowest service I've ever seen. If they're even remotely busy expect to wait 15 minutes in line, even if it's only 2 or 3 people, then another 30 to get your order. Not the kind of place you can pop in and out of before or during work.