Applewood Smoke Burger is a burger counter tucked away inside the back of Park Place Pub in Highland Park. It's a different menu and different register from park place pub. There's no signage outside for applewood so I consider it an almost burger speakeasy! The service here is pretty fast - we ordered a little after 5pm on a Sunday and got our food and finished it all before 6pm! The burgers we got were so flavorful and delicious and we were are blown away by this hidden gem!! My applewood burger was incredible and the maple sauce was delightful. I'm so glad we discovered this place and I would go back!! read more

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November 2025: lightly edited realtime notes: - This is like a pop-up restaurant that is inside of a bar. - Buffalo wings, Nashville hot wings. The wings are cooked perfectly. The sauce is weak. The fact that the wings are crispy and fried and 100% dead-on makes up for the weak sauce. All things considered, 4.2. Could be 4.6 to 4.8 with decent sauce. In retrospect, having tasted the sauce as a side (below) I think they tossed the wings in the sauce when they were too hot, kind of denatured things, and got too much oil in it. The sauce is actually very good, and these wings could have been a notch or two better if they had let them cool for just a hot second before tossing them. These wings have the potential to be some of the very best in the city. - Onion rings here are just absolutely perfect. Think of the best a Burger King onion ring could be, and these are four notches up from that. - The french fries are OK. - The side of buffalo sauce that they brought us from the kitchen is so much better than how the wings came out; I am presuming that the wings were tossed in the sauce too hot, and not enough. These guys actually have a great buffalo sauce. - I got the Smashburger. Cheese, lettuce, pickles and their special sauce. No substitutions permitted. This burger is excellent and exactly what I wanted. 10 of 10, would totally order again. - One of our group got the signature applewood burger."It's delicious!" - Another got the farmhouse burger and seems to be completely tickled with it. "It's really good. How can you go wrong with bacon and egg on a burger?" Unfortunately, restaurant was out of the cheese sauce tonight. We observed that the cheese sauce would've made it "fire." - J got the Cajun burger. "Awesome. Very good!" He wishes he would've asked them to add bacon to it. read more

I wish I knew this place was here before since I'm only 10 minutes away!! I LOVEEE a good bacon & egg burger and applewood delivered. The bacon wasn't that chewy stuff you get at most burger places, real thick & crispy and SOOO good. The food was still burning my mouth even after getting home. This is definitely my new favorite burger spot and bonus points it's not a far journey! read more

Applewood Smoke Burger - The Farmhouse Burger, Bacon Cheese Fries - Burgers Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Social media and recommendations from friends led me to Applewood Smoke Burger, which, to my surprise, is actually tucked in the back of Park Place Pub. I felt like a Highland Park resident amongst neighbors while here. The employees working at Applewood were so upbeat, friendly, and helpful. I had a hard time deciding between all of the enticing options (including limited time specials) but ended up trying the Negley which did not disappoint. This is a great neighborhood spot! read more

Applewood Smoke Burger - The Negley burger - Burgers Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Best burger I've had in the city without a doubt. When you go don't be confused by the outside. It's in the back of a bar called Park Place Pub. Very much a local nicer and clean dive bar. You place your order with the cashier and they bring to your table. The cashier who took my order was helpful and recommended the classic Applewood. I COULD KISS HER FOR IT. This think was insane with great flavor depth. The sweet and savory smoked Gouda maple cheese sauce paired perfect with the bacon. That bacon too ??? Thick, and juicy. Not just overly burnt and crunchy. Typically not a bacon guy because it's not always done right but this sure as hell was I'm not crazy on boardwalk style fries so when I go again I'd just get plain with vinegar t dip or just a different side. Nonetheless they were a good ass boardwalk fry If you want a burger GO HERE read more

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Fantastic food, warm and friendly service, cozy environment with bar atmosphere. Highly recommend this spot! read more

