Eat & Drink

Revel and Roost Review – Two Restaurants in One

Revel + Roost in downtown Pittsburgh near Market Square is more than just a hotel restaurant.

In fact, we never even knew it was in a hotel until we dined there; we had only heard that it was a great place to hang out. Revel is located on the ground floor and has a more relaxed bar vibe while Roost on the second floor provides a more formal dining experience. We recently stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh Downtown that houses the restaurants and checked out Revel during our stay.

The highlights for us were the extensive craft cocktail menu and a solid burger. We also visited Roost for breakfast as it was included for free with our Hilton Honors gold status.

Read more

The Abbey on Butler Street Review – A Unique Dining Space

Pittsburghers seem to like re-purposing old buildings and giving them new concepts and new lives. Maybe that's why The Abbey on Butler Street, a funeral home turned restaurant, seems to fit right in.

Not only is this a restaurant, it's also got an impressive bar as well as a cafe, all under the same roof. We recently ate at the restaurant and had a decent experience, but if we returned, we would consider going back for small plates and drinks instead of a full on meal.

Read more

Pittsburgh Cooking Classes – Chop, Wok, and Talk

Chop, Wok, and Talk is one of the only cooking schools in Pittsburgh that offers classes where you can learn how to cook many different kinds of international cuisines.

With small classes, a hands-on approach, and an instructor who has actually traveled to different countries to learn how to cook many types of cuisines, classes here are fun and informative. And most importantly, the food is delicious.

Read more

Sienna Mercato Review – Meatballs, Pizza, and a Rooftop Bar

Sienna Mercato in downtown Pittsburgh is a brilliant three-story restaurant and bar concept with something for everyone.

The first floor contains Emporio, a casual build-your-own meatball restaurant; the second story houses Mezzo, an Italian restaurant focusing on wine, charcuterie, and wood-fired pizzas; and the third story is home to a rooftop bar called Il Tetto.

Although it is impossible to sample all three in one visit, we have returned to this one many times to try them all and were pleasantly surprised by what we found.

Read more

Braddock’s Street Side Review – Whiskey and Reubens in Pittsburgh

Braddock's Brasserie inside the Renaissance Hotel brings intensity to the hotel dining scene. With hearty, meaty entrees and a bar that could make any whiskey fanatic weep, it's safe to say that Braddock's is not for the faint of heart.

But if you're looking to indulge without going all out at the main restaurant, the Street Side bar is a perfect spot for craft cocktails and sandwiches bigger than your face.

Read more

Bill’s Bar and Burger Review – A Stellar Burger in Pittsburgh

Bill's Bar & Burger, located in the same building as the Westin downtown, is an over-the-top burger spot with a surprisingly delicious weekend brunch menu.

Although Bill's has several other locations in the New York area, the Pittsburgh location is developing its own character by using local suppliers and creating special menu items unique to the local dining scene.

The burgers are some of the most tender, juicy ones we've had in the city, the beer selection is pretty impressive, and the Bloody Marys at brunch are not to be missed.

Read more

The Quest for the Best Reuben in Pittsburgh

When it comes to eating sandwiches at restaurants, aside from the traditional burger or a unique and gourmet oddity, odds are good we're going to defer to one of our favorites: the Reuben.

This sandwich has just about everything we could ask for in a go-to choice.  A mound of corned beef, a handful of sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and a generous slathering of Thousand Island dressing is enough to make us happy if we're in the mood for our favorite sandwich.

Unfortunately, not all restaurants are equal when it comes to sandwich making, and more often than not the Reuben is the hardest to get right. But when they do, odds are good that they can make anything delicious and are a good spot worth returning to in order to try more creations.

As a result, our quest to find Pittsburgh's best Reuben sandwich was born.

Note: In the past, our quest style articles organized Reubens in various categories from below average to excellent. Since then, we have decided to remove any category style tier. That said, Reubens in this article loosely ordered by increasing preference in this article. So if you want to see our very favorites, scroll to the end!

Read more

Runner Stone Mill House Review – Seasonal Food and Cocktails

The Runner Stone Mill House restaurant at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott hotel is an excellent addition to the Pittsburgh hotel dining scene. While it's relatively easy to find good hotel dining in the downtown area, as you move outside the city limits it definitely becomes trickier.

Luckily, the Runner Stone Mill House hits all the right points to help fill this void.

It's got a sleek, modern decor with different seating options ranging from high tops to more intimate lounge-style seating, and it's got a great craft cocktail list and a seasonal dining menu that uses fresh, local ingredients with lots of house-made touches.

Read more