Sharing The Best of Pittsburgh and Southwest Pennsylvania
There aren't too many places you can get Caribbean food in Pittsburgh, let alone Jamaican food, but Leon's in Allentown is one of them – and it's a spot we'd heard many good things about for quite some time. We recently made the trip there and fell in love with the kicked-up flavors of their traditional curries, stews, and wings.
Read moreLeon's Caribbean Review – Fantastic Caribbean Food to Go
Empanada Fusion is a bit of a different food concept for Pittsburgh – instead of having a brick and mortar restaurant or a food truck, Empanada Fusion offers its empanadas at weekly drop off spots in and near the city. All you have to do is pre-order your empanadas online and pick them up at the spot you specify (with locations changing weekly).
The empanada fillings are a mix of traditional and fusion flavors, with an emphasis on non-traditional flavors. The menu changes weekly but typically you can find about four meat options, four vegetarian options, and two sweet dessert options.
We were contacted by Empanada Fusion and received a complimentary order and wanted to share more about it in this review!
Read moreEmpanada Fusion Review – Empanada Pickups Around Pittsburgh
BrewDog is an international brewery and gastropub chain that has expanded into many cities thanks to its crowdfunding system called Equity for Punks.
This crowdfunding system is a lot like a Kickstarter in that there are numerous perks for investors, such as free beers and discounts, while also retaining ownership (while shares can be sold, there is currently no open market for these nor does BrewDog appear to be going public anytime soon- so we look at it mostly as a perks system). The system has allowed the brewery chain to expand at a rapid pace and through it, they opened a Pittsburgh taproom in East Liberty in early 2020.
I visited this one shortly after opening and share a bit more about what it is like in this review!
Read moreBrewDog Review – Large Beer and Food Menu Options in East Liberty
Our local breweries really run the spectrum in their offerings. If you are looking for a specific kind of experience, odds are good there is a brewery out there that matches your desire.
If a brewery with amazing beer and a robust food menu is something you need in your future, a trip to Insurrection Ale Works in Heidelberg is a must.
Read moreInsurrection Ale Works Review – Go for the Beer, Stay for the Food
Kiin Lao and Thai Eatery in Squirrel Hill is Pittsburgh's first Laotian restaurant, having recently been transformed by the owners from a purely Thai restaurant into one serving both Lao and Thai dishes. Whether you're looking for some classic Thai dishes or are wanting to expand your palate and try Laotian food, odds are you'll find something that strikes your fancy on the diverse menu at Kiin which includes starters, salads, and entrees.
Kiin Lao and Thai Eatery used to be Bangkok Balcony, a beloved Squirrel Hill restaurant that we enjoyed over the years and used to be our go-to Thai place when we lived in the neighborhood. So when we heard the Bangkok Balcony owners were transforming the restaurant into a Lao and Thai eatery we knew we had to check it out.
Read moreKiin Lao & Thai Eatery Review – Visiting for Laotian Cuisine
Mola in East Liberty is a sushi-focused restaurant, although the Asian menu has much more than just sushi if that's not your thing. The menu also includes small plates, bao, and rice bowls. We recently tried takeout from Mola and were very impressed with the food and that they executed a wide variety of dishes so well.
Read moreMola Review – Sushi, Bao, and Rice Bowls in East Liberty
Two Sisters Vietnamese Kitchen in East Liberty is a cute little spot for fulfilling all of your Vietnamese pho, noodle, and rice dish needs.
The menu here includes classic pho (noodle soup), bun (vermicelli noodles), co'm (rice dishes), as well as a few specials like bun bo hue and egg noodles. Side options include spring and summer rolls with different fillings, and several salad offerings.
We recently ordered takeout including bun bo hue, the pork special co'm, a grilled pork summer roll, and fish sauce wings.
Read moreTwo Sisters Review – Serving Up Vietnamese in East Liberty
Long a North Side institution, Carmi Soul Food was previously located on Western Avenue, relocated to South Side, and now has opened a second location dubbed Carmi Express back in the North Side (on Federal). Although Carmi Express is a takeout only joint, it still satisfies our cravings for chicken and waffles, barbecue, and other classic soul food.
Read moreCarmi Express Review – Soul Food Returns to the North Side
Whenever we share our Pittsburgh pizza roundup post, we often receive a ton of recommendations of where to go next. This is not surprising as Pittsburgh has one of the highest concentrations of pizza shops per capita of any metro area in the country. Naturally, this means our to-do list is quite large on the pizza front.
One shop that came up time and time again was Shelly Pie in Turtle Creek (just east of the city) and we decided to visit as quickly as possible to see why this one is so popular.
Little Bangkok in the Strip is a stalwart Thai restaurant that serves up a wide variety of noodles, curries, stir-fries, soups, and appetizers with classic Thai flavors executed perfectly. We recently ordered takeout from Little Bangkok and were pleasantly surprised with the high quality and well-balanced flavors.
Read moreLittle Bangkok in the Strip Review – Thai Cuisine With Ample Portions