Pleasant slightly punky/alternative dive bar and music venue smack in the middle of a sleepy residential street. I had spent a lot of time since moving to Pittsburgh looking for somewhere comparable to my old haunts (926 and Waterworks) that I used to frequent in Tallahassee. Cattivo was it. Namely, a friendly bar where you can go to dance to all the classics and weird music for sensitive, artsy types of a darkly poetic inclination, admirers of the likes of the late Anne Rice's (R.I.P.) Lestat and the crew from The Lost Boys. A place to feel the energy of '80s New Wave and Post-Punk, classic Gothic Rock, Darkwave and Industrial, and so on. The features of the first-level bar are pleasant. Quality sound system, at least two pinball machines, a digital jukebox, round bar table lined with illuminated glass tiles, and decent selection of cheap beers and standard bar cocktails at about the prices you'd expect. Bartenders are pleasantly cheery and talkative, and will sometimes cue up a series or movie on Netflix (another similarity to my former haunts of long ago that I appreciate) to provide background visuals. Much like one of the former haunts I was looking for a substitute for, Cattivo has an ambiguous and possibly vestigial reputation for being a space that attracts LGBT+ clientele. On that: a few of the reviews here are slightly old and from a time that Cattivo advertised itself as a gay bar oriented mainly towards women dating/seeking women. To my knowledge this is no longer Cattivo's "main thing", although it is at the very least queer-friendly and does still sometimes sporadically host events intended for people who date or are seeking others of the same sex. Should anyone ask, however - I have no idea at present even from hearsay what someone's chances would be of hooking up with someone or finding a one-night stand here based on their own gender and sexual orientation, or the gender or sexual orientation of who they might be looking to meet. Another review by another reviewer may be able to speak to that. The upstairs/main floor mostly hosts dance nights of the types mentioned above. The downstairs hosts a variety of events, ranging from EDM nights packed with people wearing kandi and glow necklaces to local DIY punk acts. As a result the main level/upstairs (chill and laid-back) and downstairs (always filled with a raucous din) give off two completely different energies. As a bit more of a hobbit than a dwarf, let me say I greatly prefer the creature comforts of the upstairs to the party animal attitude of the downstairs. This is clearly going to be a matter of individual inclination, however. At the moment Cattivo is open relatively limited days/hours and the kitchen is closed. That may be subject to change in the future. If this place sounds like somewhere that matches your energy, highly recommend. read more

This must be a joke.. 4 stars? The bathrooms are disgusting. Rings around the water lines. Looks like it hasn't been properly cleaned in a while. Be warned - smoking bar. read more

You want comedy? Flea market? Drag queens? Karaoke? Goth and Industrial nights? Cattivo offers everything. Decent drink prices, great staff. I've been here for so many different events and they're always packed. read more

This place is great! It's not really by anything else, so if you're going with a group maybe have a designated driver. I've usually done that and haven't had trouble finding parking. Definitely go to their theme nights. My friends and I go and we've had such good times there! Britney Gaga night was my favorite. read more

Well, this bar isn't amazing but it's not bad. I wouldn't say it's as classy as 5801, but I don't think it's meant to be. If you're looking for girls though, this is your place. There are some guys that hang out, but it's mostly a lesbian bar. Beware if you hate the smell of smoke. This bar is a haven for those who love to smoke and you will leave smelling like an ashtray. Good luck if you're new to the city and trying to meet people...everyone that goes here seems to know each other. There's so many cliques and I can't say I've ever had a hard time meeting people until I went to this bar. I am a very down to earth person, but if I may, my fiancee and I are a pretty cute couple and I'm surprised no one had ever bothered to say "hi" when we are there. She's the quintessential hot androgynous type and I'm the girlie one....we're not overly-affectionate and we would talk to anyone who would talk to us...but everyone is too busy meeting up with people they already know. We are the farthest thing from stuck up and neither of us have EVER had an issue meeting friends at a bar EVER until we went here. Go to 5801 if you're looking to meet a friend. There is an occasional girl that comes in to host parties...she flaunts around like she's a wannabe Dawn Denbo and it's kind of a buzz kill. I will say that drinks are cheap and food is great if you have a good buzz going... read more

This is a great venue to catch a show (I've been here for drag shows and punk shows) or just hang out at the bar. Drinks are reasonably priced and the bartenders are friendly. I've been hearing luscious things about their food and the last time I visited, I finally got to try some menu items. The pizza is fantastic and the Stromboli was the size of a toddler. I was beyond impressed. Love finding a dive bar with good food. I'm going to be a lame-o and complain about the whole smoking inside thing, though. I know it's appealing to a lot of people, but my virgin lungs always need to step outside for a few fresh breaths throughout the night. Ventilation seems to be better than most smoking bars in the city, so that's a plus! read more

