When it comes to restaurants, Pittsburgh is home to some of the country’s best. From the local favorites, hole-in-the-wall international restaurants, to gourmet gems that receive worldwide attention, you can find it all here.
One of our quests on Discover the Burgh is to share these great restaurants and help you plan your next meal out. To help with that, this restaurant guide (linking to every single review published on this site) was born!
Please keep in mind that this list is continually updated as we visit more restaurants in the city. If your favorite is not featured here it is because we have either not visited or have not published our review yet. If you would like to make a recommendation for us to try, please email jeremy@discovertheburgh.com.
A note about our rankings – Our reviews are lumped into five major categories including “the very best,” “great,” “pretty good,” “average,” and “least favorite.” If you are reading this post for the first time, use these distinctions as your overall guide.
The Top 10 Restaurants in Pittsburgh
The following is our current Top 10 restaurants in Pittsburgh. The restaurants that earn this distinction are ones we are certain we can order anything on the menu and not be disappointed.
1. Kaya – Strip District – Caribbean fare with the best burger and sweet potato fries in the city of Pittsburgh.
2. La Tavola – Mount Washington – Italian/Sicilian restaurant with authentic recipes and amazing desserts.
3. Cure – Lawrenceville – Cured meats, inventive cuisine, and overall one incredible menu.
4. Gaucho Parrilla Argentina – Strip District – Argentinian meats done right in sandwich form (and on their own).
5. Smallman Galley – Strip District – A unique food hall featuring four chefs, each with their own incredible menus.
6. Umami – Lawrenceville – Japanese food you’ve likely never had before in an amazing bar setting.
7. Morcilla – Lawrenceville – Spanish tapas bar with gourmet pintxos and small plates.
8. Bar Marco – Strip District – Modern American, craft cocktails, but rather expensive.
9. Apteka – Bloomfield – Eastern European, vegan meals coupled with a wonderful bar.
10. tako – Downtown – Upscale Mexican with tequila, artisan tacos, and guacamole samplers. An absolute must.
Great Meals in Pittsburgh
If you want to be able to order anything from a menu and anticipate it being good, these restaurants should have it. If a restaurant achieves this score then it is guaranteed that we will go back to try more at some point in the future.
- Park Bruges – Highland Park – Belgian
- Point Brugge – Point Breeze – Belgian
- Noodlehead – Shadyside – Thai
- Better Maid Donut – Crafton Heights – Donuts
- The Harmony Inn – Harmony, PA – German
- Pizzaiolo Primo – Downtown – Italian / Pizza
- Altius – Mount Washington – Fine Dining
- Teppanyaki Kyoto – Highland Park – Japanese
- Golden Pig – Cecil, PA – Korean
- Casellula – North Side – Wine and Cheese Bar
- Poros – Market Square – Greek / Seafood
- Istanbul Sofra – Regent Square – Turkish
- Jozsa Corner – Hazelwood – Hungarian
- Cafe on Main – Sharpsburg – Brunch
- Soba – Shadyside – Asian
- Penn Avenue Fish Co. – Strip District – Seafood
- Butcher and the Rye – Downtown – Modern American
- Tessaro’s – Bloomfield – Burgers
- Upper Crust Italian Bistro – Washington – Pizza and Italian
- Eleven – Strip District – Fine Dining
- Braddock’s Street Side – Downtown – Modern American
- Oishii Bento – Oakland – Japanese
- Nicky’s Thai Kitchen – North Side and Downtown – Thai
- Everyday Noodles – Squirrel Hill – Taiwanese
- Sienna Mercato – Downtown – Multiple
- Spork – Bloomfield – Tapas/Italian/Modern
- Smoke Taqueria – Lawrenceville – Modern American (Tacos)
- Ephesus Pizza – Downtown, Aspinwall, and Bellevue – Turkish / Pizza
- Pamela’s P&G Diner – Various Locations – Breakfast / Brunch
- Pork and Beans – Downtown – Barbecue
Pretty Good Meals in Pittsburgh
Restaurants that fall into this category are generally recommended if you are in the mood for a specific entree. They may not have many great menu items, have the best service, or be a place you dream of, but it’ll be a good meal if you need to satisfy a craving.
