*Sunday brunch review* The $25 price fixe brunch is a great deal! For the price, you get a cocktail, an appetizer, and a main course. I had a mimosa which was just perfect, the right ratio of OJ to champagne. For my appetizer, I got the Three Greens salad (because I figured I should eat some veggies before gourging on what was to come...), which actually was wonderful. I could have eaten just that and been satisfied for a normal lunch. They also brought us a complimentary bread basket full of mini goodies like biscuits, muffins and croissants. I had a mini biscuit with honey butter and it was delicious. I wish it had been warm, but otherwise it was a perfect texture. For my main course I had the shrimp and scallion omelet which came with bacon (they make it themselves! awesome) and potatoes. The BACON....O.M.G. It had a pepper rub on the edges and it was very meaty. It could have been a tad crispier but I think that's because it was so thick. It was so good and the dish came with THREE pieces which I ate all of (snort, snort...I'm a little piggie!). The omelet itself was wonderful as well, but I could have eaten just bacon and the delicious side of potatoes and been happy. The service was really good, too. I was impressed. Although I would note that there's no reason to take away perfectly unused silverware between courses...I support being green and not re-washing clean silverware for no reason. Anyway, this was by far the best food I had in Pittsburgh. I am glad we didn't go for dinner because of the recent "meh" reviews and considering the price, I would have been sad if it wasn't amazing. But for brunch...it's a great deal and some awesome food. Very impressed!! read more

So a friend insisted that I try Eleven, but I was always a little put off by the fact that it was owned by the same people who own Mad Mex (okay, kind of bland) and Soba (decent, overpriced). However, the GF and I actually woke up in time for lunch on Sunday, and we weren't really in the mood for typical brunch food, so we tried out Eleven. The ambiance is really nice. It kind of gives off a hotel-lounge feel (for Sunday brunch, at least), and it's relaxed yet classy. I'm also a big fan of the seating arrangement. We both got the brunch prix fixe, which is $25 for an appetizer, an entree, and a drink. I got a Bloody Mary, the crab cake, and spaghetti with shrimp, crab, lobster, and lima beans. Everything was good, but not superb. Dessert (not included in the prix fixe) was good, but I'm not really a dessert person, so I don't remember what I got. Now, the food was all pretty good, but the show stopper was actually the bread. They freshly bake everything on the premise, and each bread basket has tiny scones, blueberry muffins, croissants, and I think an orange cranberry bread. I'm told it changes daily based on what the baker decides on making, but everything I had was top notch. Seriously, it sounds kind of stupid, but I would actually go to Eleven just for the bread. They could have charged me $10 for each basket, and I would not have minded at all. I wasn't sure whether to give Eleven a 4 or a 5, and I really wish Yelp did half-stars, but I ultimately decided to bump it up to a 5, because the bread really is THAT good. All in all, one of my Top 3 restaurants in Pittsburgh. read more

I was in Pittsburgh alone for work. Though hell apparently froze over (it was first week of Feb), I did not want to be imprisoned in my hotel room so I yelped for the nearest well-reviewed place to take my taste buds. At first I thought it'd be close enough to just walk to. Silly California girl that I am. As soon as I stepped out onto the hotel driveway, I slipped on ice. In front of bumper to bumper traffic. Sad FACE! I immediately scrapped that idea and hopped into the nearest cab for a 5 minute ride. After making it safely (relatively) to the restaurant, I was immediately seated (I was having an early dinner). The host was a little snooty but it is that kind of place and I was very underdressed. My waiter, on the other hand, was super nice and... super happy. Maybe it's the Californian negativity but I was kind of caught off-guard by his excitement. Still, I appreciated his attitude, especially after the weird looks I kept getting from the host. I knew what I wanted to order as soon as I sat down (that's because I had examined the menu online an hour before) - seared foie gras (duh!) and the Eleven burger. The foie gras was excellent and generous but the burger was huge (no complaints there) and really salty. I'm not sure whether it was the veal or the bacon that was salty but it was over-seasoned. Overall, great ambiance, good (not great) food, and good service. Pretty impressed. read more

Dinner experience here was a little off -- wine bottle was not the year cited on the menu (two years younger) -- very average arctic char in both presentation and taste & runny polenta! This may have been exacerbated by the fact that service was not how it usually is at Eleven! It was quite busy -- and it was a Friday evening -- but, gosh -- no waiter appearing for 15 minutes? Desserts were solid and the other two diners in my party seemed to like their meals but weren't over-the-moon. read more

