Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, a restaurant chain with over 50 US locations, now has a location in Pittsburgh's SouthSide Works. We had dinner at Kura recently and were delighted with the atmosphere and the variety of options available- from nigiri to maki to made-to-order hot dishes.
Eating here was an experience and just plain fun!
We always wondered what would go into the old movie theater space in South Side Works, and we have to admit an entertainment complex was not the first thing on our radar.
But when Columbus-based Pins Mechanical Co. announced they were opening a two-floor, 30,000-square-foot bar and gaming facility, complete with duckpin bowling, pinball, vintage arcade games, and more, we were intrigued.
We were fortunate enough to check this one out shortly after opening for a media event, and have to admit this one packs a punch (and then some)!
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!
When we visit cities around the world as travelers, one of the first things we do is figure out a grand walking tour in order to get a feel for the city. We generally take anywhere from a half-day or full-day to do these self-guided city tours and really love checking things out on foot.
Until now, we had never put together one of these guides for Pittsburgh as our 90 neighborhoods often make it difficult to get around and see them all. Still, the neighborhoods in and around the central business district in downtown Pittsburgh have quite a lot to see and many of these spots are on the radar of those visiting Pittsburgh for the first time as well as long-time residents.
So in this one, we wanted to share what we consider to be the ultimate walking tour of downtown Pittsburgh! This walking tour covers five miles in the North Side, downtown Pittsburgh, Mount Washington, and Station Square and has 17 unique highlights worth checking out.
So put your walking shoes on and get to exploring this beautiful city!
Bonfire is a two-story restaurant concept in South Side by Chef Chris Bonfili, former chef of the now-closed Avenue B restaurant. While the South Side neighborhood may not have historically been on anyone's radar as a dining destination, restaurants like Bonfire are helping to slowly change that.
At Bonfire, you can dine in the more formal upstairs space with dishes like mussels, blistered shishito peppers, arctic char, and strip steak. Or, you can relax in the more casual space downstairs with options like flatbreads, mac and cheese, and sandwiches. Either way, the menus are a far cry from the bar food typical of this neighborhood.
Pittsburgh's South Side is often known as its bar crawl neighborhood, and you do not need to spend much time exploring this one to understand why that is- the bars are everywhere.
While this one is incredibly popular for college kids looking for a cheap drink and anyone in need of a night out with libations, there is actually quite a bit going on in the neighborhood beyond your typical bar. For us, while we visit this one for a periodic adult beverage ourselves, we often visit for other reasons, and wanted to highlight some of our favorite attractions, restaurants, and of course, bars in this neighborhood guide!
It is worth noting that the following is not a collection of every business in South Side. This article only features businesses that we personally visit when we explore the neighborhood. As such, it should only be taken as a starting point and is certainly not a list of every establishment. If you see an interesting business while exploring the South Side, do yourself a favor and go inside!
Sometimes when we try and find a new bar to hit in South Side, we go numb at the sheer number of choices. In many cases when visiting this neighborhood we often pick a reason for going out (deals, cocktails, draft list, etc.) and then limit our options down from there in order to make a choice.
On a recent night out we wanted to keep our tab low while having good beer and settled on The Library. Known for a cheap craft beer list and happy hour food specials, an affordable outing was exactly what we got!
Cilantro & Ajo is a casual Venezuelan restaurant located in South Side that features arepas and other delicious Venezuelan street food. We've had arepas from their food truck in the past, and they were so good that we knew we had to check out their brick and mortar location.
In 2022, Cocktails from the Crypt will be located at 705 Liberty Avenue downtown and is opening on October 6th. The below review is from a visit of ours in a prior year when the bar was located in South Side.
Pittsburgh's Halloween season is in full force with a number of hauntingly fun attractions to enjoy. Naturally, some pop-up bars have jumped onto the scene to celebrate this spooky season with themed libations!
One of these themed bars is Cocktails from the Crypt, a South Side pop-up managed by Spencer Warren of The Warren (a popular cocktail bar in downtown Pittsburgh).
I checked this one out shortly after it opened for its limited run and share a bit more on what the bar and cocktails are like below!
Dish Osteria in South Side is a cozy, traditional Italian restaurant that initially opened way back in 2000. While we had never made a visit before they closed in 2017, the spot had long been on our list of places to try. When they re-opened in the spring of 2019 we knew we had to make it a priority to hit up this much-loved Pittsburgh institution.