Pittsburgh Index

A Pittsburgh Index:

Pittsburgh maps – by neighborhood printable pdf also available

A collection of Pgh posts

Burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches :
Tessaro's (burgers)
Original Hot Dog Shop ( The 'O' ) – post within Tessaro's thread
Primanti's (signature sandwich with fries inside) – in MikeG's Chicago to DC eatologue see also prior post by JeffB

«««»»»
JoelF's series (Sept. 2005):
Part1: Cuza Mil (Mexican) – summary: "I wasn't hoping for much, but I was hoping for better than that"
Part2: 1902 Landmark Tavern summary: "Well, so far I'm 0 for 2 in Pittsburgh in places I'd go back to."
Part3: Tamborini's (Italian) summary: "Still not what I'd call stellar, but a darn sight better than last night"
Part4:Monterey Bay Fish Grotto & more summary: "one of several upscale restos on Mt Washington, which overlooks the downtown three rivers area" "All [dishes mentioned] very good"

«««»»»
aschie30's post onEleven - Pittsburgh on an Expense Account
I've been here a couple of times and it is quite good; very good in fact as I wasn't paying . Entrees range from $25ish - $40ish
---
Some more Pittsburgh spots – with a good word for Ethopian at Abay by happy_stomach
and below that some notes the difficulty of getting cabs in Pgh

«««»»»
The Pittsburgh Strip District

De Luca's (breakfast!)
La Prima Espresso, Enrico Biscotti Co. and other pastry options

«««»»»
Other not too far (if you're on the road and are an LTHer) places:

Newcastle, PA Mister B's (Lamb, 'Syrian bread') from MikeG's DC trip – mentioned first by JeffB in this post
Some additional pics – here

«««»»»

Thanks for putting this together--very helpful.

Many thanks for taking the time to collect this info. This is good stuff.

Anyone happen to know how Roland's Iron Landing is in the Strip district these days? A few years ago I had a very good Hot lobster roll there. I go back to Pittsburgh in a couple of months and was starting to plan meals.

G

i went to the creekhouse location of this place and it had some nice beers and really good bar food:
http://sharpedgebeer.com/

and if ya want some nicely made Intelligentsia in the strip:
http://www.21streetcoffee.com

Went to Da 'Burgh for a quickie seminar at Pitt. Yesterday I scored The O for a hot dog + fries lunch, and Tessaro's for a burger dinner. Life is good.

Back in Montreal after a 10-hour drive. Still thinking about those goodies!

Geo

glennpan wrote:Anyone happen to know how Roland's Iron Landing is in the Strip district these days? A few years ago I had a very good Hot lobster roll there. I go back to Pittsburgh in a couple of months and was starting to plan meals.

G

It's gone downhill considerably. The only use for Roland's these days is the people-watching from the balcony, if you can get a seat out there. Oh, and the beer selection too, if you can ever get a waitress to give you the time of day.

Oh, and best burgers by far in this town are at Fat Head's on Carson Street (south side).

And forget about decent Mexican, since there are maybe 8 Mexicans in the entire city. But Mad Mex on Atwood Street in Oakland (the flagship location of a small regional chain) is a creative take on casual Americanized Mexican.

We were just in Pittsburgh a few weeks ago and had the opportunity to experience both Tessaro's and Fat Head's. Admittedly, we did not do the burgers at Fat Head's as we were far more intrigued by the Southside Slopes "Headwich"; grilled kielbasa topped with fried pierogis, American cheese, grilled onions and horsey sauce. Utterly amazing!

However, if you are telling us that the burgers at Fat Head's are better than those at Tessaro's, then eating one must be some kind of transcendent experience culminating in the diner touching the hand of God. Seriously, the burgers at Tessaro's were among the best I've ever had, including (but not limited to) Paradise Pup here in Des Plaines, Fred's Bar in Burlington, Wisconsin (home of the self proclaimed "World's Best Hamburger"), and The Nook (where they make their version of the Jucy Lucy; The Nookie), in Minneapolis.

Now, I don't doubt your word that Fat Head's serves the best burger in Pittsburgh. All I'm saying is, if it's better than Tessaro's burgers, Pittsburgh should be placed at the very top of the list as a destination for culinary travelers. Two burgers, that good, in one city should not be missed.

Buddy

Oh, how I miss my Primanti brothers!

Back when I used to live in the burgh (in the 90s), there was also a not-to-be missed asian kebab stand on east Carson St. They'd open up late nights, after bar time. Anybody know if that is still around?

