Huszar, a Hungarian bar and restaurant in the North Side, is the kind of place Pittsburgh could use more of. With a community vibe, bi-weekly live music from a gypsy strings group, and traditional Hungarian food and drinks, it's a great addition to the North Side scene.
NorthSide
Bird Watching at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh’s North Side
Pittsburgh's National Aviary in the North Side is a unique place to visit, there is no doubt about that. It is the country's largest Aviary and is also the only one to be recognized by Congress.
With over 600 animals from roughly 200 species, this one has something for everyone. Throw in the public feedings that take place throughout the day and you have one spot worth coming back to time and time again.
Andy Warhol Museum – Home to Way More than Pop Art
If you've ever wanted to dive into the world of pop art, the Andy Warhol Museum on Pittsburgh's North Shore is the absolute best place to do it.
More than 1,000 prints, 4,000 photographs, and 900 paintings in the collection help make it the largest museum in North America dedicated to a single artist.
But there is so much more to this museum than just pop art: the seven floors of this museum display many other types of Warhol's works you've likely never seen before, as well as rotating exhibits from other artists.
Although there are enough unique exhibits in this museum to keep us busy writing an incredibly detailed review, today we wanted to share some of our very favorites to give you a taste about what to expect when visiting!
North Side Neighborhood Guide – Attractions and Dining
For many, the North Side is viewed as the home to the Pirates, Steelers, and numerous museums along the rivers.
While it is true that many of the city's top attractions are found along the shore of the Allegheny and Ohio rivers on the North Side, this corner of Pittsburgh is home to many hidden gems that are a must for anyone exploring the city. To highlight these destinations, as well as their more famous counterparts, this neighborhood guide was born!
It is worth noting that the following is not a collection of every business in the North Side. This article only features businesses that we personally visit when we explore the neighborhood. As such, it should only be taken as a starting point and is certainly not a list of every establishment. If you see an interesting business while exploring the North Side, do yourself a favor and go inside!
Max’s Allegheny Tavern Review – Traditional German Fare
Stepping into Max's Allegheny Tavern is a bit like stepping back in time. Or maybe it's more like stepping into your grandmother's house- if your grandmother was German, that is.
Max's is one of those places where the decor seemingly hasn't been updated since the day the restaurant opened, which usually means the food is either homestyle and delicious, or terrible.
Luckily for us Pittsburghers, Max's falls into the former category. This homey restaurant serves up comforting, traditional German food and beer. When it comes down to that, could you ask for anything more?
El Burro Review – Mexican Takeout in the North Side
El Burro is a tiny little Mexican joint on Federal Street in Pittsburgh's North Side neighborhood. While not necessarily a dining destination in its own right, if you find yourself in the neighborhood visiting the Mattress Factory, Randyland, or the Aviary, for example, it's a great place to grab some quick grub.
Although they have a small amount of counter-type seating, this place is really more suited to takeout- making it especially suited for residents of the North Side like us!
Nicky’s Thai Kitchen Review – Curry and Noodles
Thai food is one of our favorite cuisines and one that we make a lot at home, so it takes a really good Thai restaurant for us to get excited.
Luckily there's no shortage of Thai restaurants in the city for when we just don't feel like cooking- Nicky's Thai Kitchen being one of the most universally loved and acclaimed.
Peppi’s Review – The Roethlisburger is a Must Try Sandwich
If you've spent some time working your way through our meal and restaurant reviews on this site, you'll know that my general pattern for ordering items is if it sounds weird or is a flagship/namesake menu item, I must try it. At Peppi's Old Tyme Sandwich Shop, this came in the form of The 7, also known as the Roethlisburger.
With a sandwich named after Big Ben himself, there is no other that I would rather try- and now I can't order anything else from their menu.
Subba Asian Review – Traditional Nepali in the North Side
In 2022, Subba moved around the block to East Ohio Street. We have not visited the new location yet and this is from the former iteration. When we return we will update our review accordingly.
Nepal isn't known as a culinary capital of the world, but during our travels we fell in love with the country's unique cuisine– specifically the momos (a local dumpling) and daal bhat (a common feature in traditional lunch sets).
We weren't expecting to find this cuisine in Pittsburgh, but to our surprise a local Nepali family opened Subba Asian in the North Side which features dishes from India, China, and their home country of Nepal.
Naturally, we had to try the Nepali food we fell in love with during our visit.
Burgatory Review – Burgers and Alcoholic Milkshakes
Our quest to find Pittsburgh's best burger brought us to the popular local chain Burgatory, which prides itself on having organic and all natural ingredients, massive portions, and a devious selection of meats ranging from Wagyu beef to grass fed elk.
With multiple locations around Pittsburgh, including in PPG Paints Arena and Acrisure Stadium, we hoped that the burger chain would hold up where others fell flat. Luckily, after sampling our way around the Burgatory menu, we can most certainly say that it does.