Bittersweet Coffeehouse

It doesn’t look like your typical coffee house from the outside, however don’t let that fool you. The espresso drinks are expertly made. And I would definitely recommend their pour over coffees, you’ll have a hard time going back to normal drip after this. Be on the lookout for their Saturday brunches! Oh, I forgot, the service was excellent!

Came here first thing in the morning so it was pretty quiet. I was a little dubious as it looks like an old warehouse and a bit dodgy but once inside it was really cosy. The latte was really good, so good that we ended up staying for a second one. The wifi is quick too. With only one staff member there and it being very quiet she could have been a little friendlier, none the less very good coffee!

We went for breakfast with our two children (2 & 4) and had a great time. Really friendly, great environment.
I had a White Chocolate Raspberry Latte and it was amazing. I meant to grab a picture of the flower design in the cream, but it was so good that I had drank it all before I could get the chance. :)

From an amazing latte with house-​made lavender and honey syrup to a simple black house-​brewed coffee, Bittersweet is definitely the best place to pop in for an amazing experience. It is open from 7 am, making it a quick stop-​in before work. The relaxed environment makes it the perfect spot for meeting up with a friend or utilizing their free wi-​fi service to get some computerin’ done. Treat yourself with patience and have a pour-​over next time you’re in… dreaming about that Lamplighter Ethiopian Yirgacheffe roast is what drove me to write-​up this post.

Amazing espresso… Baked goods now too! So happy to find a coffee house! Fantastic!

Lovely place, nice welcoming people working. Both coffee and tea is good. Steep prices though!

I love this place. Great place to study. Very amazing coffee. One of the best coffee i ever had.

I love the atmosphere!!! The coffee is by far the best in Huntington. Everything about this coffee shop is unique. I find myself creating excuses to come here and drink yet another cup!

Hands down: the best coffee in Huntington. I walked in to find antique furniture, nice lighting, and soft blue paint on the walls. The chairs are very comfortable, there’s even a bar along the wall facing 7^th Ave which makes for a nice view on a sunny day. Overall, very nice ambience inside. The coffee itself is wonderful, I tried the Rwanda blend and was not disappointed. They have 2 different sizes: bee house (1 cup) and chemex (2 servings). I went with the larger size for only a dollar more. If you’re planning on staying a while, definitely get the chemex for $ 4.50.
I plan on coming back here many times in the future.

I’m so glad to see a local coffee shop in the neighborhood. Great place to just sip a good cup of coffee and read a nice book. If your looking for a caffeine boost pass by. You won’t be disappointed

Loved it. The pour over coffee may just sway me back from tea.

As a frequent traveler and avid coffee drinker, I offer turn to Unilocal for help with my morning coffee selection. I went to check this place out and couldn’t have been more pleased! They have only been open for two months, but their coffee is amazing. They have specialty hand made coffee drinks if that’s your thing, or I went with a more traditional mocah. Nonetheless-​Very Good! I would recommend to any other coffee enthusiast out there who wants a good cup of joe.

I’m pleasantly impressed. For a few years I have wished that I had a few thousand dollars laying around to open a coffee shop in Huntington. I don’t personally equate Starbucks with quality. They have some good beans, albeit not always fresh. Their signature drinks cater more towards the sweet tooth and less towards the artisan brew. I love that Old Village Roasters actually roasts their own beans, but their hours are incongruent with anybody who is neither retired nor works downtown. River and Rail is not primarily a coffee shop, and while I love them, it shows. Butter It Up fills a particular niche, but not necessarily the one Huntington needs on a greater scale.
How this place existed for a month without my wife or I hearing of it is beyond me. When word of mouth finally caught up, we immediately decided to check it out the following day.
I was surprised to see that it was in the old HYAMP building adjacent to the back of The Village on Sixth, hidden from sight. I’ve become so used to businesses starting up in downtown that it seems almost refreshing to have a place that is a bit closer to home. On the same token, I immediately felt bad that they are tucked away. Then again, it seems like a theme in cities that the best coffee places are seemingly tucked away, such as Third Street Stuff in Lexington and Barista Parlor in Nashville.
The building contains two businesses, both owned by the same people. One is a shop, and the other is the coffeehouse. At the time, the shop was not open so my wife and I will be visiting that at a later date.
One of the things I love about coffee shops is their décor. While it seems that the owners are still working on getting situated, the shop itself is very crafty in a rustic-​chic fashion. I could tell the owner/​designer has attention to detail, as even the bar running along the window is designed in a way that coffee cups look as though they have been imprinted. I could almost bet that the owner loves Pinterest :)
The attention to detail carries over well to the coffee itself. I am a sucker for people who are highly passionate and conversational about their product. Having sold mail-​order coffee at a former job for over a year, I especially appreciate talking to someone with more knowledge of the subject than myself. I believe it to be paramount for any small business to take immense pride in their product, a trait that is reflected perfectly with Bittersweet.
I got a cortado and my wife ordered a latte, made by the owner herself. Both of our drinks came out fairly quickly. A cortado is similar to a macchiato, but it is cut warm milk as opposed to cream. They use a double-​brewing system of espresso, which gives the drink a wonderfully high body (think consistency, or thickness). The beans they use for their espresso, while a good medium to dark roast, offer fresh flavor with absolutely no bitterness. The blend of beans has some Guatamalan grown mixed in, which I could definitely taste. Guatemalan beans tend to have a sort of chocolatey, slightly floral flavor — which is why they are my favorite. I can’t remember what the beans were mixed with, but I imagine that they were added to reduce the overall acidity of the brew. Normally the darker the roast, the lower the acidity, yet it seemed to me that these beans were not burn to a crisp, yet it only had about a medium range in terms of the acid level in comparison to other coffees.
I realize this information verges on arbitrary in most of the reader’s minds, but I find the taste of the coffee to be most important. Acidity is almost very crucial to those who suffer from heartburn, although many sufferers never fully realize that coffee is a naturally acidic beverage.
I didn’t get a chance to look at the beans themselves, but the coffee did taste like it was a relatively recent roast. The delicious, aromatic oils from the beans rose to the top of my cup, enhancing each sip.
The owners are also very pleasant people. We went during a non-​busy time of day and talked to them for a good hour. I plan on going back as soon as possible.
Normally I do not leave Unilocal reviews so detailed. The reason I have chosen to elaborate on this particular one is because I have decided that if I am going to remain in Huntington for another couple years then I want this place to thrive while I am here.
tl/​dr: Go. Take a date. Take a friend. Take your homework. Just go. You won’t be disappointed.

Really cute coffee place, but very slow. Come, but not if you’re in a hurry. They have lunch and brunch too. Nice spot!

Excellent atmosphere. Better coffee. A jewel in a sleepy college town. A must visit.