Also fantastic, is Mineo's pizza in Squirrel Hill. My parents (now 60) used to go there on dates, and it is still around, serving phenomenal thin-crust pies.

Anyone been to the Tin Angel recently? It used to be wonderful, but I haven't been for years. The food was good, but possibly surpassed by the view over the Three Rivers.

BuddyRoadhouse wrote:We were just in Pittsburgh a few weeks ago and had the opportunity to experience both Tessaro's and Fat Head's. Admittedly, we did not do the burgers at Fat Head's as we were far more intrigued by the Southside Slopes "Headwich"; grilled kielbasa topped with fried pierogis, American cheese, grilled onions and horsey sauce. Utterly amazing!

However, if you are telling us that the burgers at Fat Head's are better than those at Tessaro's, then eating one must be some kind of transcendent experience culminating in the diner touching the hand of God. Seriously, the burgers at Tessaro's were among the best I've ever had, including (but not limited to) Paradise Pup here in Des Plaines, Fred's Bar in Burlington, Wisconsin (home of the self proclaimed "World's Best Hamburger"), and The Nook (where they make their version of the Jucy Lucy; The Nookie), in Minneapolis.

Now, I don't doubt your word that Fat Head's serves the best burger in Pittsburgh. All I'm saying is, if it's better than Tessaro's burgers, Pittsburgh should be placed at the very top of the list as a destination for culinary travelers. Two burgers, that good, in one city should not be missed.

As a native Pittsburgher, I thought I'd weigh in here. Fat Head's and Tessaro's are both great restaurants, but they are very, very different.

Buddy, you definitely had the best burger in town at Tessaro's. At Tessaro's the focus is on the meat, which they grind in house several times daily. Their burger is huge, well-seasoned, cooked perfectly to temp, and simply topped. Tesarros's options for sides (cole slaw, potato salad, roasted potatoes) are all meh, and other than the burgers, nothing else at Tessaro's is really worth ordering. FYI, Tessaro's is small, and they don't take reservations. Going early is a good idea.

Fat Head's is my favorite all-around bar food joint anywhere. The Headwiches are just fantastic, so you ordered quite well (my favorite is Beauty & the Beasty). Their appetizers are wonderful (try the beer-battered shrooms with horseradish sauce or "Pedro's Nachos"). When it comes to burgers, the focus at Fat Head's is on toppings (think Kuma's). The meat is nothing special, but there are at least 2 or 3 dozen different burger variations. (You can get one with hot sausage, anchovies, and a fried egg or one with roasted pork, swiss cheese, and jalapenos.) Everything at Fat Head's is good, but I haven't ordered a burger there for years. REB likes the wings and house-made potato chips so much she can't bring herself to try anything else.

Go to Tessaro's and Fat Head's if you are in town, just don't try to decide which is better.

Drover wrote:Oh, and best burgers by far in this town are at Fat Head's on Carson Street (south side).

And forget about decent Mexican, since there are maybe 8 Mexicans in the entire city. But Mad Mex on Atwood Street in Oakland (the flagship location of a small regional chain) is a creative take on casual Americanized Mexican.

Agreed. Skip Mexican food in Pittsburgh. Seriously, just don't bother. Even places that the local press likes would be laughed out of town here in Chicago.
Mad Mex is isn't Mexican and it isn't particularly creative. It is, however, a half-decent Cal-Mex with a great beer selection.

We just returned from a long weekend in the Pittsburgh suburb of Greentree. Surprised no one here mentioned Piper's for outstanding Scottish cuisine. We enjoyed 2 meals at Angkor, which is Cambodian and Thai (2350 Noblestown Road, Greentree). I'll post photos on my blog of that later today.

RAB wrote:Fat Head's is my favorite all-around bar food joint anywhere. The Headwiches are just fantastic, ...

Fat Heads also has a fantastic beer list, including four or five taps of their own brew and another coupla dozen well-selected microbrews. Far as the headwiches go, the Kuma's analogy is probably apt and I'm not much of a Kuma's fan. It's fun, though, to read the wild combos of meat atop meat atop mayo-ey sauce atop fried egg atop meat atop different mayo-ey sauce atop fried peirogis (yes, pierogis on the sandwich too).

I make fun, but I really did enjoy the place.