There's something absolutely magical about the Big Burrito restaurant group. Every restaurant associated with it is fantastic--FANTASTIC, do you hear me?! I went to Eleven with two friends to try their Sunday brunch--collectively, we tried: the grilled sticky, the scallops, the crabcake, the huevos ranchero, the eggs benedict, the Eleven burger, and the pumpkin mascarpone cannoli (with delicious pears). Everything was unbelievably well-made. The ham included in the eggs benedict makes me salivate to reminisce about; the tartar sauce on the crabcake was perfectly complimented by not only the crabcake itself, but the white anchovies served with it; the Eleven burger was MONSTROUS and well-worth the price (don't leave without trying it); and the dessert was more than a satisfying way to end the brunch. Along with some complimentary pastries with both a butter and an apple jelly as well as included drinks, I would be sorely mistaken to not give this place 5 stars on Yelp. The service was great, the food was great, and you'll see me here again (once I get the money to pay for an expensive brunch again)! Times like these make me upset to be a broke college student. read more

This restaurant is probably the pride of the Pittsburgh natives. From the surface, they have it all. Cool vibe, dim lighting, open kitchen, sleek décor, specialty chef, etc. It is definitely a more formal place and I would consider it "Fine Dining" so that is important you know that before you go. It is the kind of place that doesn't have specials because the chef is constantly changing the menu to fit what is in season. It is also the kind of place where a bread boy walks around with a basket of goodies and rations them out to each patron. That's all fine and dandy but to some extent I just wanted him to leave the basket of bread and take a hike. Moving on...Our server was annoying. She was stalking our table and she didn't come across as sincere. Hard to explain but she wouldn't just allow us to enjoy ourselves. We had a 6pm reservation. I mean it isn't like she was trying to turn our table....I think she was just bored. When my husband made the reservation they asked him if it was a special occasion and he told them, yes...our 8th year anniversary. Just a note to management...don't ask if you don't plan on acknowledging it. We have been asked in the past but then brought out a little box of chocolates, given free desert, etc. But here? Nope. We got hassled by the waitress. I ordered the pike which was pretty good. It was served with brussel sprouts and sauteed apples and all types of other colorful things around the perimeter of the plate. It was good, not great. Hubby ordered the salmon which is served just pan seared but raw on the inside. He requested that it be cooked through to medium well. Well, guess what? It was pinker than a newborn baby. He didn't enjoy it at all. He told the waitress and she quickly offered to have it cooked through so we waited and it came back in crumbled pieces of cooked salmon. It tasted much better but again, no apology from management. That is just my pet peeve I guess. We passed on dessert because none of them stood out to us. We grabbed the check and left. There are some good things about this place but they could use some fine tuning. read more

I agree with those who say the food is bland. Disappointed in a lot of the places I recently raved over in the Pittsburg area. Just not what it used to be. Over priced for a place that is now lackluster. The wine list is swell, the atmosphere hasn't changed. However, the dining area is quickly becoming dated. Sort of reminds me of an oversized hotel dining experience. I wouldn't put it passed them to start putting lava cake on the desert menu. Sad for a place that was once my favorite for an upscale night of dining. read more

LOVE! Cider braised plums with Gorgonzola. Butternut squash soup with Serrano ham. Perfectly seared salmon. They were all divine. Service was paced well. We weren't rushed nor were we waiting around for each course. The cocktail menu was diverse, but I stuck with my beloved wine. Luckily, it was just as extensive. Loved the banquette seating! read more

I've been meaning to come here for a longgg time. Turns out they have a very solid happy hour menu, including a bunch of drinks & many of their apps. I tried the lamb taco and it was kick-ass. Oysters are $1 each. The cocktails...meh. I had the tomato-infused martini, and it was just okay...had potential but the execution was a bit flawed. The Pimms cup was good but not memorable, but the tea-ojito was well done. For dinner we went with tuna & lamb. Both were excellent; the lamb was done three ways; the saddle, pulled lamp, & lamb...wait for it...bacon. It tasted like bacon, but it was lamb, so that automatically makes it more awesome. We actually got dessert, too...peanut butter something or other. Everything is garnished well, plated well, and executed well. I don't have anything bad to say about the food or service in the restaurant, just expect a $50pp check. The minus one star right now is for the meh drinks, and the relatively poor service in the bar; we waited with empty glasses for 15 minutes. I'll definitely go back. read more