Applewood Smoke Burger - Garlic parmigiana wings. sooo crispy! House salad with chicken. Very fresh. Negley burger (added grilled mushrooms, lettuce and tomatoes). - Burgers Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This has been my favorite place for burgers in Pittsburgh for several years now. If it wasn't for a recommendation from a coworker, I may have never known this place even existed. It is hidden in the back of an unassuming bar in the Highland Park neighborhood. I'm not enthusiastic about eating in a bar, so I always order to go. However, the ambiance in the bar is casual and pleasant as far as bars go. The service is always friendly and the food is usually ready to pick up in 15-20 minutes. I often order the farmhouse burger well done, but you can specify burger doneness. I also enjoy the buffalo wings, they are crispy on the outside but moist and tender on the inside. My wife enjoys their namesake menu item, the applewood burger. From my experience, you can't go wrong with any of the items on their menu. read more

Applewood Smoke Burger - The Farmhouse Burger - Burgers Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Fantastic burger joint! Probably the best burger I've had in pittsburgh (I got "the Applewood"). The girls behind the grill and at the bar were incredibly friendly, attentive, and just good people. I can't wait to share this gem of a find with friends and family who visit! 10/10- will be back! read more

Pittsburgh's best kept secret. It's so good I don't even want to tell anyone about it so I can savor the absolutely incredible burgers for myself. I've tried the others, but the Applewood burger is pure perfection. A hearty burger, drenched in a maple sauce and cut apples, and delicious, Potato Patch-esque fries, what more could you want? You can dine in and grab a drink from the bar, or do takeout and enjoy your incredibly messy burger in the comfort of your own home. When I tell you it's the best burger I've ever had, I mean it. Run and get these amazing burgers! read more

Applewood Smoke Burger - The Apple Wood Burger - Burgers Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

One of the best burgers I've had in a long time! I had the Negley with onion rings. I usually don't like a big burger patty because they can be tough, fall apart easily, and overwhelm the rest of the sandwich ingredients, but this one was tender and juicy, held together well, had zero gristle, and complimented the toppings. The bun was soft and buttery (I think challah or brioche maybe). I look forward to trying their other burgers. Onion rings were also on point, and came with a horseradish sauce. read more

Close close to a four stars - I had the name sake smash burger and it was quite good and I did inhale it but honestly as a critic I have to give this a 3 it was above average it probably like a 3.85 almost 4 stars but just doesn't take me there. But wait I forgot about the atmosphere and the beer actually mid review I have changed my mind, it is a 4 star establishment the burger is a 3.85 but the overall establishments defining qualities Gardner's a 4 star review. read more

It is a cute place. Dog friendly.Obviously it is not fine dining. However it is the best burger I ever had. It took almost an hour. So if you are hungry and impatient, don't go there. read more

Applewood Smoke Burger - Waiting on my delicious burger - Burgers Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Amazing ! This is one of my favorite places in the city ... the staff and the atmosphere sets everything off ! I got the negley burger topped with onion rings read more

Applewood Smoke Burger - Burgers Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Don't be misled by the lighter crowd, as it's tucked away behind an unsuspecting bar. This spot is an honest, down-to-earth burger joint, and it's the place to go that walks that fine line between anything beyond a fast-food burger and a bougie $20-dollar modern-design-casual joint. You can choose to chill on the deck, in the bar, or call in and get it to go - your order will arrive perfectly cooked to your specifications, accompanied by a side of fries and ketchup. Here, you're in complete control of your order - either choose from the menu's creations or craft that burger just the way you've been craving and savor the no-fuss experience! read more

Big burgers in a somewhat grungy pub environment. I had high hopes given the stellar reviews but this place is not special. The burgers are huge, yes, but otherwise pretty middle of the road. I got the farmhouse burger which came with a fried egg on top. The yolk immediately broke and I spent the entire meal with my hands covered in egg yolk. It had bacon which is always fantastic. There would have been no way to eat this without a mess because it was too big to bite through. My fiancé got the Buffalo burger which had a great flavor but didn't come with much on it (just a little garlic aioli). Not quite as big. The fry portions seem a bit small for this kind of place. A burger and fries comes all on one smallish tray. I was expecting a bit more of a mountain. We split normal fries and Parmesan garlic fries which had so so so much oil on them - buyer beware! Ambience: You order at a counter located in the back of Park Place Pub in Highland Park. The tables are pretty bare and some of the chairs are damaged, so this is a very no frills place. Prices are about what you'd expect ($12-14 per burger). Service is friendly and I have heard it's quick but on the Friday I went our food took 25 minutes. We think they may have run out of fries. read more

