Summary:

Calling all foodies,..Do you have a hankering for hasenpfeffer, a burning for banh mi, or a craving for czarnina? You’ll find it all in Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods. For a true taste of our city, follow the locals to neighborhood restaurants and taverns. There, you’ll find foods that reflect our ethnic heritage, as well as some of own inventive culinary creations.

Bloomfield

Here in Bloomfield, Pittsburgh’s Little Italy, red sauce rules the dinner plate. The Liberty Avenue business district is a Restaurant Row of Italian-American dining, where homestyle cooking and hospitality makes anyone feel like a member of la famiglia.

Talk to a half-dozen locals, and they’ll each tell you that their favorite Italian restaurant is the best, so find your parking spot and take your pick from Del’s (1), D’Amico’s (2), Armands (3), Lombardozzi’s (4), or Alexander’s Pasta Express (5). At each, you’ll find classic renderings of Italian-American favorites such as lasagna or eggplant rollatini made from recipes that have been handed down through the neighborhood’s generations of families hailing from the Abruzzi region.

If you’re seeking lighter fare during a daytime visit, you can also buy a boxful of traditional Italian cookies or cannoli at Donatelli’s Market (6) or Paddy Cake Bakery (7). If you’re visiting during the lunch hour, Grasso-Roberto Café (8) serves up a mean panini and a perfect gelato.

For a different spin on Bloomfield, stop into the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern (9), a mainstay for Polish food fans. Their Polish Platter offers a sampling of favorites, such as kielbasa and pierogies. Adventurous palates should order a bowl of czarnina—a traditional duck blood soup. Be sure to take a look around – both the parking lot and the cozy, neighborhood-bar interior are outfitted with symbols of Polish pride and culture, such as boldly painted crests-of-arms from Polish towns to historic photos of local sports legends.

Bloomfield is also a beacon for burger lovers. Tessaro’s (10) is consistently voted as home of the city’s best burger, and crowds patiently wait for the freshly ground patties from the woodfired grill. Great cuts of steak are also available, as well as daily seafood specials. The closely packed tables make for a lively atmosphere any night of the week.

Bloomfield's hip little scene of contemporary art galleries, coffee shops, and a CD store offers you a look at the neighborhood's new scene. Visitors can also get a glimpse of the past at the Bloomfield Preservation Heritage Gallery, which features permanent and rotating exhibits from a rich community archive of historic photography and artifacts.

Lawrenceville

Lawrenceville’s heritage is rooted in cultures from throughout Europe, so there’s no dominant culinary tradition here—but there are great places to grab a bite that’s truly local in flavor.

Dining at Church Brew Works (11) is an incomparable experience. Under the soaring cathedral ceiling of the former St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, the restaurant and on-site microbrewery serves up modern interpretations of the classic Pittsburgh pierogie, the Polish dumpling that typically consists of mashed potatoes and cheese ensconced in a warm pouch of dough. The classic pierogie recipe is available here, but the restaurant’s daily offers of “Untraditional Pittsburgh Pierogies” are more experimental, with stuffings such as rattlesnake and cactus or buffalo and chili. Church Brew Works also offers a pierogie pizza, which spreads traditional pierogie ingredients over a crust baked to perfection in a wood-fired oven.

Pittsburgh has a reputation as a beer-loving town, and our brewers are earning their marks, too. Don’t skip the microbrewery’s award-winning handcrafted beers such as the Pious Monk Dunkel and Heavenly Hefe Weizen. (You can purchase a “growler” bottle to take home.)

Church Brew Works’ repurposing of the historic church building in 1996 makes it a relatively new arrival to this 19th century community. Elsewhere in the neighborhood, you can visit local taverns that share a common staple: the fish sandwich. A visit to Nied’s Hotel & Restaurant (12) or Sufak’s Round Corner Hotel & Bar (13) will give you a great fish sandwich for lunch or dinner—as well as slice of local life. Both businesses are run by families who have spent a lifetime in Lawrenceville, and if you ask the friendly folks at the bar or dining rooms of either establishment, you’ll uncover stories about the people and places that have kept Lawrenceville thriving for nearly 200 years.  

Mount Washington

When locals or out-of-towners come to Mount Washington, it’s typically for the view, and the restaurants along Grandview Avenue deliver swank style against the beautiful backdrop of the Pittsburgh skyline.

