Blog

Aug 18, 2023

Try 40 New And Soon

BALVANERA PHOTO BY MARK ZHELEZOGLO The question “Where should we eat?” is a lot harder to answer these days thanks to all of the restaurant openings in the area. From incubators that give fledgling

BALVANERA PHOTO BY MARK ZHELEZOGLO

The question “Where should we eat?” is a lot harder to answer these days thanks to all of the restaurant openings in the area. From incubators that give fledgling chefs a fighting chance to vegan joints, laid-back cafes and nostalgic bars, there’s a lot of food news to chew on. Good luck making a decision.

Barrio Tacos + Tequila + Whiskey

Barrio Tacos + Tequila + Whiskey is inside Ross Park Mall, between L.L. Bean and The Cheesecake Factory. You don’t even have to enter the mall to get some Mexican eats — there’s a door right next to the dog-friendly patio, which is lorded over by a gigantic mural of artist Frida Kahlo. It’s the first restaurant in the region for the Ohio-based chain that offers customizable options, dips, bowls and cocktails.

Ross: 1000 Ross Park Mall Drive

Brown Bear Bread Cafe

A Carnegie couple opened this cozy cafe in Mount Oliver, where they serve breakfast and lunch and bakery items such as English muffins, brioche buns, focaccia, ciabatta, multigrain and specialty loaves. It’s a good place to go before and after you hibernate.

Mount Oliver: 225 Brownsville Road

PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY KITCHEN

City Kitchen

The food hall at Bakery Square is now City Kitchen. The newly formed Shaka Restaurant Group, a local and minority operator, recently took over the food hall and communal bar from Galley Group. Concepts include Elevate, SOMI, Bahnmilicious and Al Dente. Pisco and Lime, a Peruvian fusion take on classics such as ceviche, is set to open in September. The addition of a charbroiler and smoker this fall will pave the way for a gourmet burger bar and Hawaiian smoked meats.

Larimer: 145 Bakery Square Blvd.

City Winery

The NYC-based winery, restaurant and performance space chain now has a spot in The Terminal. The venue has more than a dozen house wines on tap and features a globally influenced menu focused on small, shareable plates that are meant to complement the vino. The concert hall includes a balcony and seats about 250 spectators.

Strip District: 1627 Smallman St.

Condado Tacos

The North Hills just got a little spicier. Condado Tacos, an Ohio-based chain with locations in Lawrenceville, East Liberty, South Hills Village, Cranberry and Downtown debuted its sixth local restaurant in June.

McCandless: 9036 St. Simon Way

Eiwa Japanese Ramen & Bar

McKnight Road has another spot for authentic Japanese dishes. Popular meals include Hakata tonkotsu ramen and handmade pork gyoza.

Ross: 4860 McKnight Road

Essence Cafe

This new vegan eatery on the South Side provides an African fusion of flavors. Get a taste of Spinach Samosa, Jollof, Pilau and other dishes prepared by Chef Ojok Grichang.

South Side: 1924 E. Carson St.

Fat Cat Eats, Drinks & Music

Fat Cat is a new restaurant that’s a throwback to the ‘70s. The people behind the upscale Fig & Ash bought the building next door and transformed it into a two-level entertainment complex that sells nostalgic eats in an atmosphere that looks like your grandma’s rumpus room.

North Side: 520 E. Ohio St.

Hemlock House

Josh Sickels already makes some of the best pies in town at Rockaway Pizzeria in White Oak. Now he has a full-service spot that serves irreverent food and cocktails in Regent’s Square’s former Map Room. Just follow your nose to the delicious eats.

Regent Square: 1126 S. Braddock Ave.

Hong BBQ & Hot Pot

Why not make your next meal an adventure? A new spot in Ross will offer DIY Korean barbecue and Chinese hot pot, a cooking method that allows customers to add protein, noodles and veggies to a specially designed broth heater.

Ross: 4801 McKnight Road

Liberty Pole Spirits

Raise a glass (and possibly the dead!) at Liberty Pole Spirits’ new “whiskey campus”. The property, located 4 miles from the distillery’s original headquarters, includes a five-story barrel warehouse, two pot stills and a colonial-themed tasting room known as the Meetinghouse that will delight booze enthusiasts as well as history buffs.

North Strabane: 800 Adios Drive

Mullett’s

The Mullett family knows their surname is well-suited for Pittsburgh, where the mullet hairstyle is still a thing. The full bar is bourbon-focused with 20 signature cocktails and a gluten-free food menu by Chef Gabe Bevilacqua.