Applewood Smoke Burger - Farmhouse Burger - Burgers Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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this burger joint is hidden inside Park Place Pub and easily missed if you don't know it's there. It's a good burger - juicy, flavorful and creative toppings - with solid sides, but it's on the pricier side for the area and quality. Two burgers with upgraded sides ran us ~$33. We got the Apple Butter BBQ (crispy onion rings and perfectly cooked bacon) + sweet potato fries (with a maple mustard) and a Farmhouse (classic burger with a runny yolk egg) + garlic parm fries. We felt heavy afterward, as expected, but also satisfied. COVID-19 Protocol (As of 2/2021) -Masks to enter -Call ahead/pay in store for takeout -it appears dine in is allowed using every other table -They have outdoor tables and there are picnic tables a block away as the weather gets warmer NOTE: When we picked up our food, the hostess was not wearing her mask the whole time while on the phone behind the plexiglass and only put it back up when she hung up the phone. The cooks preparing food appeared to be properly masked. read more

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My husband and I try not to eat burgers and fries often, but when we do. THIS!!!! Is. Our. SPOT!!!! We've been coming here for a few years now, but realized we've never left a review (probably because we end up eating everything so fast there is no picture that's taken). Everything we've tried is amazing!! This time I got the Mushroom Swiss burger, and my husband tried the Apple Butter BBQ Burger (didn't get to take a picture of that one, he LOVED it). The staff is always SO friendly when we've eaten inside, ordered takeout, or even just now through Covid ordering! We love to support this small business and recommend to anyone looking for a great burger joint! read more

Applewood Smoke Burger - Mushroom Swiss Burger - Burgers Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Great crispy wings with some good sauce flavors. Service was great and friendly. Burger was good too. Had the burger with egg and bacon.

Tried to order 10 wings, a chicken salad, an order of cheese fries, and sweet potato fries. Was told it would be $59. That's insane. How are wings, a salad, and fried almost $60?!?!? Canceled this order. Save your money. You could get a very nice meal at a fine dining restaurant for that. read more

I live a few blocks away from Bryant, and I love this place for a quick delicious dinner. The food is always fantastic - I usually do the bayou chicken sandwich. The staff are all so friendly each time I'm in there. Highly recommend! read more

Very unpleasant management. I was blamed when the chef (why is the chef serving food to tables? Don't ask me! Why didnt she check the order before bringing it out and flipping out? Don't ask me!) set the wrong food down in front of me and then yelled at me when I was, obviously, confused. Yelled in my face that I'd only been waiting ten minutes when, after actually looking at the receipt, realizing it had been 40 minutes. For a burger. She screamed in my face that she was very busy. Lady. It's not that busy. I ordered a burger 40 minutes ago and then just got yelled at when YOU gave me the wrong food. She really needed to take a breath and chill out. Never acceptable to scream at a customer. Chef continued to scream at me as I walked away down the street. Absolutely insane experience. I'm sure most of the times it's fine. Maybe I was impatient. I was told 20 minutes. I tried to inquire at 35 minutes if it would be up soon and was told "It's not ready!!" Then they brought the wrong food. Then I got yelled at. You'll probably have a nice experience and a tasty burger. But I wouldn't know. read more

Solid spot. Everything is fresh and simple and tasty. Like i said....it's simple...so it's a little annoying to have to wait thirty minutes for a chicken sandwich and fries or even 6 wings...and it's not exactly cheap. read more

Delicious hamburger with fries. Hard to find since the name is not outside the building.

