Gaucho is moving from the Strip District to a bigger, beefier Downtown location

After seven years in the Strip District, the beloved Gaucho Parrilla Argentina is moving to a new, bigger location.

Sometime this spring, Gaucho will open in a new location Downtown at 146 Sixth Street (the old Six Penn Kitchen) across from Heinz Hall. 

“We’re growing up and growing into the next phase of Gaucho,” General Manager Erica Isaac said. “We’re really excited about it because it has so much more space for us. We’re at max capacity for our current location.”

That means people may be able to wait inside in the new space. The line that snakes around the current Strip District building is a hallmark of that location. 

Gaucho is also “looking at changing our style a little bit, too, with more tables” and a new hybrid model offering counter service.

The menu, though, will stay the same. 

“The heart of Gaucho is going to stay the same,” Isaac said. “The kitchen’s very tiny at 1601 (Penn). It’s amazing what comes out of that kitchen.”

Gaucho is known for its wood-fired meats and veggies, plus salads and sides. You can smell the restaurant before you see it, as the aroma of their grill wafts down Penn Avenue.

The exact opening date is yet to be determined as Gaucho works to make the new space their own. 

“The bones of the restaurant are there,” Isaac said, but they do need to move a grill into the space, of course. 

And the Gaucho team is no stranger to construction. The restaurant started as an 8-foot sandwich shop along Penn Avenue in 2013 that they dubbed “Baby Gaucho.” Then, they turned the storefront into the kitchen and expanded next door into the current area called “Gaucho Grande.” 

The current location had never been a restaurant, so they built it from the ground up. 

As for the new location, the staff is calling it Gaucho 3.0.

In the meantime, Gaucho’s Strip District location will continue operations. The team hopes to lead into the new location with only a week or two to relocate.

Gaucho has raked plenty of acclaim over the years. Yelp called it one of the top 100 places to eat in the U.S. Hoodline said it’s among the most popular spots in the Strip. And it was named best steakhouse on Pittsburgh City Paper‘s best of list.

Isaac unveiled the move to the staff last night and said the staff is excited for what’s next. 

“It was like Christmas morning.”