Eat & Drink

MoonLit Burgers Review – Smash Burgers Come to Dormont

MoonLit Burger is one of those restaurant concepts that has taken Pittsburgh by storm starting from their very first event. In just one year the concept went from having somewhat infrequent popups around the city to opening a dedicated restaurant to sling their popular LA-style smash burgers in Dormont.

While we, unfortunately, never made it to a pop-up event, we made sure to be one of the first people in the door when the restaurant opened in November 2021.

It was worth the wait, but admittedly with some kinks that we couldn’t completely overlook as well.

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The Woods House Review – A Historic House Turned Scottish Pub

When we first heard about The Woods House restoration project, our ears perked up. As one of the oldest houses in Pittsburgh (constructed in 1792 by John Woods), we often remarked about how unfortunate it was such a beautiful and historic structure was in a state of disrepair every time we drove by.

When we found out that the restoration project involved turning it into a Scottish pub to honor the history of the early settlers of Hazelwood, we were in. Naturally, we visited The Woods House shortly after it opened to give it a try, and stuffed ourselves full of hearty and traditional pub fare.

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Bar Botanico is the Cocktail Bar that Lawrenceville Needs

I know what you’re thinking- another bar in Lawrenceville?!

For the longest time, we thought this neighborhood was already at its max of bars. But it wasn’t until we were able to get in and experience Bar Botanico that we realized Lawrenceville was missing one specific kind of bar that we thoroughly enjoy- a higher-end cocktail bar. And if there is anything you know about us, we love good cocktail bars in Pittsburgh.

From the drinks to the vibe and the food (presently provided by Troy Hill-based Scratch & Co), Bar Botanico really knocked things out of the park- not just on drinks, but the entire package.

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Afghan Kabab House Review – Don’t Miss Out on the Appetizers

Periodically we’ll lament about what Pittsburgh needs, and when it comes to the city’s dining scene, the answer is always the same- fewer gastropubs and more international restaurants.

Not just any international restaurants (although we’d certainly take whatever came out), but restaurants with cuisine from countries that are woefully underrepresented in the region. One such country whose cuisine was lacking in the city was Afghanistan, but we’re now happy to report that Carnegie is home to a wonderful spot right on Main Street- Afghan Kabab House.

While you may find the flavors of the kababs to be in line with other delicious Middle Eastern fare you’ve had in the city, you’ll do well to throw on several of the Afghan appetizers as these are true gems that are unlike just about anything we’ve had to date.

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Nanban Review – Asian Soul Food Merging Ki Pollo & Ki Ramen

Ki Pollo and Ki Ramen were two staple restaurants in Lawrenceville for many years with the former serving up an interesting mix of fried chicken and empanadas and the latter serving Japanese and east Asian fare like ramen, gyoza, and more. 

But in 2021, Ki Ramen closed for construction due to apparent water damage in the building, and it was announced that the menus of the two restaurants would be merging into one Asian soul food concept known as Nanban in the Ki Pollo space.

In a way, this one takes all of the best elements of the two restaurants in one combined space, but also comes with some of the same drawbacks- specifically when it comes to deciding what to order outright as the menu here can only be described as varied!

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Pusadee’s Garden Review – A Dining Experience Worth the Wait

When Pusadee’s Garden closed in 2017 for renovations, we thought they’d be open the following year. 2018 came and went, so did 2019, and so did 2020 all without hearing a single update about the project. After enough time passed, we really thought this one was closed for good and were rather sad at the prospect of losing such a great restaurant in Lawrenceville.

Cut to early 2021 and the restaurant announced that they would finally be opening again, and we knew we had to visit as quickly as possible.

It only took about two steps after walking into the door for us to realize we should forget everything we remember about this one. To call the upgrade extensive would be an understatement- it was a complete transformation that was executed flawlessly. The restaurant went from being a good Thai spot to becoming one of the finest restaurants in Pittsburgh– Thai or otherwise.

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Lorelei Review – Bringing Alpine Cocktails and Beer to East Liberty

Lorelei is another stellar bar concept operated by the team behind Independent Brewing Company and Hidden Harbor in Squirrel Hill.

But rather than adding into their collection of bars at the corner of Forbes and Shady Avenue, this one is located in the heart of East Liberty– bringing a much welcomed addition to the neighborhood’s drinking scene.

We were recently invited out by the team at Lorelei to check out the new space, and share our thoughts in this full review! (Note that this review has been updated to reflect additional visits that we made on our own as well.)

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The Summit Review – Mount Washington’s Neighborhood Cocktail Bar

Cocktail bars have a weird way of chasing us whenever we move to a new Pittsburgh neighborhood. When we left Squirrel Hill to move to Mount Washington, Hidden Harbor opened up one block away from our former apartment. When we left Mount Washington, the same happened with an old bar there turning into The Summit.

While we lament the fact that we could’ve lived just one block away from either of these wonderful cocktail bars, we have returned time and time again to enjoy their stellar creations all the same.

In this one, we wanted to share a bit more about what you can expect from The Summit as it is truly the premier cocktail bar on top of Mount Washington!

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The Roundabout Popup is a Relaxing Beer Garden on the Ohio River

The Roundabout Popup Closed Permanently in 2024. East End Brewing will be taking over starting at the end of May 2024; however, we have not visited to yet to see if there are any differences from our previous review.

We regularly lament the lack of riverfront drinking options in Pittsburgh, and whenever a new space comes out onto the scene we try and get as much of it as we possibly can.

One of the longest-running riverfront beer gardens comes from the (now former) Lawrenceville-based brewery, Roundabout, and is the kind of urban oasis we absolutely adore. But to enjoy this one, you’re not going to be heading to the Allegheny River in Lawrenceville, but rather the Ohio River in Chateau (just steps from Bicycle Heaven)!

It really is hard to beat this one on a hot summer night. 

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Umi Review – The 11 Course Omakase is a Seafood Feast

Umi’s chef has retired and the restaurant is temporarily closed while looking for a replacement.

Umi is a Japanese restaurant located in Shadyside, and it is part of the Big Burrito restaurant group. Having been around since 2000, Umi has quite a long history of serving up some of the city’s best sushi and omakase (set menus determined by the chef each night).

Umi is located on the second story above Soba, and it has a pretty traditional Japanese feel with minimal decor, seating at the sushi bar, and tatami seating as well as regular tables.

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