Rumors of amazing burgers and happy hour specials recently lured us into Butterjoint in North Oakland for a casual weeknight out.
We entered planning for one round and to split a burger, and left having tried so much more.
Restaurants
Square Cafe Review – Popular Brunch Spot in East Liberty
In August 2020, Square Cafe relocated from Regent Square to East Liberty.
Recently relocated to the vibrant neighborhood of East Liberty, Square Cafe is a weekend brunch destination that hits all the usual highlights: a bright, cheery space with typical breakfast cuisine utilizing ingredients from local farms and vendors.
Its menu of pancakes, omelettes, eggs benedicts, breakfast sandwiches, and crepes isn't breaking any boundaries, but it's a good spot for a comforting, reliable meal that has Pittsburghers coming back time and time again.
Industry Public House Review – Pub Fare and Beer
If you think finding a place to drink on a Sunday in Pittsburgh is difficult, try finding a place that's open on Monday. Harder still, make that Monday a public holiday when the entire city is virtually shut down.
Throw in our desire to go out and have a beer with friends, and that's how we ended up at Industry Public House in Lawrenceville on our recent visit.
Although this intro may make it sound like we were desperate for anything, which is somewhat true, Industry Public House had been on our list of places to try for quite some time and was rushed to the top due to this odd string of circumstances.
Thankfully, it ended up being a great choice for a beer-filled pub meal.
D’s Six Pack and Dogz Review – Hot Dogs in Regent Square
Thanks to Pennsylvania's unusual liquor laws, many businesses have popped up around the state offering different outlets for thirsty citizens.
One such outlet has been the beer mix-and-match shops where you can go in, find a selection of hundreds of beers, and come out with your own customized six-pack. These businesses often come with attached short-order restaurants and bars, and a good number in Pittsburgh specialize in hot dogs as their menu item of choice.
One popular shop in Pittsburgh of this style is D's Six Pack and Dogz in Regent Square. With a gourmet hot dog menu and over 1,000 beers in their beer cave, this one certainly has a worthy reputation worth seeking out.
After hearing so much about this one over the years, it was time for us to finally check it out to find out why it is so popular.
La Palapa Review – Authentic Mexican Cuisine in South Side
In 2017 La Palapa moved locations in South Side and expanded their menu. Our review is from before the move and we hope to check out the new location soon!
When it comes to finding authentic Mexican cuisine in Pittsburgh, it is truly a difficult task unless you know exactly where to look. Rather than celebrate the incredible food culture of Mexico, we are only able to find poor imitations and Tex-Mex restaurants that are just not the same.
But one South Side restaurant is going against the grain and is making some of Mexico's best meals right here in Pittsburgh. That restaurant is La Palapa and, along with their food cart of the same name, this one is changing the way we look at Mexican cuisine in the city.
Fiori’s Pizza Review – Award Winning Pizza in Brookline
When it comes to sharing Pittsburgh's best pizza on this site, it seems like every time we review one shop we receive countless recommendations of new places to try that are “even better”.
One restaurant that comes up time and time again is Fiori's Pizza in Brookline, and after being told to visit dozens (if not hundreds) of times, we decided to give this shop a try to see if it is worth the impressive following it receives.
Primanti Brothers Review – A Pittsburgh Sandwich Institution
When it comes to local Pittsburgh institutions, none are more famous than Primanti Brothers. For both visitors and locals alike this sandwich shop is one of the iconic Pittsburgh foods (often being called the Pittsburgh sandwich).
But what makes this shop so special, and why are Pittsburghers so passionate about it (on both sides of the spectrum)? It doesn't take much to figure it out.
Cafe io Review – A Weekend Lunch in Mt. Lebanon
Cafe io is a cute cafe in Mt. Lebanon. When you walk in you'll notice the simple and clean lines in the decor, polished hardwood floors, cheery service, and a menu that's on the surface very straightforward but has enough twists to keep you interested.
It's the kind of place that can please everyone: your grandma can get the BLT or turkey and gravy, your dad can get a big, juicy burger, and you can venture out for the fish tacos or roasted vegetable and hummus pizza.
Umami Pittsburgh Review – A Japanese Izakaya in Lawrenceville
One of the facts about Japanese cuisine in the USA we've always lamented is that most restaurants are the same old sushi places with eerily similar menus. Sure, you may get lucky enough to find an odd bowl of ramen or some delicious tempura here or there, but odds are good that any given Japanese restaurant will have a menu similar to the rest.
It wasn't until I visited Japan, where I tasted so many other unique Japanese cuisines, that I realized how much we are missing in our own Japanese restaurants.
Thankfully, many chefs have taken note of this as well and the under-represented foods of Japan are now getting their audience in the USA for the very first time.
In Pittsburgh, one restaurant that will be at the forefront of this blossoming trend is Lawrenceville's Umami. Themed after a Japanese izakaya (equivalent to our own alcohol-heavy gastropubs), this restaurant is one of just a few places in Pittsburgh where you can find some of the country's best entrees you've likely never heard of before.
Streets on Carson Review – International Street Food in South Side
[two_third_last]Angie and I always talk about the idea of opening a restaurant in Pittsburgh one day, and when this topic comes up it almost always turns to our love of the food we've had while traveling.
One idea for a restaurant concept that was always intriguing to us was street food from around the world, and when we found out Streets on Carson in South Side was opening to be a provider of just that, we got incredibly excited and knew we had to visit.
But as this was an idea we also had in our heads as something Pittsburgh sorely needs, we also knew that we would be among its harshest critics.