I agree with others that this is by far the best coffee in Pittsburgh, and probably the best coffee I've ever had. I'm by no means a coffee snob (I've always been pretty content with iced coffee from McDonald's a lot of days ;) but tried Voluto now that I work nearby, and I'm absolutely hooked. I don't know that I can ever go back to 'regular' coffee, seriously.
The atmosphere is very warm and relaxing, the women who work there are super-friendly, and the pastries are very good -- they have a small selection but everything is VERY fresh and tasty.
Another thing I've noticed, and this seems small but to someone who loves iced coffee it makes a difference... there's nothing worse when you get an iced coffee than when it is brewed hot, then poured over small ice cubes... it's literally the recipe for lukewarm, watery coffee. Voluto uses really big ice cubes, though -- and it sounds simple enough, but it keeps the coffee cold and pure-tasting for the rest of the afternoon at work. I wish other places would do this.
My only complaint, and I'd like to think it's more constructive criticism... I definitely understand that because of the process they use, you're not going to get your coffee as fast as you do at say... uhh...just off the top of my head... the McDonald's drive-thru. I also get that that's exactly what makes the coffee so good, so I would not trade that.
This being said, though, while I do agree the owners are very friendly and warm, there have been times when I have been the only person ordering (no one in front or behind me) and it's taken up to 4 or 5 minutes to get my coffee...and it wasn't just because of the process. I generally have to skip them in the mornings when I'm in a hurry (which is most mornings), simply because, even going from the cash register to actually making the coffee, they often seem to just move really slowly. For example, one time, after I'd paid for my coffee, the woman who waited on me stood there organizing receipts from the last few customers (even though there was no one in front or behind me, so I imagine it probably could have waited until I left), then talked to another employee for a few moments, before going over to the counter to start my coffee. I'm not suggesting at all that they should be in a frenzy like you see in the-coffee-shop-that-shall-not-be-named, but at ANY coffee shop, you are going to get clientele in the morning that are hoping for/needing a bit of a faster pace. Again, it's fitting for a laid-back afternoon, which is often when I end up there, but in the mornings, it'd be cool if they...well... hustled a tiny bit more. This is not a big deal and did not stop me from giving it 5 stars, I just think it might be a good consideration for them about maintaining/increasing a 'before work' crowd. read more