I've only been here once, but it was on December 23, which is about the equivalent of strolling into Mecca during the Hajj. In wintertime, Bob's Garage becomes a local destination because the two-room building gets completely overloaded with holiday decorations. The effort apparently takes two full Sundays and about 250 man hours. It doesn't get pulled down until the first Sunday after Valentine's Day, which is about how long it takes for the holiday hangover to pass. Three phrases you won't hear inside: - "I come for the food." - "The air in here is just so fresh!" - "Don't put that decoration up. It's too tacky, and we don't have any more room." What makes it all especially nice is that it's all part of a massive December fundraising effort on the part of the Spirit of Christmas charity which aims to buy toys, clothes and food for needy North Hills families. As if the lights aren't enough to dull the senses, we experienced an overpacked bar and bad karaoke (redundant, I know) that evening. Lots of shouting about raffle tickets and door prizes. A talking Santa train overhead. Not exactly a place to sit and have a normal conversation, but that can be foregone in favor of the joyful cacophonous maelstrom of holiday revelry. read more

I've driven by this place so many times that I decided to try it for lunch one day. It's not exactly inviting from the exterior or, for that matter, at the front/side door. But if you're hungry or thirsty, you'll overcome any initial reservation you might have just developed. Once inside your visual senses are overwhelmed by what appears to have been an explosion of confetti and Christmas decorations that magically seem to be suspended from the ceiling like psychedelic stalactites. Once you accept that you're in an alternate universe, you can mosey up to the bar or find a seat at one of the small tables. I chose the former and noted the abundance of ash trays scattered all over the bar. Since I'm not a fan of eating where there is a heavy layer of cigarette smoke, I nearly got up and walked out. Luckily, no one at that particular moment was firing one up so I stayed. I needed a beer (one of those days at work where I felt I owed it to myself to just have one...) but alas, the tap selection consisted of two lite beers (never!) and two summer ales (blue moon and summer shanty - neither of which will ever pass my lips). So I figured it was gonna be one of those days from start to finish and just ordered water. Perusing the menu left me feeling like this wasn't my day at all so I opted instead for a burger. While it was ok, it wasn't great. Maybe I was so distracted by all the crap hanging over my head and worried for my personal safety that I couldn't properly focus on my meal. Service was good and friendly but the atmosphere and I don't match. And, for that matter, equivalent bar food can be found at your neighborhood tavern and you won't have to have your senses assaulted. I won't be back. read more

Bob's Garage - Kinda tacky? Yep. - Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Best Reuben sandwich this side of the moon, and decorations to lift anyone's spirits.....did I say spirits? They have them, too, and they're great and reasonably priced! read more

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This was my second trip to Bob's Garage just multiple years apart! I met a great friend here for Happy Hour. Some immediate thoughts... Ahhh, Freeport Road...Not the easiest to get in and out of, especially if you are departing on 28! As reported in other posts, you can still smoke in here. They do have a non-smoking room but it still smells like smoke and was 80 degrees. Food. This is an after thought! My friend and I both ordered burgers...got our orders wrong, reversed them as well. Greasy. Tabs...got our tabs cashed out early and the next waitress had the couldn't be bothered approach. Beer...Mostly domestic on tap. Reasonable price. Lights...Christmas lights are the staple here. Griswold style is up until early February do you have time to enjoy! To make a long story short, this is a dive bar that found its niche with the Christmas lights. Past that, lots of locals and not a lot of reason to stop. Eight years since my first visit, and I'm good for another eight! read more

We got there at 130 on Dec.26.There were people inside drinking.assign on the outside door kitchen not opened.We thought we could get a drink.We sat down at a table and looked for a bartender or server.There was no one behind the bar.We waited for around 29 minutes.Never did see server or bartender.We got up and left.If you have your doors opened you should have someone to take your drink order.Very disappointed.I'll give them 2stars for Xmas decorations. read more

I've been wanting to go to this bar for a while but I haven't gotten around to it until recently I went for my birthday. I loved it! It was so busy but we managed to get a table on the patio and we all ordered food and it came out really fast for how busy it was. The waitresses were great especially dealing with carrying trays and drinks through the crowd of drunk people. I just ordered the pretzels and cheese they were good and I had some of the spinach dip with the homemade chips it was also delicious. We didn't stay long since it was far from my apartment and we couldn't drink too much but I definitely want to come back it was really fun and definitely felt like you were in some cheesy Christmas movie. read more