Some of the best pizza in Pittsburgh. It makes no sense I know. This ordinary bar on a side street in Lawrenceville but I'm telling you the truth. Exceptional crust, great sauce and perfectly cooked. Their white pizza is a hidden gem and might be the best white pizza in all of Pittsburgh. Give it a shot. They do take out if you just want a pizza at home. read more

Cattivo - a pizza on a pan with a slice taken out of it - Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I was there for night 2 of their annual Howl-o-ween bash! I freaking ROCKED out to some amazing cover bands (like B52s, The GoGos, AC/DC). They had alternating shows upstairs and downstairs and this event was non smoking. I had some tasty brews and the buffalo chicken pizza was DELICIOUS. My friend got a burger and that looked amazing, too. Overall the place did seem kind of "divey" but man, I love dive bars haha and especially ones with such great food. The service was good and everyone else there was SO nice and friendly! Bathrooms were a bit cramped and left something to be desired but they weren't disgusting. Overall I had a really really fun time here and would definitely go back again! read more

This is a good place if you have friends who enjoy different types of bars. Want to dance? Eat Pizza? Chill at the bar? Play darts, pinball? There is something for everyone. I personally am not into the dancey-club scene, but a lot of my friends are, so this place is a good compromise for us. There is usually a cover if they have a DJ doing a theme night-- Beyonce night, Drake night, etc., but it's usually only $5. Drinks are priced for the neighborhood, not as cheap as some of my favorite dive bars, but not too ridiculous either. The bar area is pretty large and they usually have a few different bartenders on duty, so I've never had to wait that long for a drink. They also serve pizza. Never had it myself, but have heard great things from friends who have had it! read more

I usually end up here for the most random of reasons. Flea market K-Pop Night Drag shows Birthday parties Drink/Paint parties Karaoke It's mostly a lesbian bar, which is great to have so many LGBT (and friendly) venues in Lawrenceville. Everyone is very sweet and helpful that works there. They have good beer selections. The food is good, it's bar food, but it's good. The pizza is pretty much your standard pizza. Nothing to write home about but definitely not a greasy mess either. It's a large space, and the basement is great for a lot of different activities. read more

Despite living only a few blocks from here, I had never been to Cattivo until this past Saturday night. They were having some kind of Beyonce dance party, so obviously we had to check that out. It was much larger than I expected inside. I have no idea what the norm is for this place, but it was PACKED last Saturday. There was still enough room for everyone to dance, but pushing through the crowd from the bar to my friends' spot on the dance floor (without spilling my drink everywhere) took some serious determination. Drinks were reasonably priced and service was fairly quick, given the amount of people waiting around the bar. The crowd was diverse. I love these kind of places where anyone and everyone is welcome. The music was great--goes without saying it was all Beyonce, all night. I can't really say what the other nights are like, but we will definitely be back to check it out again. read more

This place still deserves five stars. My husband and I had our wedding reception here last May (no, it's not as dickish as it sounds - we're LGB, the guests were too, and at the time, the bar ran a new-wave night every Saturday...BTW, another name for "new-wave night" is "all the bisexuals in the city are here right now," FYI), and it was a hell of a good time. Our guests and I were treated to a band that sounded like a New York Dolls, Johnny Thunders-esque soloing and all, fronted by a cool, tough-as-nails punk chick who dressed sexy and sassy. We danced like there was no tomorrow - and the DJ spun all of our favorites, like "She's in Parties" by Bauhaus and "The Passenger" by Iggy Pop. Even though we spent the second half of 2012 preparing to bid Pittsburgh farewell, we always came back to Cattivo at least once a month. The DJs indulged my requests, cutting their lineup of tinny sounding modern dance music to play now-classics like "Policy of Truth" by Depeche Mode and "Laid" by James. If you want to dance your heart out on Saturday nights, I'm telling you - do NOT miss Cattivo on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month. I'm working on a potential business deal with a Pgh friend who's a Cattivo regular, and I'm already salivating at the thought of attending another Hanging Garden dance night. read more

I cannot wait to review this hot garbage of a 'club' when I have time next week. Upstairs: affordable drinks, smoking section, and a farce of a music collection. Downstairs: the backup dancers of the music industry for an overly high cover charge in the Pittsburgh area. All around, don't waste your fucking time. read more

Two floors with their own dance floor, dj, and bar. Music is very pop/top 40. There's a drag king show that goes on Saturdays downstairs. Only lesbian bar I've found in the area and I'm not really a big fan. If you want to go somewhere to dance then you should go headover to the straight bars. Upstairs they serve food til late and it was pretty good. Drinks are cheap but pretty weak. The area outside also looks a little sketch. read more