- Bills Bar & Burger – Downtown – Burgers and Brunch
- Casbah – Shadyside – Mediterranean
- Onion Maiden – Allentown – Vegan
- The Grand Concourse – South Side – Brunch
- Burgatory Bar – Various Locations – Burgers
- Pusadee’s Garden – Lawrenceville – Thai
- Benjamin’s Burger Bar – North Side – Burgers
- Two Brothers Bar-B-Q – Presto – Barbecue
- Nu Bistro – Squirrel Hill – Jewish / Sandwiches
- Max’s Allegheny Tavern – North Side – German
- Cafe io – Mount Lebanon – American
- Slice on Broadway – Beechview – Pizza
- Big Jim’s in the Run – Four Mile Run – Italian and American
- Piccolo Forno – Lawrenceville – Italian
- Butterjoint – North Oakland – Burgers and Pierogies
- La Palapa – South Side – Mexican
- Johnny’s Diner – West End – Breakfast
- Union Standard – Downtown – American
- Station – Bloomfield – Modern
- Scratch – Troy Hill – Modern American
- The Vandal – Lawrenceville – Modern American
- Proper Brick Oven – Downtown – Italian / Pizza
- Monterey Pub – North Side – Irish Pub
- Huszar – North Side – Hungarian
- Condado Taqueria – Downtown – Tacos
- Dinette – East Liberty – Pizza and Small Plates
- Fiori’s Pizzaria – Brookline – Pizza
- D’s Six Pack and Dogz – Regent Square – Hot Dogs / Burgers
- Peppi’s Old Tyme Sandwich Shop – Various Locations – Sandwiches
- Quik-It Chicken – North Side – Fried Chicken / BBQ
- The Porch – Oakland – American
- Royal Myanmar – West View – Burmese
- Caliente Pizza and Draft House – Bloomfield – Pizza
- Lidia’s – Strip District – Italian
- Joe & Pie – Downtown – Pizza
- Taiwanese Bistro Cafe 33 – Squirrel Hill – Taiwanese
- DeMore’s Pizza – Millvale – Pizza
- El Burro – North Side – Mexican
- Police Station Pizza – Robinson Township – Pizza
- Kavsar – Mount Washington – Uzbek
- Tram’s Kitchen – Bloomfield – Vietnamese
- Superior Motors – Braddock – Fine Dining
- The Original Oyster House – Downtown – Fried Seafood
- Beto’s Pizza – Beechview – Pizza
- Banh Mi & Ti – Lawrenceville – Vietnamese
- Waffles, INCaffeinated – South Side – Breakfast / Brunch
Average Meals in Pittsburgh
Although we’d call them average, odds are if a restaurant’s offering fell into this range there were some good components and some bad. Most restaurants here we may not fully recommend, but would consider trying again just to make sure- especially if a dish at a table next to us looked amazing.
- Revel and Roost – Downtown – Modern American
- Spak Brothers – Garfield – Pizza
- The Yard – Shadyside and Downtown – Grilled Cheese / American
- Rowdy BBQ – South Hills – Barbecue
- Needle and Pin – Dormont – English and Indian
- Spirit and Slice Island Pizza – Lawrenceville – Pizza
- Industry Public House – Lawrenceville – American
- The Abbey on Butler Street – Lawrenceville – Pub Fare
- Pizza Parma – Downtown – Pizza
- Grandma B’s – Hill District – Breakfast
- James Street Gastropub – North Side – American
- Blue Dust – Homestead – Sandwiches
- The Pub Chip Shop – South Side – British
- Chengdu Gourmet – Squirrel Hill – Chinese
- Primanti Brothers – Strip District (and Various Locations) – Sandwiches
- Giovanni’s Pizza – Dormont – Pizza
- Wilson’s Bar-B-Q – North Side – BBQ
- Streets on Carson – South Side – International
- Square Cafe – Regent Square – Breakfast / Brunch
- Lola Bistro – North Side – International
- Casa Reyna’s – Strip District – Mexican
- Double Wide Grill – South Side – American / BBQ
- Doughboy’s Pizza – McKee’s Rocks
Our Least Favorite Meals in Pittsburgh
When it comes to bad meals, a restaurant has to miss just about everything for it to be featured here. Generally speaking, the entrees we tried had little to no redeeming factors, and the meals of others next to us (when available) did not look that inspiring either.
- Pizza Fiesta – Multiple Locations – Pizza
- Subba Asian – North Side – Nepali
- Mendoza Express – East Carnegie – Mexican/Tex Mex
- Doce Taqueria – South Side – Tacos
- Fuel and Fuddle – Oakland – American
- Pho Van – Strip District – Vietnamese
- Barb’s Corner Kitchen – Lawrenceville – Breakfast/Diner
- BRGR – East Liberty – Burgers
- NOLA on the Square – Downtown – American
Restaurants That Are Now Closed
Not every restaurant can make it as a business in this great city. Over time some of the restaurants we review may close down permanently. Rather than deleting the review from our site, they will be moved here in case you are interested in what used to be!
- Thin Man Sandwich Shop – Strip District – Sandwiches – Closed September 2017
- Conflict Kitchen – Oakland – Rotating International –Closed May 2017
- Smoq Pitt BBQ – Brookline – Barbecue – Closed January 2017
- Grit & Grace – Downtown – Asian – Closed January 2017
- Bread and Salt Bakery – Bloomfield – Closed February 2016
- Verde Mexican Kitchen & Cantina – Garfield – Closed September 2015
- Tartine – West End – Closed mid-2016
Check back soon as we add restaurant reviews every week as we eat our way around Pittsburgh!
Looking for more food options in the city? Be sure to check out our listing of the best Pittsburgh food trucks which features a collection of our favorite local trucks, carts, and street vendors!
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