Restaurants

Bill’s Bar and Burger Review – A Stellar Burger in Pittsburgh

Bill's Bar & Burger, located in the same building as the Westin downtown, is an over-the-top burger spot with a surprisingly delicious weekend brunch menu.

Although Bill's has several other locations in the New York area, the Pittsburgh location is developing its own character by using local suppliers and creating special menu items unique to the local dining scene.

The burgers are some of the most tender, juicy ones we've had in the city, the beer selection is pretty impressive, and the Bloody Marys at brunch are not to be missed.

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The Quest for the Best Reuben in Pittsburgh

When it comes to eating sandwiches at restaurants, aside from the traditional burger or a unique and gourmet oddity, odds are good we're going to defer to one of our favorites: the Reuben.

This sandwich has just about everything we could ask for in a go-to choice.  A mound of corned beef, a handful of sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and a generous slathering of Thousand Island dressing is enough to make us happy if we're in the mood for our favorite sandwich.

Unfortunately, not all restaurants are equal when it comes to sandwich making, and more often than not the Reuben is the hardest to get right. But when they do, odds are good that they can make anything delicious and are a good spot worth returning to in order to try more creations.

As a result, our quest to find Pittsburgh's best Reuben sandwich was born.

Note: In the past, our quest style articles organized Reubens in various categories from below average to excellent. Since then, we have decided to remove any category style tier. That said, Reubens in this article loosely ordered by increasing preference in this article. So if you want to see our very favorites, scroll to the end!

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Blue Dust Review – A Gastropub Celebrating the Steel City

The term blue dust may not be one you know of unless you grew up in and around the steel industry. This is the term for hematite-rich iron ore which was known for covering worker's clothing with a blue hue from a long day's work in the mill.

In fact, we did not know about this term until visiting the Carrie Furnaces in Rankin, PA, where our tour guide recommended us to visit a little gastropub nearby with the same name of this colorful material.

Not being one to turn down a recommendation when given to us, we decided to continue our Steel City experience with a visit to the Blue Dust gastropub across the river in Homestead.

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Runner Stone Mill House Review – Seasonal Food and Cocktails

The Runner Stone Mill House restaurant at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott hotel is an excellent addition to the Pittsburgh hotel dining scene. While it's relatively easy to find good hotel dining in the downtown area, as you move outside the city limits it definitely becomes trickier.

Luckily, the Runner Stone Mill House hits all the right points to help fill this void.

It's got a sleek, modern decor with different seating options ranging from high tops to more intimate lounge-style seating, and it's got a great craft cocktail list and a seasonal dining menu that uses fresh, local ingredients with lots of house-made touches.

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Teppanyaki Kyoto Review – Unique Japanese Fare in Highland Park

When you hear the word teppanyaki, your first thoughts are probably about those horribly themed hibachi restaurants that are available in just about any city in the country.

I'm here to report that the Japanese restaurant Teppanyaki Kyoto in Highland Park is not that.

What this restaurant is, however, is one of the most authentic Japanese establishments you'll find in Pittsburgh. As someone who has eaten his way around Japan, and loves just about everything there is about the country, it is high praise when I say that Teppanyaki Kyoto does it right.

But as much as Teppanyaki Kyoto offers an incredible menu full of Japanese items you may never have tried, the real gem of this restaurant is one particular dish: okonomiyaki– my favorite Japanese food of all.

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Monterey Pub Review – Neighborhood Pub of the War Streets

Note: In fall 2021, Monterey Pub reopened with new owners. We have not visited since the pub was purchased. The below review is from a visit with the previous owners. As such, things may be different now. We will update this review once we return for another visit!

Tucked among the quaint row houses in the Mexican War Streets, Monterey Pub is exactly the kind of neighborhood watering hole you'd expect it to be: it's the kind of place with regulars, wooden booths, and dark corners.

But it's also got a few delicious tricks up its sleeve, including a great food menu full of Irish pub fare, burgers, salads, and sandwiches.

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