Pittsburgh was once hailed nationally as a foodie destination because of its booming culinary scene. Whether that’s still the case could be up for debate. But there certainly wasn’t a dearth of news on the restaurant front this year.
Here were the comings and goings of 2023.
Yes, we’re open
Alta Via
A second Alta Via restaurant opened in October, a complement to the original location in O’Hara. Owned by Big Burrito Restaurant Group, the newest location is in the former Molinaro Ristorante & Bar in Market Square and known for handmade pasta and grilled meats and vegetables.
The Market Square establishment (2 PPG Place, Downtown) can accommodate 80 people in a lower-level party room and 155 patrons in the dining room and bar area. There is outside seating.
Details:altaviapgh.com; 412-981-5155
• • •
Ash Taphouse
Ash Taphouse opened in the former Beermuda (2150 Freeport Road, New Kensington) in July and offers about two dozen pizzas. There also are soups, salads, sandwiches, pasta and desserts as well as chicken dishes, salmon, and macaroni and cheese.
Details:Ash Taphouse Facebook page; 724-212-3348
• • •
Balvanera
Argentine restaurant Balvanera opened in October inside the former Metropol night club (1660 Smallman St., Strip District). The brasserie serves dishes that are inspired by Buenos Aires and features more than 200 Argentine wines. The menu has items such as empanadas, steaks served with fresh chimichurri and rotisserie roasted vegetables.
Details: balvanerarestaurants.com; 412-586-5617
• • •
Brown Bear Bread Cafe
Brown Bear Bread Cafe opened in June in the spot that once housed the Kevin Sousa restaurant Mount Oliver Bodega and most recently The Finer Diner. Prior to that, Kullman’s Bakery was a staple in the neighborhood (225 Brownsville Road, Mt. Oliver).
Details: Brown Bear Bread Cafe Facebook page; 412-431-9125
• • •
Café Momentum
Café Momentum Pittsburgh opened in March (268 Forbes Ave.). It provides a 12-month paid internship for local young men and women exiting juvenile facilities. They receive the experience of all aspects of a fine dining restaurant, including cooking, serving and management.
Upcoming Local Events
Some of the menu items include cheese and meat boards, smoked fried chicken, double-cut pork chop, and tofu, rice noodles, mushroom, squash, yellow coconut curry and almond.
Details: cafemomentum.org; 412-315-7765
• • •
Charred
Charred opened in September inside City Kitchen in Bakery Square in Pittsburgh’s East End (145 Bakery Square Blvd). It is a gourmet burger bar serving prime cuts of grass-fed beef on freshly-baked buns and house-made sauces. Choices include brisket, short rib and chuck as well as Ahi tuna, salmon, and veggie burgers.
Details: citykitchenpgh.com; info@citykitchenpgh.com
• • •
Duo’s Taqueria
Pittsburgh’s largest tech company, Duolingo, opened Duo’s Taqueria in May (5906 Penn Ave., East Liberty). It’s a full-service Mexican restaurant and bar that features staples such as tacos al pastor, ceviche, smoky lamb barbacoa de borrego and cajeta, a sweet chocolate dessert. Guests are encouraged to practice Spanish through interactive games at the table.
Details: duostaqueria.com; hola@duostaqueria.com
• • •
Feast
Feast opened in April in Richland (5513 William Flinn Highway). The restaurant uses local and regional ingredients.
The cuisine is modern American. The establishment serves Pennsylvania spirits and brews.
Details:www.feast-pa.com; 724.502.4050
• • •
Hemlock House
Hemlock House opened in July in the former Map Room Grill & Bar (1126 S. Braddock Ave., Regent Square) which never opened after the pandemic, Hemlock House serves elevated bar food such as specialty pizzas and lobster roll tacos and crab and bacon hush puppies.
Details:hemlockhousepgh.com; 412-660-2742
• • •
Honeygrow
Honeygrow opened in November (3975 William Penn Highway, Monroeville). The fast-casual restaurant chain is a Philadelphia-based eatery, which specializes in made-to-order stir-fry, salads and honeybars.
