BEST biscuits and gravy I've ever had!! Also had coffee and quiche, both delicious. Staff was very friendly and helpful. If you're visiting the area and looking for a quick breakfast/brunch, I highly recommend trying this place out. You won't be disappointed! read more

I work downtown and stop in at bluebird from time to time. We've even ordered catering a few times. Food is great and my favorite is the oatmeal for breakfast. It's the best oatmeal I've ever had. Sandwiches for lunch meeting are really great but I get the feeling that catering either isn't their favorite thing to do or they just don't do it enough to perfect the art. Almost every time we order, something is missing but overall they take care of the issue and we are still happy customers. If the food wasn't so amazing I'd never go there because their customer service is lacking. In my personal experience I've never run into anyone on staff there who didn't think that it was my pleasure to enter into the establishment. LOL if they fix their customer service attitudes this place would earn a fourth star from me. read more

We thought we were walking into a sit-down cafe/restaurant so it kind of threw off our experience. Overall, the food was decent and I was happy to find that most of it is organic and made in house. Not a mind blowing experience. read more

We ate here for breakfast one day we had to be downtown. My daughter visiting from Lancaster mentioned it. It actually is reminiscent of some places we eat breakfast in Lancaster when we visit there. It was on my list of places to visit, but I never seem to have that list with me when we're trying to decide where to eat. I had the Frittata on a ciabatta roll. That phrase just rolls off the tongue The roll was fresh and soft, not too chewy. The filling was very good and didn't fall out as sometimes happens in such sandwiches. Same for the Local Fried Eggs that my daughter also ordered on the ciabatta roll. She and I shared the Blue Bird Granola, also very good, but I would have liked a bit more honey or fruit to sweeten a little more. My husband had the Biscuits and Gravy which he orders just about everywhere he finds it on the menu. He said it was good which is just about as good as his praise gets. My daughter tasted it, and said it was delicious. We chose to sit at the counter to eat, although we saw many people getting take-out orders. We didn't notice when we entered how close Market Square was or we might have gone there to sit and eat. The seating isn't the best for comfort if you decide to eat there. We also found the paper container for biscuits and gravy a little disconcerting although understandable for take out and the environment. I would recommend the Bluebird Kitchen for breakfast and will return to try other things on the menu. read more

Good food but really stingy portions for the price- 3+ dollars for a side dish and got maybe 3 tablespoons of food? Disappointing.

Highly over rated. The fried egg sandwich was okay at best. The pretzel bun was flavorless and the combo of egg with lettuce and tomato did not work well together. read more

Would've given this place 4 stars but it just didn't feel right especially when I have this place two chances to redeem themselves. It wasn't the food that was bad- more so the staff. I ordered the local egg sandwich with bacon on ciabatta. Tasted great and nothing short of how I pictured it. I also ordered their smoothie of the day (kale, blueberries, etc.). That's where it went all wrong. I saw the staff use their bare hands to put the fruits and vegetables in while wiping his hands on his pants with the occasion combing of his hair. I wish I didn't see all that. I couldn't sit back and drink that...I had to ask for him to keep the drink. I swapped it with their freshly squeezed orange juice. This time he put on his gloves...the juice was delightful but the outside of the cup was all sticky (he probably didn't care at that point). And this all happened during the first visit. The second visit, I ordered the local egg sandwich with bacon on a pretzel roll. However, I got the sandwich on a ciabatta roll. Sandwich was good but wasn't what I ordered. Wish the staff was more attentive... read more

In Pit for a business trip, I saw the great reviews on Bluebird. Walked a half mile in 40 degree weather to get a good lunch. Ordered soup & the quiche, which took time to warm up. As I stood in the corner, the overly-perky blonde with the fake plastered smile told me twice she wanted to use the previously unused register; the second warning intended for me to move when I did not block the paying customer. In a small restaurant when all the seating was taken, there is nowhere to stand, except in front of the door or in line to order. I could see her walk over to another employee, who watched me as the fake, spiky blonde bad mouthed me for not moving. Regardless of whether the food is good, employees bad-mouthing customers while at the counter turned the choice of this restaurant sour. The customers deserve better treatment than this. My apologies to the owner, but the experience made me regret I went to Bluebird today. read more

This place used to be acceptable when Pittsburgh didn't have many other options for quick and healthy dining. However, for the last few years they have been resting on their laurels without taking new competition and consumer awareness into account. It's 2017, you can't put a revolting, rock-hard avocado on a $9 salad anymore and expect repeat customers. I also find many of their lunch options to be poorly-conceived, and their soups and sauces are usually either under-seasoned or overly sweet. Not worth it for the price. read more