Bob's Garage - Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

My cousin and I were looking for a karaoke bar on a Saturday night and Bob's Garage came up under my Yelp search. It looked questionable to say the least but when we called them they said karaoke was a go - so we thought we'd give it a shot! When we walked in it was hard not to be overwhelmed by the overly tacky decorations and the cigarette smoke. We also noticed that the average age of the bar was 65/70. We certainly had our reservations about staying (especially after hearing nothing but 50's songs) but decided we'd sit back, have fun, and shake the joint up a bit! I sang "Shoop" by Salt n' Pepa and although half of the full bar was wondering why the heck we would sing something like that we also got a few dancers. We ended up staying until closing - we had a great time - but I'm not sure I'll be back. I hate leaving a place and wreaking of smoke, the bar tenders didn't seem super stoked to have us (they didn't seem super stoked to be there in general), and there are all around better places nearby. read more

I came here recently with some friends for dinner and some drinks. The place is decorated outlandishly with lights and whatever else you would find in your grandmother's attic. Needless to say, this makes for a very unique dining/drinking experience! The inside is quite small with just the bar area, a tiny corner for the bathrooms next to the kitchen, and a back room that is a little smaller than the bar. The menu sounds better than the food actually is. I ordered the hot turkey and french fry sandwich and it was very underwhelming. Mostly bread, fries, and gravy with almost no turkey. I would probably try to avoid ordering food here again. What makes this average out to a 3 star is the atmosphere. Such a different dive bar, and the night we visited was karaoke night. Such a fun atmosphere with drink prices that were OK for a weekend night out. The group of us had a blast with karaoke and would definitely be up for coming back. Our waitress was very attentive and took care of us all night even though we were migrating around the room for karaoke. If you like karaoke definitely try this place out. Would not recommend eating here. Would recommend drinking here. read more

Friday night is nerf gun night! It is a fun upbeat crowd in an over the top Christmas explosion. I'll go out of my way to come back again next time I'm in town. read more

Bob's Garage - Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Such a unique place to visit! Christmas lights EVERYWHERE! Friendly staff, great customers, fun time!

One star review for the bartender that is tonight (5/25/2019) that is closing the bar at 1:30am when the hours are listed online as 2am. We asked why it was 1:30 and the bartender was just blatantly rude and said "I'm done for tonight." Also the karaoke DJ tonight had very weird versions of songs and showed favoritism to a strange couple that weren't awesome singers. I'm a long time patron here and I've never been so rudely treated by a bartender here. I feel bad giving this 1 star, but wow that was rude. --my point being that the typical Bob's garage staff would NEVER read more

Bob's Garage - Hours listed online - Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

this used to be such a fun place. the last three times i went here in the last three years all the bartenders were extremely unwelcoming. the last time, a bartenders friends took it upon themselves to tell us we weren't welcome as my friends and I walked in. not the place I knew before. no thank you. so rude. read more

This place is a must-see in the Pittsburgh Area. You see the outside and think THAT has a lot of lights... then you walk inside and it's like an explosion of Christmas. My friends and I went on a monday, purposely hoping to skip the weekend crowd. 10/10 would recommend. read more

Bob's Garage - Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Definitely my favorite spot up near the waterworks. I love the atmosphere and the price. I have no complaints for this restaurant since the sever and the food are 5/5. I will definitely be back in the future. read more

We were really excited to try this bar. As soon as we walk in, a man was screaming at us because we couldn't find him to check our IDs. We found seats and ordered drinks. Later in the night we tried to order a shot and the bar tender stated "I'm not making those, I don't have time for that." Overall, a terrible experience and do not recommend. There are better bars in the area. Don't waste your time here. read more

Our second time here was just as great as the first. The fish sandwich and Reuben were what we had the first time and the second time we didn't order because unfortunately we had just ate. However on the way out I saw tiny meatballs in the kitchen and asked if they were for wedding soup. Of course you're fabulous cook said, yes they are and gave me a taste ! So freaking good ! So now we have to go back to have the wedding soup! Thanks again to the bartender and cook for a great time ! read more

AWESOME bar for happy hour. Karaoke and lots of beer and liquors to choose from. The bar itself is so fun and it feels like an instant party when you arrive. I have only come here for drinks but had a blast! Looking forward to returning! read more

Horrible. The last time we went there the bartender was high and stumbling behind the bar. it was a Monday and we couldnt get waited on even though there were a half dozen people in the entire place. One of the patrons was behind the bar as well waiting on himself. It made us uncomfortable and we left. This place stinks. It literally stinks. The smoking is so thick you can't breath. For that alone, I would never order food. So with the staff, service and smell, this is a no for us. read more

Sentimental favorite. Will always love this place and all of the details that make it unique.