Details: honeygrow.com; 412-229-7231
• • •
Iceburgh Express
Iceburgh’s Express opened in June (15 E. Pittsburgh St., Greensburg), though it’s currently closed for the season. It offers create-your-own salads and wraps, along with pre-made wraps, snacks, cookies and beverages. It’s the second Iceburgh’s location. The other is the eat-in Iceburgh’s Bistro in Irwin which opened in 2017. Both offer fresh and healthy foods.
Featured Local Businesses
Details:iceburghs.com; 724-420-5962
• • •
Kura Sushi USA
Kura Sushi USA, a revolving sushi bar, opened in September (415 Cinema Drive, SouthSide Works). Plates of sushi are moved along a conveyor belt. It’s extremely popular in Japan. Kur-B the KuraBot delivers drinks and other small items table side.
The menu has more than 140 selections, including sushi rolls.
Details: kurasushi.com; 412-515-0110
• • •
Layne’s Chicken Fingers
Layne’s Chicken Fingers opened in September (3621 Forbes Ave. Oakland). The chicken is marinated for two days, then breaded and fried and served with crinkle cut French fries, Texas toast and a drink. It is located inside the former Halal Guys space on the University of Pittsburgh’s campus.
The chicken is halal — Arabic meaning “lawful or permitted.” Halal chicken refers to dietary practices and how the animal is fed and processed.
Details: layneschickenfingers.com; 412-808-1222
• • •
Lilith
Jamilka Borges, a native of Puerto Rico, opened Lilith (238 Spahr St., Shadyside) with pastry chef Dianne DeStefano in November. The food is a inspired by their Puerto Rican and Sicilian heritages. They offer gluten-free and vegetarian dishes and tasty desserts.
Details:Lilith Instagram Page; 412-744-9290
• • •
Long Story Short
Long Story Short opened in August (3705 Butler St., Lawrenceville). The former Cinderlands restaurant and taproom is now a bar and sandwich shop with indoor and outdoor seating.
The food menu consists of sandwiches using Mancini’s bread, vegetarian options and burgers and chicken sandwiches. There are draft and classic cocktails and 11 choices on tap.
Details:cinderlands.com; 412-251-0656
• • •
Oasis
The City Kitchen Oasis patio pop-up opened earlier this month in Bakery Square in Pittsburgh’s East End (145 Bakery Square Blvd.). It’s a seasonal outdoor space with a heated lounge area and a stylish décor. There are food and drink specials.
Upcoming Local Events
Details: citykitchenpgh.com; info@citykitchenpgh.com
• • •
Raising Cane’s
Raising Cane’s opened in October in the former bar and grill Thirsty Scholar (3610 Fifth Ave., Oakland). The chicken tenderloins are hand-battered, breaded and cooked to order and served with the signature Cane’s sauce, which is a top-secret recipe. A second location opened in North Versailles earlier this month and a third is set for South Fayette in 2024.
Details: raisingcanes.com; 1-267-742-3673
• • •
Ritual House
Ritual House opened in February in the former Union Standard establishment (524 William Penn Place, Downtown) in the Union Trust Building. Desserts are homemade pastry chef Zoe Peckich, who claimed the title of Food Network’s “Summer Baking Championship” in June. A full-service bar serves hand crafted, hand-shaken cocktails all with fresh ingredients. The menu features salads, a Turkey Devonshire, burgers and homemade soups and weekend brunch.
Details: ritualhousepgh.com; 412-904-2002
• • •
Sforno
Sforno opened in July (217 S. Fourth St., Jeannette). The restaurant serves specialty and traditional pizzas, salads, flatbreads, hoagies and desserts. Each item comes with a quirky name — Lucille Balls for a meatball hoagie and Mariah Cherry for a pizza topped with cherry tomatoes.
The Italian word sforno translates into bake or take out of the oven in English.
Details:Sforno Facebook page; 412-239-0169
• • •
Shaka
Shaka opened in September inside City Kitchen in Bakery Square in Pittsburgh’s East End (145 Bakery Square Blvd.). It has a Hawaiian flare with fresh poke bowls and island-inspired cuisine.
