This is a niche Pittsburgh post, but if you live here or plan to visit, you may want to bookmark this post! I was inspired by Pittsburgh Mag's recent list. Food preferences are so personal that it's very hard to create an objective restaurant/food list for Pittsburgh, but these are my personal favorites. As a self-proclaimed foodie and born-and-raised Pittsburgher, I feel qualified to share this list! My only rule is that I did not include any chains.
*Pusadee’s Garden// Whether you are visiting or just haven't been able to snag a res, this is always my #1 rec. The restaurant has the chicest interior of any Pittsburgh restaurant, and the food is by far the best in the city. It's Thai food, and everything is so fresh and unique. I'd go here every night if I could! They have great wines, unique cocktails, and excellent service. In every category, this gets a 10/10. The 17-ingredient salad and the Khao Soy are my faves, but you truly cannot go wrong with any dish. This is located in Lawrenceville.
*Bavanera// This is an Argentinian restaurant in the Strip. It's newer and the second most chic restaurant in the city. There is one other location, and it's in New York City, which is not surprising because I think the restaurant feels very NYC and not Pittsburgh. It's swanky but in an understated, casual way. The menu has so many incredible options, and I love that they are smaller plates so you can order a lot to try and share. The steaks are divine, and so many inventive things are on the menu. My favorite thing on the menu is the roasted beets, which is an unassuming dish that will blow your mind if you love beets. The cocktails are also wonderful, as is the service. This is another 10/10 in every category: food, atmosphere, and service.
*Fet Fisk//This is third solely because of the atmosphere. I don't like the red light and how dark it is. Overall, it just feels dinghy. The service was OK but not really noteworthy. I also think their martini is just OK. BUT, the food stands on its own and secures its spot at the top of my list. This is a Nord-inspired restaurant and the menu is heavy on seafood. I dream of the grilled cabbage Caesar salad and don't sleep on the roast chicken- it's a dish I'd normally pass over at any other restaurant, but this is remarkable!
*Little Tokyo// I am unsure if anyone else in Pittsburgh would put this on their favorites list, but I think that if I could only eat at one restaurant for the rest of my life, it would be Little Tokyo. It's been in Mt. Lebanon for as long as I can remember, and Frank, the owner, is the best. It may be part nostalgia because I grew up on it, but the sushi is my favorite ever. I always get the spicy salmon roll and the spicy tuna and avocado roll. The hibachi is excellent. But their shrimp sauce is the best thing on the planet. It's like a yum yum sauce, but it's not sweet. I eat their fried rice and put the yum yum sauce on the rice. It's my bliss. Honestly, everything there is delish. The atmosphere is casual with sushi bar seating, and it's almost always packed at dinner time, especially on the weekends. We often get takeout. They don't do meal delivery services like Uber Eats because they don't need to. This is not really a place I'd take visitors to as it's in the suburbs and more of a casual hometown-ish spot, but man, I love it.
* These are my top favorite restaurants in Pittsburgh- the rest are alphabetical
350 Bakery// This is a bakery, so the atmosphere is cute, but you can't eat inside. They are known for their biscuit sandwiches, but they have so many incredible pastries, cakes, cookies, and more. The white BBQ sauce is life-changing. I'm not really a 'biscuit person' per se, but these are incredible! It's best to get there early on the weekends so you can snag things before they sell out.
Alta Via// This is a charming, upscale Italian spot that serves fresh and inventive dishes as well as classic pasta dishes. Everything is high-quality and delicious, and the service is great, too. I am so glad they added a spot downtown so I don't have to go all the way to Fox Chapel for it! I also love their Alta Via Pizza outpost in Bakery Square—everything is fantastic there, too.
Arlecchino// This restaurant is Alla Famiglia's sister restaurant. You can go to either and have similar food. Arlecchino is a quintessential Pittsburgh restaurant. It's a nicer restaurant but doesn't have any frills. It's classic, old-school Italian food, and the portions are absolutely massive. I recommend going with a large group so you can order a bunch of things and share them all. I also dream of their salad. The service is fantastic- like some of the best you can get. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. If you want an old-school Pittsburgh vibe, this is it.
Balena Bagels// Best bagels in Pittsburgh by a mile. They just opened this fall, and thank goodness. We have one or two decent bagel places in Pittsburgh, but Balena Bagels got it right. They sell out, so get there early, especially on the weekends. I didn't love their bagel sandwiches, but we just make our own at home with the bagels. They are almost NYC-level good. Like 350, this is a bakery, so you can't eat inside.
Dancing Crab// This is the Thai spot that rivals Pusadee's. They have a lot of similar menu items, and some taste very similar. Getting in here is much easier, and you can get takeout, which we do often. Every single curry is perfection. The drunken noodles are my favorite. You can't go wrong with anything on this menu, really. The atmosphere is weird because there have been so many different restaurants over the years; it's a hodgepodge of past restaurants. It's a casual spot- the service is good, but it's the food you go for.
Dianoias// House wine, gnocchi in a bread bowl, seasonal menus, and the best freaking rainbow cookies to ever exist. I feel like no one talks about the rainbow cookies, but they're the best in Pittsburgh by a mile. This is a place I always recommend to out-of-town guests. It's delicious, with great service, a charming atmosphere, and fair prices.
Driftwood Oven// This casual Lawrenceville bakery/pizzeria has amazing pizza, some of the best in the city. BUT, if you go, you must get the Italian sandwich. I think their Italian sandwich is one of the best things you can eat in the city. It's truly one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten and definitely the best sandwich in Pittsburgh. It's made on their homemade focaccia bread, and everything is so fresh, high-quality, and flavorful. I'm practically drooling as I type this, thinking about that sandwich!!