The burgers were Great, Cooked just the way We like them. You could tell the meat was of first quality. The fresh cut fries were really good. I have not found a better burger anywhere. As far as the staff, I arrived on a Saturday evening so They were pretty busy. The order was taken by a very friendly person, The cook was very accommodating as well. Will be back again read more

I'm a firm believer that burgers should never be eaten as takeout. Even as takeout, Applewood has the best burger I've ever tasted (by a long shot). The first time my husband & I went, we walked past it 3x because it's literally just in a bar. The definition of a hole in the wall. But let me tell you, what Applewood lacks in signage and fancy restaurant space, they make up for in flavor. The applewood smoke burger is so juicy and delicious, with the perfect blend of savory burger, bacon, & cheese complimented by the sweet addition of grilled apples and heavenly maple butter sauce. I dream about this burger. The sweet potato fries and the garlic Parmesan fries are both perfection. My husband also loves the Bayou burger (& we're from Louisiana, so that's saying something). Eat here. Just do it. You'll thank me. read more

Applewood Smoke Burger - Applewood Smoke burger with Garlic Parmesan Fries - Burgers Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Stopped in to try the burgers. You won't be disappointed. The burger is thick and tasty. Cooked perfectly. The burgers are thick so it does take about 15 minutes to cook, so don't expect McD's yawl. Had the Blues Burger which includes bacon, a great combination with tasty bacon, blue cheese and great burger. We also ordered some Cajun wings. The wings had a crispy skin but lacked flavor, needed more Cajun dust. As others have mentioned, Applewood is in the back of Park Place Pub so you can get a beer from the Pub. There is seating outside on some tables in the lot and patio in the back. read more

Applewood Smoke Burger - Blues Burger - Burgers Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Best burger I have ever eaten. I had the applewood burger which was fantastic. The burger is huge and perfectly cooked with toppings I would not have put together. read more

Great food Good customer service Definitely always seems to be busy... a good sign I'm sure. read more

Burgers are 5 starts but the wings are lacking especially for the price. I can't recommend the applewood burger enough.

Great place. Love their food, and the bar there is pretty cool too. I just get one of their burgers with plain fries. I've tried a few different burgers and been happy every time! read more

A great spot in Highland Park (located in the back of Park Place Pub). Staff is friendly. Burgers are obviously their specialty though they have chicken options, salads and lots of varieties of fries. I went with "The Applewood" which was awesome. Tons of great flavors and a burger you can just tell is made very well. Prices are perhaps the only deterrent, my burger and side salad ran me $18, though there was a $2 surcharge for all burgers today due to the ground beef shortage. Still, a bit pricy. That aside, I'd definitely recommend checking this place out. read more

Applewood Smoke Burger - The Applewood - Burgers Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

One of The better burgers I've ever had. All the ingredients were higher quality and it was cooked perfectly. Fresh cut fries were delicious and the roll was outstanding. The burger counter is located in the back of a bar, so it's a little tricky to find. read more

Applewood Smoke Burger - Build your own burger - Burgers Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

We visited Applewood Smoke Burger in early summer to satisfy a burger craving. We relied on Yelp to help us find it - it's a small counter in the back of Park Place Pub. You can sit in Park Place and eat, or you can go out back to the patio if it's a nice day. We ordered drinks (including fountain drinks) from the bar and opted for outdoor seating. They brought us the food out back which was nice and unexpected for a walk-up ordering situation. It took a little longer than expected for the food to come out (and I mean very little - we waited 20 minutes for the wings and maybe another 20 for the burgers), but maybe my expectation was skewed because it wasn't a traditional sit-down place. The food was worth the wait, though. We ate every single thing we ordered - no leftovers! The Apple Butter BBQ sauce on the wings was so delicious, we even dipped our fries in the leftover sauce. The burgers were cooked perfectly and had such great flavor. The namesake Applewood burger lived up to the hype. It was a bit expensive for a burger joint, so it won't be a place we frequent regularly. But when we are craving burgers and want to hang out outside, Applewood Smoke Burger is at the top of our list. read more