I was at Fathead's over the weekend. The tap list was definitely the highlight of the experience. I enjoyed a refreshing Penn's Pils and an interesting cask pull from East End. I got suckered into the southern slope sandwich and I didn't love it. The sausage was the best part of the sandwich. It would've been a solid kielbasa if it had been served in a proper bun with sauerkraut and mustard. Instead it was topped with onions and pierogies. I couldn't taste the pierogies at all and ended up eating the parts of the sandwich separately so I could at least enjoy the mucho-calories I was ingesting. It's a pleasant place, the prices are reasonable and the tap list is superb. I'd go back, but I'll stick to something simpler from the menu next time.

Also made a late night visit to Primanti Brothers. At 2 in the morning, after a night at the bar (see below), it really hit the spot. The coleslaw was decent, the fries less so and the grilled salami was actually pretty good, but the sandwich added up to the exact type of greasy gut bomb I enjoy when I'm with friends looking for post bar munchies.

We did discover a real gem during this excursion. I was searching for cocktail bars in Pittsburgh and happened across a place named Embury that seemed to get pretty good reviews. I was particularly excited since I just finished reading the Fine Art of Mixing Cocktails (by David Embury). We got there about midnight on Friday night. There was one couple that left about ten minutes after we arrived and no one else at the bar. There were about 8 of us and we took all the seats at the bar and promptly started ordering just about any cocktail we could think of. From the time we arrived until last call at 1:30 (but really more like 1:45) the bartenders never stopped mixing drinks. The board next to the bar had about 8 Dale DeGroff creations (apparently he had a hand in opening the bar) and they had a huge cocktail bible on the counter. My personal favorites from the night were a refreshingly tart Pisco Sour made with Peruvian bitters (with nice foamy texture from the egg white) and a fascinating drink that combined lime juice and muddled jalapenos called the Faust's Pact. Many of the people with us had never enjoyed premium cocktails before and they were blown away by the range and freshness of the ingredients (as were the more seasoned cocktail drinkers). Next time I'm in Pittsburgh, this place is at the top of my list. Also the bathroom is behind a bookcase and the walls are lined with pages from the first edition of the Embury book. And they had 1920's jazz playing the whole time. Great stuff!

turkob wrote:I was at Fathead's over the weekend . . . I'll stick to something simpler from the menu next time.

That's how I roll. My usual meal includes large wings and an order of the chips with a side of beasty sauce. I've enjoyed sampling the crazy sandwiches, and Rich knows which are the best after having sampled most of them, but they're not for me. I'm not a fan of Kuma's, either, though.

Just five weeks until my next Pittsburgh trip. Sadly, I'll be accompanied by healthy eaters, which both poses a challenge for Pittsburgh dining and means that I'm unlikely to get to go to Fathead's.

Thanks for the cocktails tip, turkob. If we can, we'll check Embury out.

Ronna

Suprised nobody's mentioned Mallorca yet. I've had some awfully good meals there. SahSide, brick walls, Spanish and Portuguese food, very good seafood. Not overpriced, great wine list.



Mallorca Restaurant
2228 East Carson Street,
Pittsburgh, PA 15203-2121
(412) 488-1818‎

REB wrote:

turkob wrote:I was at Fathead's over the weekend . . . I'll stick to something simpler from the menu next time.

That's how I roll. My usual meal includes large wings and an order of the chips with a side of beasty sauce. I've enjoyed sampling the crazy sandwiches, and Rich knows which are the best after having sampled most of them, but they're not for me. I'm not a fan of Kuma's, either, though.

Just five weeks until my next Pittsburgh trip. Sadly, I'll be accompanied by healthy eaters, which both poses a challenge for Pittsburgh dining and means that I'm unlikely to get to go to Fathead's.

Thanks for the cocktails tip, turkob. If we can, we'll check Embury out.

Ronna

There's healthy food in Pittsburgh

BTW, I never weighed in on this, but above in the discussion on Tessaro's, it is mentioned that it's all about the burgers. Yes, I agree that the burger is excellent, one of the best I know, but the home fries-ish potatoes were right up there with all the other outstanding Pittsburgh potatoes. I mean Ronna, can one go to Pittsburgh and skip fried potatoes?

Tonight's Pittsburgh dinner was like none other. Taiwan Cafe is one bizarre little divey hole in the wall near U of Pitt.

Sorry for the crappy cell phone pics...

