Eat & Drink

Duo’s Taqueria Review – Learn Spanish, Eat Tacos

Duo's Taqueria in East Liberty is a fun and delicious concept restaurant by Duolingo, where you can eat delicious Mexican food and also learn and practice Spanish. This spot has a colorful, upbeat, casual vibe that serves up delicious tacos on homemade tortillas as well as other Mexican specialties.

Duo's Taqueria was just a walk-up taco stand at the Duolingo building. We visited many times and judging by the long lines, we knew this concept was going places. And rightfully so, with Chef Marcella Ogrodnik at the helm. Chef Marcella was the owner of Cafe Agnes, an El Salvadorian pop up that served amazing pupusas and tamales at farmers' markets around the city. We are so excited that she is now at Duo's, bringing her skills for making fresh masa for tortillas and her knack for creating amazing flavor combinations.

Duo's recently built out an interior space in the building to change the restaurant to a sit-down concept (the walk-up window is now, sadly, closed). We visited shortly after re-opening to check it out and practice our Spanish.

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ECHT Coffee House Review – Go For Coffee, Stay for the Food

ECHT Coffee House in Mount Oliver is more than just a coffee shop. In addition to roasting their own coffee and serving up cafe-style food, this sleek and design-focused spot will also soon be home to a distillery and cocktail bar giving the neighborhood a must-visit spot that will soon be enjoyed morning, noon, and night.

While we visited this one to get our coffee fix on, we ended up staying to enjoy the food menu and exploring the soon-to-come additions on the building's lower level.

You will be wise to do the same when you visit as well!

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5 Places to Make a McKnight Road Shopping Trip Enjoyable

We will be the first to admit that when we have to go shopping to the big box stores on McKnight Road, we immediately get filled with a sense of dread.

Not so much because we have to shop at the big chains, but rather that driving on McKnight Road to our destination is, shall we say, a form of torture– and that is putting it kindly. From the abundance of red lights, never-ending traffic, and overall frustration of reaching our stops, we find that we need to give ourselves a little reward to get through it all.

So in this one, we thought we'd share five of our favorite spots on (or just off of) McKnight Road that you should consider stopping at to help save your sanity when shopping!

Note: Businesses featured below are organized from north to south along McKnight Road between McCandless and Ross Township, specifically.

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Vendor Bender Brings International Snacks to Squirrel Hill

When we travel, we often try new snacks and beverages that we rarely see again. From weird flavored potato chips to an unusual sparkling beverage or candy, these random food items tend to make a lasting memory we wish we could enjoy once more at home.

At Vendor Bender in Squirrel Hill, you get just that.

This dedicated vending machine store does not just have a load of snacks and drinks for customers to enjoy, but the vast majority come from countries all over the world!

So if you're looking for a highly sought-after treat or beverage you've enjoyed while traveling, Vendor Bender is for you.

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Alchemy Bar + Kitchen Review – Fine Dining With a Twist

Alchemy Bar + Kitchen brings fine dining and craft cocktails to an intimate space in downtown Pittsburgh's Market Square. We're always excited when new businesses open downtown, so we knew we had to make it in shortly after Alchemy opened to check out their offerings.

While this one brands itself as a molecular gastronomy-themed fine dining restaurant, we left a bit unsure of the molecular gastronomy element but big fans of the food at large all the same

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Southern Yanks Smokehouse Review – BBQ in Washington, PA

Southern Yanks Smokehouse in Washington, PA, is the kind of spot we love to find.

This unassuming restaurant right in the heart of downtown Washington screams homemade barbecue where the main focus is, as it should be, entirely on the food.

While we left this one satisfied and stuffed from all things delicious meat, it was also speaking to the owner that showcased why this one was a gem.

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Commerce Bar Review – A Proper Speakeasy in East Liberty

From the moment you arrive at Commerce Bar in East Liberty, you know you'll be getting the full speakeasy experience. 

That is because to even access this one you need to make your way to a back alley behind a popular stretch of restaurants and seek out the door to the bar. We could tell you which door, but where is the fun in that? (The end of this article will have a hint.)

Once you enter, the fun of this bar begins.

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Fat Butcher Brings Quality Local Meats to Lawrenceville

When it comes to buying meats in Pittsburgh, we always look for two things- local farms using ethical practices and, if possible, processed by a skilled butcher.

The former is easy to find, and the latter, well, let's say the art of butchering meat felt like it was on its way out for quite some time with only a few famed butchers remaining in and around Pittsburgh.

Thankfully, this profession is starting to make a resurgence in the city, and if it is anything like what the team at Fat Butcher in Lawrenceville is doing, we are sold on what the future will be like.

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Soluna Review – Coffee in the Morning, Mezcal in the Evening

In early 2023, the Honduran coffee shop, Cafetano, rebranded as Soluna Coffee & Mezcal Bar. The coffee shop portion of the restaurant operates similarly to the former concept plus the addition of night time libations and food in the backroom Mezcal bar. We visited the coffee shop when it was Cafetano and revisited Soluna for the mezcal bar shortly after opening.

When we found out the Honduran coffee shop Soluna (formerly Cafetano) was opening in the former Gaucho space in the Strip District, we weren't entirely sure what to think of it. This had nothing to do with the coffee shop itself (we will never say no to more amazing coffee in Pittsburgh), but rather the use of the space outright.

By Strip District standards, Gaucho had one of the larger building footprints in the neighborhood and, when it comes to coffee shops, we're not used to seeing any of that size anywhere in the city. So hearing that a coffee shop was moving into this particular space was a bit of a surprise.

Thankfully, their wonderful coffee shop offered a hard reminder how much good space in coffee shops is sorely needed, and when this one rebranded as Soluna in 2023 to also incorporate a late-night mezcal bar in the back, we saw the perfect utilization of this space all around.

So whether you visit Soluna for their delicious coffee and small plates during the day, or for a Mezcal cocktail and more unique food in the evening, you really have several reasons to visit this gem in the Strip District!

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G’s on Liberty Review – Classical Dining With a Twist

G's on Liberty in Bloomfield has a classic, upscale-leaning menu with an extensive wine list. Although this is a newer restaurant with modern decor, it has the vibe of a restaurant that has been around for decades. It's comfortable with incredibly friendly service and a menu full of favorites with hints of international twists.

So while we went to this one for a light dinner, we ended up staying for a feast.

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