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I am not usually mislead from my fellow yelpers, but both my husband and I were disappointed with this visit.. Like other reviews, there is no signage for the place. It is actually labeled the Park Pub(?) if I remember correctly.. When we walked in, the place was empty except for one person at the bar and another couple eating at a table. We walked to the back to order. The waitress was friendly and gave us some recommendations. I ordered the farm house burger and my husband ordered the stacker(?) and added grilled mushrooms. We also ordered the buffalo garlic wings to start. For no one being there (the girl at the bar was actually the bar tender and the couple eating had left shortly after we ordered) the service was molasses. Once the wings came out, they were pretty tasty. The burgers came out as we were finishing the wings. The burger and fries looked good, but something was off. I didn't really like the bun (hubby did), the egg was greasy, the bacon was pretty limp, and the burger over all was bland. The French fries were just ok. I've had worse, but I've also had better. The place over all smelled like old fryer grease which was also a big turn off. 2 stars? Yeah, the wings were decent, but the service was slow, the bar tender was inattentive, place had a greasy smell, and the burger just wasn't good. read more

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Tucked away as a small walk-up window in the back of a bar, I initially had trouble tracking this place down, but boy am I glad I did. Their signature burger comes with gouda, applewood smoked bacon, razor thin apple slices, and a maple aioli that I would eat slathered on a brick. Not only is each component of this burger fantastic, but they all pair brilliantly to make a product that is much greater than the sum of its parts. Would easily be 5 stars if the burgers weren't generally cooked 1-2 shades more well done than they were ordered (though I encountered this problem at neatly every burger spot in Pittsburgh) read more

Okay, getting here is kinda confusing. It's actually inside the Park Place Pub at the back, a separate counter & everything. Chalk board menu with a million different combinations. I got the Apple Butter BBQ burger. Two onion rings, apple butter bbq sauce, bacon, onions, and Swiss. I asked for a medium & it was well done but I will be back. Oh and park place pub is good too. Cold beers. And decent prices. read more

Literally as good as it gets! So thankful that I tried this place, it just took over the top spot on my Best Pittsburgh Burger list. Seriously, perfection. It was a little hard to find. Not marked well. Park Place Pub is the right spot, don't get deterred by the lack of signage. It's located in the back of the bar. It's a separate business in the same room and you're welcome to grab drinks from the bar, which makes it even better. A nice cold draft beer and delicious burger. Does it get any better? Super casual vibes, two big TVs at each end of the bar, and a really great local hangout feel. I had the Bison Burger... (because there is no better burger than a bison burger) and sweet potato fries. My entire group loved their meal and we ALL plan on returning soon. They also had wings, vegetarian options, salads, and side options. Highly recommend. read more

Applewood Smoke Burger - Bison burger and sweet potato fries! - Burgers Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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We ordered a grilled cheese sandwich, which was awesome! Bread was toasted perfectly and cheese melted! Custom burger was prepared perfectly that we ordered a second! Highly recommended! Friendly staff! read more

Applewood Smoke Burger - Applewood Smoke Burger is inside the Park Place Pub. - Burgers Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Oh yeah glad we went! Ya know when you see a commercial or picture of a good looking burger and in your head it tastes, well, like a good burger but then when ya get it or make it and it's meh......THIS PLACE TASTES LIKE THE PICTURE TASTES IN YOUR HEAD ! LIKE A GOOD BURGER!! I'm glad for yelp and the people who leave reviews. Yelp- for listing it and the reviewer for saying it was in the back of Park Place Tavern read more

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Never knew this place existed until someone recommended it for cleanliness and flavor on Nextdoor. I am so glad I tried it! The burger was great! I loved the wings. This was a takeout order because of the plague and they were still crispy when I got them home. The cajun bbq isn't hot, but I'll be getting it again next time. It was tasty. Lastly, I'm a connoisseur of onion rings and these are 100% THE BEST I'VE EVER HAD. It's a beer batter style that was perfectly crispy even after I was late picking up my order and drove all the way home. Oh, and they were slammed with orders but the staff was super pleasant and courteous. read more