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The Why Coffee Shop

4.3 (154 reviews)
Closed 8:00 am - 1:30 pm

The Why Coffee Shop Photos

Business Info

THE WHY COFFEE SHOP ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Divey
Moderate noise
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - The Why Coffee Shop

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Reviews With Photos

Steven C.

This place is exactly what it appears to be, a diner where people can relax, get ready for court, catch up, read the paper. Everyone knows each other, friendly waitresses. If you sit at the counter, you can watch them prepare the food. The food is always good, fresh ingredients. The coffee cup never goes empty. I've enjoyed this place for over 30 years when I find myself in Niagara Falls. It's right down the street from the municipal courthouse, and enjoys a mix of lawyers with their clients, retired people with their friends, regular working folks, all friendly.

The midcentury curving charm of the vintage Formica counter had me at "hello" ....

Love this groovy original in the heart of Niagara Falls/Buffalo NY. Rona is the proprietor- her dad started the joint in 1979 and she has worked there since she was a kid helping her dad out behind the counter. This is the real deal. It was such a pleasure eating my yummy veggie omelet, toast and coffee at the counter as Rona and the team buzzed around making everyone happy. This local midcentury coffee shop has been featured in films and enjoyed by locals for years!

Menu
Crystal O.

Looking for a back to basics breakfast where all the locals eat? This is your place! Retro look had us wondering how much was original- with the red, orange and yellow pendant lights, wood paneling covered walls and the old school candy bar dispenser. The prices are fab- again old school, cash only and you can grab breakfast, coffee and tip for two under $20- just say yes! The counter was filled with blue collar workers that Monday morning, another good sign for me. Street parking is available- we found an easy spot just before it poured rain. Service was spot on, fast and friendly. Just a great mom and pop vibe, local diner establishment. So happy The Why popped up as an option close to us!

Stopped here for breakfast while visiting Niagara Falls area. Great prices, great food, breakfast for 2 with coffee for less than $20! Fast friendly service and hot fresh food!

the entrance to the store
Sara D.

Take-out only due to COVID-19 times. One needs to phone order and then go in to pay cash only. I ordered Breakfast #3 and a hot chocolate. The eggs done to order, home fries, bacon, and buttered toast. So, I hopped back into the car and ate my breakfast. Yummy! The hot chocolate was better than most places. They provided salt & pepper, catchup packets, jam, utensils, napkin., Then, I was off to walk the Niagara Stare Park.

Location- CASH ONLY
Michelle C.

The Overall- CASH ONLY, less than $10.00 per person (price of average drink included), good and fast service, tasty food and a clean establishment. The breakdown- While driving back from Niagara Falls, we were craving a good breakfast. Seven of us traveling with two kids. Our family was looking for an inexpensive place to start off our day. Found this place via Yelp and we were reluctant to visit it since the prices are insanely cheap and it just looked too good to be true. Nevertheless, we decided to trust our Yelp community and the reviews. Don't let the shady look fool you, this place is great! It might not look like a lot, but prices of sides and full entrées vary from $2.00 to $5.75 (most expensive entrée on the menu). Service was fast and friendly, food was surprisingly tasty (server mentioned their home fries are seasoned with "adobo") with fair proportions and coffee was decent. Establishment has been operating since the late 70s, so yeah, it looks old school and like it could use some TLC, but ambience is homey, with friendly and polite locals and everything is sneaky clean. Would visit again if possible.

Bob M.

This little family owned dinner was a perfect stop to start our day. They only take cash so make sure you got some cash on you, but with that everything on the menu is very reasonably priced. The food came very quick and looked awesome. Everything tasted great. We got a lot of food and the bill was under $20. I'm a big fan of little dinners and small family owned places, they always feel more homey.

This is the lunch menu
CaptainRavioli 1.

This place is awesome! I'd really recommend it. The food is great, and it's not super expensive! If you're looking for something hearty and filling, come down here to this lovely coffee shop :)

Davey Dog (spicy sauce)
Miguel L.

Cash only breakfast and lunch place around Main St. Niagara Falls. Went there during weekends and usually not very busy. Food prices are very cheap and foods were tasty. Tried their cheeseburger and Davey dog and they were really good. Will definitely come back to grab a quick and cheap lunch.

All mix number 7
Boat N.

One of the best breakfast place in Niagara falls. Legit, anybody who want to find a place this is the one.

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4 years ago

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10 months ago

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7 months ago

Excellent customer service, great locals vibe, and top notch breakfast sandwiches. Diner coffee at its best.

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4 months ago

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

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11 months ago

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1 year ago

Quick delicious breakfast! Price, food, service was perfect!!! Just a no-nonsense coffee shop!

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3 years ago

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10 months ago

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2 years ago

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6 years ago

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6 years ago

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2 years ago

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5 years ago

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4 years ago

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1 year ago

Breakfast and service was great. Coffee always stayed full and eggs were cooked perfect.

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

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7 years ago

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3 years ago

Simple and satisfying breakfast food. Lots of locals were eating there. Service was good. Cash only no CC . Would go there again

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5 years ago

Less then 10 dollars, mom and pop community diner. Perfect portion. Fasts service a great place to start the day. Old school place.

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

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14 years ago

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3 years ago

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

Great breakfast spot close to the park. We liked it so much we had breakfast here 2 days in a row.

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8 years ago

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12 years ago

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Ask the Community - The Why Coffee Shop

Review Highlights - The Why Coffee Shop

I was visiting Niagara Falls and there's not much to do here so I was so glad I found this Great diner!