Gi-Jin// This is where you are going to get the highest quality, freshest sushi, sashimi, and nigiri available. It's a bit pretentious in my opinion, but the food makes it worth it. It's also so small inside, so it's very hard to snag a res, even years after opening. It really is fantastic- the service is good, and the atmosphere is small but well done. You will spend hundreds of dollars for two people and leave potentially still hungry; that's the only stipulation. It costs to have good sushi in a landlocked city but it's worth it sometimes. This is definitely a spot I'd recommend if you are visiting and love sushi.
Jade Grille// This is in Mt. Lebanon and not one I'd recommend if you are from out of town. It's more of a local spot. It's my favorite Chinese food. They also have great sushi and cocktails. The service is always great. The atmosphere is just OK- casual but not bad. I live for their lo mein. They make all their noodles by hand, fresh in-house, and you can tell!
La Gourmandine// This is an authentic French-style bakery in Lawrenceville and Mt. Lebanon. Their pastries are fabulous; my favorite is the Gourmandise, flaky like a croissant, filled with vanilla cream and chocolate. YUM. I love sweets, don't get me wrong, but I don't really seek them out. The main reason I usually go to LG is for the Montagnard sandwich, which is a baguette with prosciutto, butter, and cornichons. It's the closest thing to Paris that you can get in Pittsburgh.
Mediterra// A must for locals and visitors. There are three locations: Mt. Lebanon, Sewickley, and Lawrenceville. It's a casual bakery/restaurant that also has a little market. I love the interior- so bright and tastefully done. It's always busy, which is telling! Their homemade pickles are my fave. I love their breads, pastries, sandwiches, and market selection. The only thing I don't like at Mediterra is their coffee. The quiche is decadent and one of my favorite things, and I usually get either the parma cotta ham sandwich or the tuna salad sandwich. Best tuna salad ever.
Mineo’s// As specifically a Lebo gal, this is my favorite pizza in the city. Talk to someone who grew up in the city, and they may say Aiello's. My mom grew up right around there, and she prefers Aiello's. It's a Pittsburgh rivalry. It is partly due to nostalgia and what I grew up on, but Mineo's is incredible. It's cash only. The crust is doughy and buttery, with tons of sauce and cheese. The inside is casual and what you'd expect from a neighborhood pizza shop. My husband thinks this pizza is just OK. His favorite is Harry's Pizza out in McMurray, and I think their pizza is just OK. See, tough to be objective!!!
Mola// The sushi is so fresh and gives Gi Jin a run for its money- literally, it costs a lot less, too! Ironically, my favorite dish is their Gyudon. The noodles are another favorite thing to eat in Pittsburgh. The restaurant is casual, usually crowded, and hard to get into, but a hot tip is that you can get Mola at the Novo Asian food hall in the strip. I don't find it as good as the full restaurant, but it scratches the itch.
Moonlit Burgers// The best smashburgers in Pittsburgh. We have nothing like In-N-Out here, so this is the closest you will get to an incredible smashburger. Their chicken sandwich rivals the burgers! Their chicken is so juicy and flavorful. It's a very casual spot, and parking can be tough in Dormont on busy weekends, but if you are craving a burger, this is the spot.
Noodlehead// This charming BYOB, cash-only spot is one of my favorites for both eat-in and takeout. The pork buns are a must, and I always get the pad see ew, but everything is delicious. It's also very inexpensive!
Papa J's// This is a good old-school Pittsburgh Italian spot in the strip. We love to pop in and get a bunch of their slices. They have the classics, but also have so many inventive combinations. There is one with potatoes on it and it's not something I would have ever ordered, but I had a bite of my mom's and fell in love with it! The prices are great, and they have a fun, casual bar. They also have a full dining room, so you can order pasta and more.
Rockaway Pizza// So Mineo's is my favorite Pittsburgh pizza, but I think, more objectively, this is the best pizza in Pittsburgh. It's wrong to compare them to each other because they're so different, but we just had this for the first time last week, and I think it's some of the best pizza I've ever eaten. The vodka pizza is perfection- not at all sweet, a hint of spice, and so flavorful. I enjoyed the delicious Italian hoagie, but I think I'd save room for more pizza next time. We had a few of their slices in the case, and they were all amazing. They have quite a few different pizzas and styles to choose from. I'm definitely working toward trying it all! This is really popular right now so I recommend going early as they sell out quickly and there can also be long lines. It's in Regent Square so you can pop over to D's or Frick Park Tavern for a drink while you wait for your pizza. When we went, they estimated an hour and 40 minutes wait for pizzas! I think it was more like an hour and 25 minutes, but the wait is worth it!
Totopo// This is a standard Mexican restaurant with a lively and cute atmosphere. It's not a place I'd recommend for out-of-town people unless you are craving Mexican food. It's more of a local spot. Its menu has all the standards but also some more creative items. The reason that this makes the list for me is that I love their spicy skinny margarita. I don't order it for lower calories/healthier option, but because it's soooo much better than their house margarita. The most important reason it makes this list is that their shrimp is magical. I don't even want to know how they make it, but they must use a pound of butter or oil!!! The shrimp is always cooked to perfection. I love to get the shrimp as fajitas or get the shrimp quesadilla with the fajita veggies. It's my favorite casual Mexican restaurant in Pittsburgh.
If you have made it this far, bravo! I'm sure I am forgetting a few, so I will add to this list here and there so it stays up to date! If you are local, what would you add to your Pittsburgh favorites?
Places on my list to try:
- Nan Xian Soup Dumplings
- Chengdu Gourmet
- Kyuramen
- Stuntpig
- Family Deli
- LeoGreta
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