BEETS. Give me all the fresh roasted beets. I've been saying for some time now that I wish there was something East End Food Coop-y downtown for lunch and Bluebird kitchen is kind of that. They are so effing good for lunch that if it's nice out I pretty much have to abandon my salad from home in the office fridge and hit this place up. Lots of delicious and healthful vegetable dishes and soups that you can get as sides or full meals, or go with one of their sinful sandwiches and desserts . I haven't had anything from here that I haven't loved. The main issues are that the line is usually out of control when I want to go, sometimes the staff takes out their obvious stress from said line on the wrong customer (any customer) and it has to be nice out for me because there's never room to eat inside and it's nice to eat outside in Market Square. But that long line has got to be good news for them and I want more options like this downtown, so cheers. read more

In town for a conference all week: ate the "2 local eggs on ciabatta" 5 days in a row very very happily. Several days I added the sausage to the sandwich: the sausage was hearty and flavorful: tasted like real meat, not grease. The breakfast sandwich also had a few slices of tomato and lettuce which were great. Also had an iced Americano a couple days and their iced coffee a few times. This was quite passable, notably better than the chain around the corner. Happy to find this quality breakfast in the skyscraper part of town. read more

Food was great walked here from my hotel that was downtown with a co worker and it was Worth the walk! I went in there to get something healthy (quiche) and walked out with some amazing sweets . The women who worked there were super nice but it took a moment to get some service. read more

At first glance, I thought "kinda pricey" but I tried it out anyway. I didn't expect much from the Croque Monsieur sandwich (basically a ham sandwich), but the gooey sauce or cheese was delicious with plenty of ham and crunchy bread which altogether made it more than just a simple ham sandwich. Delicious. I still think the prices are a bit high though. read more

Great food but on the pricy side. Not a chain so that is a plus. Best takeaway food in market square. Recommended if u are looking for more upscale lunch to go. read more

Excellent quality fresh foods. Not cheap, but good food rarely is.

Great atmosphere and concept. I ordered the chicken salad sandwich. The homemade croissant was good but the chicken salad was a little dissapointing. Too much cashew and it had a different taste to it, maybe they used a mayo substitute? It was alright overall, I would give this restaurant a shot again, just not the chicken salad read more

Updated 9/2016 - love that I can always count on a dairy free/ gluten free option at lunch! it's so great to have a restaurant with great food that is thinking about this! I've been going pretty much every day when I visit Pittsburgh - breakfast (sweet potato hash is great) and lunch! read more

I was in town on business and wanted a nice lunch for one while avoiding a chain restaurant. I stopped in after 1:30pm (no waiting) and had a great turkey sandwich, tomato soup, and one amazing biscuit. Not sure how long they have been in business, but would love to see one of these in Chicago. They ran out of decaf coffee, but gave me a soda water for free. Nice decor too. read more

For a small business, they sure don't want more business! I called today (12/31/14) to see what the soups of the day were and the owner answered and said "uh, yeah, we just closed. We were only open until 12." I realize that it is New Year's Eve, but you are a business in a downtown area and people work on New Year's Eve day. This has happened a few times before with this location (their Stanwix location, I was told, has been closed ALL week), so I'm left wondering, are you a small business trying to stay in business?? Just curious because I would be happy to take the $10+ I would have spent (not to mention the 3+ co-workers who were all coming with me to go out to lunch) and spend it at another restaurant in Market Square or Downtown Pittsburgh. Your establishment isn't THAT phenomenal where I need to go back. read more

I went to the Stanwix location and I will say that while the layout was certainly aesthetically pleasing, I was not immediately impressed with my options. However, after trying a few different options, I was very satisfied. I tried their vegetarian option with crushed chickpeas. The sandwich could have used a sauce or something, it was a little bland. The bread was phenomenal, I don't know if they make it or not but it really made the sandwich. I had their tomato and fennel soup which was unique and so good. I tried a brown rice and asparagus side dish that was also absolutely great. My other side was roasted carrots, farrow or barley and a yoghurt sauce which was surprisingly tasty. Overall, great food and I didn't feel guilty about eating it. Will be back. read more

nice place to kill some time. only seating available is two bar type counters that run along the walls. about twelve stools total. have ordered something different each time visiting and it's always delicious. iced coffee is good. GREAT place to people watch. customer service could be better and it's always kind of dirty- crumbs on the countertops and the floor is always littered with little bits of trash or food crumbs. overall they deserve a B- read more

Came in for breakfast and will come back! Got the pastrami salmon... Delicious! Nice staff.. Winner winner

So... i went in for a cookie. The food (salads, soups, and the like) looked delish but i heard baked goods what where this place was at. I was VERY disappointed by the selection. I know bacon in desserts and "whoopie pies" are trending big time right now - but when that's all you've got, where do you leave a pescaterian who hates a lot of surgary, oily frosting stuff. With a vegan chocolate chip cookie, that's where. Its a'ight and all, but really - not what i wanted. How about a regular chocolate chip cookie, or that delish smores cookie thing withOUT the crumbled bacon on top... just... :-/ read more