Absolutely delicious. Who knew that there could be hip, locally(ish) sourced dining in Pittsburgh? Was a little strange to pull up to a nice restaurant on an otherwise industrial looking road, but once inside, you could never tell you weren't in San Francisco or some other, more hip city. Nice ambiance, and good acoustics (meaning not having to shout). We sat down and got some tasty fresh baked bread. Amuse of goat cheese with some sort of berry smear. We both had the three greens salad, which was nice. Not outstanding, but heck, it was a good salad. But the entrees were fantastic. I had the lamb, and it was delicious. A little on the salty side, but then again, my cravings are for salt, and not sugar, so that was OK by me. My dining companion had the bass, and said it was quite good. Finished off with the coffee and doughnuts, which was their version of coffee creme brulee with beignets. Very nice finish to a very nice meal. Overall, great service, great food, and great ambiance. read more

Food was good and location is really cool. On the river but also on the industrial edge of the 'Burgh. I found the server to be arrogant and judgmental, though. I asked for some Keto customizations and other modifications and the reaction felt forced. Funny ... I'm the guy paying the bill. So, if you like Eleven as is, great. If you want individualized attention go somewhere else. read more

Eleven is a really good restaurant. They always manage to please me. They have two menus. The fancy menu and the bar menu. Are you feeling fancy, then order from the main Eleven menu? Are you looking to keep costs down or just want a nice burger, order from the pub menu? The restaurant is very nicely decorated. The service is excellent. They have an extensive wine and spirits selection. Have friends coming in from the suburbs? They have valet parking. What makes them five star for me is the bread basket and the complementary caramel after your meal. Their in house bread is amazing. I usually forgo desert since I'm typically full, but the caramel is fun. read more

One of the nicer eateries in Pittsburgh, comes at a steep price though. I felt some of our waiters were a bit douchy and pretentious at first. If you look under 25 and somebody from your party wants to order a cocktail, be prepared to show *everyone's* IDs. On the good side, they were very good about accommodating our giant party of 16 ( even if it was 6pm on a Wednesday night) Before bringing out our food, we got these little sandwiches with onions and salmon caviar - tasty! Then came our oysters, from Long Island, served with a nice, spicy pepper sauce and some milder one. For main course, I tried the beef tenderloin, pork chop, and tuna. I ordered the beef medium and it came nicely red on the inside, leaning towards medium-rare which worked fine for me since that's what I usually go with anyway. The fingerling potatoes were a tad undercooked and hard. The pork chop was served on bacon grits, and that was the best part of that dish. The pork chop itself was bland and boring. Tuna was alright, nothing special. For dessert, I had apricot semifreddo covered with somekindofdarkberry syrup drizzle, it was ok - tasty ice cream. read more

Yelp, why have you lead me so far astray? Although we were treated with enthusiastic service, our food was generally boring with few, if any, of the dishes standing out. (The desserts were good, but I'm not sure how you come up with bland desserts.) I had the chef's tasting menu. My co-diner had the vegetarian version. We left disappointed... as time has gone on the disappointment has turned to depression as I wish I had all that cash back. Nothing was terrible, but the quality did not match the price. read more

Eleven is one of my favorite restaurants in pittsburgh. This restaurant exudes casual elegance without giving you that desperate "You are eating in a fine dining establishment!" feeling. I dont really know what that means either, but you'll understand if you have been there. It's beautiful inside, but its also comfortable and welcoming. You will need a reservation to dine at Eleven, and once you are there you will want to wait in the bar area and have a cocktail if you are able to. The mixed drinks are all excellent. Don't dine here if you are in a hurry! Eating at Eleven is an experience and your dinner will probably take about an hour and a half. One of my favorite things about Eleven is their bread basket, I believe they make the bread in house. I highly recommend the beet salad and the Seafood Tasting. It's incredible. The food there is consistently fantastic. I sound like a desperate girl describing all the things she likes about her crush. I have a crush on Eleven. I'm not ashamed. There is only one menu item I wouldn't avoid again, and that was the steak. It was over $40 and it was good, but my mind was not blown. You can get a steak anywhere, order something else. Eleven is not one of those restaurants that will leave both you and your wallet starving. I never have room to order the desserts but they look fantastic. This is a perfect restaurant to take a date, a business client, your parents from out of town, or to just have dinner w/ your friends. This restaurant is good if you have a large party--call ahead and see if you can't reserve one of the dinings rooms. My friend had her birthday party there and we had excellent service in the dining room. If you consider yourself a foodie, and you're from PIttsburgh and have not been to Eleven yet you need to realize that this is an Epic Fail, and make reservations for Eleven NOW. read more