Details: https://citykitchenpgh.com/; info@citykitchenpgh.com
• • •
Sia’s Garden Grown
Sia’s Garden Grown, a plant-based restaurant opened in June in East Liberty (220 North Highland Ave.). It offers a selection of grab-and-go items along with a weekly made-to-order menu and smoothies.
Details:siasgardengrown.com; 412-839-1200
• • •
Stew Wood Fire Fusion
Stew Wood Fire Fusion opened in the former Fuel and Fuddle (212 Oakland Ave., Oakland) earlier this month. It brings an eclectic mix of meats, sandwiches — and stews. Stew will rotate local beers on tap and may soon serve chicken wings.
Featured Local Businesses
Details: Stew Wood Fire Fusion Facebook page; 412-586-5439
• • •
Tepache
A second Tepache Mexican Kitchen & Bar opened in October (1374 Freeport Road, O’Hara), replacing the Atria’s that had been in that location for nearly two decades. The restaurant features classic Mexican food. Owners added more natural light, with windows all around. The décor includes humming birds, which in Mayan folklore are believed to connect the earthly and heavenly realms.
Details: tepachepgh.com; 412-406-7265
• • •
The Coxcomb
Siblings John and Will Patterson and Joey Robl opened The Coxcomb (5060 William Penn Highway, Monroeville) in August in the former Bella Luna space on the Monroeville-Murrysville border. The restaurant serves elevated American fare. Appetizer options are house-made cornbread with cotija butter and smoked wings. The Fry Tray has freshly cut fries served with ketchup and five other dips.
The Coxcomb’s beer menu features local craft brews and domestic and imported bottles and cans of beer as well as an espresso martini and an old-fashioned. There are also non-alcoholic drinks and mocktails. The plan is to serve weekend brunch.
Details:coxcombpgh.com; 724-519-2788
• • •
The Foodture
The Foodture restaurant (1014 Fifth Ave., Uptown) is back after copyright fight over name in August. The former “Back to the Foodture” restaurant reopened under a new name. The menu has several burger and wing and salad choices.
Details: The Foodture Facebook page; back2thefoodture@gmail.com
• • •
The Sequel
The Sequel (5129 Route 30, Greensburg) opened in May in the former Cozumel Mexican Restaurant. The fare is American-style dishes such as burgers, sandwiches, hoagies and wraps, along with soups and salads. There are pasta dishes, meatloaf and chicken pot pie to steaks, seafood, surf and turf, and specialties including pork osso bucco, bacon-wrapped pork loin and Southern-style smoked baby back ribs.
Upcoming Local Events
The restaurant is BYOB.
Details: The Sequel Facebook page; 724-691-0133
• • •
The Speckled Egg/Commonplace Coffee
The Speckled Egg cracked open its second location, this one in collaboration with Commonplace Coffee, in July (428 S. 27th St. in SouthSide Works Town Square, South Side).
Both businesses are housed in a space that was formerly occupied by BD’s Mongolian Grill. One of the popular items is the T.S.E. Breakfast Sando, which has two broke yolks, T.S.E. sauce (which stands for The Speckled Egg and is a mayonnaise and hot sauce combination), American cheese and Boston lettuce on an onion and poppy bun. The Speckled Egg serves beer, wine and cocktails.
Diners can order espresso and cappuccino with their meals and the drinks will be made by Commonplace Coffee baristas.
Details:thespeckledeggpgh.com or commonplacecoffee.com; 412-206-7793 or 412-945-0653
• • •
The Vietnamese Kitchen
The Vietnamese Kitchen (5177 Route 30, Hempfield) opened in January and offers Vietnamese dishes such as pho, a beef-broth-based noodle soup. It also serves steamed rice and vegetarian dishes and banh mi sandwiches, using fresh ingredients sourced from Pittsburgh Strip District suppliers.
Details: thevietnamesekitchengbg.com; 724-420-5092
• • •
Tom’s Watch Bar
Filled with 100-plus televisions and digital stadium screens, Tom’s Watch Bar opened in August nestled between PNC Park and Acrisure Stadium (261 North Shore Drive, North Shore).
Tom’s offers an array of domestic, imported and craft beers, all available in two-handled 40-ounce steins. The menu features traditional sports bar fare with a contemporary flair — think burgers and wings but also crispy pickle chips, an ahi tuna tower and various types of tacos. There is a patio.