Most of the options on Grandview’s Restaurant Row are fine dining in an upscale atmosphere. Reservations are recommended at all restaurants, and most menus are available online so you choose the experience that suits your taste. Take a look at LeMont (14), Isabella on Grandview (15), the Tin Angel (16), Georgetown Inn (17), Bella Vista (18), and Monterrey Bay (19).

But tucked into the Shiloh Street business district are some of the neighborhood’s best-kept secrets. Locals love La Tavola (20) for homestyle Italian food served with old-world charm, and the Shiloh Inn (21) offers fine dining with cabaret entertainment.

North Side

Alpine heritage runs strong on the North Side—one section of the neighborhood is even known as Deutschtown—so it’s no surprise that the dining options pay tribute to the neighborhood’s German, Austrian, and Swiss settlers.

It doesn’t get much more German than Max’s Allegheny Tavern (22). Locals pile into this historic 1903 corner building for traditional dishes such as schnitzel, goulash, spaetzle and leberkase. Their Sunday brunch serves up a big buffet of hearty dining. The bar is outfitted with beautifully restored woodwork, and the floral wallpaper and Victorian trimmings of the dining room will make you feel as if you’re amidst family in Great Aunt Erma’s dining room.

Not far away at the base of Troy Hill sits Pennsylvania Brewing Company, known to locals as Penn Brewery (23). Although the Pastorius family launched their regional brewery in 1986, the buildings have a deeper beermaking tradition. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Sites, the facility was built in 1848 as the Eberhardt and Ober Brewery. The main floor dining room has a traditional German social hall flavor, and the cozy Ratskeller hall downstairs is great for large gatherings. On the menu, you’ll find more German dining, such as rouladen, sauerbraten, and sampler platters of wurst. Penn Brewery’s pilsner is a local’s favorite brew; they also churn out seasonal beers such as Maibock, Marzen, and an Oktoberfest special. During summer months, the outdoor biergarten provides a sunny spot to sip and sample. 

For lighter daytime fare, visit Priory Fine Pastries (24) for sweet treats, including traditional German, Austrian, and Swiss cookies and breakfast cakes.

If German isn’t grabbing you, go for Irish at the Monterey Pub (25), a local watering hole tucked into the residential Mexican War Streets. If Guinness is your game, you’ll find it on draught here, and menu items such as Shepherd’s Pie or Guinness Nachos feature beef that’s been roasted in the stout.

Barbeque fans won’t want to miss Wilson’s BBQ (26), a Mexican War Streets mainstay since 1964. They serve to-go meals with racks of ribs and chicken with their secret sauce, slices of white bread, and satisfying sides of greens, potato salad, and mac-and-cheese.

Oakland

Oakland is an ethnic dining dream, with inexpensive fare from a world of cultures to serve the global university crowd. If you’re craving Korean, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, or Mediterranean, you’ll find no shortage of options, and the local business organization produces a dining guide that serves as your passport to finding the right spots. But Oakland is also known as a destination for dishes that are born-and-bred Pittsburgh traditions.

The most famous of all is the Primanti’s sandwich; you can visit the original location in the Strip District, but there’s also an outpost of the local Primanti Brothers chain (27) amidst the University of Pittsburgh campus.

The ingredients of a Primanti’s sandwich are simple, but the results are unrivaled. It starts with a filler of your choice (capicolla, provolone, and fried egg are among the most popular). Your filler is taken straight from the grill and smashed onto a thick cut of locally made Mancini’s Italian bread, where it is greeted with a handful of fresh coleslaw and a mound of French fries. Top it off with another slice of bread, and you’ve got a workingman’s meal that was designed to travel (albeit with a little mess).

A more sophisticated offering is the Devonshire sandwich, which was invented by local restaurateur Frank Blandi right in the heart of Oakland. This open-face sandwich requires a knife and fork to navigate the warm and bubbly cheddar cheese sauce that smothers a layer of turkey, bacon, and tomato on toast. The Union Grill (28) serves up a stellar rendition of the Devonshire, as well as another Pittsburgh favorite: the “Pittsburgh salad.” French fries make the appearance once again, replacing a role usually played by croutons. Add some grilled steak or chicken, and a side dish becomes a meal.

If utensils aren’t a required element of your dining experience, then you’ve got to stop into The Original Hot Dog Shop (29), known locally as “The O.” Also amidst the University of Pittsburgh campus, The O’s hot dogs and fries are quick, cheap, and delicious.

