Eat & Drink

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.

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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!

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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.

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16 Distinctly Pittsburgh Foods the City is Known For

When we get visitors to Pittsburgh, one of the most popular questions that we hear is “what are famous Pittsburgh foods?” 

The first one is easy- everyone knows Primanti Brothers. From there, what we would call iconic food in Pittsburgh can vary substantially based on who you ask. Is a pierogi a Pittsburgh food? What about Beto’s pizza? Or how about something more unusual like chipped chopped ham? Or how about famous desserts, breakfast spots, and more?

When we sat down to think of it, we came up with a list of several definitive Pittsburgh foods. Some are famous because they were created here. Some are adopted foods from other cultures that are widely integrated into our local diet. Some are in specific categories that have die-hard followings (like our local famous chocolate shop- every city has one). Others still were created in nearby states but popularized in Pittsburgh as its first major market.

While this list is not comprehensive to hit everything that could be considered popular food in Pittsburgh, we did opt to select what we believe are the most well known and are unique to the region all the same.

For more of our opinion from restaurants mentioned below, click the respective links to learn more!

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Square Cafe Review – Popular Brunch Spot in East Liberty

In August 2020, Square Cafe relocated from Regent Square to East Liberty.

Recently relocated to the vibrant neighborhood of East Liberty, Square Cafe is a weekend brunch destination that hits all the usual highlights: a bright, cheery space with typical breakfast cuisine utilizing ingredients from local farms and vendors.

Its menu of pancakes, omelettes, eggs benedicts, breakfast sandwiches, and crepes isn’t breaking any boundaries, but it’s a good spot for a comforting, reliable meal that has Pittsburghers coming back time and time again.

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Industry Public House Review – Pub Fare and Beer

If you think finding a place to drink on a Sunday in Pittsburgh is difficult, try finding a place that’s open on Monday. Harder still, make that Monday a public holiday when the entire city is virtually shut down.

Throw in our desire to go out and have a beer with friends, and that’s how we ended up at Industry Public House in Lawrenceville on our recent visit.

Although this intro may make it sound like we were desperate for anything, which is somewhat true, Industry Public House had been on our list of places to try for quite some time and was rushed to the top due to this odd string of circumstances.

Thankfully, it ended up being a great choice for a beer-filled pub meal.

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