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Seven Hearts Coffee

Seven Hearts Coffee

4.6(21 reviews)
15.5 miUniversity Heights, Main Street

The coffee and pasties are amazing! The service was also friendly, patient and quick…read more We had the chocolate croissant- perfect. Nicely browned, airy and crisp. Also an everything bagel with cream cheese, lots of cream cheese, warm and wrapped up well. More like a denser style bagel- not hard. Very good. I got chocolate in my Americano, the standard amount they put in was perfect. You can taste the chocolate and the coffee, not too sweet! Seating area is small and cute. Perfect for two people to sit and chat. Not good for a family or children. We did have our three year old and new born. We had never been here before and had already made our toddler wait to get a croissant so we had to make it work. If you know you know. But he is well behaved so it was fine. I would definitely stop here again if I didn't have kids with me or even to have a one on one date with my son.

Cuteness overload! This place is snuggled between the old Bennett high school and a new housing…read moreproject- The Rails. I needed a change of scenery to get some work done and this place exceeded my expectations. Quaint with a tucked away sitting area that was perfect for my back to back meetings as they offered free Wi-Fi and plenty of outlets. Decor was bright and Instagramable. There's an equally cozy bookstore down the hall that adds value to the vibe along with a candle shop that did the same. Customer service was welcoming and prompt. I appreciate service with a smile. Secondly, I love a place where the staff can give suggestions when I give them an 'idea' of what I'd like to have and they deliver. Ordered a chai tea, with more chai than milk and their suggestion of a vanilla shot was delicious. Will definitely be back to explore the menu. 100% recommend.

Photos
Seven Hearts Coffee
Seven Hearts Coffee
Seven Hearts Coffee

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La Patisserie Cafe - Ooo gelato

La Patisserie Cafe

4.3(33 reviews)
1.2 mi
$

Always fast and friendly service from the culinary students. A nicely displayed selection of…read morescrumptious bakery options such as scones, croissants, cookies, cupcakes, cheesecake and more! They also have coffee, tea and energy drinks. Today I only stopped in for my favorite, dirty chai téa. It is hands down the best dirty chai I've ever had. They make their own concentrate which isn't too sweet and really gives you the peppery, cinnamony flavor a chai should have. The flavors of the chai, espresso and milk (I get almond milk) are all perfectly balanced and compliment each other for delicious sip after sip. And, the cherry on top... A large with almond milk comes in just under $5! Anywhere else it'd be $7+ and wouldn't taste as good. They also have a selection of house made gelato in the warmer weather. The bakery itself is small inside, but there are several tables in the atrium to enjoy your purchase.

This was a wonderful experience. It is, yes, a little sandwich shop, so it looks a little…read moremisleading, but they have a little bit of everything in their bakery goods, the most delectable sandwiches and crepes, but the show's star was the gelato. I didn't take any photos because it didn't make it that long, but they had some of the most unique and delicious flavor combinations I've ever had in my life. It was peach season, so there were a few specials that blew my mind the prosciutto panini with brie and peaches, and amazing, the ricotta peach gelato, the best I've eaten in my life

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La Patisserie Cafe - Pistachio chocolate cupcake. I had a a nice view of it cut in half, but sadly had some technical issues. Haha

Pistachio chocolate cupcake. I had a a nice view of it cut in half, but sadly had some technical issues. Haha

La Patisserie Cafe - Inside - display cake

Inside - display cake

La Patisserie Cafe - Bagels were huge and looked delightful

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Bagels were huge and looked delightful

Amy & Co. Cafe - Halloween themed scones & muffins

Amy & Co. Cafe

4.9(30 reviews)
3.9 mi

When you walk into Amy's it feels cozy like home. It is a small space with only a few tables inside…read moreand also a couple tables outside. The staff was friendly and efficient. I do have to say I was disappointed they didn't have espresso, but I managed. I got their special coffee (an apple flavor) and it was quite tasty. I also got a piece of sausage, pepper & mozzarella quiche that was cooked perfectly and had a good amount of sausage and cheese in it. They also had cookies, muffins and scones... The cosmic brownie scones looked really good, but I was trying to keep it on the healthier side. It looked like they offer a small menu of lunch items.

Highly, highly, highly recommend. Amy provides stellar service and a positive atmosphere. So…read morewelcoming. Locals seem to love this place and we could easily see why. Also, there's seating inside and outside. Free parking. And best of all, the tastiest scones I've ever had. The flavors change daily. Today's was walnut, cranberry, white chocolate. The bacon and chive quiche was absolutely delicious. All the baked goods on offer are homemade by Amy and you can taste the difference. The coffee was great as was the iced cran-apple chai. Prices were incredibly affordable. In fact I think she should increase by a little bit. The quality absolutely warrants it. Thanks for helping these tourists have a stellar start to our day! Everyone go support Amy and this lovely cafe.

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Amy & Co. Cafe - Amy & Co. Cafe turns 2!!!

Amy & Co. Cafe turns 2!!!

Amy & Co. Cafe - Guest Appearance for Small Business Saturday from Rollin' Cannoli - Apple Pie Cannoli & Traditional Cannoli

Guest Appearance for Small Business Saturday from Rollin' Cannoli - Apple Pie Cannoli & Traditional Cannoli

Amy & Co. Cafe - Front

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Front

The Why Coffee Shop - coffee - Updated May 2026

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