For those of you located near the Wexford or Cranberry, PA area you will be happy to hear about a little mom and pop coffee shop just a few minutes away called Mars Brew House. This Coffee shop is located right in the heart of the little town of Mars.
Location: It was not hard to find and follow Mars Brew House on google maps. Coming to a strange 4-way intersection, the opposing traffic does not stop while the rest of the streets converging have to stop. This made trying to get to the road where Mars Brew House was located a little confusing and difficult in rush hour traffic. After getting on the right road, Mars Brew House is the very last building on a one way street. It is a single house-like building that has parking on the opposite side of the road only.
Rating: 4/5 …due to the interesting 4 way intersection that is confusing and difficult to access, especially in rush hour traffic
Trick/Tip: There is a 2 hour parking limit so make sure you are not planning on staying more than that…you're welcome
Ambience:
Light: Each room has fixed ceiling lights as well as lamps expending from the ceiling. The windows provided natural light, but all in all, the rooms were very comfortable.
Rating: 5/5 …due to adequate lighting throughout the whole coffee shop and more natural light than not.
Trick/Tip: The room off to the side that is near a giant fountain has the most natural light so if you are reading a book or just like natural light setting, this is your spot…you’re welcome
Seating: There was any array of outdoor seating from comfy porch chairs propped up comfortable on the porch with many different lawn furniture such as metal tables and chairs with umbrellas located in the front “lawn” area. The inside had a minor assortment of wooden chairs and tables and one couch off to the side of the main room. If you keep walking back, there are two more wooden chairs and tables in the next room over that consist of different styles and heights.
Rating: 4/5 …due to the lack of seating options inside but the bigger assortment of outdoor seating available.
Trick/Tip: There is additional seating on the second floor. It is a house style coffee shop so it literally looks like you are walking up stairs in someone’s house, but if all the seating is taken on the first floor then the second floor provides additional seating. A little creeping walking up the stairs but…you’re welcome
Sound: The main room had a mixture of Latino and typical coffee shop music that played pretty loud in the background. Loud enough that you could hear every word and musical instrument playing. Definitely louder than most coffee shops I've been to so far. Most of the sound in the connecting room was from a huge fountain located between the bathroom doors. The fountain is loud enough to drown out any conversation from the other room.
Rating: 3/5 …due to the fountain being so loud. A fountain can make the environment feel calming, but this fountain was a little intense. Also, the music in the main room was too loud for a comfy coffee shop vibe.
Trick/Tip: Bring headphones to drown out the fountain if you are going to do work and you do not want that as a random distraction. At the same time this may be the perfect place for a private date or conversation since nobody can hear a word you are saying across the room, even your date…you’re welcome
Inviting: The barista was friendly and very talkative about the menu options. The coffee shop was very inviting in general with plants scattered around the room giving it a calming feel. They had free WIFI which always makes a place feel more comfortable like you are a friend instead of a customer. However, the table and WIFI had a limit of 75 minutes, but you could ask for a second floor room if you need to stay longer. This does not give a feeling of inviting since you cannot stay as long as you want and are more rushed to get your work done or hurry up with your conversation.
Rating: 3/5 …due to time limit of how long you can stay, which is strange to me in general since you would think a coffee shop would want you to stay and drink more coffee and eat more food
Trick/Tip: Only bring short projects or possibly just meet up here with friends before going on your way to your main adventure…you’re welcome
Drink/Food: This coffee shop had the many classic coffee shop items of different coffee blends, lattes, americanos, etc. that were listed on their main menu. Off the menu items consisted of different flavored lattes or options of hot or iced. The baked goods consisted of cookies, cinnamon rolls, scones, and muffins.
Rating: 4/5 …due to lack of food options besides baked goods
Trick/Tip: The barista mentioned that the cinnamon rolls are the best ones around from a local bakery and are definitely worth trying. Also, there is a $3 card baseline so I would recommend bringing cash if your order is under $3…you’re welcome
Overall, I rate this coffee shop 3/5. This coffee shop was easy to find but harder to access due to the 4 way intersection. It had a homie feel, which made this place special, but was countered by the table time limit. The unwelcome feel with a 75 minute table limit definitely lowers this coffee shops score, but after seeing the limited chair/table options this could be why the limit exists. Also, the fact that you need cash for small purchases is inconvenient for individuals who do not know going into the situation that they need cash. However, through all my nit picking this coffee shop is a good place to go to get minor work done, get out of the house for a few hours, or meet up with friends or a date before venturing out to do something else. Also, very good coffee.
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