It’s November, and that means we’re back with our tastiest edition of the month — food-and-drink updates. The ‘Burgh is serving some hot new spots to try, with everything from coffee and cocktails to tacos and sandwiches. Plus, the return of some Pittsburgh favorites.
Let’s do our best to support our new neighbors who serve us each and every day. That means wearing a mask if they ask, showing your vaccination proof if needed, being extra patient, and as always, tipping well.
In case you missed last month’s edition, you can play catch up here. If we forgot something on the list, let us know so we can add it to the list.
Yinz ready to dig in?
Hello
🍸 Bocadillos Bar is a unique food and drink destination in Brighton Heights offering gourmet snacks, appetizers, and craft cocktails using Pennsylvania-made spirits from PA Libations, local craft brews, and the owners own hard cider and wine, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
🍳 At last, a combined cuisine from Butterjoint and Legume is taking shape in Oakland. It’s a project that was intended to launch prior to the pandemic, but now, Butterjoint is open and moving into its next phase with influence from Legume and new executive chef George Austin, according to Pittsburgh Magazine.
☕ Cafetano is serving its signature Honduran Coffee with an Italian flair to the Strip District. The coffee purveyor is located in the former Gaucho Parilla Argentina space on Penn Ave and specializes in the full coffee experience. But there’s more: Cafetano also sells smoothies, breakfast, lunch, and dessert.
🍞 Capriott’s Sandwich Shop has “O”ficially taken over “The O” hot dog shop on Forbes Avenue in Oakland, serving hand crafted cheesesteaks, turkey subs, and more.
🎷 The renowned jazz bar and restaurant Cona Alma, which has been open for two years in Shadyside, is swinging over to a fully plant-based menu. The restaurant is known for its South American, Mexican, and Caribbean dishes, and the new menu will include West Indian Chickpea Curry, a Peruvian Bolognese made with seitan, and a Potato Gnocchi. Meat lovers can still enjoy their meat and seafood dishes at its newer Downtown location.
🍅 The popular riverside eatery, Farmer x Baker, opened its brick and mortar cafe and market on Powers Run Rd. in Fox Chapel, serving homemade bagel sandwiches, salads, a soup of the day, coffee and tea, and more.
🍸 G’s on Liberty opened its “full service restaurant, focusing on real, innovative, creative food, and cocktails” on Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield, NEXTPittsburgh reports.
🍳 The famous Kelly O’s Diner in the Strip District (a favorite of celebrity chef Guy Fieri) now has a location in Warrendale.
🍷 The beloved Northside neighborhood spot, Monterey Pub, recently reopened under new ownership after being closed during the pandemic, bringing along with it Mexican War Streets-inspired cocktails like the Palo Alto (tequila, Italian brandy, lime and orange) and Gus & Yiayia’s (vodka, pomegranate liquor, cherry, lime, and strawberry), TribLIVE reports.
🍞 Panadería Jazmin is baking up a variety of fresh traditional Mexican bread and sweets in Mt. Lebanon, like cocodrila (baked pastry that resembles crocodile scales, topped with sugar) and panque de naranja con chocolate (sweet bread with orange flavoring and chocolate icing).
🍲 Sullivan’s Steakhouse is sizzling at its new location in the U.S. Steel Tower on Grant. St., serving perfectly cooked meats, french onion soup, blue cheese salads, old-fashioned cocktails, and more, TribLIVE reports.
🌮 Täkō, the Asian Mexican fusion restaurant based Downtown, finally opened its Täkō Torta location in Bakery Square. You won’t want to miss these tasty menu items for weekend brunch.
🍺 While Voodoo Brewery isn’t new in town, it did just recently open its upstairs space in New Kensington as The Red Dragon Lounge as a rental space for private gatherings, overlooking Fifth Avenue through it’s old-fashioned windows, TribLIVE reports.
See you soon
🍔 Full moon, full belly. The popular pop-up Moonlit Burgers is just weeks away from opening its brick-and-mortar on Potomac Avenue in Dormont, which will serve its famous juicy smash burgers with delectable crispy edges.
🍻 Golden Age Beer Company will soon serve craft lagers at its new brewery space in Homestead, honoring the history of when brewers stood in solidarity with workers in the Battle of Homestead in 1892; The brewery is from the minds behind Independent Brewing Company and Lorelei, per Pittsburgh City Paper.
🍔 Burgh’ers Brewing is bringing its burger and beer business to The Highline on the South Side; it currently has locations in Lawrenceville and Zelienople.
🍮 An elevated American cuisine restaurant, Ritual House, is in the works for the former Union Standard spot in the historic Downtown Union Trust Building with some seasoned Pittsburgh chefs at the helm, NEXTPittsburgh reports.
☕ The Nook will be serving breakfast and lunch in the former Coca Café on Butler St., including handcrafted burgers, sandwiches, and drinks like mimosas and espresso martinis. It’s led by the owner of nearby Geppetto Cafe and is expected to open within the next month or so, per NEXTPittsburgh.
🍺 Inner Groove Brewing is drafting plans for a new, 1,400-square-foot taproom on East Warrington Avenue in Allentown, plus a 1,000-square-foot, winterized beer garden right next door. The Verona-based business is expected to open in early 2022, NEXTPittsburgh reports.
🌮 In the same building as Capriott’s Sandwich Shop in Oakland, Viva Los Tacos will soon serve Mexican-Californian style street tacos on handmade tortillas alongside margaritas.