Here's the exterior:


And the stairs leading to the entrance:


Open the door, and you face an entire wall of refrigerator cases filled with Colt 45, MD20-20, Old English and other hobo/ collegiate preloading favorites. Across from the libations is a tiny counter fronting a kitchen, and a little further back is some less-than-posh seating for about 20. Taiwan Cafe can't serve liquor and has many signs emphasizing this fact, but it is no problem to buy a 40 of Old Mil, crack it open yourself and take it with you to a table, which is what I did after placing my food order.

The menu seems made to appeal to cheap-grub-seeking, mall-Chinese-loving Freshmen and Taiwanese natives alike. General Tso's Tofu and Sweet & Sour Chicken share print space with Pork Stomach with Pickled Mustard and Sa Cha Tripe. The walls are similarly decorated, with photos of the homeland side-by-side with Dogs Playing Poker.

I started with scallion pancakes, then moved on to shredded pork with pickled cabbage. Both dishes were excellent. The pancakes were fresh and tasty, and the pickled vegetables with the pork packed lots of heat and funky flavor. Appetizer, entree and 40 ounce bottle earned me change from a 20, including throwing a couple of bucks into the tip jar.

Pork with Pickled Vegetables:




Too bad there was no equivalent of Taiwan Cafe where I went to college. For that matter, too bad there's no such place within walking distance of home today.

Taiwan Cafe
3725 Forbes Ave
Pittsburgh, PA
412-687-6288

Amazing! On Forbes. Just down the street from the O!! Whoda thunk?

Trust me Kenny, that'll be the best Chinese in Da 'Burgh. Go again and again, before it mutates.

Geo

Geo wrote:Amazing! On Forbes. Just down the street from the O!! Whoda thunk?

Trust me Kenny, that'll be the best Chinese in Da 'Burgh. Go again and again, before it mutates.

Geo

That's cool Geo, I'm glad I spotted and gave it a try, mostly due to proximity to hotel, lack of other desirable-seeming options nearby, hunger, and need for a quick meal before heading back to work. Must admit I was a little leery, but the food turned out WAY better than I was expecting.

Note that though the address does say Forbes, the entrance is actually on Oakland. Heard some chatter inside that led me to believe that the place is owned by the same people who own the GNC pictured above, which does have the Forbes entrance.

Kennyz wrote:Tonight's Pittsburgh dinner was like none other. Taiwan Cafe is one bizarre little divey hole in the wall near U of Pitt.

Oh no. A cold chill just ran down my spine. That, I'm afraid, is the site of the erstwhile Winner's, a place where I regularly employed my first fake i.d. and ate my first Korean food. A watershed little joint for me. At least it isn't a Subway.

R.I.P.

Winner's? Jeez, m'th'su, you DO go back! And the Subway is just a block away, on Atwood. Of course, that's no reason not to open another one...

Kenny, right across Oakland St. from the Taiwan Cafe is Peter's Pub. You might not believe this, but oncet upon a time it served the finest fried calamari I have *ever* had! Really. Might be worth a try, just to see if that's still the case.

Star of India, just north of Forbes on Craig isn't so bad. And Moré, Bayard and Craig, needs to be visited just to experience a time warp: great drinks in a darkened bar, Virginia Spots on the menu—Italo-American the way it's 'spozed to be, c. 1953!

Love that town!

But things haven't been the same since the U gentrified and closed down the trucks. (Altho' I *think* you can still get a hot dog in front of Hillman...)

Geo

PS. The cafeteria in the basement of the Cathedral makes their own soup daily and it can be very good, esp. the Italian Wedding Soup. You can eat there even if you're not part of the U--just look like a scruffy faculty member. Works for me!

Ok Geo, let's compare notes a little bit...

Geo wrote:right across Oakland St. from the Taiwan Cafe is Peter's Pub. You might not believe this, but oncet upon a time it served the finest fried calamari I have *ever* had! Really. Might be worth a try, just to see if that's still the case.

Peter's Pub: Definitely not worth a try. Unfortunately frequent hangout when I was in school. Cheap beer, lousy food.

Geo wrote:Star of India, just north of Forbes on Craig isn't so bad.

Agreed. Not so bad. Half-decent Indian buffet.

Geo wrote:And Moré, Bayard and Craig, needs to be visited just to experience a time warp: great drinks in a darkened bar, Virginia Spots on the menu—Italo-American the way it's 'spozed to be, c. 1953!

Moré served one of the worst meals I've had in Pittsburgh. I agree with your 1953 assessment, but couldn't disagree more on the quality. Overcooked, bland pasta. Giant, unseasoned chops. Truly atrocious. Avoid.

Geo wrote:Love that town!

