Whew, it was a busy month for restaurant openings in Pittsburgh. Nearly a dozen new spots opened their doors, serving up hoagies, BBQ, smoothies, cider, and beer with a side of geekdom.
Here’s the complete report on what’s new in the city’s food and beverage scene (and what you might have missed last month).
Hello
🍻 A Sly Fox taproom near Point State Park is now open in the space that used to be Stone Neapolitan Pizza. Bonus points: They’re still serving pizza.
🎲 The North Side is welcoming Mana Boardgame Tavern and its mission to bring “great games, great drinks, and great people all together into a welcoming atmosphere.” Expect cocktails, beer, cosplay nights, trivia events, and “passionate geekdom.”
🍷 Mimi’s Modern, a lobby bar with coffee, wine, and cocktails is now open inside 11 Stanwix, per Very Local Pittsburgh. The team behind Market Street Grocery brought the space to life with a focus on an approachable concept with a carefully planned design.
🥘 From Dunning’s to Ease and now Frick Park Tavern, this newly updated spot in Regent Square promises comfort food in a homey atmosphere.
🥖 Steel City Subs is the newest concept inside Strip District restaurant accelerator Smallman Galley with locally sourced, healthy subs in addition to a selection of salads, bowls, and juices.
🍖 Describing itself as the spot for authentic southern BBQ in Pittsburgh, Smokin Ghosts BBQ is now open in Chateau.
🌭 Before your next flight, you can fuel up with hot dogs, grilled cheese, and juice — just probably not all at once, for the sake of your stomach. Franktuary, Melt Shop, and Joe & Juice are now open at Pittsburgh International Airport, Patch reports.
🍓 The former Oakmont Bakery building has gone from serving up sugary treats to blending smoothies. It’s now REV22 Juice & Wellness Bar, the seventh location for the local Salud Juicery & Wellness Bar franchise, NEXTpittsburgh reports.
🍏 Spring Garden’s Threadbare Cider House & Meadery has opened a location at Ross Park Mall, an addition bound to make holiday shopping more bearable.
See you soon
🍚 Kiin Thai & Lao Eatery will take over the Bangkok Balcony space in Squirrel Hill offering Thai and Lao foods, along with a few favorites from the Bangkok Balcony days, Pennsylvasia reports. Stay tuned for an opening date very soon.
🍳 Lola’s Eatery will open inside Lawrenceville’s Engine House 25 Winery very soon, drawing on a love of baking and Mexican-Filipino heritage.
🍕 Iron Born Pizza has moved out of Smallman Galley and is moving into the former Carhops location just down the street.
🐉 The subject of years of anticipation, restaurateurs Richard DeShantz and Tolga Sevdik are expected to open Gi-Jin soon. Look for sushi, gin, Japanese whiskey, and a giant dragon mural.
🍺 A development called 1700 Penn will transform a giant Strip District building into a destination for local booze. The Penn Avenue building will house a Pennsylvania Libations retail store, plus a full-service bar and taproom serving Helltown and Rivertowne beer and much more. An opening date has not been announced.
🍦 A Lawrenceville location for Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream is in the works, though it doesn’t appear any work has happened recently.
🍚 Oishii Donburi is coming soon to Lawrenceville from the owners of Oakland’s Oishii Bento, Pennsylvasia reports.
🍺 A new location for Dive Bar is coming to Regent Square in the former Ryan’s Pub location at some point in 2019.
🍣 A yet-to-be-named 14-seat sushi counter tucked on the second floor between Round Corner Cantini and Umami is expected in Lawrenceville.
🥗 Famed chef Justin Severino is planning a casual California-inspired cafe near North Park.
☕️ A CBD cafe called Lazydaze is coming to Lawrencville this fall — think of it as “an Amsterdam-style cafe,” the founder says.
🌮 Bloomfield’s Baby Loves Tacos is opening a second location in Millvale’s former Tazza D’oro location. The taqueria will also include a small market, which is significant, as Millvale doesn’t have a grocery store within walking distance.
🍱 Bae Bae’s Kitchen is working on a second location called Bae Bae’s Cafe with a focus on boba drinks and light bites. Look for it in late 2019 or early 2020.
🍗 Oakmont Barbeque Company is planning a permanent location — not in Oakmont but in neighboring Verona.
🍺 The Woods House, a Scottish pub, is slated for one of Pittsburgh’s oldest houses.
🍺 Platform Beer Co., the Cleveland-based brewery, will open a brewery and tasting room this year in Garfield.
🌯 A Mexican-Italian fusion restaurant is coming to the Strip District in partnership with Edgar Alvarez of Edgar’s Best Tacos.
🥞 The Speckled Egg, a breakfast and lunch spot with Belgian waffles, pancakes, bagels, and egg dishes is coming to the Union Trust Building Downtown, but an opening date hasn’t been announced.
🔥 Fig & Ash, a “farm-to-flame restaurant,” is headed to Deutschtown.
🥃 4Four6 Distillery is coming to Sharpsburg with gin, rum, and, eventually, bourbon and whiskey.
🍻 Rogan Brewing Co., a taproom with pints and growlers, is coming to West Homestead.
🍗 The Eagle, a casual fried chicken restaurant, is coming to Penn Avenue Downtown this fall.
☕️ Convive Coffee will open its flagship location in Lawrenceville this fall, joining its original McCandless store, per a press release from Midwood Investment & Development.
🌮 Empanada purveyor Mi Empanada will debut its first retail location in Lawrenceville this fall, according to Midwood Investment & Development.
🍺 BrewDog, a Scottish brewery with more than 50 locations around the world, will open this fall in the Eastside Bond building in East Liberty.
🎳 Shorty’s Pins x Pints, a new entertainment concept with duckpin bowling, bocce, pinball, cornhole, and giant beer pong, plus street food, is coming to the North Shore by year’s end.
🚀 Grist House Craft Brewery is turning a Collier Township Cold War-era Nike Missile Command Center into another outpost for the popular brewery. But a lot of work is ahead, so be patient. An opening date is expected a year or two from now.
🌮 Gordo’s Tacos & Tequila, with a menu inspired by Mexico City’s street foods, is coming to Mount Washington in February 2020.
🎮 Look for a location of the Punch Bowl Social chain with food and drinks, plus ping pong, darts, bowling, classic video games, and karaoke in the Lower Hill in 2020.
🍗 Chicken Latino is working on a Beechview location, but the Peruvian spot won’t move out of the Strip District until summer 2020.
Farewell
☕️ The Oakland Bagel Factory has closed its doors after seven years, per Boring Pittsburgh. The cafe’s Squirrel Hill location is still open.
🇬🇷 Tom’s Diner, a Dormont classic with nostalgic Greek and American food, has closed after four decades. As its owner wrote on Facebook: “After 40 years in business, it’s time to hang up the gyro knife and relax a little!”
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