🍩 You may have seen Oliver’s Donuts popping up around ‘tahn, but pretty soon they’ll be slinging tasty cake donuts at a permanent spot in the Lawrenceville Market House.
🍺 Brothers from the City of Brotherly Love are planning to open Lolev Brewing Co. in Lawrenceville with specialty brews, rooftop seating, and a rotating lineup of food trucks, NEXTPittsburgh reports.
🧀 Bitter End Rye & Charcuterie Bar is Rear End’s sister restaurant and the former location of Nooch’s Bar. The eatery will offer “whiskey & meat” in a modern speakeasy setting with specialty cocktails and charcuterie boards.
🌮 Las Chicas, a fav Pittsburgh food truck, is set to open a location in Millvale, bringing its tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more to a brick-and-mortar.
🍾 In addition to opening Mount Oliver Bodega, Chef Kevin Sousa (formerly of Superior Motors) is also set to open the Arlington Beverage Club, a new concept coming to an old social club in Allentown, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette details.
🎳 Shorty’s Pins x Pints, is a new entertainment concept with duckpin bowling, bocce, pinball, cornhole, firepits, and street food is coming to the North Shore late 2021, per NEXTPittsburgh.
🍵 Adda Coffee & Tea House is opening its fifth location in Downtown’s Cultural District this fall with a coffee shop and local vendor hall combo, as reported by Good Food Pittsburgh.
🍺 Sly Fox Brewing Co., a Philly-based brewery, is putting down roots at The Highline on the South Side this summer. In the meantime, you can follow their Instagram to learn about their latest pop-ups.
🍸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, according to NEXTPittsburgh.
🍺 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 this fall, adding to big Burrito’s restaurant portfolio around town, Pittsburgh Magazine reports.
🍽️ Tupelo Honey, a Southern cuisine chain, is trading its “ya’ll” for “yinz” and coming to Station Square in 2022. It will become an early anchor of the updated Freight House Shops, per Pittsburgh Patch.
🍻 Bonafide Beer Co. is planned to take over the former Chicken Latino spot at 21st and Penn in the Strip District.
Long-term openings on our radar
🎶 Brillobox is back in business in Bloomfield. After announcing its closure during the pandemic, the beloved 15-year-old bar and music venue recently announced that it plans to reopen in the fall, according to Pittsburgh City Paper.
🍺 Virginia-based Aslin Beer Company is opening a 7,000-square-foot taproom and 10-barrel brewhouse at The Terminal in the Strip District, set to open sometime in summer 2022, according to Pittsburgh City Paper.
🐟 PennsylvAsia reported that work on Wild Ninja Asian Grill is underway in Oakland, replacing Uncle Sam’s Gourmet Subs.
🍦 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.
🍳 The Journeyman’s Table is still on its journey to opening on Penn Avenue, and will soon offer from-scratch, seasonal dinners alongside craft cocktails, wine, and local beers.
🍣 Sushi Kim Restaurant is returning to Pittsburgh after its original location closed in 2019. The new spot, Sushi Kim 2, will be on Smithfield Street.
🍔 Eminent Cafe is well… an imminent addition to Bedford Ave. in the Hill District. No details or opening dates are known, but it looks like they will be serving delicious sandwiches, according to the post by Soul Pitt.
🍽️ Cafe Momentum is coming to Forbes Ave., Downtown to serve food and at-risk youth. It will provide culinary training for teenagers who have been in juvenile detention facilities, as well as a community service center, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
🍜 Chengdu Gourmet plans to open a second location in in the former Oritental Market on McKnight Road in addition to their popular Americanized-Chinese Squirrel Hill location, Pittsburgh Magazine reports.
🍔 98 K Burger is a new burger place coming to Squirrel Hill, according to PennsylvAsia; 98 K shares a name with spots in Brooklyn and Queens, but it is unclear whether the one opening in Pittsburgh is a part of a chain, Pittsburgh City Paper reports.
🍱 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.
🎸 Pittsburgh City Paper reports that Howler’s is moving to East Liberty after 19 years in Bloomfield.
🍕 Big Burrito is bringing a yet-to-be-named restaurant to Lawrenceville with a focus on pizza, veggie-forward dishes, and burgers, according to Pittsburgh Magazine.
🏛 The Vandal owners are working on 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.
🍞 Philadelphia’s PrimoHoagies is expanding to the Pittsburgh region and will sell its Italian-style sandwiches at 1600 Smallman St. in the Strip District sometime in 2022, per TribLIVE.
Farewell
🌮 The original Mad Mex on Atwood St. in Oakland closed, but not forever. They’re closing this location to deal with staffing shortages and shift workers to other locations, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Currently, it’s set reopen by March.
🍳 Wild Child, the popular pop-up from acclaimed chef Jamilka Borges, was slated to open a brick-and-mortar in Etna serving coastal cuisine, including fresh, seafood dishes. But that plan is on hold now; Borges is taking time to reconnect to her roots and will be traveling back and forth to Puerto Rico, NEXTPittsburgh reports.
⭐ Thanks to Satellite Sports Connection, an Authorized DIRECTV for Business Dealer, for helping us bring the food and drink opening and closing list to our readers. With offers starting at just under $30, it’s a good option for bars, restaurants, and shops to bring hours of entertainment for their customers.
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