Quick, cheap and delicious could be applied to another Oakland crowd-pleaser: Dave and Andy’s Homemade Ice Cream (30), a citywide favorite for satisfying the sweet tooth. Using old-fashioned equipment, they churn out rich and creamy ice cream and yogurt in inventive flavors and seasonal specials, served up in freshly made cones.

Hot dogs and ice cream may gratify the kid in you, but if you’re old enough for a nightcap, sample a local brew at Fuel & Fuddle (31). Their Fire Brick Brown Ale and Pumphouse Pale Ale are custom brewed in small batches by the Troegs Brewery in Harrisburg, and their brick ovens turn out “wildfire food” at great prices that are popular with Oakland’s university crowd—students and professors alike.

South Side

The South Side is another favored destination for local diners, with options on East Carson Street covering every cuisine imaginable, from fine dining to casual neighborhood taverns, including spots that maintain the South Side’s ethnic traditions.

At Gypsy Café (32), the menu takes on a Mediterranean vibe, and the dining is supported with the sounds of the Gypsy Strings on Thursday evenings. The saganaki treats your eyes as well as your appetite. This breaded and pan-fried Greek cheese is doused with Ouzo, set aflame, and extinguished with fresh lemon juice. The Turkish lamb stew is the perfect comfort food for a chilly winter evening.

The history of the pretzel sandwich is unclear, but there’s only one place in town where you can learn why it’s become a local favorite. At The Pretzel Shop (33), freshly baked soft pretzels come to life in a beehive oven that was built in 1872. Melt a little meat and cheese between two pretzels, and you have a portable lunch for less than $3.00

You can take a potful of the South Side culture back to your own kitchen. Call ahead to schedule a pickup of homemade pierogies from St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Church (34), sold every Thursday to South Siders’ satisfaction.  

Strip District

The Strip District is a foodie's paradise—day or night, in a seat or on the street. The neighborhood’s specialty groceries offer great snacks or treats to take home, but there’s good eating to be had right in the heart of the neighborhood. 

Purists should note that the ORIGINAL home of the Primanti Brothers (35) sandwich is the Strip District. It was here at its 24-hour location that the three brothers designed their landmark recipe, with the good sense of serving their target market: the produce truckers who needed a meal to grab and go. Visit the original location, which features rich woodwork and plenty of seating.

The Strip’s tradition of serving early-rising truck drivers has trickled down to the leisure class. Snuggling couples and happy families trek to The Strip for breakfast at JoJo’s (36), DeLuca’s (37), and Pamela’s P&G Diner (38) for healthy portions of pancakes, omelets, potatoes, and meats. JoJo’s still keeps its all night hours from its industry-serving days; now, it’s a favored spot for a post-clubbing breakfast.

Seafood is part of The Strip’s heritage of wholesale grocers and imported food. For the freshest catches, your best bet is to go straight to the source. Locals line up at Robert Wholey Co. (39), a seafood and grocery emporium, for fish sandwiches, fresh chowders, and sushi--available right inside the front door of their market. 

Some of the best food finds in the Strip are at street level, where vendors of every ethnic variety serve up fresh food that you can take along on your stroll. Local favorites are the mung bean pancakes at Sam-Bok (40), as well as the banh mi that are served with a beautiful smile by Lucy Sheets (41). These Vietnamese “hoagies” feature a baguette stuffed with barbecued chicken, wedges of carrot and cucumber, a sheaf of fresh cilantro, and (if you choose) a kick of chili pepper. Topped with Lucy’s delicious barbecue sauce, this sandwich is one of the best meals $5 can buy. 

Support Local Growers

For more local eating, visit weekly farmers markets in Pittsburgh neighborhoods. 

Mt. Washington: Tuesdays, 3:30 to 7:30 PM. 406 Sweetbriar St. (Duquesne Heights Community Center)  Mid-June through November.

North Side: Fridays, 3 to 7 PM. Allegheny Commons Park along Cedar Ave. Mid-May through Thanksgiving.

Oakland: Fridays, 3:30 to 7 PM. Sennott Street between Atwood and Meyran. Late June through mid-November. Free parking.

South Side: Tuesdays, 3:30 to 7:30 PM. 18th & Carson parking lot. Mid-May through Thanksgiving.

Strip District: Saturdays, 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM. 2216 Penn Avenue. May-November.

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