We love tiki drinks, and when we heard that Spork Island Trading Company was opening up as an immersive tiki bar in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District, we had to go right away.
This one combines a beautiful ambiance with a robust tiki menu and is helping convert Penn Avenue downtown into quite the cocktail hub.
So, let’s dive in and share a bit of our experience from opening night in this one!
I have a serious frozen concoction problem. I think it all started when I first moved to Pittsburgh during a bloody hot summer and the apartment I was renting didn’t have air conditioning. But what it did have was an ice cream store next door, and I ended up eating my fair share of ice cream during that time.
Ever since then, my quest to find the best ice cream in Pittsburgh was born, and in this one we share some of our favorites!
Butcher and the Rye is a whiskey bar and meat-forward restaurant located in downtown Pittsburgh in the heart of the cultural district. Shuttered during COVID, the restaurant recently reopened with a revamped menu. The massive wall of whiskey remains the focal point of the space, while the food is perfectly designed to pair with the spirit-forward drink list.
We made it in to Butcher and the Rye during their re-opening week and were happy to see that the space still has multiple dining nooks acoss each of its levels, creating a cozy and intimate feeling. We were seated on the second level in front of the den-like library complete with a giant stuffed black bear. The menu matches the vibe – think bourbon-focused cocktails, dry aged meats, lots of game dishes, and other hearty fare.
Like any major city in the USA, Pittsburgh is home to an incredible street food scene that is growing larger by the day. Between the dozens of food trucks, mobile carts, and dedicated stands, the one thing that holds true no matter where you go is that it takes quite the effort to find the best in a sea of mostly average establishments.
When it comes finding the best Pittsburgh food trucks we’re up for the challenge, and to chronicle our journey this roundup was born.
This list is not a collection of every street food vendor we’ve tried in the city. Far from it. This list only features what we think are the very best of the ones we’ve visited to date (we’re still working our way through many as well).
By the end we hope that you’ll be hopping in your car to try something right away because each business featured deserves no less than your immediate attention and visit.
Although our bakery scene in Pittsburgh is somewhat small, the emergence of several high quality, creative bakeries over the past few years has been encouraging.
Sure, there are the big guys that have been around seemingly forever like Prantl’s, Oakmont Bakery, and Breadworks, but what about little neighborhood spots where you can get a buttery croissant or a danish that’s a work of art?
Fortunately, these types of artisan corner bakeries have been popping up in recent years. Everything from crusty breads to gluten free goodies to French pastries can now be found right here in the Burgh.
Lucky for you, we have no shame when it comes to bakery hopping (yes, we’re making that a thing) and are here to clue you in on where to go to get your fix of baked goods.
As with most of our guides, this list is only a selection of bakeries we’ve visited to date. As we visit more bakeries in Pittsburgh we will update this article accordingly!
Almost everyone is down for a good cocktail, and we are spoiled with a number of truly awesome cocktail bars in Pittsburgh that specialize in these creative beverages.
We’ve been exploring many of the best cocktail bars in recent years, and today we want to share a list of some of the best. So if fortified libations are in your future, check out one of the following!
As per all of our guides, the following is a list of cocktail bars we’ve personally visited. As we find more, we’ll update this guide accordingly!
We always have to give a hand to the Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group, because when they go big for a project, they really lean into it.
After opening their club/lounge Strip District venue, Sea Monkey, we caught wind that they were also transforming a backroom space into a high-end speakeasy, aptly named Vieux Carre.
As we are always delighted to take a trip back in time to an appropriately themed speakeasy, we knew we had to get into this one right away and were not disappointed.
Vieux Carre is a darn fine cocktail bar in Pittsburgh, albeit at a price to match!
I love coffee. And I don’t mean sugar-laden, heart-attack-in-a-cup frappuccinos.
When I say I love coffee, I mean I love single origin coffee that actually tastes like something besides burnt beans (sorry Starbucks). Because I love experimenting with coffee brewing techniques at home, and have a good idea of how to brew a good cup, it takes a really excellent coffee to get me excited about visiting a coffee shop.
There is good reason for this. When I first moved to Pittsburgh I was pretty underwhelmed with the coffee scene. Luckily things have greatly improved over the past few years and they continue to get better all the time. Thanks to this new scene of coffee shops in Pittsburgh, I am on a quest to find the very best.
So which Pittsburgh coffee shops are worth your time? Our ever-expanding guide gets to the bottom of that question.
We’ve been fans of Pittsburgh Sandwich Society for many years, from their early food truck days to their permanent kitchen menu at Strange Roots in Millvale.
When we heard they were leaving the brewery in June 2026, we were at first quite sad about the news. But this one comes with a silver lining, as the crew behind the stellar food was not only bringing their mobile food truck back (hooray!) but also taking over the former Crazy Cones spot in Millvale for a new custard and grill concept- Winston’s Good Eats and Frozen Treats!
Naturally, we had to go check this one out shortly after it opened, and it was everything we hoped it would be.
Jillian’s in New Kensington is a fine dining farm-to-table restaurant with a menu that changes daily, showcasing all the best produce and proteins from across the region. The unassuming brick exterior belies the hospitality and delightful chef-driven food that’s going on inside the cozy space. It’s the kind of spot perfect for bringing a group of friends, sharing a little bit of everything, and lingering with good conversation and a bottle of wine.
We’d heard lots of good things about this fine dining haven in an unlikely location, so we knew we had to check it out. The space is pretty small with just a dozen or so tables, so a reservation is essential. Around the timeframe that we visited, they were offering a burger night on Wednesdays, with their regular chalkboard menu on other nights Thursdays through Sundays.
Although the burgers sound great, we knew our first visit had to be to experience the entire menu- and oh are we glad we did.