Like an expanse of green parkland or canopy of old-growth trees, some restaurants are so woven into the fabric of a neighborhood that it’s hard to imagine the place without them.
These are places with great food and an authentically welcoming vibe. And yet in the constant quest for what’s new and hot right now, it’s easy to overlook them.
Here are 10 of our favorite neighborhood gem restaurants. (Admittedly, it’s a little North Side and South Side-heavy.) May they never close.
Dish Osteria and Bar, South Side
It was closed for a time, to the chagrin of many. Now Dish is back, and somehow — in a city that’s not exactly hurting for Italian food — it remains the gold standard. Picture sipping amaro in the dim light of its elegant barroom, with perfect panna cotta on the way. A hearty glow on one’s cheeks, after consuming some eternally good dish like Quaglia alla Griglia (quail atop polenta and broccoli rabe) or Polpo alla Griglia (grilled Spanish octopus). What city are we in again? What country? What century? (Who cares!)
Sarafino’s Restaurant, Crafton
This humble Italian restaurant was featured on the show “Bizarre Foods,” which is a bit mystifying — and the segment spotlighted their Greens and Beans (with sausage), which seems like the least bizarre thing ever. Host Andrew Zimmern states that it’s meant to be a home-cooked dish, “too humble to be served in a restaurant” — but not in Pittsburgh! Well, come for the Greens and Beans, I guess. But stay for wonderful dishes like Pazzo’s Tuna Panini, veal parmagiana, pizza and any pasta served with Barb’s Bolognese Sauce.
Café Du Jour, South Side
Café Du Jour isn’t exactly a secret. It’s been right there on the South Side’s main drag since 2001 or so. And yet, it does so little in the way of calling attention to itself (uninspired name), that it’s easy to miss. That’s too bad because Café Du Jour has found the sweet spot between great food and a completely low-key, unpretentious atmosphere. Dishes like the North African Spiced Braised Beef (with hints of lemon, fennel and mint) and Z’atar Spiced Pork Chop take chances on bold, unexpected flavors, with much success. Plus, there’s an unexpectedly beautiful back patio when the weather’s warm.
D’s Six Pax & Dogz, Regent Square
Long before craft beer was even a thing, D’s was stocking weird and wonderful ales, lagers and stouts in its cavernous “beer cave.” Now every bar in town does it, but D’s is still among the best in this department. And besides stocking all that exceptional beer, one of its lesser-known qualities is D’s terrific menu of bar food that’s way better than it needs to be. Their hot dogs (or kielbasa, or cheesy bratwurst) are worth the trip alone — try the Hot Valentine, topped with sweet potato fries and Sriracha slaw, or the Angry Tiki, topped with hoisin sauce, bacon and pineapple. Their veggie dogs are also the best in town, and their double-fried fries have an extra dimension of crunchiness that sets them apart.
Monterey Pub, North Side
A cozy pub in a walkable neighborhood, with surprisingly good food — what could be better? Okay, the North Side is full of such places, but we won’t hold that against this cozy spot in the Mexican War Streets. Grab a Guinness and pair it with the Guinness Shredded Beef Nachos or Smoked Salmon Nachos, and you’re set for a brisk autumn night. There’s an art to good bar food and they’ve got it nailed here: the Sweet Potato Tater Tots, Fried Cheese Curds and giant Haddock Fish Sandwich are especially good. There’s also a full array of Irish pub fare, including standards like the Shepherd’s Pie and unusual things like the Devonshire Boxty — taking an Irish potato pancake and submerging it in layers of turkey, bacon and pepper jack cheese sauce — a twist on the classic Pittsburgh dish Turkey Devonshire.
Legends Eatery, North Side
It was formerly called Legends of the North Shore, which was an unnecessary mouthful. Better to save that room for the food. You’ll find plenty of Steelers stuff on the walls: The Legends in question all wear black and gold. Though the name gives few clues, this place is all about classic Italian dishes, like Gnocchi Bolognese and Eggplant Melanzane (featuring “Mama’s Gravy”), served with surprising refinement. Legends is small and sweet and consistently great. It’s also BYOB.
Max’s Allegheny Tavern, North Side
The undisputed heavyweight champion of longevity in Pittsburgh dining, Max’s has been a bar and/or hotel for more than 100 years in historic Deutschtown. It took its present form (which looks like a turn-of-the-19th-century tavern) in 1977. This is the opposite of cutting-edge cuisine, but can anything top the immortal combination of German beer, cheese and tubular meats? Expect the best; order the wurst. By this, I mean weisswurst (mild veal sausage), knackwurst (beef) and bratwurst (veal and pork sausage). Then get the amazing deep-fried Bavarian stuffed pretzels and you can practically roll yourself home.
Point Brugge, Point Breeze
There are few culinary pleasures in Pittsburgh as dependable as the Moules Frites at Point Brugge, the Belgian beer bar known for its strong menu. You can flex your mussels — a pound and a half of them! — with four different sauces (I prefer the Classic White Wine or Red Curry) and perhaps the city’s best fries. Or, go big in another direction with the Carbonnade Flamande — beef braised in a Belgian brown ale. Now they’ve got spots in Highland Park and on the North Side that are well on their way to becoming similarly beloved local institutions in those neighborhoods. But you can’t beat the original.
Amel’s Restaurant, South Hills
Though it’s on the edge of a nondescript South Hills strip mall — and only in a “neighborhood” in the vaguest sense — Amel’s is unique enough to merit a place on this list. It’s like a charming trip back in time, from the “Arabian Nights” mural to the white tablecloths and dishes like Baked Artichoke Parmesan with Spinach, which has fallen off most menus for no good reason. Instead of homely Italian, though, they mostly serve classic Middle Eastern dishes like fire-grilled shish kabobs, curiously sweet baba ghanouj, and of, course, a gyro platter.
Johnny’s Italian Dining, Wilmerding
This kind of classic red-sauce Italian-American restaurant used to be everywhere in Pittsburgh, but they’re becoming rare nowadays. It’s too bad, because sometimes you just want a familiar dish delivered with gusto, like Johnny’s Linguini with White Clam Sauce or Veal Saltimbocca a la Romano or even Oysters Rockefeller — dishes that are disappearing from menus by the day. This is the kind of place where you automatically hear Sinatra playing, even if it’s just in your head.
Check out more in this recent great Pittsburgh restaurants off the beaten path.
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