12 of the Best Restaurants in Pittsburgh

Morcilla

 MorcillaPittsburgh, United StatesMorcilla
Butler Street, Lawrenceville
Think of pinxtos as tapas from the Basque region in Spain. James Beard nominee Justin Severino and wife Hillary Prescott form a power couple that’ll transport your tastebuds to the Iberian Peninsula with an assortment of charcuterie (his specialty), montaditos, crudos and well thought out wine pairings. Do NOT miss the opportunity for a cocktail here.
P.S. For the G&T crowd, they make their signature aromatic tonics in house.

Think of pintxos as tapas from the Basque region in Spain. James Beard nominee Justin Severino and wife Hillary Prescott form a power couple that’ll transport your taste buds to the Iberian Peninsula with an assortment of charcuterie (his speciality), montaditos, crudos and well thought out wine pairings. Do NOT miss the opportunity for a cocktail here. P.S. For the G&T crowd, they make their signature aromatic tonics in-house.

Everyday Noodles

 Everyday NoodlesPittsburgh, United StatesEveryday Noodles
Forbes Avenue, Squirrel Hill
This unsuspecting Taiwanese restaurant is the brainchild of Pittsburgh restaurateur Mike Chen. Essentials for a first visit are 1) seating, first and foremost—the glass kitchen partition let’s you watch the talent and finesse of visiting chefs from Taiwan thwack long stretches of noodle dough to order, 2) soup dumplings and pot stickers to start, hands down, 3) a noodle dish (it’s a no-brainer, but worth repeating—do NOT come to Everyday Noodles for the first time and order rice), 4) a month on Paleo.

This unsuspecting Taiwanese restaurant is the brainchild of Pittsburgh restaurateur Mike Chen. Here are some essentials tips for a first visit. Seating, first and foremost, the glass kitchen partition lets you watch the talent and finesse of visiting chefs from Taiwan thwack long stretches of noodle dough to order. Soup dumplings and pot stickers to start, hands down. Order a noodle dish (it’s a no-brainer, but worth repeating — do NOT come to Everyday Noodles for the first time and order rice).

Cure

 CurePittsburgh, United StatesCure
Butler Street, Lawrenceville
Justin Severino’s flagship restaurant in Pittsburgh was such a huge success that he opened Morcilla shortly after on the opposite end of Butler. This is a small, steezy space with dim lighting and a completely open kitchen and a penchant to not only please, but wow. Must have—large salumi plate.

Justin Severino’s flagship restaurant in Pittsburgh was such a huge success that he opened Morcilla shortly after on the opposite end of Butler. This is a small, steezy space with dim lighting and a completely open kitchen and a penchant to not only please, but wow. Must have — large salumi plate.

Meat & Potatoes

 Meat & PotatoesPittsburgh, United StatesMeat & Potatoes
Penn Avenue, Dahntahn
Hometown restaurateur Richard Deshantz is slowly taking over downtown’s—or as any yinzer might say, dahtahn—gastronomical reinvention. Meat & Potatoes offers amazing brunch items like shrimp and grits and composed and nuanced dinner plates like the Waygu Flat Iron (you guessed it, meat and potatoes). Don’t forget to explore his other popular forays Butcher and the Rye, Täko, and his latest, Pork & Beans—all dahntahn.

Hometown restaurateur Richard Deshantz is slowly taking over downtown’s -— or as any yinzer might say, dahtahn -— gastronomical reinvention. Meat & Potatoes offers amazing brunch items like shrimp and grits and composed and nuanced dinner plates like the Waygu Flat Iron (you guessed it, meat and potatoes). Don’t forget to explore his other popular forays Butcher and the Rye, Täko, and his latest, Pork & Beans—all dahntahn.

Whitfield

 WhitfieldPittsburgh, United StatesWhitfield
Whitfield Street, East Liberty
The introduction of an Ace Hotel drew the attention of many yinzers, and the Whitfield is the star of the show. Expect craft cocktails, synth music, thick horn rims and suspenders. If that’s not your thing, you can easily get lost in the food with a farm-to-table menu curated by Brent Young and executed by Chef Bethany Zozula. The whipped butterscotch cheesecake will make you cheese your pants, no doubt.

The introduction of an Ace Hotel drew the attention of many yinzers, and the Whitfield is the star of the show. Expect craft cocktails, synth music, thick horn rims and suspenders. If that’s not your thing, you can easily get lost in the food with a farm-to-table menu curated by Brent Young and executed by Chef Bethany Zozula. The whipped butterscotch cheesecake will make you cheese your pants, no doubt.