First time at Bobs garage! Wow how beautiful all decked out in Christmas charm and lights and well ......everything Christmas!! The staff super friendly. Food was real good and comforting. We will be back! Seen weekly specials too. read more

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A must see in Pittsburgh. If you have not been , it is a little hard to explain but I will try. This place is theme decorated (to a particular holiday) for lengthy period of time. Example - January - they were still in their Christmas Theme. The sensory overload on the decorations within the bar is very amusing similar to the feeling you have when you are looking at a house decorated with 10,000 Christmas lights. Some of the pictures on Yelp do not do the place justice. This particular night was our third stop and it was Karaoke Night. The place had a great vibe. My only knock on this place is that they still allow smoking. Beware if you are not used to smokers because your sinuses will go into overdrive. I will go back but need to pace myself. read more

They have 4 gourmet cheese sticks with marinara sauce for $7.95. No, I lied, they're not gourmet, they're the frozen kind and they're awful, why would they charge so much for them? However, this place is fantastic! Lots of Christmas decorations everywhere, and I mean everywhere! They also have karaoke at 8:30, the crowd is older (your parent's age), they dance and sing along; it's a great time. They get packed so expect to stand around, the place is small but no one cares and they will hang out for a while, it's hard to get a table at this smoky "garage". If you don't smoke, you can hang out at the add on but it's not as fun as the bar area. This is the place to have a good time! read more

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, yay Fourth of July, and Maholo. This place is decorated for every season and occasion from floor to ceiling. Think luau meets Christmas. So that's kind of fun. Bob's Garage is pretty small and appears to be a local yocal hangout. Want to be an apt observer of yinzers in their natural habitat? Stop here for a brew and relax. I felt like I was at home - it's friendly and comfortable here. Its one of those places you wish you could walk to. But unless you live off of Freeport Road you're going to have to drive, so keep your drinking to a minimum. Bar food is available and service is quick and friendly. Oh, and this is one of the last remaining establishments that I've seen that allows smoking. So be prepared for that. read more

The gaudiest decor. The friendliest people. The weirdest pricing? My 16 oz MILLER LITE was like $4.75. That is way too much. Otherwise, I stumbled in here after having recently moved to the area. I asked a bunch of people where I should go hang out, and everyone recommended this place (they know I love karaoke). I actually went here alone! And I didn't have to feel that way because literally EVERYONE was so nice! It felt like a was a regular. If it weren't for ridiculous domestic beer prices, I'd probably become a regular. read more

I love this little bar for a couple of reasons. Its a very friendly place full of unpretentious regulars, mostly the 30 plus crowd. Drinks are cheep. I'd almost call it a dive but not quite because the place is always decked out beyond belief from whatever the last holiday might have been. When I say decked out beyond belief, I seriously mean just that. Ya' won't believe it. The bartender's are always nice and actually know how to make drinks. The bar itself is cool; its a rectangular shape so everybody is facing one another. The food is very top notch although regular bar fair. The only knock I've got on the place is that it gets a little too smokey for my taste and they sometimes have karaoke, which I'm not always in the mood to hear. If you're driving through that part of town, stop in for a drink. You'll enjoy it! read more

This waitress could not be more miserable or rude! Working for tips with an attitude like that has got to be tough...

