Aside from Primanti Brothers...What are good eats in Pittsburgh?
Going to be in the greater Pittsburgh area tomorrow, I have tried Primanti Bros...what else shouldn't I miss?
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15 Comments:
If you like Geman food, go to the Penn Brewery.
dbcurrie at 6:55PM on 02/11/09
Can't help you, but would like to get your opinion on Primanti's. That combo just doesn't look that appetizing to me. How about you?
dmcavanagh at 6:56PM on 02/11/09
Depends on what you're hungry for:
- Indian: India Garden on Atwood St. in Oakland
- Sushi: Umi on Ellsworth Ave. in Shadyside, upscale - go for the omakase if you can handle the $$ for it ($75/person)
- burger joint: chain, but delicious - Five Guys in Oakland
- breakfast: Pamela's is crap, De Luca's in the strip is awesome. Get eggs benedict, it's served on nice thick slices of italian bread. yum
- Chinese: New Dumpling House toward the bottom of Murray Ave. in Squirrel HIll, also does nice sushi as well
- Thai: Sun Penang on Forbes in Squirrel Hill
- Mexican: don't bother.
- Continental: Mallorca on E Carson St. in the South Side
- Mediterranean: Casbah on Highland Ave on the shoulder of East Liberty and Shadyside
- French: Ma Provence on Murray Ave. in Squirrel Hill
- Greasy fries and potential to get shot: The Original Hot Dog Shop (it's still open, right guys?) on Forbes in Oakland
- Non-Primanti sandwich: Uncle Sam's on Forbes in Squirrel Hill, other locations in town (oakland location not as good as the others), offers sweet potato fries
- 24 hour diners: Ritter's on Baum in N. Oakland, Tom's on E Carson in the South Side (also a Dormont location, I believe)
- Funky coffee shop atmosphere: the Beehive on E Carson St. in the South Side
- Really good coffe, as in even the drip is great: Crazy Mocha on Oakland Ave. in Oakland and a few other locations in town
- Bubble tea: Rose Tea Cafe on Forbes in Squirrel Hill, their food is pretty good too (Taiwan cuisine, I believe)
joyyy at 6:56PM on 02/11/09
I thought that Primanti's was okay, but not worth really worth the 6 hour drive to get there. (I had other business in Pitts, so I went while there) My mistake may have not been going to the main store, I went to the one in Greenburg out of convenience...I got sliced sirloin on my sandwich, but there really was hardly any meat at all, or cheese. It was mostly bread, vinegar based cole slaw and unsalted fries. I am glad I tried it, and would go the the original location for comparison, but it was not all that I was hoping it would be. :(
Leo1881 at 7:10PM on 02/11/09
the O is in fact still open and still a risk... lol.. .
hungrygrl7 at 8:26PM on 02/11/09
oh if your feelin pizza and near Liberty Ave. Monte Cellos has a great slice...
hungrygrl7 at 8:30PM on 02/11/09
There are many good PGH restaurant recos in this thread. My personal favorites are Tessaro's in Bloomfield (great steaks and burgers done on a wood-fired grill), Tram's Kitchen in Lawrenceville (Vietnamese pho), Aladdin's Eatery in Squirrel Hill (Lebanese), Kazansky's in Squirrel Hill (Deli), Enrico's in The Strip (Biscotti, baked goods) and La Prima Espresso (caffeine). If you find yourself in Monroeville (east of the city) and you enjoy Indian, try to find Udipi. Also, if you're in or around Mount Lebanon (south of the city), grab some brick oven pizza at Il Pizzaolo. Hope you find something you like!
punterville at 8:43PM on 02/11/09
I just read the thread punterville linked to ... for the love of god do NOT eat at Lulu's noodles. I lived in Pgh for 4 years and on the few occasions I went I got a) unappetizing food with horrible service or b) mediocre food, horrible service, and food poisoning. Pamela's is also ever-loved but extremely over rated, but I already mentioned that :P
joyyy at 9:01PM on 02/11/09
I've never tried Lulu's. And I also think Pamela's is over-rated.
@joyyy: Do you have any positive recommendations for Leo1881?
punterville at 9:54PM on 02/11/09
I just saw your other post. They're good recommendations!
punterville at 9:58PM on 02/11/09
Hah, I almost responded to your first post without reading your second :P
lovelovelove Pittsburgh food - my current food scene is absolute crap in comparison. It pains me to be so far away ...
joyyy at 10:36PM on 02/11/09
Thanks everyone! I did check out the other Pgh thread too...I think I want to eat the whole city ;)
Leo1881 at 10:41PM on 02/11/09
Lulu's is a bit rough at times. I've been there when it was slow and it was quite tasty and affordable, but the service and quality tend to dip when it gets busier at the start of the dinner rush and, most of the time, all the way through 9 PM.
This one is a favorite of mine and I love the place. It may not be for everyone, but Oriental Kitchen is wonderful for a sit down Chinese meal. A lot of their menu offerings are Chinese-American and whatnot, along with Japanese offerings and sushi, but stray off the beaten path and hit up the Chinese menu if you're into it. There are some delightful offerings there. It's also highly affordable and their takes on General Tso is fascinating, at least to me. Sweeter, more flavorful, far crispier.
My friends and I were also partial to Chaya in Squirrel Hill if you were aching for some Japanese food. Always top-notch, and delectable offerings all around. Just be careful, though. They are only open for dinner from Monday through Saturday (5 PM to 9:45 or so) and, if it still is like it was four to six years ago, the dining room is small and is almost always packed past 6 PM. Go early and enjoy! Also...no alcohol. BYOB, in case you need a little bit more to go with dinner.
First Chair at 11:17PM on 02/11/09
Church Brew Works. It's a 100 yr old Catholic CHurch that has been converted into a brew pub. You can get a burger and a pizza or a Kobe steak, crab cakes, or surf and turf. There is something for everyone to eat. the food is good, the service is good, and the beer is great. The atmosphere is awesome as well. The brewing operation is on the former alter of the church.
I thought Penn Brewery closed? There lease was up and they moved the brewing operation to Wilkes Barre. I thought the restaurant was closed by now as well. The food is not very good there anyway. Not real German. My dad is German, I know.
Barbieri13 at 8:05AM on 02/12/09
I'm way late posting this, but Primanti's was a gizmo that has gone south long ago. We'd go at 3 am after frat parties and would eat donkey doo and wouldn't know the difference. In the sober "and light of day", the place just lost it's ambiance. I wouldn't waste a dollar on one of their 'so-called' branch restaurants. The crazyness in the strip is half the enjoyment, and you must decidedly be drunk and arrive no earlier than 3 am.
We desperately need a GOOD German restaurant in the Burg. I don't want to sit at picnic benches to enjoy authentic German cuisine or a noisy sports bar. If anyone is out there, bring us a good German pub with all the traditionals! Thanks. Now I can sleep better :-)
Josdean at 11:21PM on 02/17/09