Pabellon is a unique restaurant that serves both Mexican and Venezuelan cuisine at its location on Banksville Road. While Pittsburgh has its fair share of Mexican restaurants and even several Venezuelan restaurants, the combination of the two at Pabellon is special and sure to please.
Restaurants
Diners 2+1 Review – Japanese Staples in Squirrel Hill
Diners 2+1 in Squirrel Hill is the kind of Japanese restaurant that has something for everyone. Not only do they have a large sushi menu (which brought us to visit), they also have a wide array of starters, rice bowls, and full entrees as well.
But as we were in the mood for sushi, during our first visit we stuck heavily to this side of the menu with some appetizers for good measure.
tako Torta Review – A Fast Casual Adaptation in Bakery Square
In the past, we've raved about the high-end taco restaurant, aptly named tako (Japanese for octopus), in Pittsburgh's Cultural District. This restaurant features artisan tacos, a stellar tequila bar, and an ambiance that perfectly fits its location downtown.
One thing the restaurant is not, however, is approachable. Prime reservation slots are often booked up weeks in advance, and an order of their namesake tako tacos (yes- an octopus taco) clocks well over $20. A decent price for octopus, but an extreme one for tacos all the same.
So when we heard that the Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group was opening another tako in Bakery Square, we had a moment of pause. “A high-end restaurant there?!” was our immediate gut reaction. Thankfully, the restaurant, called tako Torta, takes a fast-casual approach to this restaurant's delicious menu with tacos, torta sandwiches, and more!
Fujiya Ramen Review – Go for a Japanese Feast in Shadyside
Fujiya Ramen in Shadyside is a Japanese restaurant serving up not only ramen but also other traditional dishes like rice bowls and yakitori. While we love sushi, we also love other Japanese foods and are happy that there are more and more restaurants in Pittsburgh showcasing the breadth of Japanese cuisine.
Naturally, we had to make our first visit a feast!
Girasole Review – Flawless Italian Dining in Shadyside
There are some Pittsburgh restaurants that are straight-up classics. Places that execute their menus with a level of perfection where you want to go back over and over again while also having survived the test of time.
Girasole in Shadyside is one such restaurant.
While it took us many years to finally make our way into this Italian restaurant for a meal, we certainly won't be waiting that long for our 2nd, 3rd, or 4th visit.
Mandy’s Pizza Review – An Allergy Conscious Pizza Joint in West View
Mandy's Pizza in West View is a popular pizza joint that has a robust menu of appetizers, sandwiches, salads, pizza, and more.
But where most pizza shops would simply thrive on a vast menu alone, Mandy's goes one step further with being incredibly flexible with customer requests- especially around dietary restrictions. Gluten-free? You got it. Allergies? They can handle it. Vegan? That too.
In fact, Mandy's is probably the most vocal business we've seen in Pittsburgh when it comes to catering to dietary restrictions, so if you fall into this category but still crave pizza, this should be great news to you (but as always, pending the severity of restriction it is always best to call and talk with them about their practices).
But during our first visit, we stuck with a fairly traditional order of pizza and fries. So let's share what it was like!
Treetops Review – Fine Dining With a Frank Lloyd Wright Vibe
The Laurel Highlands in southwest PA is a hub of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, and Polymath Park in Acme, PA, takes things one step further with their on-site, Wright-inspired restaurant- Treetops.
As we are always down for fine dining in unusual locations and the Wright architecture experience in the region at large, you know we had to check this one out to see what it is all about.
MoonLit Burgers Review – Smash Burgers Come to Dormont
MoonLit Burger is one of those restaurant concepts that has taken Pittsburgh by storm starting from their very first event. In just one year the concept went from having somewhat infrequent popups around the city to opening a dedicated restaurant to sling their popular LA-style smash burgers in Dormont.
While we, unfortunately, never made it to a pop-up event, we made sure to be one of the first people in the door when the restaurant opened in November 2021.
It was worth the wait, but admittedly with some kinks that we couldn't completely overlook as well.
The Woods House Review – A Historic House Turned Scottish Pub
When we first heard about The Woods House restoration project, our ears perked up. As one of the oldest houses in Pittsburgh (constructed in 1792 by John Woods), we often remarked about how unfortunate it was such a beautiful and historic structure was in a state of disrepair every time we drove by.
When we found out that the restoration project involved turning it into a Scottish pub to honor the history of the early settlers of Hazelwood, we were in. Naturally, we visited The Woods House shortly after it opened to give it a try, and stuffed ourselves full of hearty and traditional pub fare.
Afghan Kabab House Review – Don’t Miss Out on the Appetizers
Periodically we'll lament about what Pittsburgh needs, and when it comes to the city's dining scene, the answer is always the same- fewer gastropubs and more international restaurants.
Not just any international restaurants (although we'd certainly take whatever came out), but restaurants with cuisine from countries that are woefully underrepresented in the region. One such country whose cuisine was lacking in the city was Afghanistan, but we're now happy to report that Carnegie is home to a wonderful spot right on Main Street- Afghan Kabab House.
While you may find the flavors of the kababs to be in line with other delicious Middle Eastern fare you've had in the city, you'll do well to throw on several of the Afghan appetizers as these are true gems that are unlike just about anything we've had to date.