But things haven't been the same since the U gentrified and closed down the trucks. (Altho' I *think* you can still get a hot dog in front of Hillman...)

Actually, the trucks were not closed down, just moved. They are on Bigelow, north of Fifth. Still the best Indian food in Oakland, and still serving a styrofoam container filled with a giant portion of curry for a couple of dollars. My go to lunch when I find myself back in that neighborhood.

--Rich

There is also a pretty impressive variety of food trucks that park on Margaret Morrison St. on the CMU campus. Can't speak to quality.

RAB--note that I made specific fishy recommendations at both Peter's Pub and Moré. Your mileage will vary on other stuff, as you note! Did you have a drink—specifically a martini—in Moré's bar? You'll likely run into my best bud and colleague Peter Machamer who, at the mention of my name, will buy you a drink, I'm sure.

Geo

Since this is turning into a catch-all Pittsburgh threat, I'm going to go ahead and add the justifiably beloved burnt almond torte from Prantl's.



The bakery's been making this thing for about 30 years, purportedly after the owner went to California at a time when almond supply grossly outpaced demand and almond growers were pushing bakers to come up with ways to incorporate the nuts.

Whatever the reason, this thing is ridiculously addictive. The actual cake part is remarkably soft and has one ribbon of cream running through it. The lightish soft frosting flirts with cloying sweetness without crossing the line. And the toasted almond slivers add a savory richness and, along with a considerable dusting of large grains of raw sugar, a wonderful crunch to the texture.

Prantl's Bakery
5525 Walnut Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
412-621-2092

MarlaCollins'Husband wrote:Since this is turning into a catch-all Pittsburgh threat, I'm going to go ahead and add the justifiably beloved burnt almond torte from Prantl's.

Love, love Prantl's almond torte. One of my oldest and closest friends had Prantl's almond torte as a family tradition, so I grew up eating it. Every birthday, holiday meal, and random family gathering at his home featured this same dessert. He eventually commissioned Prantl's do a giant, monster almond torte for his wedding cake. Awesome.

------------------------------------------

Anyway, on an unrelated, but thread-appropriate topic, a few food notes from a recent trip to the 'burgh.

Despite not having been to Dish Osteria for about 10 years, I've recommended it to a few Pittsburgh-bound LTHers. This trip, I decided to get some fresh intel on the place, and it was even better than I remembered it.

Dish serves simple, Sicilian/Southern Italian fare, and seems to follow the strategy of starting with high-quality ingredients, and not messing around with them too much. I went with a group of 7, and everyone raved about their food. That said, it is a small, dark, intimate restaurant, probably better suited for a group of 2. I only got a few decent pictures.

Moscardini alla Griglia - Grilled baby octopus salad with Yukon gold potatoes, celery, red bell pepper, garlic, parsley in a red wine vinegar dressing
So simple, but so well executed. Nice char on the baby octopus. Very light dressing. A real winner.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara - Spaghetti with “Pancetta “La Quercia,” organic egg, onions, Parmiggiano Reggiano, fresh ground pepper, and parsley. (half-portion)
Again, so simple, but the best version of this classic that I've ever had.

Linguine ai Frutti di Mare - Linguine with shrimps, sea scallops, calamari, mussels and clamsin a white wine sauce with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, parsley, and cherry tomatoes. (half-portion)


Another memorable dish was an amazing polenta with porcini - so buttery, cheesy, and full of deep, musty mushroom flavor that we ordered an extra side of it for the table. An unusually airy tiramisu and a local peach tart were also outstanding.



We also made a stop at Vincent's Pizza Park. This Pittsburgh institution and its unique "Vinnie Pies" are well described in this piece on Slice. The summary is of a doughy, insanely over-topped, delicious pizza.

We had a Sausage and Green Onion Pie, which was a wonderfully salty mess...

and an Onion and Garlic Pie, which was a way-too-intensely-flavored mistake of a mess. The way that they dump on the toppings at Vincent's makes it wise to avoid the more strongly flavored ingredients like garlic. Too much of a good thing.


Bottom line: strong recommendation for both Dish and Vincent's if you find yourself in Pittsburgh.

--Rich

Dish Osteria
128 South 17th St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
412-390-2012

Vincent's Pizza Park
998 Ardmore Blvd.
Forest Hills, PA 15221
412-271-9171

I've heard nothing but great things about this guy's food, he has been trying to get open for a while....looks interesting.
http://www.saltpgh.com/