Bull River Taco is a popular short order taco join that first opened in the South Hills. In 2017 they expanded to have their second location located right in the heart of Squirrel Hill, and their buzz continued to grow from there.
After many reader recommendations, we finally made it out to their Squirrel Hill location to see what they’re all about.
Driftwood Oven was a popular Pittsburgh food truck until early 2018 when the owners decided to ditch the wagon and open a brick and mortar restaurant right in the heart of Lawrenceville.
We were always big fans of this particular pizza as, well, who could say no to mobile brick oven pizza? We were a bit bummed to find out they wouldn’t be at our favorite breweries moving forward, but were also excited to see how they’d expand their pizza into a traditional restaurant concept.
They didn’t disappoint.
Ki Pollo has now become Nanban by Chef Roger Li. The restaurant features favorites from this one plus Ki Ramen and new dishes.
Ki Pollo is the brainchild of Roger Li (Umami) and Domenic Branduzzi (Piccolo Forno), and it’s located in Lawrenceville right next to another establishment of theirs, Ki Ramen.
This one serves up an interesting mix of Korean style fried chicken and Argentinian empanadas.
The restaurant focuses on making everything from scratch, right down to the dipping sauces for the fried chicken. This low key BYOB spot is a perfect place for a quick bite or a takeout meal.
La Tavola on Mount Washington is an acclaimed Italian/Sicilian restaurant that offers family cooked meals in a slow dining ambiance that we consider to be one of the best restaurants in Pittsburgh.
But while the restaurant may have a die hard following in local circles, their pizza shop located around the back of the restaurant is lesser known.
In this one, we take a trip back to one of our favorite spots solely to give their pizza menu a try!
Burgh’ers is a local burger joint that began with their first location in Zelienople, PA (about 30 minutes north of the city).
I had been eating at this one for years but never had the ability to write a review. So when they opened their second location right in the heart of Lawrenceville, I knew I’d finally get my chance to share my opinion of this growing, locally sourced restaurant.
As I expected, the new location did not disappoint.
Poulet Bleu was the first Richard DeShantz spot to be located outside of downtown’s Cultural District, calling Lawrenceville home, and is perhaps our favorite DeShantz endeavor yet.
The attention to detail in everything from decor to service to the food really creates a lovely and complete dining experience focused on a French theme.
DiAnoia’s is an Italian restaurant with an adorable Italian cafe vibe and is located in the Strip District.
During the week they serve an amazing lunch and dinner, but on Sundays? Sundays are for brunch. We’d heard lots of good things about their brunch, so we luckily snagged a somewhat hard to get reservation and checked it out.
We loved it so much we made a return trip for dinner and share our thoughts on both in this full review! But first, we have to start with brunch.
We distinctly remember when Meat and Potatoes opened up in 2011. It was one of the first chef-driven restaurants to open in downtown Pittsburgh (that we are aware of at least), helping to spur the revival of Pittsburgh’s dining scene.
We remember people were freaking out (in a good way) over the bone marrow, poutine, pate, and other appetizers and entrees that were less common at the time, as well as the craft cocktails.
Although we dined at Meat and Potatoes years ago when it opened, we figured we were long due for a return visit to see how it was holding up.
The short answer? Deliciously.
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.
The North Side eagerly welcomed Badamo’s Pizza to Federal Street in December 2017. This pie shop already has a well-established following and location in the South Hills, and as North Siders ourselves we are extremely excited to have another great pizza option in our neighborhood.