This place has it's good and bad and I'm not quite sure which way that I lean toward. I've been here a handful of times for various events including a drag show, a DJ themed night and a concert. As far as the good.. It's a dive for sure which always scores points and it's completely unpretentious and the drinks are decently strong. The bad.. the place is definitely a little worse for wear and the smoke is a big, big issue. I don't mind smokers and a bit of smoke in a bar, it's to be expected but this place is on another level. Entering the downstairs bar you are hit with a cloud of smoke so thick you can't even see where you're going. Overall there isn't anything about the bar itself that makes me want to go back but for the right event it's perfectly fine for what it is. read more

Kind of a divey surprisingly large bar in a residential section of Lawrenceville. The food is touted as amazing, pizzas and calzones etc. however it was really greasy. Competing with Mineo's greasy. Cattivo's is occasionally fun on a saturday night-- sometimes packed and sometimes the bartender is the only one there for ladies night. Even when packed, few will get down and dance to soldier boy. The drinks are cheap so get liquored up and go with a big group... read more

Owner held our band equipment hostage after he had a misunderstanding with one of the other bands. Demanded we pay him the "rest of the money" ($60) he was owed until we could get our equipment and leave. Told him we never saw or agreed to any kind of contract or even had any part in booking the show --- he said it didn't matter. Never going back to Cattivo. In all our years of playing in Pittsburgh, no bar owner has ever treated us so poorly. read more

My friend and I were in Pittsburgh last weekend and visited while we were there. We met some friends there on friday night. I'd have probably given it 4 stars if the music was better but frankly, it sucked. It's a friendly gay bar, more specifically, a lesbian bar. I am usually pretty okay in this environment but they run regular events downstairs that are not gay specific. So don't go if you're just wanting to escape breeders. I'm not saying I have a problem with them but sometimes you want the "gay bars" to actually BE "gay bars". Upstairs was comprised mostly of lesbians but downstairs was a free-for-all and I don't mean that in a good way. I stayed upstairs after seeing what the downstairs had to offer. All that considered, they do have GREAT Pizza. We scarfed up two of them and an order of Cheese Fries between 6 of us. I recommend the Pizza but suggest you look elsewhere for a gay scene. This place, while friendly (as I said) seems less interested in preserving it's tauted "gay atmosphere" than making a buck of the freaks in town. So, it lost a star for not maintaining an environment condusive to our scene. JMO! read more

My partner and I had our wedding shower here yesterday, after a long debate to your traditional "firehall fiasco" and "rained out picnic" we decided to do it right and our decision couldn't have been better! The food was Amazing, chicken was tender and flavorful, the manicotti was cooked to perfection and tasted like your 90 year old Italian grandmother spent all day on it. Our guests raved about the food and service, the owners put a customized drink list together for our event and again the guests raved about them and the cute names. Everything was perfect, the price per guest was very fair for what we received! I would also like to say that on an every day note if you are just looking for a quick bite or to stop for a pizza this is the place to go on your way home from work or before a or to start a crazy night, the crowd is fun, drinks are good and staff is wonderful! Thank you again for making our day such a success! read more

I liked it here okay, but this was not my cup of tea. Dark, smokey, loud. I guess I just don't like bars in general. I went to attend Lady Fest. While everyone working there was at least somewhat friendly, they failed to inform anyone that the concerts moved downstairs while the next set was preparing upstairs. I didn't even realize there was a downstairs (I guess I should've read some of the other Yelp reviews more carefully). There was a sign up by the stage, but that was the only indication that the concerts moved downstairs. I guess perhaps this is not the fault of the bar, but it would've been really helpful for the bouncers to share that information when I came in..... They weren't busy at all and it wouldn't have been too difficult for them to share that info, I don't think. The drinks were good, but expensive for my preferences. $5 for a beer, $8 for a mixed drink. As I mentioned before, the bartenders were very nice, especially one of them. However, the clientele was decidedly unfriendly. I don't know, as I also mentioned earlier, I don't care for bars that much, but had gone to see the Lady Fest bands. This was just not a good experience for me, and I won't be back. read more

This is a strong contender along with blue moon for the best gay bar in the city- and they're right down the street from each other! (I may or may not have gone to both bars in one night.) I've been here a couple times, and have had trouble both times finding this hole in the wall a little off the beaten track. However, the bar opens up nicely once inside and has a large middle area with an island bar, equipped with a few pool tables and dart boards on one side. This is actually a great and fun place to karaoke- no judgements, just a good time. A great mixed crowd here- straight women and men, gay men and lesbians. The last time I stopped in I ran into a straight couple who I'm good friends with. They just came to enjoy a fun night out, which is exactly what you will probably have if you stop in here! Oh, and FYI, the food here is pretty damn good too. read more

I like this place. I go with my mom and it's always a good time. It does seem a little less friendly than some other bars- I've tried striking up conversations with people and get the stink-eye. Some other reviewers have called the place pretentious- I can see that. It's still a decent place to go, though, as long as you don't go alone. The food is awesome and drinks aren't badly priced. read more

