Pittsburgh has breweries. It also has cocktail bars. But did you hear that Pittsburgh is now home to a cocktail brewery?
Goodlander Cocktail Brewery in Larimer combines the best elements of both of these styles of bars for a unique concept that puts cocktails on draft while also being available in growlers to go!
Naturally, it sounded right up our alley.
Barcadia opened in 2022 as a second-floor concept for The Market Exchange. This bar, accessed via a separate staircase at street level, boasts 35 games (a mix of pinball and arcade games), a bar, food service from nearby Slider Vibes, and access to a backroom speakeasy with separate bar menu to name a few.
For our first visit, we had a bit of time before a dinner reservation downtown and decided to pop by to play a few games with an alcoholic beverage. While I want to tell you that we liked our brief time at Barcadia, I have to admit, there were several misses here.
Anthos Bakery in Castle Shannon is a delightful family-owned Greek bakery and cafe. In addition to their amazing sweet and savory breads and pastries, they offer a full breakfast and lunch menu brimming with Greek and Mediterranean goodies. The delicious food is served in an adorable cafe setting that's cheerful and welcoming.
The instant we walked into Anthos Bakery we were smitten – the pastry case beckoned us with its beautiful creations, olive oils, and other pantry items for sale called our names, and the cheerful Mediterranean design with blue and white tiles invited us to sit down and stay a while.
While we are not vegetarians or vegans, we have to admit we have a love of fresh, healthy, and locally grown vegetables.
In fact, when we're not out eating our way around the best restaurants in Pittsburgh, we are often at home cooking meals that are oftentimes vegetarian or vegan using produce either from our garden or our local CSA farm shares.
That being said, while vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Pittsburgh are, sadly, few and far between, there are many gems you will want to check out the next time you are in the mood for a vegetarian or vegan meal! So in this one, we thought we'd share some of our personal favorites covering an array of cuisine styles.
As with everything on our site, this article features only a selection of great Pittsburgh vegetarian and vegan restaurants. It is not meant to be comprehensive and only features spots we have personally visited over the years. So let's get to it!
Disclaimers: This list will call out when restaurants are vegan, vegetarian, or have mixed menus including non-vegetarian items. While most of the restaurants featured below are either 100% vegan or 100% vegetarian (likely with some vegan options), those that offer mixed menus are included because their vegetarian/vegan options are quite strong. Likewise, menus can and do change regularly. It is not unheard of for area restaurants to offer a vegan menu and then change back to a traditional menu over time (e.g. when there is a change of chefs). We highly recommend reconfirming all menus before visiting to ensure your dietary needs can be met. Our guides, as always, should only be treated as a starting point.
Con Alma in downtown Pittsburgh is a restaurant and bar that features live jazz music. With an impressive cocktail menu, delicious international food, and stellar music, Con Alma is a shining star in the Pittsburgh food and music scene.
Before jumping into this one, it's worth noting that Con Alma has two locations, one downtown and one in Shadyside, with the latter being a more intimate spot serving a completely vegan food menu. We recently visited the downtown location, and after our great experience there we can't wait to visit the Shadyside location, too.
Sally Ann's is yet-another Richard DeShantz restaurant concept, and it fills a much-needed niche of providing casual, veggie-forward breakfast and lunch fare in downtown Pittsburgh.
Taking over the old Pork and Beans spot, this large space in the heart of the Cultural District has a vibrant, casual feel with lounge-style couch seating in the center of the restaurant, plenty of high-top tables, and a large outdoor seating space on 6th Street.
Keeping in line with the cafe vibe, the food and drinks are all counter service- there is a dedicated register for ordering food, while drinks are ordered separately at the bar. There's also a separate line for coffee drinks during the day. While this took a second to get used to, it really highlighted just how different this one is compared to other restaurants nearby!
Jian's Kitchen is a bit unsual by Squirrel Hill standards in that it does not have a prominent storefront on Forbes or Murray.
To find this Chinese gem, you're going to have to go into the basement of an office complex via a narrow doorway in the heart of the Forbes business district. This truly is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it kind of place, so having an idea that this one is indeed in the basement with minimal front signage is key.
So, what kind of Chinese food does this one offer? To be honest this one features unique dishes from all over the country, including popular American Chinese dishes as well, but during our first visit we decided to stick close to the Northeastern China side of the menu!
If you're like us, you were probably pretty sad to hear that the Allegheny Overlook was not returning for another season in 2022. This pop-up space on Fort Duquesne Blvd was a relaxing hangout spot with food trucks, great views of the Allegheny River and PNC Park, and, perhaps most importantly, beer flowing from one of our favorite breweries- Braddock-based Brew Gentlemen.
While we still lament this closure, there is good news in that Brew Gentlemen is sticking around downtown Pittsburgh in the summer of 2022 with a new pop-up beer garden at Steel Plaza on Grant Street!
Naturally, we had to check this one out shortly after it opened for the season and share a bit more about what to expect at this one.
When we heard that Duolingo was opening a taqueria at their East Liberty office, aptly named Duo's Taqueria, we knew we had to go right away. When we heard that you can get a free taco from answering a Duolingo-style Spanish question right (after placing an order), we were already fans of the marketing. But when we heard that Chef Marcella Ogrodnik was running it (formerly of Cafe Agnes), we knew we couldn't get there quickly enough.
It would be one thing to praise this taco stand for its unique marketing alone- it is unlike any other place in the city. But when they also offer some of the best tacos in Pittsburgh from a stellar chef, you have a force to be reckoned with here.
You simply need to visit this one as quickly as possible.
Cioppino Restaurant & Cigar Bar has been a staple in the Strip District for well over a decade with its seafood and chophouse-focused menu and prized cigar bar tucked away in a back room.
We were able to visit this one to check out the seasonal summer menu as guests of the restaurant for a media night, and have to admit we can see the allure of this gem on Railroad Street!
Note: Many of the appetizers we sampled were served family-style for the event. As such, our photos may not be representative of true portion size.