Jeremy

Jeremy is the co-owner of Discover the Burgh. His favorite Pittsburgh activities include discovering unusual attractions, trying new breweries, and seeking out the city's best happy hours. He also runs the long-term travel blog, Living the Dream.

Do You Need to Rent a Car in Pittsburgh to Enjoy the City?

When we travel to major cities, we generally don't rent a car if we can avoid it. Part of this is obviously the cost associated with a rental car (daily fee + gas + parking can add up for sometimes minimal use), but also because if a robust public transit system exists, we'd rather just use that. We love a good metro even if it takes a bit longer to reach our destination than driving.

Anyone who lives in Pittsburgh knows where we're going with this because our public transit, well, leaves a lot to be desired- this statement is being generous. 

If money was no concern, we'd state outright that you'll do well to rent a car in Pittsburgh- you'll have way more freedom than if you didn't (and also have access to a number of great day trips too). If money is a concern, you can make it work without a car but you need to be a bit more strategic with how you plan your stay.

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Mount Everest Sushi Review – Prepare for a Feast

If you ever look up reviews on where to get sushi in Pittsburgh, odds are good Mount Everest Sushi in Oakland is likely to appear.

We've seen this one pop up as a recommended spot time and time again, but it was only recently that we made a trip out to Oakland specifically to try this one out. 

It didn't take long after looking at their menu to realize one very important detail you should know upfront- Mount Everest Sushi is quite reasonably priced. But it wasn't until we picked up our order to go that we realized that the portions are quite large too!

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Pizza Lupo Review – Giant Pies in the Heart of Lawrenceville

Although Pittsburgh is home to one of the highest number of pizza shops per capita in the country, we could always use more.

When we heard that Pizza Lupo opened up in Lawrenceville in December 2020, we knew we had to get in as fast as possible to try it out. This was especially true after we saw photos of the pies as they seemed right up our alley.

We quickly placed an order and were not let down with what we got.

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Save Money on a PA Road Trip with an E-ZPass

This post was sponsored by the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

When we go on day trips from Pittsburgh, we're always conscious about two things- how much money we're spending and how long a particular trip will take.

This is especially true when we make our frequent visits to the Laurel Highlands. One of the quickest ways to the southern counties in this region is via the Pennsylvania Turnpike. And, road pros like us know the best way to keep cash in our pockets when using the Turnpike is to use our E-ZPass.

E-ZPass is a handy little device that’s easily preregistered, mounts on the inside of your car's windshield, and helps most drivers save anywhere from 43%-59%!

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Apteka’s Crapteka Review – Get Your Vegan Burgers for a Limited Time

In 2025, Crapteka will run for three weekends only, January 17th to February 2nd.

If you've spent any amount of time on this site, specifically on our Pittsburgh restaurant reviews database, you would know that the Eastern European vegan joint Apteka is one of our favorites. While we are not vegans ourselves, we absolutely adore the intense and often rich flavor profiles this restaurant can get out of their dishes (they also have what could possibly be the best pierogi in the city, but we'll leave you to decide that one).

One thing Apteka does that we think is pretty awesome is having a periodic special menu of “junk food” (burgers and fries) that they aptly named Crapteka.

We should reiterate- their name, not ours.

This limited popup takes over the Apteka menu from time to time, but for several years we never made it in for any number of reasons. But in January 2021 the restaurant changed their entire menu over to the Crapteka theme for the month and we got an order on the first day before they inevitably sold out (in 30 minutes).

All we have to say is these vegan burgers are fantastic- if you can't get your hands on one at least.

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Took Took 98 Review – Thai Street Food in Squirrel Hill

Took Took 98 opened in the heart of Squirrel Hill on Murray Avenue in 2019. While this one brands itself as Thai street food, we have to admit that in having an impressively large menu this one has just a bit of everything.

So whether you like curry, noodles, rice dishes, or more, Took Took 98 will likely have something to satisfy your cravings.

As with most Thai restaurants, for our first visit we went for our staple order of pad see ew with tofu and red curry with shrimp, and rounded it out with stuffed wontons and a few flavored beverages as well!

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50 of the Most Frequently Asked Questions About Pittsburgh

Since founding Discover the Burgh, we've seen a number of Pittsburgh questions come up time and time again. Things like “what are the best places to see when visiting?” or “what are the best restaurants” are a few common questions.

As such, we thought it could be helpful if we put together a Pittsburgh FAQ page with some of the most commonly asked questions about the city in the categories of history and geography, attractions, dining and libations, events, visiting the city, and living here. So if you had a general question about the city, odds are good this FAQ page will have your answer.

With each of these, we may have additional links for further reading that you may want to check out as well!

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A One-Mile Drive through the Clinton Christmas Light-Up

The Clinton Christmas Light-Up drive-thru experience has been entertaining visitors and raising money for charity since 1993. This one-mile light display about 30 minutes west of Pittsburgh features an array of lights, holiday decorations, bible verses, Christmas trees, and so much more on its route.

But the best part is perhaps its price. During our visit in 2020, they only charged $10 per car. A great price supporting good causes? Sign us up.

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