To kickstart your day, consider taking a trip to Pleasant Gap to check out the Tiny Tavern Café.
The café fills the former bottle shop at the Red Horse Tavern on the corner of Main Street and College Avenue. The Red Horse owners had contemplated what to do in the front space of the building. They considered reopening the bottle shop but opted against it due to rising prices and competition.
“It just didn’t seem like it was needed or cost-effective,” owner Natalie Valdivia says.
She says a coffee shop was on their short list, something she really wanted to try. They chose to pursue the idea, focusing on fresh, homemade offerings and rich coffee flavors.
The café itself is bright and welcoming with coffee and country-home-themed décor. Nestled behind a wall of sprawling green ivy and red bricks, the café offers a variety of hot foods and caffeinated beverages. The Tiny Tavern Café has something for every coffee drinker and options for those who opt out of a cup of Joe. Hot chocolate, chai, matcha, lemonade, and tea are available for those looking for something other than coffee.
For those who need caffeine, the menu has standard options like macchiatos, cappuccinos, cold brew, and espresso, using Café Lemont coffee. The Tiny Tavern offers hot and cold lattes, including the Mint Chocolate Chip and Dirty Horchata. Valdivia says the Cinnamon Bun Latte is popular, with a blend of espresso, cinnamon, and caramel flavors, topped with whipped cream, cinnamon, and a caramel swirl.
The Banoffee Coffee, a nod to the popular dessert in the tavern, combines dulce de leche syrup with cold brew, banana cold foam topping, and shortbread crumbs to create a sweet treat. Valdivia says the add-in flavors—like the cinnamon, dulce de leche, mocha, peach, guava, caramel, and vanilla—are all made in house. There are enough flavors available to satisfy any craving.
On the food side, the café offers a mix of savory and sweet breakfast items.
“I think it all started with the beignets,” Valdivia says.
She says she lived in New Orleans for about 12 years and became quite familiar with the tasty pastry. She wanted to bring a taste of Louisiana to central Pennsylvania—and the pastries have been a hit so far.
“The beignets are really, really, really popular,” Valdivia says.
Each plate is served with three warm, golden pillows topped with a generous dusting of powdered sugar. While they can be a little messy to eat, the beignets are light and fluffy.
The Tiny Tavern Café also offers a house-made Pretzel Bread Sandwich, with egg, cheese, and a choice of bacon or sausage. Diners can also order hash browns.
The Apple Pie Overnight Oats truly live up to their name. Each bite brings memories of cool fall nights through the perfectly spiced apples and nuts over a bed of mixed yogurt and oats. The dish is served chilled in a large enough portion for a filling breakfast and snack. The café also offers the overnight oats in banoffee, PB&J, and almond joy flavors.
Avocado Toast has become a morning staple in recent years and the Tiny Tavern Café is doing it right. On top of a seeded slice of bread is a coating of avocado, red onions, sunflower shoots, yellow tomatoes, and salt and pepper. The avocado covers the toast from end to end, as do the tomatoes, onions, and shoots. Each bite contains each food element. The shoots are not bitter like some microgreens and offer a complementary flavor to the other ingredients that combine for an elevated dish. Patrons can add an egg or smoked salmon to complete their meal.
Valdivia says the café is a place for all ages.
“It’s a variety. Some people stop in on their way to work,” she says, adding she hopes more community members give it a try. T&G
Hannah Pollock is a freelance writer in State College.
