Restaurants

Sly Fox Brewing Review – A Great Time at The Highline

When we first visited Sly Fox Brewing, it was for their downtown Pittsburgh location just steps away from Point State Park.

To put it bluntly, we were not fans.

While the beer was true-to-form for their traditional styles, we just generally thought the space was small, cramped even when the patio was closed, and wasn't the kind of place we would make a dedicated trip downtown to enjoy. If you work nearby it is great for a quick round, but we just never found ourselves prioritizing a second visit.

Thankfully, Sly Fox Brewing has opened a second location in Pittsburgh, at the stunning Highline in South Side (close to Station Square right on the Great Allegheny Passage), and has quickly become one of our favorite spots for beer in Pittsburgh!

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Anthos Bakery Review – Greek Dining in the South Hills

Anthos Bakery in Castle Shannon is a delightful family-owned Greek bakery and cafe. In addition to their amazing sweet and savory breads and pastries, they offer a full breakfast and lunch menu brimming with Greek and Mediterranean goodies. The delicious food is served in an adorable cafe setting that's cheerful and welcoming.

The instant we walked into Anthos Bakery we were smitten – the pastry case beckoned us with its beautiful creations, olive oils, and other pantry items for sale called our names, and the cheerful Mediterranean design with blue and white tiles invited us to sit down and stay a while.

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10 Great Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants in Pittsburgh

While we are not vegetarians or vegans, we have to admit we have a love of fresh, healthy, and locally grown vegetables.

In fact, when we're not out eating our way around the best restaurants in Pittsburgh, we are often at home cooking meals that are oftentimes vegetarian or vegan using produce either from our garden or our local CSA farm shares.

That being said, while vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Pittsburgh are, sadly, few and far between, there are many gems you will want to check out the next time you are in the mood for a vegetarian or vegan meal! So in this one, we thought we'd share some of our personal favorites covering an array of cuisine styles.

As with everything on our site, this article features only a selection of great Pittsburgh vegetarian and vegan restaurants. It is not meant to be comprehensive and only features spots we have personally visited over the years. So let's get to it!

Disclaimers: This list will call out when restaurants are vegan, vegetarian, or have mixed menus including non-vegetarian items. While most of the restaurants featured below are either 100% vegan or 100% vegetarian (likely with some vegan options), those that offer mixed menus are included because their vegetarian/vegan options are quite strong. Likewise, menus can and do change regularly. It is not unheard of for area restaurants to offer a vegan menu and then change back to a traditional menu over time (e.g. when there is a change of chefs). We highly recommend reconfirming all menus before visiting to ensure your dietary needs can be met. Our guides, as always, should only be treated as a starting point.

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Sally Ann’s Review – Cafe-Style Dining in Downtown

Sally Ann's is yet-another Richard DeShantz restaurant concept, and it fills a much-needed niche of providing casual, veggie-forward breakfast and lunch fare in downtown Pittsburgh.

Taking over the old Pork and Beans spot, this large space in the heart of the Cultural District has a vibrant, casual feel with lounge-style couch seating in the center of the restaurant, plenty of high-top tables, and a large outdoor seating space on 6th Street.

Keeping in line with the cafe vibe, the food and drinks are all counter service- there is a dedicated register for ordering food, while drinks are ordered separately at the bar. There's also a separate line for coffee drinks during the day. While this took a second to get used to, it really highlighted just how different this one is compared to other restaurants nearby!

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Jian’s Kitchen Review – A Large Chinese Menu in Squirrel Hill

Jian's Kitchen is a bit unsual by Squirrel Hill standards in that it does not have a prominent storefront on Forbes or Murray.

To find this Chinese gem, you're going to have to go into the basement of an office complex via a narrow doorway in the heart of the Forbes business district. This truly is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it kind of place, so having an idea that this one is indeed in the basement with minimal front signage is key.

So, what kind of Chinese food does this one offer? To be honest this one features unique dishes from all over the country, including popular American Chinese dishes as well, but during our first visit we decided to stick close to the Northeastern China side of the menu!

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Cioppino Review – Seafood and Chophouse in the Strip District

Cioppino Restaurant & Cigar Bar has been a staple in the Strip District for well over a decade with its seafood and chophouse-focused menu and prized cigar bar tucked away in a back room.

We were able to visit this one to check out the seasonal summer menu as guests of the restaurant for a media night, and have to admit we can see the allure of this gem on Railroad Street!

Note: Many of the appetizers we sampled were served family-style for the event. As such, our photos may not be representative of true portion size.

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Spork Review – One of Pittsburgh’s Finest Dining Experiences

Spork is a unique fine dining restaurant that is not just fancy, it's creative and delicious, too.

We recently celebrated our anniversary at Spork, and while the meal was certainly a splurge (our second most expensive in Pittsburgh), we thought the complexity and intrigue of each dish, along with the complimentary small plates interspersed throughout the meal, made this an unforgettable dining experience that we would happily repeat.

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Taqueria el Pastorcito Review – Food Truck Turned Restaurant

Taqueria el Pastorcito came onto the Pittsburgh food truck scene serving up delicious tacos with their star item being their tacos al pastor. This style of pork is cooked on the traditional Mexican trompo, a vertical rotisserie like what is used to make gyros and shawarma, and is something you don't see all too often in the city.

We first visited this truck on one of its inaugural outings and fell in love with their food as they immediately transported us back to the many wonderful tacos in Mexico we were fortunate enough to sample when visiting.

Naturally, it should be no surprise that this food truck became an instant hit. In fact, in just about a year they went from only being a food truck to also opening a dedicated taqueria in New Kensington about 30 minutes east of downtown Pittsburgh.

We of course had to visit shortly after it opened to get more of their delicious taco creations. 

It was worth the drive.

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