Proud Hound Coffee

About 40-50% of the staff there have an unenthusiastic, dry, hopeless attitude to them that, understandable while working in a coffee shop, does consistently make me feel like I’m ordering something wrong or have to triple check my order so the pretty girls with the dark hair won’t roll their eyes at me (i would be honored but not good for other populations). Other than that small issue, every single aspect of the shop is perfect! Wish there were more gluten free options and treats but maybe one day :)

I had some work to do at two sites nearby. The first one was at 6:00 AM and once done I thought I would have breakfast and then go to the next site. I went to a diner (not this one) and the parking was so scarce I decided to go on and work at the next site and eat later. I then went to another place (not this one either) that had good reviews but was mostly takeout. People were waiting for their to go orders in all available seating. I preferred to eat with real plates and silverware at a booth or table and that wasn't happening there. So I got on my phone and discovered The Proud Hound. Nice place. Clean. It's more of a coffeehouse and almost everyone there was on their laptop. Lots of breakfast options. I went with a regular coffee and The Beast Feast. The food was freshly made. Sausage patty & bacon & eggs were great. I really liked the grit tots. Reminded me of something similar my dad made when we were kids. Biscuit with honey butter was pretty good as well. The coffee... well for all the coffee options available I would have thought my regular cup would have been hot. It was lukewarm. Yes I added some cream but unless the cream was super cold it shouldn't have made my coffee lukewarm. It tasted good but should have been hotter. Not sue-the-business-if-you-spill-it-on-you hot but hotter than what it was. And since almost every customer besides me was on a laptop, perhaps the staff aren't going around checking on people, but once I had my plate I became invisible. Other places, the server usually checks on you, asks if the food is ok? Of course they almost always do it when your mouth is full but at least they do ask. Nothing of the sort here. Food was really good, that's on the person that made it. I wish they made my coffee too. Could have been better on the coffee and service.

The atmosphere is hipster meets cafeteria. Plenty of seating, very clean, and loads of light. I tried the Early Morning Loafin goetta sandwich, which was delicious. The ciabatta was as fluffy as a cloud and the seared goetta was full of flavor. I also tried the grit tots, which by themselves were pretty tasteless, but they served the vital purpose of being a vessel for the phenomenal sauces (garlic aoli, yum yum, and maple ketchup). I didn't try the coffee, but I will certainly be back to do that soon. I recommend getting your food to go so you don't have to use the tongue-depressor utensils. ><

As someone who has worked in the coffee industry and frequent coffee shops in the Cincinnati area, I can confidently say Proud Hound is the best shop we have right now. Every little detail is perfection, from separating kitchen and coffee staff, the layout of the space and the elevated food including vegan options! 🙏🏻 On any weekend you’ll likely run into a line of people waiting to order, but it’s well worth the wait. I’ve never been let down, they are always consistent.

Cincinnati’s Gold Medal Coffee
Wow!

What a tremendous surprise and treat I received this morning to enjoy a Columbian and Ethiopian pour over coffee!
Prior to this morning I had only known of ~3 excellent coffee shops in the entire Tri-State(DR, C, and TMP).
Proud Hound has taken #1 in Cincinnati.
I’ve visited hundreds of coffee shops across the US and PHC easily competes with the top coffee roasters/shops across the entire country!
The inside of the shop is spacious with a great layout which allows for lots of different seating ambiance’s.

*I parked across the street as their website stated; unsure if I parked in the correct space, because there wasn’t any signage that I saw. (&crossed outside a crosswalk due to location :/)
*paper cup quality needs improved; both paper cups I received did leaked quite a bit.

Went for the first time this morning for a quick breakfast. Good coffee and a tasty meal. We ordered a Basic biscuit sandwich. Well cooked with the biscuit as the star of the show. The Huevos Rancheros Grits were fantastic, lots of flavor and texture. I recommend a little hot sauce to add some vinegar and spice.

If it’s your first time you order at the counter and they deliver to your table. Also, parking on Montgomery was fine when we were there. If you can’t find street parking they have a lot across the street.

Beautiful Wes Anderson style space, very large with a patio. Brunch gets very busy and there can be quite a wait for food. But, the Italian style espresso and matcha drink were amazing.

Great decaff latte - mild and not bitter. Very open space and great for having a coffee and chat. Looking forward to trying out their vegetarian options. Just wish parking was easier.

Oh my gosh! Spent over a decade living in Manhattan and have missed a truly AWESOME cup of coffee and cool java space ever since returning to Ohio some twenty years ago. Finally I’ve found it! Proud Hound Coffee should indeed be proud. As the pics show, their presentation is beautiful. And, in this case, you can judge a “book” by its cover. SO GOOD! Also love their swag. Service is friendly and so happy to work there. Only drawback is the parking. Their current lot is about half a block away from them across the street. Although, it looks like a parking lot is under construction. So, go to Proud Hound to relax, mellow out and ENJOY an excellent cup of coffee. One more thing! Their food is dee-lish as well.

Proud Hound is excellent in every way. Coffee, food, environment, and most importantly the people! You won’t be disappointed.