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15 Best Restaurants in Pittsburgh, PA

Travel Lens

Aug 7, 2022 • 12 min read

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Whether you’re a tourist or live in the city, you would know Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has plenty of excellent restaurants.

You can find eateries in the city specializing in popular international cuisines.

Pittsburgh offers all types of restaurants and cuisine, from East Asian, Spanish, Japanese, Italian, and Mediterranean.

You’re bound to find a restaurant on every city block with a unique ambiance and delicious food.

Discover the best restaurants in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to help you choose your next favorite dinner spot.

40 North at Alphabet City

The James Beard Award-nominated chef, Beth Zozula, opened 40 North at Alphabet City in 2021.

It’s near North Avenue and offers the ambiance of an old-school Greenwich village with sophisticated décor features.

The relaxing atmosphere of the restaurant makes it a perfect place for vibrant conversation accompanied by a wholesome meal and professional service.

One of the best items on the restaurant’s menu is the pan-roasted ribeye, served with fried and smashed potatoes, chimichurri, grilled asparagus, and dijonnaise.

The best thing about the ribeye is that the restaurant sources the beef from locally raised animals and cooks it the way it should.

You can also find delicious sandwiches, wraps, and side dishes like pickled eggs and chips.

The 40 North at Alphabet City also offers vegetarian food options, including khachapuri, beets and yogurt, and falafels.

Whether a meat lover or vegetarian, you can visit this restaurant to enjoy delicious food with your friends and family.

Fig & Ash

Fig & Ash is one of the best restaurants in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Established in 2020, it is seasonally focused and locally inspired.

Likewise, it houses four season courtyards, a kitchen, a bar, and a dining room.

The restaurant offers a modern, warm, and welcoming atmosphere where you can enjoy classic American cuisine.

It’s famous for its dinner options such as courgette risotto, short rib & pork belly meatloaf, double-cut pork chop, and elysian fields lamb ragu.

One of the best dishes at Fig & Ash is their hanger steak, served with watercress chimichurri, radish, freekeh, and brown butter celery root purée.

What makes the restaurant shine is its attention to detail and the use of quality ingredients.

If you’re looking for a restaurant that offers tasty foods and a wide assortment of wines, mocktails, and draft beers, then Fig & Ash should be your first choice.

Gi-Jin

Established in April 2021, Gi-Jin is a Japanese restaurant from the Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group.

The restaurant specializes in seafood dishes, like bluefin tuna and Maine lobster, and offers an immersive dining space with a ridiculous gin menu.

You can choose from an assortment of cocktails and wines to accompany your meal and enjoy your time in a contemporary, ultra-sleek atmosphere.

Gi-Jin is famous for its chef de cuisine, Michael Taylor, who prepares seafood dishes.

You can see the expert cook delve into his craft and make sashimi and nigiri with a taste that’s hard to find in Pennsylvania.

Try some incredible small plates at this restaurant, such as spicy tuna rice cake, hamachi Crudo, and beef tataki.

Morcilla

Morcilla, established in 2015, will be your next favorite restaurant in Pittsburgh if you love Spanish cuisine.

It offers a family-style menu featuring different categories such as platters, plates, croquetas, montaditos, and pintxos.

You can find a wide range of drinks, wines, coffees, and desserts from this restaurant to complete your meal.

You should start your meal with the tasty snacks that the restaurant offers.

If you like pork ribs, you must try costillas de la matanza, a luscious combination of baby back pork ribs, labneh, za’atar, and harissa honey.

Don’t forget to try salty pork bits, fried artichokes, and gambas en escabeche.

Spork

Spork is a chef-owned restaurant located on Penn Avenue, serving the city since 2016.

The restaurant specializes in serving house-cured meats and fresh pasta on their seasonal menus.

It offers a menu featuring plates like hummus and crackers, seared scallops, and crispy octopus.

You can also find large plates such as pasta prosciutto, forest mushroom ravioli, koji rye fried chicken, and wagyu spinalis.

The restaurant's menu changes with the season to utilize and take advantage of fresh local produce.

Spork gets most of the ingredients from a nearby quarter-acre vegetable farm, which means you can expect high-quality food.

You can visit this restaurant to enjoy the best lamb shank in town accompanied by seared scallops.

Alta Via

Alta Via is a comfortable and elegant restaurant specializing in wood-fired dishes and modern Italian fare.

Located on Fox Chapel Road, Alta Via started serving the city in 2019.

It offers a relaxed, minimalist, and stylish atmosphere, making it one of the best restaurants in Pittsburgh.

It allows you to enjoy the rustic flavors of Italian cuisine and add your choice of mocktails, cocktails, beers, and wines to the meal.

If you’re a vegetarian, this restaurant will become your next favorite spot in the city to enjoy good food.

They offer delicious vegetable dishes, such as castelvetrano olives, burrata, and little gem romaine, that bring out the best textures and flavors of the greens.

You can also find several meat dishes like meatballs, Gerber farms chicken, and orecchiette if you’re an omnivore.

Senti

Find Senti on Butler Street in the lower Lawrenceville neighborhood.

They opened in 2015 to bring traditional European service, authentic Italian food, modern dining, and wining to Pittsburgh customers.

It offers a great atmosphere with landscaped views and colorful wall art, making it one of the most visually appealing restaurants in the city.

