Restaurants

Three Brothers Bagels Review – Fast Casual in Glenshaw

Pittsburgh's bagel scene has been rapidly improving in recent years with the opening of many great shops with house-made bagels, bagel sandwiches, and more.

Those in the North Hills looking for a delicious bagel received one more option in the form of Three Brothers Bagels, which opened in Glenshaw in mid-2023.

The popularity of this one skyrocketed overnight, with frequent early sellouts, so of course, we had to visit shortly thereafter to check it out. For those who need a bagel, this one is a treat!

Read more

Hemlock House Review – A Modern Take on Pub Fare

Hemlock House opened in a prime location on S. Braddock Street in Swissvale (near Regent Square) in 2023 and serves up an array of modern pub fare with some flavor twists that you're unlikely to find anywhere else.

We visited this one with eager anticipation shortly after they opened and discovered this one is quite the gem.

Although we did not get to try the full bar menu just yet as the liquor license was still a work in progress, this pub is worth a visit for the food alone!

Note: At the time of our visit, Hemlock House had popups from local producers. So, while perhaps not their own bar program outright, you could still get a great drink with a meal all the same!

Read more

Duo’s Taqueria Review – Learn Spanish, Eat Tacos

Duo's Taqueria in East Liberty is a fun and delicious concept restaurant by Duolingo, where you can eat delicious Mexican food and also learn and practice Spanish. This spot has a colorful, upbeat, casual vibe that serves up delicious tacos on homemade tortillas as well as other Mexican specialties.

Duo's Taqueria was just a walk-up taco stand at the Duolingo building. We visited many times and judging by the long lines, we knew this concept was going places. And rightfully so, with Chef Marcella Ogrodnik at the helm. Chef Marcella was the owner of Cafe Agnes, an El Salvadorian pop up that served amazing pupusas and tamales at farmers' markets around the city. We are so excited that she is now at Duo's, bringing her skills for making fresh masa for tortillas and her knack for creating amazing flavor combinations.

Duo's recently built out an interior space in the building to change the restaurant to a sit-down concept (the walk-up window is now, sadly, closed). We visited shortly after re-opening to check it out and practice our Spanish.

Read more

ECHT Coffee House Review – Go For Coffee, Stay for the Food

ECHT Coffee House in Mount Oliver is more than just a coffee shop. In addition to roasting their own coffee and serving up cafe-style food, this sleek and design-focused spot will also soon be home to a distillery and cocktail bar giving the neighborhood a must-visit spot that will soon be enjoyed morning, noon, and night.

While we visited this one to get our coffee fix on, we ended up staying to enjoy the food menu and exploring the soon-to-come additions on the building's lower level.

You will be wise to do the same when you visit as well!

Read more

6 Places to Make a McKnight Road Shopping Trip Enjoyable

We will be the first to admit that when we have to go shopping to the big box stores on McKnight Road, we immediately get filled with a sense of dread.

Not so much because we have to shop at the big chains, but rather that driving on McKnight Road to our destination is, shall we say, a form of torture– and that is putting it kindly. From the abundance of red lights, never-ending traffic, and overall frustration of reaching our stops, we find that we need to give ourselves a little reward to get through it all.

So in this one, we thought we'd share a few of our favorite spots on (or just off of) McKnight Road that you should consider stopping at to help save your sanity when shopping!

Note: Businesses featured below are organized from north to south along McKnight Road between McCandless and Ross Township, specifically.

Read more

Fat Butcher Brings Quality Local Meats to Lawrenceville

When it comes to buying meats in Pittsburgh, we always look for two things- local farms using ethical practices and, if possible, processed by a skilled butcher.

The former is easy to find, and the latter, well, let's say the art of butchering meat felt like it was on its way out for quite some time with only a few famed butchers remaining in and around Pittsburgh.

Thankfully, this profession is starting to make a resurgence in the city, and if it is anything like what the team at Fat Butcher in Lawrenceville is doing, we are sold on what the future will be like.

Read more

G’s on Liberty Review – Classical Dining With a Twist

G's on Liberty in Bloomfield has a classic, upscale-leaning menu with an extensive wine list. Although this is a newer restaurant with modern decor, it has the vibe of a restaurant that has been around for decades. It's comfortable with incredibly friendly service and a menu full of favorites with hints of international twists.

So while we went to this one for a light dinner, we ended up staying for a feast.

Read more

EYV Review – Vegetable Forward Cuisine in the North Side

EYV in the North Side is a vegetable-forward restaurant that focuses on utilizing local produce from regional farms. On our recent trip, even in the middle of winter, we were surprised and delighted at the use of local vegetables in all of the comforting, delicious plates.

When it comes to dining healthy in the city, we could certainly use a few more places like this one!

Read more

The Foodture Review – Extreme Burgers and Wings

The Foodture was previously known as Back to the Foodture and changed its name in August 2023. The South Side location appears closed at this time but the Uptown location is open with the new name. This review was from before the restaurant rebranded and we are unsure if the menu has changed significantly at this time.

The Foodture has been making waves in the Pittsburgh food scene in recent years thanks to their impressive wing and, shall we say, rather extreme burger menu (amongst countless other reasons).

Sadly, due to many issues on our end, we could never make the logistics work of visiting their South Side eatery. 

But when this one announced they were adding on a new location at the former Buford's space in downtown Pittsburgh just next to PPG Paints Arena, we knew we had to visit as soon as possible. As it turns out, we happened to be at PPG Paints for a show on The Foodture's opening week (under its previous name, Back to the Foodture), and made sure to be one of the first ones in the door.

Looking back on it, we regret dragging our feet on visiting this one for as long as we did!

Read more