Now to my favorite part of Pittsburgh: where to eat. We had so many good meals (and drinks) in Pittsburgh. Living in Chicago definitely spoils you when it comes to unique restaurants, it’s such a foodie city. However, Pittsburgh definitely gave Chicago a run for its money.
As I mentioned, Pittsburgh is broken up into different neighborhoods, each with a totally different personality. We definitely ate the most (oops) while staying downtown, so I decided to wrap all these restaurants into one post.
Where to Eat in Pittsburgh: Downtown
Bluebird Kitchen: My husband was so eager to show me all his favorite coffee shops. Pittsburgh definitely has a ton of independent coffee shops, but Bluebird Kitchen was a favorite. Great pastries and breakfast selection (think quiches, egg sandwiches, etc).
The Milkshake Factory: A cute play on Warhol’s “Factory” but full of every imaginable milkshake. It was a perfect stop after our salads just didn’t do it. Would go here just for the cute ambiance and I mean, milkshakes.
Biergarten: I was most excited for this stop. An outdoor German themed bar on a downtown rooftop, sign me up. Such a fun place. Picnic tables, string lights, and outdoors games; if I lived in Pittsburgh this would be my go to. We had the fried pickles (delicious) and a few of their German beers (they had an endless selection). This bar was located on the top floor of the Hotel Monaco.
The Commoner: If you go to the basement of the Hotel Monaco, you’ll find the Commoner. I think this restaurant most resembles one you would find in Chicago. We went with the shared approach, and ordered a couple different dishes. Their menu has quite the selection, but everything was done very well. Some of our favorites: fish and chips (the fries were some of the best we’ve had), the oysters, and the street corn with chipotle aioli. The Commoner is perfect for date night or with a group of girlfriends. Definitely make a reservation if you are there for the weekend, it was quite busy all weekend.
I’m drooling. Queso Fundido.
Tako: The winner of the weekend. If you have ever talked to anyone about Pittsburgh, they will recommend Tako. And holy shit, totally lived up to its hype. Right off the bat, some things I love: The kitchen is in located in the front of the restaurant and surrounded by windows. Bringing a whole new meaning to “back of the house.” The menu is done in a newspaper style. A very fun concept.
The food is on another level. I was convinced that the best queso fundido was served in Chicago (at Big Star), but their queso destroyed it. I wish I was eating it right now. Seriously. My stomach just growled. When it came to tacos, I ordered the Korean style, while my husband ordered the Tako taco, which was made with octopus. The tacos are full sized and come in twos, so you don’t need to order a million kinds (though, I would be completely fine with that).
Can we talk about that queso fundido again?
To share with friends, post this photo!
Leave a Reply