If you’re looking for a restaurant for a special-occasion meal or a lovely date, then Senti is your best choice.

The best dishes you can enjoy at this restaurant include saltimbocca alla Romana and lasagna alla Veneta.

The restaurant’s menu includes a couple of seasonal main courses that you must try along with their popular starters, such as carciofo fritto and polpette.

Likewise, Senti’s wine list is one of the most exceptional in Pittsburgh.

Apteka

Apteka serves delicious Central European and Eastern food.

It’s a casual eatery where you can also find a range of cocktails and beers to pair with your meals.

It’s a trendy and laid-back restaurant with a country-rustic and spacious design, making it a perfect hangout spot.

If you’re a vegan/vegetarian, Apteka will be your next favorite restaurant because everything listed on its menu is vegan-friendly.

You’ll love their eggplant sandwich with cabbage bread, fried pierogies, beet borscht, and Zakaski.

The Apteka’s menu also contains a list of drinks, which also contains many nonalcoholic options to suit your taste.

Bar Marco

Established in 2011, Bar Marco is one of the most popular restaurants in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

It’s a fancy restaurant that specializes in Italian dishes and offers a contemporary and classy design.

The restaurant on Penn Avenue offers a two-course menu and a range of drinks, including cocktails and beers.

If you want to go somewhere that feels extra private and upscale for a cozy date, then Bar Marco is your best choice.

The Italian-style dishes that you should try at Bar Marco include rigatoni alla norma, pork tonnato, and chicken parmesan.

Both visitors and locals have made this restaurant their favorite place to enjoy mouthwatering food and delicious drinks.

Back to the Foodture

Back to the Foodture is a compact restaurant specializing in fast food.

It’s one of the best casual spots in the entire city to eat delicious wings, hot dogs, fries, and burgers.

They serve the food in traditional red-white checkered boxes that you can enjoy in a small space with a humble design.

Some of their best burgers include Double Beefy, Fiesta, and For the Love of Honey.

You can combine the burger with a mix of wet and dry wings that range from hot to mild.

Beto's Pizza

Beto's Pizza is one of the oldest casual eateries in Pittsburgh, opening in 1953.

You can find it on Banksville Road, serving pizzas, sandwiches, salads, and hoagies.

Beto's Pizza is the best restaurant if you’re looking for a family-friendly restaurant in Pittsburgh that appeals to every member.

All the pizzas at Beto's are made to order, topped with fresh provolone cheese.

You can also add some of your favorite toppings, like sausage, green peppers, and mushrooms for more flavor.

This local eatery's recipes are uncomplicated and offer delicious pizza smothered in cheese.

You can also order some curly fries, a side salad, and a buffalo chicken sandwich for a complete meal.

Grand Concourse

Grand Concourse is an award-winning restaurant that specializes in seafood.

It has served the Pittsburgh community since 1978, a testament to elegant and luxurious dining.

The restaurant offers excellent seafood dinner specials, poultry, and tender steaks.

On Sundays, you can enjoy the best brunch in the city.

One of the best things about this restaurant is its unique location, next to the riverfront.

The Grand Concourse offers the best ambiance if you want to enjoy a memorable dining experience with your special someone.

Some of the best dishes you can order at this restaurant include the ultimate seafood mixed trio, parmesan snapper and shrimp, and steak with lobster tail.

Eleven Contemporary Kitchen

Eleven Contemporary Kitchen offers classic American meals.

The restaurant has served Pittsburgh since 2004, featuring outstanding food options and wine list.

It’s a sophisticated date night spot that will keep you relaxed and comfortable throughout the meal with its contemporary lounge look.

The restaurant uses fresh seasonal ingredients to prepare delicious meals for brunch and dinner, such as fried pickle brined chicken, swordfish, and ricotta cavatelli.

The menu also offers a wide range of cocktails, wines, beers, and non-alcoholic beverages to pair with your food.

Try the braised short rib because it’s one of the most popular dishes of Eleven Contemporary Kitchen.

Oak Hill Post

Oak Hill Post is one of the most popular restaurants in Pittsburgh.

It’s a laid-back eatery featuring a clean and retro look with a calming atmosphere and offers the best breakfast and lunch in town.

You’ll love comfort food like Oak Hill Post’s specialty sandwiches if you prefer handheld food options.

The most popular breakfast options at Oak Hill Post include airy French toast and breakfast burrito.

You can try their All American Burger or No. 26 Sandwich, served with shoestring fries for lunch.

Casbah

Casbah is a contemporary and cozy restaurant that specializes in Mediterranean food.

Located on Highland Avenue, this restaurant is one of the best dinner spots in the city.

The restaurant offers a warm and cozy atmosphere where you can enjoy a family dinner or a romantic date.

On Casbah's menu, you can find appetizers, soups, salads, and pasta for your dinner meal.

There are also desserts, meal options for brunch, and a range of drinks, including wine, cocktails, and beers.

Try their arugula salad, seared sea scallops, and a Scottish salmon plate with short rib ravioli.

Final Thoughts

Pittsburgh is a beautiful city filled with tons of restaurants to choose from.

From casual eating spots to luxury restaurants, the city offers everything.

Hopefully, this list of the best restaurants in Pittsburgh will help you find the best choice. If you're looking for a cafe or coffee shop don't miss our article on the best cafe's in Pittsburgh.