I have not one complaint about Bluebird Kitchen. They are quick, attentive, thorough and nice. Not to mention their sandwiches are sensational and very upscale for a Pixburgh sandwich that typically contains french fries. A little taste of France in the Pitts sounds like a fabulous way to spend my lunch hour! read more

The sandwich I had was good, but essentially a half of a sandwich for $9! It came with nothing else, so if I would have ordered a drink and a bag of chips I would probably be in the 12-15 range! Way overpriced for me. read more

After 3 sub-par experiences I felt obligated to review. 1) Ordered sweet potato hash. The staff admitted the potatoes had oxidized a bit and didn't look appealling. They tasted Ok, but were extremely greasy. 2) Went in for coffee. There were at least 5 people in front of me waiting to order. After a few minutes of waiting without one of those people ordering, I walked out. 3) Ordered the parfait. Expected yogurt. If it was yogurt, it didn't taste like it. It was the consistency of stiff whipped cream and didn't have much flavor. Impossible to stir. I didn't finish it. read more

The food is wholesome and delicious. The staff are good-looking and well-mannered, but they are painfully slow.

This new cafe in Pittsburgh (just off Market Square), run by the very friendly Liz Pessaro, is a fresh & fantastic addition to the downtown restaurant scene (for breakfast & lunch at least). Delicious features include the biscuits & gravy for breakfast, croque monsieur for lunch, and the exquisite selection of baked goods. Bluebird is definitely worth the trip! read more

Just chiming in to say that today's meatloaf special kicked all sorts of ass. SO GOOD.

Loved their grilled cheese!!! Some of the workers were a little grumpy though, but enjoyed my sandwich

While visiting Pittsburgh for the first time, my partner and I stumbled onto the Bluebird Kitchen. The atmosphere was very quaint and cozy. We soon realized that the food was not your typical "sit-down" breakfast spot, but we ordered our food and were pleased with our selection. For the most part, though, our experience was painted by one interaction with one employee. We were waiting to use the restroom after we had finished our breakfast, and the door to the restroom was locked. Naturally, we assumed someone was in there. We were waiting about four minutes when an employee whisked right by us carrying a restroom key, opened the door, and went right in. There was no sign posted anywhere on the door (or surrounding area) that said, "Please see staff for door key." When she came out of the restroom, I stopped her briefly to suggest that a sign be posted on the door and to let her know that we had been there waiting. She responded very defensively, stating that all restaurants downtown operate in such a fashion ("it is given") and that she thought we were waiting on our food. (She had noted us sitting in the restaurant numerous times while we were eating, so that could not have been true). Not once did she offer an apology or agree that a sign could be helpful to tourists, but instead walked back to the counter and resumed what she was doing. As a tourist who does not know the "norms" by which downtown restrooms operate, this experience with this employee was enough to leave a last impression. When I am back in town, I will not return, nor will I recommend it to any friends traveling through Pittsburgh. read more

Customer service was extremely poor. I specifically asked if the potato soup contained meat and I was confidently told no by the cashier. I started eating within the restaurant and came across what seemed like chicken, so I asked the cashier if she could identify what was in my soup since there was no meat included in the ingredients. She then said that she didn't know, but that she was sure the chef said there was no meat in the soup. I walked away, but wasn't satisfied with this answer, so I went up again and asked if she could ask someone else what it was that was in my soup I was eating. The cashier then turned to another employee and said "here you deal with this, I don't know" and put her hands in the air. The second employee looked at my spoon and said that she didn't know what it was and repeated that it wasn't meat. -__- She then calls the chef to see what was in my soup. The chef observes and says that it looks like chicken and that someone must've used the wrong ladle - causing there to be chicken in the potato soup....Someone who I assumed to be the manager apologized and gave me a refund. The two women were rude, uninformed, and unapologetic. I didn't appreciate their attitude towards me for asking about the ingredients in the food they were serving. This was my first time trying bluebird kitchen and I won't be back. read more

It's expensive. Yes, it's locally "sourced" and all that, but it's overpriced. I don't expect a mountain of food but they are less than generous with their portions. I've been there three times,never during the busy lunch times but always have to wait. I agree with other reviewers about the "I am too cool to serve you" attitude of more than one of their employees. Even though I hadn't been impressed with my two previous visits, I went again, ordered the chicken salad on a croissant and waited...to be told they had run out of croissants...and waited for the substitute bread version. Took it back to my office and was disgusted to find that that it was all dark meat, which I hate. As it was a considerable investment, I decided to try and eat it but gave up after a couple of bites and found I was chewing on bits of sinew/gristle/whatever. They were determined to get every inch of flesh off that chicken including what we don't usually classify as edible. So, cross the Bluebird Kitchen off my list. read more