Details:tomswatchbar.com; 412-254-8338
• • •
Vento’s Pizza
Vento’s Pizza (420 N. Highland Ave., East Liberty) reopened under new ownership earlier this month. The shop, home to “Franco’s Italian Army” for decades, offers pretty much the same menu as the original shop. The Vento family announced in February that the East Liberty restaurant would close after nearly seven decades of slinging handmade pizzas and hoagies. The restaurant became a hub for “Franco’s Italian Army” when Al Vento and his business partner, Tony Stagno, created the fan club in 1972 for the late Franco Harris.
Featured Local Businesses
Details: ventospizzapgh.com
• • •
Wilson’s BAR-B-Q
Wilson’s Bar-B-Q, a staple on Pittsburgh’s North Side, reopened in a new location (2615 Perrysville Ave., Perry South) in August. The establishment sells baby back and St. Louis barbecue ribs and chicken, all topped with the family’s secret recipe of homemade sauce.
Wilson’s Bar-B-Q is takeout only.
Details:Wilson’s Bar-B-Q Facebook page; 412-322-7427
• • •
Sorry, we’re closed
Atria’s
Atria’s restaurant in O’Hara closed in June after nearly 20 years serving pasta, steaks and seafood. The restaurant, which has been operating since 2003, was replaced by Tepache Mexican Kitchen & Bar. The company wanted to focus on its four other Atria’s locations — Mt. Lebanon, Peters, Murrysville and Pleasant Hills — Juniper Grill and the Aviary.
• • •
Bado’s Pizza Grille & Ale House
Bado’s Pizza Grille & Ale House on Beverly Road in Mt. Lebanon closed in November after four decades. Staffing issues combined with an offer to buy the building were two key factors in the decision to close. Owners will continue to serve pizza, pasta, hoagies and other dishes from their food truck.
• • •
Blue Dust
Homestead gastropub Blue Dust in Homestead closed in September after almost 15 years. It opened at a time when craft beer and elevated pub food was hard to find in Pittsburgh. It was located at the site of the old entrance to the U.S. Steel Homestead Works.
• • •
Double Wide Grill
The Double Wide Grill on Pittsburgh’s South Side closed in October after 18 years. The space is planned for a barbecue-inspired restaurant, Spork Island Trading Co., possibly opening in late spring.
• • •
Fuel and Fuddle
Fuel and Fuddle in Oakland closed in May. It had been a staple for University of Pittsburgh students since 1996.
• • •
Hough’s Taproom
Hough’s Taproom in Greenfield closed in May. Midnight Whistler is expected to open inside the former space as an English pub offering homemade sausages, smoked wings, brisket chicken sandwiches, smash burgers and a cheesesteak as well as vegetarian options and weekend brunch.
Upcoming Local Events
• • •
Mad Mex
The Mad Mex restaurant in Oakland closed in February after nearly 30 years in business. The location was the first Mad Mex, opening in 1993.
• • •
Mandarin Gourmet
A stalwart in the Pittsburgh Downtown dining scene for more than four decades closed in September. Mandarin Gourmet had been serving Chinese food on the first floor of the YWCA building. The restaurant was featured in the Fred Rogers film “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” starring Tom Hanks.
• • •
Rock Bottom
Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery, one of the first tenants in the Waterfront in Homestead, closed in July. When it opened 25 years ago, it was one of the few options for craft beer in Pittsburgh.
• • •
Uno Pizzeria and Grill
Uno Pizzeria and Grill at The Waterfront in Homestead closed in October. One of the original tenants at The Waterfront in Homestead, the Boston-based chain is known for its Chicago-style pizza.
• • •
Wagon Wheel
The Wagon Wheel in Salem closed in November after more than six decades in business. It had been a staple along Route 22. One of the most popular items is the red devil’s food cake. The famous dessert will continue to be available in whole cakes. Wagon Wheel began serving the red devil’s food cake in the 1980s. Customers can call 724-468-8189 to order the cake.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact JoAnne by email at jharrop@triblive.com or via Twitter .