Eat & Drink

La Palapa Review – Authentic Mexican Cuisine in South Side

In 2017 La Palapa moved locations in South Side and expanded their menu. Our review is from before the move and we hope to check out the new location soon!

When it comes to finding authentic Mexican cuisine in Pittsburgh, it is truly a difficult task unless you know exactly where to look. Rather than celebrate the incredible food culture of Mexico, we are only able to find poor imitations and Tex-Mex restaurants that are just not the same.

But one South Side restaurant is going against the grain and is making some of Mexico's best meals right here in Pittsburgh. That restaurant is La Palapa and, along with their food cart of the same name, this one is changing the way we look at Mexican cuisine in the city.

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Fiori’s Pizza Review – Award Winning Pizza in Brookline

When it comes to sharing Pittsburgh's best pizza on this site, it seems like every time we review one shop we receive countless recommendations of new places to try that are “even better”.

One restaurant that comes up time and time again is Fiori's Pizza in Brookline, and after being told to visit dozens (if not hundreds) of times, we decided to give this shop a try to see if it is worth the impressive following it receives.

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Salonika Imports Review – Greek Groceries and Gyros

We love to go to the Strip District when we want to hit a lot of different types of international grocery stores in one trip, or when we're entertaining out of town visitors. But that doesn't necessarily mean the Strip District is the best place for all types of grocery shopping.

For better prices or a bigger selection, sometimes you need to look at specific stores outside of the Strip. One such store is Salonika Imports, a Greek and Bulgarian grocery store on the edge of lower Lawrenceville and the Strip District.

We recently ended up at Salonika Imports on a Friday during lunchtime and were pleasantly surprised with the great prices, the wide selection of products, the delicious gyros, and the friendly service.

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Primanti Bros. Review – A Pittsburgh Sandwich Institution

When it comes to local Pittsburgh institutions, none are more famous than Primanti Bros. For both visitors and locals alike this sandwich shop is one of the iconic Pittsburgh foods (often being called the Pittsburgh sandwich).

But what makes this shop so special, and why are Pittsburghers so passionate about it (on both sides of the spectrum)? It doesn't take much to figure it out.

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Cafe io Review – A Weekend Lunch in Mt. Lebanon

Cafe io is a cute cafe in Mt. Lebanon. When you walk in you'll notice the simple and clean lines in the decor, polished hardwood floors, cheery service, and a menu that's on the surface very straightforward but has enough twists to keep you interested.

It's the kind of place that can please everyone: your grandma can get the BLT or turkey and gravy, your dad can get a big, juicy burger, and you can venture out for the fish tacos or roasted vegetable and hummus pizza.

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Morcilla Pittsburgh Review – A Spanish Tapas Experience

The recent opening of Morcilla in Lawrenceville grabbed our attention because, let's face it, Spanish cuisine is some of the best in the world. After spending our honeymoon in Spain we fell deeply in love with the country and its food, but we lamented the fact that the tapas bar model doesn't really exist in the U.S.

The good news is that Morcilla gets so much right about the Spanish tapas bar experience that if you've ever been to Spain, you'll be giddy with delight and if you haven't, you will want to hop on a plane immediately.

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Eleven Pittsburgh Review – A Refined Menu in the Strip District

Eleven is the fanciest of all the Big Burrito restaurants in Pittsburgh, there is no doubt about it.

Situated on Smallman Street in between the Strip District and Downtown, Eleven is located in a renovated old warehouse with high ceilings and a grand-yet-sleek decor. The menu is equally refined, with a contemporary style reminiscent of sister restaurant Casbah in Shadyside.

Combine all of these features and you have the makings of a restaurant that is perfect for a celebration (which in our case was our birthdays)!

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Allegheny Wine Mixer Review – Wine and Conversation

Sometimes when you go out to drink you really just want to have a nice glass of wine. Short of visiting a nice restaurant, bars with extensive wine menus in Pittsburgh are few and far between, meaning you often have to settle with limited menus and a glass of wine that is less than stellar.

Luckily, many new wine bars are opening in the city to help solve this problem, and if good wine is what you are craving, at Allegheny Wine Mixer in Lawrenceville you can get just that.

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The Original Oyster House Review – Pittsburgh’s Oldest

There is something to be said about an over 150-year-old restaurant in any city, as being able to survive the test of time is something only a few businesses ever accomplish.

In Pittsburgh, this distinction falls on the Original Oyster House, which is the oldest bar and restaurant in the city and is also recognized historic landmark. With such a reputation preceding it, we went in with great expectations.

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Beto’s Pizza Review – Cold Toppings on a Pizza in Beechview

For most native Pittsburgher's, you say the name Beto's and a wide range of emotions come up. This local Pittsburgh pizza joint is considered by many to be an institution, on par with the likes of Primanti Brothers. And just like Primanti Brothers, this pizza shop has its own way of doing things which, thankfully, does not include putting french fries on top of their pies.

At Beto's the toppings are served cold, ensuring that this will be the most unusual pizza you'll ever try.

Over the decades the community has divided into a “love-it, hate-it” mentality, and for a pizza as unusual as this there is really no middle ground to stand on. After much prodding from the “love-it” half of our readers, we made a visit to try the pizza for ourselves.

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