EastLiberty

Duo’s Taqueria Review – Learn Spanish, Eat Tacos

Duo's Taqueria in East Liberty is a fun and delicious concept restaurant by Duolingo, where you can eat delicious Mexican food and also learn and practice Spanish. This spot has a colorful, upbeat, casual vibe that serves up delicious tacos on homemade tortillas as well as other Mexican specialties.

Duo's Taqueria was just a walk-up taco stand at the Duolingo building. We visited many times and judging by the long lines, we knew this concept was going places. And rightfully so, with Chef Marcella Ogrodnik at the helm. Chef Marcella was the owner of Cafe Agnes, an El Salvadorian pop up that served amazing pupusas and tamales at farmers' markets around the city. We are so excited that she is now at Duo's, bringing her skills for making fresh masa for tortillas and her knack for creating amazing flavor combinations.

Duo's recently built out an interior space in the building to change the restaurant to a sit-down concept (the walk-up window is now, sadly, closed). We visited shortly after re-opening to check it out and practice our Spanish.

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Commerce Bar Review – A Proper Speakeasy in East Liberty

From the moment you arrive at Commerce Bar in East Liberty, you know you'll be getting the full speakeasy experience. 

That is because to even access this one you need to make your way to a back alley behind a popular stretch of restaurants and seek out the door to the bar. We could tell you which door, but where is the fun in that? (The end of this article will have a hint.)

Once you enter, the fun of this bar begins.

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St. Clair Social Review – A Neighborhood Bar in East Liberty

When it comes to bars in East Liberty, finding an approachable, low-key spot can be somewhat tricky. This trendy neighborhood has a lot of bars with unique themes and higher-end offerings, but when you want something a bit more straightforward, that may be a bit harder to come by.

Enter St. Clair Social- the kind of bar that East Liberty truly needs.

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Margaux Review – A Cafe, Restaurant, and Bar in East Liberty

East Liberty's recent growth always has made us wonder what will open in the neighborhood next. One thing East Liberty felt like it was lacking was a large, approachable coffee shop where you could both hang out for hours to work or stop by for a quick drink in a unique ambiance.

When Margaux opened, we knew it would be just that- this spacious cafe, bar, and restaurant space satisfies the need for a space to hang out as much as it is to drink and dine.

While we will need several visits to truly work our way through the menu here, on the first visit we visited for a light brunch and coffee.

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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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An Attraction and Dining Guide to East Liberty

If there is any neighborhood in Pittsburgh that has changed the most in the last few years, it would be East Liberty.

The neighborhood is the poster child for gentrification and is now home to luxury lofts, numerous restaurants, and easy access to the growing tech hub in Bakery Square in nearby Larimer (although tenants there like to call themselves part of East Liberty partly due to association-by-gentrification).

While we could spend a long time discussing the gentrification of neighborhoods like these (we encourage it in the comments!), in our neighborhood guide series we want to take a look at what East Liberty is now and highlight the history and some of the spots we visit when exploring the neighborhood- namely the restaurants and a few limited attractions.

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Bird on the Run Review – Hot Fried Chicken in Pittsburgh

Bird on the Run is a small fried chicken joint in Pittsburgh's East Liberty that boasts late night hours, extra hot chicken, and frozen cocktails for those wanting something just a bit different with their meal.

We went to this one after having drinks in the neighborhood and are really pleased to say that this is not just another a formal sit-down restaurant!

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Honeygrow Review – Healthy Stir Fries and Salads in East Liberty

Honeygrow is a fast casual restaurant that focuses on healthy stir fries, salads, and fruit parfaits.

We originally did not give this one a second glance after hearing it was a chain, but the folks at honeygrow invited us in for a meal to change our minds and we are certainly glad we took them up on the offer.

What sets honeygrow apart from other chains is its commitment to a seasonal, locally sourced (when possible) menu that's all organic and non-GMO. Basically, the food is good for you and also good for the planet!

With all of those constraints, you might think the dishes would be boring or uninspired, but on our recent visit we found our meals had unique ingredient combinations and sauces that kept things packed with interesting flavors.

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