Mount Lebanon: 297 Beverly Road

PHOTO OF ROSS CAFE BY KRISTY LOCKLIN

Ross Cafe

A former pizza joint on McKnight Road is now a colorful sit-down restaurant serving traditional breakfast and lunch favorites as well as Turkish specialties. Pistachio cream waffles with fresh blueberries and banana slices is a tasty way to start the day. Want to try something new? Order Sigara Boregi, fried rolled filo dough stuffed with cheese and parsley, or Menemen, a mix of fried tomato, green pepper, onions, eggs and melted cheese.

Ross: 4846 McKnight Road

Sia’s Garden Grown

At this vegan eatery in East Liberty, veggies receive special attention. Chef Anthony Palumbo has a knack for making healthy food taste indulgent. The deli case is typically stocked with quick-grab eats in compostable containers. The made-to-order menu changes weekly.

East Liberty: 220 N. Highland Ave.

The Speckled Egg

This upscale diner is now crackin’ in two locations: the original site in Downtown’s Union Trust Building and the 6,120-square-foot space located in the SouthSide Works. Order breakfast or lunch, an eye-opener cocktail or an after-work beverage (both Eggs are open until 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday). The Speckled Egg shares its new digs with Commonplace Coffee, a local roaster with multiple cafes throughout Pittsburgh. It’s a one-stop shop for all of your food-and-beverage needs.

South Side: 428 South 27th St.

Tom’s Watch Bar

Tom’s Watch Bar has locations across the country — each with 360-degree viewing experiences. Founded in 2014, the chain pairs a central oversized stadium screen with sports programming, ensuring every seat is the best seat in the house. The menu features barroom fare and beer is available in a two-handled, 40-ounce stein.

North Shore: 261 North Shore Drive, Suite 3

Twin Peaks

You won’t find damn fine coffee or the Log Lady in this Twin Peaks. Instead the nationwide chain offers a rustic lodge atmosphere with frosty mugs of beer, upscale pub fare and the flannel-clad Twin Peaks Girls.

Robinson: 200 Park Manor Drive

Arthur’s Korner Pub

Galley Group is breathing new life into a bar that’s been in business for eight decades. This fall, the Korner Pub will re-open as Arthur’s Korner Pub. The spot will have 10 craft beer taps, a large canned beer selection with to-go options, liquor and wine. There’s no kitchen, so the food will be limited to locally sourced frozen pizza, fresh popcorn and prepackaged snacks.

Mt. Lebanon: 4 Bower Hill Road

BALVANERA PHOTO BY MARK ZHELEZOGLO

Balvanera

This fall, Pittsburgher Meredith Boyle and Fernando Navas, a native of Buenos Aires are opening a restaurant in the Strip District. Balvanera, a 4,400-square-foot brasserie, will feature traditional Argentine fare, South American wines and craft cocktails.The restaurant’s first location opened in 2014 on New York City’s Lower East Side.

Strip District: 1600 Smallman St.

Burgh’ers Brewing

Burgh’ers is taking over the ‘Burgh. The brewery and smash burger bar already operates in Zelienople and Lawrenceville, but owners Fiore Moletz and Neil Glausier are also planning another taproom at The Highline development on the South Shore and flagship brewery-restaurant at a former bank in Millvale.

South Shore: 339 McKean St. and Millvale: 400 Grant Ave.

CoNectar

Bee-lieve it or not, there’s a nectar bar opening in Millvale. Master beekeeper Christina Joy Neumann, along with her brother and sister-in-law Jon and Larissa Neumann are working on a 1,000-space where customers can learn about bees while enjoying drinks and small plates that complement the honey.

Millvale: 411 Grant Ave.

CoStar Brewing

The nano brewery that started in Highland Park is finally getting a big building across the river in Etna. You’ll soon be able to sip a Hopland Park Pale Ale on-site.

Etna: 325 Butler St.

The Coxcomb

The owners of The Beerhive in the Strip District are creating a buzz in Murrysville. Their new restaurant concept is expected to hatch this summer.

Murrysville: 5060 William Penn Highway

Curbside

Established in 2008 on Freeport Road in Blawnox, the Little Cafe That Could is chugging along to a larger space on nearby Powers Run Road. The building has been given a colorful facelift courtesy of Mad Rabbit Walls to complement the food, drinks and sweets inside.

