A new month has begun, and you know what that means. We’re back with our monthly food-and-drink updates and recommendations. The ‘Burgh is serving some hot new spots to try this month, with everything from coffee and cocktails, to pizza and pasta, to comfort food and brews.
We’d like to remind everyone that while most COVID-19 restrictions in Pennsylvania were lifted on Memorial Day, and restaurants were permitted to open at full capacity, a lot of restaurants are struggling to find the resources they need to do so. In many cases, staffing is still sparse. So please remember to be kind, cautious, and of course, tip well.
In case you missed last month’s edition, catch up here. If we missed something, let us know so we can add it to the list.
Now, read on and remember to drink (and dine) responsibly.
Hello
🍟 Back To The Foodture just released a sequel. The beloved burger and wing spot moved to a new location on East Carson Street, becoming the first Black-owned business in the South Side Works, per TribLIVE.
🍦 Dari Delite, a longtime Swissvale neighborhood spot, is scooping up sweet treats under new ownership and will soon add dairy-free options, per Good Food Pittsburgh.
☕ De Fer Coffee & Tea, a Strip District fave, recently set up a new shop at The Highline and has since expanded to another spot in South Oakland.
🍖 The Eagle Food & Beer Bar is serving Southern staples in the Steel City, like fried chicken, hush puppies, and collard greens. They’re open for indoor and outdoor seating on Penn Avenue, Downtown, per NEXTPittsburgh.
🍺 Four Points Brewing, a Charleroi-based brewery, reclaimed the old Shamrock Inn on the North Side with indoor and outdoor space to enjoy a bevy of beverages.
➡️ Galley Bakery Square is cooking up with four restaurant concepts: GG’s Cafe, Somi, City Fresh Pasta, and Bubba’s. Can’t choose where to take your friends for dinner? This spot, inspired by the former Smallman Galley in The Strip District, has something for everyone.
🍸 Goodlander is a cocktail brewery in Larimer pouring drinks from kegs of carbonated, low-waste cocktails like moscow mules, gin & tonics, and mojitos. They’re sold in returnable glass growlers so you can return, refill, and enjoy.
🍝 The Italian eatery Pizzaiolo Primo reopened under new ownership and is back to serving Neopolitian pizza and pasta in Market Square.
🏨 The Rebel Room and The Industrialist Lounge are two casual eateries located in Downtown’s newest hotel, The Industrialist Hotel. The Rebel Room serves American fare for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and The Industrialist Lounge is a prime spot for an after-work cocktail, per Hospitality Net.
🍹 Tonic Coffee, a woman-owned coffee/mocktail bar, is “inspired by world travels and inclusivity” and is now serving artful drinks in Lawrenceville.
Editor’s note: My partner and I tried it out over the weekend, and it was such a delicious experience. I had a lavender latte, and he had their signature drink, “Tonic Coffee.” The drink was earthy with the addition of charcoal and refreshing with hints of lime. It’s definitely the coolest (and only) coffee cocktail I’ve ever tasted.
🍕 Urban Oven is slinging pizzas, paninis, and even pancakes at its wood-fired joint in the Strip District.
See you soon
🍽️ 40 North is bringing global cuisine to Alphabet City on the North Side this summer, taking over the former Brugge on North. It shares the space with City of Asylum’s bookstore and will be led by Executive Chef Bethany Zozula and Beverage Director Sam Suter. Both are formerly from Ace Hotel’s popular Whitfield Restaurant, per Pittsburgh Magazine.
🚙 Rear End Gastropub & Garage is parked on Butler Street in a converted auto service station and will sell food inspired by an all-American road trip. It’s expected to hit the gas in the first week of July, according to NEXTPittsburgh.
🧀 Bitter End Rye & Charcuterie Bar is Rear End’s sister restaurant and the former location of Nooch’s Bar. It will offer “whiskey & meat” in a modern speakeasy with specialty cocktails and charcuterie boards. This location is set to open a couple months after Rear End.
🍸 G’s on Liberty will replace the Alexander’s Italian Bistro on Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield with “a full service restaurant, focusing on real, innovative, creative food, and cocktails.” An opening date is getting “closer and closer.”
🍷 Con Alma, the popular Shadyside restaurant and jazz bar, is opening a second location Downtown this summer, right across from Heinz Hall.
🌮 Construction is underway at Gordo’s Tacos & Tequila in Mount Washington.
🍔 Burgh’ers Brewing is set to bring smash burgers to The Highline in South Side this summer, NEXTpittsburgh reports.