Let me start off by saying that Eleven is one of my favorites restaurants in Pittsburgh. It is one of my favorite Big Burrito restaurants as well, along with Umi and Casbah. I love the urban, upscale feel of the restaurant. It isn't pretentious, and everything from the decor to the flatware is tasteful and elegant. My husband and I most recently came here to celebrate our anniversary, and we weren't disappointed. I started with a glass a of the pinot blanc/pinot gris blend from Alsace (one of my favorite regions for white wines in the entire universe), and it was delicious. They had a good wine list, which is one of my favorite things about Eleven. I started with the tuna tartare, which was delicious. It kept with tradition, while still being inventive and fresh. I loved the caviar on top! I had the seafood tasting this time around because I was feeling indecisive, and it was lovely to be able to try a little bit of several things. The portion size was perfectly adequate for me, but then, I don't like feeling overly stuffed when I leave a restaurant. The salmon was cooked well (there is nothing worse than overcooked salmon), and the scallop and crabcake were delicious. My husband had the pork chop, and the glazed beets in the dish were outstanding. Next time, I look forward to exploring some of Eleven's cocktails options as well as more of the menu items. read more

In short: Everything about our experience was perfect! I will definitely be returning to Eleven in the near future! Read on if you want details. Booking our reservation: We called and were cheerfully greeted with a "what's the occasion?" to which we replied it was a celebratory dinner. More on this later. :) When we arrived, all of the staff were friendly and welcoming. We were instantly comfortable. We did dress up a little bit but did not feel like we would have been shunned had we been a bit more casual. The whole place somehow balances elegance and comfort. It has many different zones, both inside and out, each with their own unique feel. Our waiter was so nice and made sure we were completely satisfied with our meal. We neither felt rushed nor ignored. As wine fans, but not quite connoisseurs, he was able to answer any question we had about their excellent wine list. Personally, I found their selection to be fairly priced and of good quality. Again, our waiter helped us pick great wines, at the right price, that also went well with our meal. I ordered the pork chops with some Trefethen merlot, and my girlfriend ordered the salmon with some Albarei Albrino. The wine and bread arrived very shortly after ordering. The wines were served at the perfect temperature in beautiful glassware. They offered three types of bread, each of which was delicious. I would have loved if the bread was slightly warmer. I'm really nit picking here though. I'm finding it next to impossible to criticize Eleven. We were only a few sips into our wine when our meals arrived. I was blown away by how quickly our food arrived. IT truly was impressively fast.... and delicious! The salmon was both crispy and flakey at the same time. 10/10! The pork chops were succulent and flavorful. Not even the slightest hint of dryness was detected. I even ordered more bread so that I could soak up every last drop of juice left on the plate. It was incredible. 10/10! The desert menu was solid. We split an Adelsheim dessert wine and the crème brulee. Both were fantastic. One of the best crème brulee's I have had in recent history. Now, remember when I mentioned the "what's the occasion" question? Well, they even went so far as to include a little chocolate "congratulations" sign with our desert. Unbelievable. Our bill was topped off with a sweet, tropical fruit treat, and thank you from our waiter, and a fairly reasonable number at the bottom of the receipt. Obviously, it would always be nice to see a smaller number, but for the incredible service and food that we enjoyed, the experience of an evening at Eleven is well worth the price. I highly recommend going to Eleven for your next special night out in the 'burgh! Cheers! read more

As far as contemporary fine dining goes, Eleven sticks with the Big Burrito formula pretty closely. Nothing they serve is entirely challenging but for a lot of Pittsburghers, it probably appears that way. Either way, there's no way to argue about the quality of the food. The ingredients are seasonal and local and the cooking is inspired. Eleven is probably the most upscale of the Big Burrito restaurants but the stuffiness that comes with that atmosphere is wholly missing. I love being able to order food off a restaurant's menu and recognizing the name of the farms that supply their proteins. The service at Eleven is exceptional and the food is great. A lot of people seem to have a problem with Big Burrito but I think they are wholly responsible for a lot of the fine dining scene in Pittsburgh. Mad Mex, as laid back and casual as it is, is a great way to introduce your palette to flavors that will lead you to bigger and much more challenging flavors. Eleven is Big Burrito's attempt at the prize at the end of that journey and I think for most people, it's sufficient. For a more in-depth review you can read the article on my web site. http://eatinginpittsburgh.com/2011/02/02/eleven-brought-coma/ read more