Blawnox: 1101 Powers Run Road

Greenhouse Co-Op

Pretty soon you’ll be able to plant yourself at Greenhouse Co-Op to sip cider and talk with the resident horticulturist.

Greenfield: 557 Greenfield Ave.

Hazel Grove Brewing

A 6,400-square-foot building and warehouse space in Hazelwood will soon reopen as a 15-barrel brewery with a bar, lounge area and firepits.

Hazelwood: 4609 Irvine St.

Fet-Fisk

Nik Forsberg is anchoring Fet-Fisk, his Scandinavian pop-up that means “greasy fish” in Swedish, on Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield. The former Lombardozzi’s Restaurant, an Italian food institution for 50 years, will soon be Pittsburgh’s go-to spot for European-style cooking with Nordic- and Western PA-inspired twists.

Bloomfield: 4786 Liberty Ave.

Jackworth Ginger Beer Brewery

Jackworth Smith, whose dad owned a Regent Square bar for 32 years, is opening up a brewery, but, unlike the more than 40 other suds-makers in Allegheny County, he’s focused on making alcoholic and NA ginger beer. The space, located across the street from Goodlander Cocktail Brewery, will have a full bar slinging ginger-based cocktails and a wide selection of beer, liquor, cider, wine, kombucha and tea from across the Commonwealth.

Larimer: 6615 Hamilton Ave.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAK’S BAKERY

Jak’s Bakery

In his native Bulgaria, Zhelyazko “Jak” Latinov ran a popular bakery. He’s hoping to repeat that success in Bloomfield. The Main Street business will be a destination for Eastern European specialties, including vita banitsa, a savory, cheese-filled phyllo pastry and rosehip jam kifla.

Bloomfield: 4310 Main St.

KPOT

KPOT, a nationwide chain specializing in all-you-can-eat traditional Asian hot pot and Korean barbecue restaurants with a nightlife vibe, is bringing its brand of dining and entertainment to Pittsburgh.

Squirrel Hill: 1816 Murray Ave.

Lawrence Hall

A building constructed in the 1890s is being remodeled into a modern, 170-seat food hall with five independent restaurants, an ice cream scoop shop, two outdoor power stations for food trucks and a communal bar called Dear, James. The historic storefront is expected to open its doors in 2024.

Lawrenceville: 4609 Butler St.

Long Story Short

Cinderlands Beer Co. is revamping its original foederhouse in Lawrenceville into a bar and sandwich shop. The new concept opens Aug. 14.

Lawrenceville: 3705 Butler St., First Floor

Love, Katie Distilling

Katie Sirianni is opening Pennsylvania’s first LGBTQ-owned distillery in Sharpsburg.

Sharpsburg: 816 Main St.

The Midnight Whistler by Necromancer

After giving birth to a beer factory inside the former USA Baby supercenter in Ross, Necromancer Brewing Co. is overhauling the old Hough’s in Greenfield. Opening this fall, The Midnight Whistler will put a spooky spin on a British-style pub.

Greenfield: 563 Greenfield Ave.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHAKE SHACK

Shake Shack

New York City-based Shake Shake, known nationwide for its made-to-order burgers, crispy chicken sandwiches and hand-spun milkshakes, will make its Pittsburgh debut at The Terminal in 2024.

Strip District: 2101 Smallman St.

Shabu Shabu Hot Pot & Grill

The Nashville-based restaurant will open a location in McCandless Crossing shopping center this year.

McCandless: 900 Providence Blvd., Suite 200

Stew Wood Fire Fusion

Prepare to get stewed again at the former Fuel and Fuddle Gastropub. The people behind The Colombian Spot, are taking over the Oakland Avenue space where they will specialize in homemade stews and other comfort foods with European and Latin American flair.

Oakland: 212 Oakland Ave.

Third Space Bakery

A worker-owned, community-focused bakery and teaching space will occupy the former Spork Pit in Garfield.

Garfield: 5349 Penn Ave.

Trace Echo

Bloomfield’sTrace Brewing is opening a second location, complete with a Ghost Coffee Collab cafe, in Uptown this fall.

Uptown: 23 Miltenberger St.

Vibrant Sunshine Juicery Cafe

The folks from Lawrenceville-based Pittsburgh Juice Company are opening an eatery focused on fresh foods, juice and organic kombucha in Aspinwall. The business is expected to open in the former Patty’s Farm Market, carrying on a long tradition of selling healthy eats from the corner lot.

Aspinwall: 103 Delafield Road