🍕 Woodfired by Lorelei is coming to East Liberty from the team behind Lorelei, a cocktail bar in the historic Werner Building. While they’re still setting up shop, follow their page for pizza pop-ups.
🍺 Sly Fox Brewing Co., a Philly-based brewery, is putting down roots at The Highline on the South Side this summer.
🌮 Tako is bringing its luxe, Asian-Mexican fusion to Bakery Square this summer.
🍳 The Journeyman’s Table is still on its journey to opening on Butler St., and will soon offer New American cuisine alongside craft cocktails, wine, and local beers.
🍵 Adda Coffee & Tea House is opening its fourth location in Downtown’s Cultural District this fall with a coffee shop and local vendor hall combo, per Good Food Pittsburgh.
🍺 Back Alley Brewing is on a mission to create Dormont’s first craft brewery, and you can follow along with their progress on Instagram.
🍕 AVP, a pizza-focused spinoff of Alta Via, is joining the restaurant lineup at Bakery Square later this year, adding to big Burrito’s restaurant portfolio around town, Pittsburgh Magazine reports.
🍸Storyville Lounge, a “hidden” Victoria-era bar, will be the latest venture by the owners of Dr. Tumblety’s Time-Inspired Specialty Shop in Allentown coming this fall, NEXTPittsburgh reports.
🍽️ Tupelo Honey, a Southern cuisine chain, is coming to Station Square later this fall and will become an early anchor of the updated Freight House Shops, per Pittsburgh Patch.
🍳 Wild Child, from acclaimed chef Jamilka Borges, is bringing Carribean-influenced dining to Etna. It will open soon, but here’s a peek inside until then.
🍻 Bonafide Beer Co. is planned for the former Chicken Latino spot in the Strip District.
🍻 Two Frays Brewery is working on a space in Garfield on Penn. Avenue and posting plenty of progress photos of its row house rehab along the way.
🐟 Work on Wild Ninja Asian Grill is underway in Oakland, replacing Uncle Sam’s Gourmet Subs, PennsylvAsia reports.
💛 Yinz Coffee, which recently took over the old Crazy Mocha storefront on the North Side, has plans to open another location in Bloomfield.
🍦 New York based Posman Books and Odd Fellows Ice Cream Co. are teaming up to shares stories and scoops at the Strip District Terminal building, NEXTPittsburgh reports.
Long-term openings on our radar
🍔 The Pittsburgh Sandwich Society food truck is celebrating its five-year anniversary and is planning to expand to a brick and mortar location in Millvale.
🍤 2 Sisters 2 Sons in Sharpsburg is expected to announce their second location, serving “the most authentic Caribbean food in the city.”
🍱 Bento is a new restaurant coming to Shadyside, according to PennsylvAsia, but there’s no word on the details or timeline.
🍺 Pittsburgh Brewing Co. is planning a new brewery in the former Pittsburgh Glass Works plant on a 40-acre site along the Allegheny River in Creighton. Pittsburgh Business Times has the latest — and more on the fascinating history of the site.
🍵 Tupelo Honey Teas in Millvale acquired the building next door and will renovate and expand over the next several years. P.S. There will be garden tea parties!
🚀 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.
🎸 Howler’s is moving to East Liberty after 19 years in Bloomfield, City Paper reports.
🍕 Big Burrito is bringing a yet-to-be-named restaurant to Lawrenceville with a focus on pizza, veggie-forward dishes, and burgers, Pittsburgh Magazine reports.
🍔 Arlington Beverage Club, a new concept from well-known chef Kevin Sousa, is coming to an old social club in Allentown called St. George Lyceum, the Pittsburgh Current details.
🏛 The Vandal owners are bringing two new concepts to the Pitt Building Downtown, the Post-Gazette reports. One is a sandwich shop. The other is a supper club called Saint Johannes.
Farewell
🍷 After 37 years of fine dining on Grant St., The Carlton Restaurant Downtown has closed. Executive Chef Simon DeJohn will soon launch The Carlton Catering Company for events, per Pittsburgh Magazine.
☕ A local favorite, Zeke’s Coffee, has slowly been shutting down its business over the past few months and recently posted a Facebook announcement stating that if you see another Zeke’s Coffee location pop up in Pittsburgh or beans in the grocery store, it will no longer be operated by the local business.
➡️ This is just a sneak peek. For more news on restaurants coming soon to Pittsburgh, here’s our full list.
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