I really like this bar! Friendly service, great "bar food" and pizza, reasonable drinks. Upstairs is very "neighborhood bar" feeling, but downstairs is very nice and loungy, big enough to dance or go across the floor talk and actually hear what's being said. Nice decor, clean. I can go all decked out and not feel out of place. It is a lesbian bar, which is awesome because they are very tolerant and open minded and get all kinds of people, especially on the different club nights like Sinferno that happen regularly. I'm straight, and its one of the only places I go to dance! read more

Nice location with nice bartenders , great owner and good food ! :)

What a great place to eat! They have AMAZING wings (I do not usually eat wings but these are great!) and the PIZZA!! OMG, you cannot beat it!! 2 floors, 2 different bars, They always have different events Painte night is a blast! If you get a chance, check it out! read more

MUST HAVE PIZZA!!!! Absolutely the best pizza I have ever had. EVER! Chicago, New York , NOWHERE can touch this pizza! Other than that its you basic neighborhood pub. It is mostly a lesbian bar but they dont mind if guys come in just to hang out. There are several goth nights throughout the month and occasional drag show and other events as well. (These events are a mixed crowd everyone is welcome check the website for events calender) The bartenders are really nice and make good drinks and theyre not crazy expensive. HI ROB! HI ELTON :) read more

I hesitate to write this because the secret will be out, but this place has some of THE BEST bar food and PIZZA in the city. It's a very unassuming place tucked away in a side street in Larryville and is very welcoming of diversity (as all places should be), and it cooks up some of the best food around and really reasonable prices. Plus alcohol too. What more could you want or need? Kitchen stays open late too which is another plus. I've had their pizza, amaze balls breadsticks and cheese sticks. I would venture to say this is the best pizza in Larryville. read more

Cool, neighborhood bar. Good place to watch the game....good drink prices & good food. Sometimes it gets really packed on Saturday nites, and the lower level downstairs is really nice. Too bad the upstairs isn't as nice. Unfortunately, it's the only lesbian bar left in the city. :( It's a nice chill spot, most of the patrons are kinda friendly & the bartenders are nice too. It's not the fanciest bar in the city, but I always have a good time everytime I come here. read more

Smoky bar with the worst service I've ever had. Way understaffed, almost impossible to get a bartender. Waited 15 minutes before someone served me. One bartender had to look at the menu to see what went in each drink. Ordered a pizza, then watched as it sat and got cold before I could get a bartender to give it to me. Horrible attitude from one bartender as I tried to order another round of the most watered down drinks imaginable. I understand that things get stressful when you're swamped, but you don't get to sass your patrons. Definitely won't be back. read more

I've been coming to events here a few years now since moving to Pittsburgh and would probably go more often just to hang out if I lived closer. The food is outstanding, especially for a bar. Try the pizza or cheese fries, you won't regret it. The staff is great and attentive. Drinks are not watered down, just about the right strength. My favorite place to go out in Pittsburgh. read more

Best pizza in the 'burgh! The atmosphere is super friendly and welcoming to everyone! Lots of scheduled events keeps us coming back!

Best bar burger. Great place for late night grub. The drinks are on the weak side though.

Ok - I'm straight and go to Cattivo all the time and usually drag my boyfriend. I love the bartender, Andrea (she makes a killer margarita and ask for the Starburst shot), and the crowd is always fun. Thursdays are karaoke and a total scream - you will laugh, trust me. The buffalo chicken pizza is amazing. It's, by far, my favorite thing on the menu, but everything I've tried there is definitely above average. I like Cattivo because it's not pretentious, or trying to be something it's not. It's a bar where people drink, smoke, laugh, sing, dance, play pool, eat, and go home (hopefully, not alone!). I love the downstairs, too. I've gone to a few art shows and seen several great bands there. It's a totally different vibe and a bit more upscale (which is pretty ironic, considering it's the basement). I would say the main floor is a bar and the downstairs is a lounge. Sometimes, I bounce between floors....how fun is that?? Drunk karaoke to start and then I collect myself and go downstairs to be a bit more cultured and civilized....all this social goodness and cheap entertainment in one building! They have tons of special events, parties, and cool promotions, too.....check out their Facebook page. I never go to Lawrenceville without stopping at Cattivo :-) read more

Every time I have been to Cattivo, it has been a nice experience. It has a neighborhood feel and it is welcoming. Yes, it is quiet some nights but such is life in Pittsburgh and....so what? The owner is a very nice guy and accommodating to large groups, and the bartenders and wait staff are also nice. The food is fine: good pizza; calzones; and other dishes. And the prices are very fair. I have been in small bars that cater to a gay clientel from coast-to-coast and I think Cattivo's is a plus for Pittsburgh. Go and enjoy! read more