Year: 2025

Courtyard by Marriott University Center Review – Value Stay

As we continue our quest to stay in every hotel in Pittsburgh, we are sometimes to find a gem hiding in plain sight.

For those looking for a comfortable stay in Oakland, the Courtyard by Marriott University Center is a great option. With some of the best room rates in the city, comfortable rooms typical for the chain, an on-site pool, and a quiet location in the heart of the neighborhood, there is a lot to love about this spot.

We were guests courtesy of the Courtyard by Marriott Pittsburgh University Center, and share more about what to expect in this review!

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Union Brothers Brewing Review – Brews and Food

We've been fans of Union Brothers Brewing since they first opened in Harmony. Since then, they've gained quite the popularity, expanded into a new location down the road, all while offering the same great food and beer since day one.

We recently revisited this one for a night out, with beer and food all around, and had quite the great time. So if you're north of the city looking for food, beer, or perhaps both, this one is a great stop!

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10 of the Best Places for Christmas Lights in Pittsburgh

There are many reasons to love the holiday season in Pittsburgh, and perhaps one of the most amazing ones is your ability to see many beautiful Christmas lights all over the region.

From the holiday displays downtown, to the many drive-thru light shows, and more, there really is no shortage of impressive Christmas lights in Pittsburgh. So in this one, we wanted to curate all the best places where you can see holiday lights and decorations in the region!

Note: Many of the experiences below are drive-thru light displays such that you can enjoy the holiday lights and decorations from the comfort of your own car. However, we felt we would be doing you a disservice if we didn't mention a few other light viewing opportunities that take place outside of your car as well!

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Spirit Review – Dine-In Pizza with Drinks and More

For many years, we've been fans of Spirit for its mix of being an event venue and bar space, while also serving up some rather tasty slices of pizza to go along with it.

In late 2025, Spirit made a move to expand their pizza concept, not in their event space proper, but via a fully dedicated dine-in pizza restaurant in the back of the building (accessible via a side entrance).

As we are always about more places offering a pizza-forward menu served dine-in, with a bar program and more, we went to this one right away and really like how Spirit is elevating their pizza game all around!

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The 10 Best Places to Eat in Pittsburgh Right Now

One of our favorite activities when going out and exploring Pittsburgh is trying new restaurants, and over the years we've visited hundreds upon hundreds of local establishments from street food vendors to mom and eateries, fancy prix fixe dining experiences, and everything in between.

Truly, there is no cuisine type we won't try, and we've been on a mission to taste it all.

Since the early days of running Discover the Burgh, we've always highlighted a list of our 10 favorite restaurants in our Pittsburgh restaurants guide as a quick call out to the best spots right now. But in that guide, we did not spend a lot of time explaining why these restaurants made the cut.

While we thought our linked reviews typically speak for themselves for detailed accounts of a specific dining experience, in this one, we thought we'd take a high-level look at our 10 favorites and share why they've made the current list.

But before getting into it, we should note that while these are our personal top 10 places to eat in Pittsburgh, it is hard to compare any two on the list. Is there a big difference between #1 and #2 or #5 and #9 in terms of quality? Not really- they're all great, and that's the point. We could spend hours discussing the finer details of why we arranged the list as we did, but in reality, it is just our preference, and any spot on this list is going to offer a great meal.

Likewise, we should call out that these are not Pittsburgh food institutions that have been local staples for decades, nor do these restaurants necessarily sell what we'd call famous Pittsburgh foods. These are the best restaurants without any caveats. So if you're visiting the city and want to dive more into the local food scene with historic or regional ties, we recommend checking the previously linked articles out, too.

So let's jump into our 10 favorites now!

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The 10 Best Things to See in Pittsburgh for First Timers

In the 10+ years of running Discover the Burgh, we've made it our mission to experience the best that Pittsburgh and southwest PA has to offer.

Thankfully, you don't need a decade exploring the region to get the best out of Pittsburgh, and if you're coming in to the city for a first-time visit and want to check out the best of the best, we've got you covered.

The following are our favorite ten attractions that make Pittsburgh Pittsburgh. Whether you visit one or two, or all of these (and many more featured on this site outside of this article!), you're sure to have a great time exploring the Steel City!

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Pocha by Kye-Won Review – Traditional Korean in Saxonburg

Every once in a while a restaurant leaves us feeling so happy, nourished, and cared for that we are still thinking about it weeks later. Pocha by Kye-Won in Saxonburg is just that kind of restaurant.

The food includes classics like mandu; bibimbap; and complete meals with meats, japchae, and rice, but it also includes American classics with Kye-Won's own personal spin like burgers topped with kimchi and gochujang mayo. On top of all that, the hospitality here is off the charts- you're guaranteed to leave feeling like family.

We were guests of Pocha courtesy of Butler County Tourism, and immediately fell in love with this unassuming gem in Saxonburg.

Note: Pocha by Kye-Won also has a Sunday brunch menu that primarily features non-Korean dishes. The regular menu is not available until the dinner hours on Sundays. We have not visited for brunch yet and have not included it in our review.

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10 Reasons to Visit Pittsburgh in December – Holiday Time

While Pittsburgh in December marks the start of winter, the city itself is in holiday mode more than anything. We have just come off the heels of Light Up Night, and our Christmas markets, numerous Christmas events, and other festivities are at their peak.

Of course, as with all of our other monthly recommendations list, we also have a few great places to drink and museums to explore on the exceptionally cold days that are coming into the city because, let's face it, winter is coming and sometimes you just want to be inside.

So if you are looking for things to do in Pittsburgh in December, check out the following options.

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Pittsburgh Black Friday Deals to Check Out in 2025

Who doesn't love a great discount? Naturally, the Black Friday to Cyber Monday shopping weekend presents a wealth of shopping opportunities with discounted prices.

Naturally, Pittsburgh businesses and attractions are getting in on the Black Friday celebration as well.

So in this one, we thought we would share some of the best deals that we see popping up on our feeds to help you get the most out of exploring the city. From annual memberships and season passes to special releases at area breweries and distilleries, we've found some gems!

  • Notes: The following is a quick summary of some of our favorite deals we have found so far. Black Friday deals tend to come out on an on-going basis and we will be updating this article over time as we find more- so check back in the lead up to (and on) Black Friday for the most up-to-date set of deals. Additional terms and conditions may apply that are not included in our summary, please read deals in full prior to purchasing. Some discounts may be available now, while other promotions may only occur on Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
  • Although we're not offering a Black Friday special on our new book in 2025, we'd love it if you picked up a copy of The Pittsburgh Guidebook if you're doing any shopping as well!

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Phipps Conservatory’s Winter Flower Show – Holiday Magic

When it comes to holiday festivities, one of the best places in Pittsburgh to visit is Phipps Conservatory. Their winter flower show, which typically begins before Thanksgiving and runs until early January, is a celebration of the holiday season with festive art pieces, an array of gorgeous winter flowers, and some of the most beautifully decorated Christmas trees in Pittsburgh.

The 2025-2026 flower show is themed Holiday Magic and takes an elegant look at all things Christmas. With traditional decorations and subtle design elements, this one is simply beautiful.

As members of the conservatory, we got the chance to visit early in the season (running until January 4th, 2026) and wanted to share a few of our favorite rooms here!

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