One of the most unique bars in the city. check this bar out if you like Karoki, dive bars, the Sapranos, or if you think it would be interesting to see the entire collection of lights from the Griswald Christmas vacation into a 24 x 30 bar! read more

Bob's Garage - Unique Karoki - Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This is a magical wonderland of lights, alcohol, cheer and karaoke connoisseurs. The building most likely shines from space with the amount of lights on the outside. Inside, no less lights, but just add popcorn strings, wrapped beams, bows, bells, ornaments, santa paintings and people dressed as santa. We sat at the cramped bar in awe with giddy smiles on our faces for most of the night. Just try to avoid Nick at Night - he'll try to take you to Vegas and marry you the same night, or pawn you off to his undertaker friend. Aside from some creepy lovebirds, it's cheap, everyone is extra friendly and there were even a bunch of Christmas tunes thrown in to the karaoke. Everyone should go here at least once. It's just so festive! I was so happy! read more

Bob's Garage - Inside - Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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What a gem this place is! Obviously the decor can only speak for itself if you see it for yourself, and believe me you won't be disappointed! It's s bit tricky to find it even though it's on the Main Street so put it in your gps. Food is exceptional considering the tiny galley style kitchen. And service has been great the few times I visited this year;) read more

A group of us came here for some Christmas Eve cocktails! It was a nice vibe with all the Christmas decorations and lights! I'll be back for the next holiday! read more

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A group of us came here for the first time for a friends birthday for the karaoke and the decorations. I'll start by saying we did have a pretty good time over all but the reason for the 2 star rating is that the one bartender, an older bald headed man was completely rude and homophobic. During karaoke he would yell from behind the bar to shut the F* up. ummm its karaoke night.. .you're going to have drunk people up there singing... it wasn't just us... everyone was having a great time! He had 2 friends that I think were co workers (one was the bouncer) sitting at the corner of the bar that he would go whisper to and they would all look over at us and laugh. It made us very uncomfortable but we chose to stay because we were having fun singing and we made friends with a lot of people in the bar. He also would not serve us... When we went up to the bar he would look at us and walk away and we would have to wait on the friendly blonde bartender to come serve us. When Karaoke ended at 1:30 he just went over and flipped the power off and said Time to get out, go home, no more singing. The DJ explained to us that hes an ass and not normally there on Wednesdays and that we should come back again because we are fun. He was also doing so many shots behind the bar i'm not sure if he is really that rude or if he was just drunk but I feel like if he is like this all the time time then his time in the service industry should come to an end. There are gay people every where and the bar was filled with them.. not just us and You should never be made to feel uncomfortable in an establishment that you are paying money at so get over it. The blonde bartender, the woman in the leopard shirt, the young bus boy, the guy in the black polo that was running everywhere and the DJ were all great and like I said we had a fun time even facing the homophobic bouncer and bartender and we could have left at any point but we shouldn't be made to feel we have to leave. We were paying money just like everyone else!!! Everyone should go and check out the place but if you see an old bald headed man behind the bar don't be too gay or sing karaoke and you'll be fine !!!!!!! read more

The cook came up to me, rubbed my back, and said my friend and I were really cute. This is in no way appropriate. I feel disgusted and violated. I recommend women not go here. read more

Atmosphere is absolutely great. However, the service is some of THE WORST I have ever seen. We waited for 30 minutes for each drink and over an HOUR for our check - even after we asked the servers multiple times. This place would be great if they actually put an effort into their service read more

Best bar ever! Go for the experience!!! Kareoke! Crazy crap on the walls! Food is ok and not a fan of the fact it still allows smoking, but a great time overall! read more

The beers were high for the atmosphere, karaoke was really loud and count your change. Ours was $20 short on a $20 bill. Blue Moon $6 and yeungling $4 for draft. read more

Food is bar food nothing great. But it is a good time. Karaoke was fun if you know your songs from the 70s and 80s. Fun crowd that just wants to sing and drink no drama read more

Love this place! I moved from the Burgh area twenty years and have to stop here every time I come home. This place is a Pittsburgh staple!

Just walked out of Bob's Garage with the WORST experience someone could have. We ubered half an hour to get to this cute Christmas bar, yet the guy tending bar was super nasty to myself and all of my friends with me! He wasn't accommodating at all and was more worried about his ponytail than being nice to customers. read more

Kitchy place to check out, especailly during holidays, when they go crazy with decorations. Try Christmas and Halloween, as these are the best. Very cheap drinks and friendly bartenders. read more

This little smokey hole in the wall is a really cool spot. The decorations are what bring everyone here. Every inch is covered and it is something to be seen. If you are in the area at Christmas time it shouldn't be missed. read more