Pusadee’s Garden

 Pusadee’s Garden ThaiPittsburgh, United StatesPusadee’s Garden
Butler Street, Lawrenceville
By and large one of the Pittsburgh restaurants that I go back to the most. It’s best in warmer weather when you can enjoy the outdoor garden seating—a sprawl of brick patio with lattice, creeping ivy and twinkle lights at dusk. Any curry is a winner and you’ll be lucky if you can nab an order of the mango sticky rice as it’s perpetually 86’ed by diners in the know.

By and large one of the Pittsburgh restaurants that I go back to the most. It’s best in warmer weather when you can enjoy the outdoor garden seating — a sprawl of brick patio with lattice, creeping ivy and twinkle lights at dusk. Any curry is a winner and you’ll be lucky if you can nab an order of the mango sticky rice as it’s perpetually 86’ed by diners in the know.

Conflict Kitchen

 Conflict KitchenPittsburgh, United StatesConflict Kitchen
Schenley Drive, Oakland
This place stirs up contentious dialogue while dishing out affordable, tasty ethnic fare. Receiving death threats isn’t new to this CMU professor’s side project—a walk-up kiosk that only sells cuisine from countries with which the United States is in conflict. Past permutations have included Cuban, Palestinian, Venezuelan, Iranian, Afghan, and North Korean. The current menu is Haedenosaunee Confederacy. If you’re unsure what that means, Conflict Kitchen has succeeding in their mission to hook you and educate.

This place stirs up contentious dialogue while dishing out affordable, tasty ethnic fare. Receiving death threats isn’t new to this CMU professor’s side project — a walk-up kiosk that only sells cuisine from countries with which the United States is in conflict. Past permutations have included Cuban, Palestinian, Venezuelan, Iranian, Afghan, and North Korean. The current menu is Haudenosaunee Confederacy. If you’re unsure what that means, Conflict Kitchen has succeeded in their mission to hook you and educate.

Piccolo Forno

 Piccolo FornoPittsburgh, United StatesPiccolo Forno
Butler Street, Lawrenceville
The pepper crusted lard, shaved translucently thin onto a crostini melts when you breath on it. So damn good it’s worth begging my wife’s forgiveness after I stick my d*ck in it. This is not to say I’d swipe right on their homemade pasta or pizza either. Last tip: Don’t pass up the adjacent Grapperia—the establishment’s sister joint—while you wait. Piccolo Forno does not take reservations, so swill while you chill.

The pepper crusted lard, shaved translucently thin onto a crostini melts when you breathe on it. I wouldn’t pass on their homemade pasta or pizza either. Last tip: Don’t pass up the adjacent Grapperia -— the establishment’s sister joint — while you wait. Piccolo Forno does not take reservations, so swill while you chill.

Gaucho Parrilla Argentina

 Gaucho Parrilla ArgentinaPittsburgh, United StatesGaucho Parrilla Argentina
Penn Avenue, Strip District
Out of nowhere, this Argentinian gem blasted off. Gaucho expanded from its humble beginnings in a tiny side lot adjacent to the current building to accommodate the mob. Even so, you’ll regularly see a line out the door and curled down Penn Ave. If you like all things meat and wood-fired, this is where you belong. Aside from the meats, their chimichurri and alfajor game is bangin’.

Gaucho expanded from its humble beginnings in a tiny side lot adjacent to the current building to accommodate the mob. Even so, you’ll regularly see a line out the door and curled down Penn Ave. If you like all things meat and wood-fired, this is where you belong. Aside from the meats, their chimichurri and alfajor game is bangin’.

Muddy Waters Oyster Bar

 Muddy Waters Oyster BarPittsburgh, United StatesMuddy Waters Oyster Bar
South Highland Avenue, East Liberty
Who dat? It’s NOLA in the Burgh. Some of the freshest oysters from all over the US and Canada. Enough to give your libido and appetite a boost year-round, this place will definitely put you in the shuckin’ mood. If that’s not enough, sip a Sazerac, order the etouffee and Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Who dat? It’s NOLA in the Burgh. Some of the freshest oysters from all over the US and Canada. Enough to give your libido and appetite a boost year-round. If that’s not enough, sip a Sazerac, order the etouffee and Laissez les bons temps rouler!