I am so pleasantly pleased! We came here for my grandma's 80th birthday. We made reservations ahead of time and I don't know if it's because our party of 7 was big so there was no where else to accommodate us or they knew it was for a birthday, but we were seated in like a separate room which was nice! We can be loud, especially all 7 of us together, so it was nice we were partially separated. Throughout the meal, the wait staff was really friendly and patient with us. Deciding took a while and since my grandparents can't speak English, we had to do a lot of translating with them but they all just stood by patiently and were helpful with our questions. The food was good! The steak tartare was good and so were the scallops. My grandparents both got the tasting menu and they got the white truffle tagliatelle as one of their courses. I got to try some and that was delicious. I loved it! For my entree, I got the ribeye. It was cooked well. The sides were good except the foie gras butter was a bit too strong for me. For dessert, we splurged. The brown sugar ice cream cookie, banana creme pie, creme fraiche brulee, and the candy bar. They were glorious. I died at the banana creme pie. I pretty much ate the entire thing. The rest were all really good. I think the candy bar ended up being a bit too sweet for me, but not bad. It was like eating a really thick fudgy piece of chocolate. It was good but too big. We had a lot of fun and had a great meal. Really good for special occasions. read more

Let me say that I was on the lookout here... so many awesome reviews ... could it really be that great ??? Well I finally made my way here today for LUNCH. First & foremost the wait staff was attentive but not in your face, which I LOVE !! I was skeptical of this place since it is a "chain" (Big Burrito) which, by most standards does not bode well to a high end venue. I am corrected here. Big Burrito chain does not immediately scream high end value, atmosphere and culinary wonderment however, this place breaks the mold. It is upscale in atmosphere, their wait staff are knowledgeable and dressed appropriately. The bar is FULL and affordable and the place is inviting. Ordered the Eleven burger and seared tuna with greens salad; all were wonderful. The tuna was seared with a salad of cous cous & greens & was delicious. The burger was to die for served with fresh cut fries & cooked just as I ordered !!! I could have eaten two. I loved the food and the service here. I am looking to make plans to experience the chefs tasting menu. I read/hear its wonderful. As far as today's lunch, it was delicious and service was spot on. I will be back and recommend this establishment; even though it is a Big Burrito chain restaurant. Kaya (Big burrito too) is horrible but this one (i hope) is trying to break the chain reputation. So far so good because everything we had today was delicious !! We will be back. Can't wait. read more

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Went to Eleven to celebrate a birthday with a group of 5 young professional women because we heard the food was great. Unfortunately we ended up not being seated until 9:15 when our reservation was at 8:30. When we were finally seated our waiter treated us very poorly -- one of my friends felt she had to order a meal she did not want because he made a rude comment about people who order appetizers (after she had asked for 2 as her entrée) he also stormed away from our table in a huff when we asked him to take a photo of us with the birthday cake and he only came by to take the order and drop off the food never to ask for refills or how our meal was. I do have to say that the good was delicious! However, the fact that we weren't seated till 45 minutes after our reservation and rude waiter would keep me from coming back. read more

Is it possible to get a fine dining experience in Pittsburgh? Before eating at Eleven, I would have said "No". However, this gem of an eatery has opened my eyes to the possibility of top notch food in the Steel City. The restaurant itself is expansive, with high ceilings, wood beams and exposed brick. The service, while efficient, seemed somewhat standoffish and cold. We started with the spicy tuna tartare, which had an excellent texture and just the right amount of heat. Not to belabor the point, but it was more than a little surprising to experience high quality tuna tartare in Pittsburgh. Given that it was a whole 12 degrees outside that evening, a nice soup seemed a good option. The roasted squash soup was well made and had a nice roasted flavor to go with the velvety texture. The entree selections were slanted toward meat and fowl. I opted for the NY strip steak. It came out perfectly cooked and served sliced atop potato-goat cheese pierogis and simply prepared sauteed spinach. It was clear after the first bite, that the cow this steak had come from was grass raised. This was a clear example of quality ingredients, prepared with restraint, yielding truly satisfying results. Dessert was the peanut butter banana split, consisting of an uneven combination of peanut butter ice cream, marshmallow, graham cracker roasted banana ice cream, vanilla bean soup and chocolate. There was just a little too much going on here. Eleven is definitely an excellent dining experience, regardless of location, and I will be going back next time I'm in Pittsburgh. read more

It's reputation speaks for itself, but I"ll give an extra shout out for the awesome brunch I had yesterday. The zucchini, mushroom and goat cheese omelet was outstanding, and the portions were well worth the price. The prix fixe brunch option offers a choice of appetizer, entree, and cocktail or juice beverage for $29...and I had more than enough leftover to take some home. The grilled stickies are out of this world...it was the perfect balance of salty and sweet. An overall fantastic experience. read more

Eleven - Zucchini, mushroom, and goat cheese omelet. Fantastic. - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Everyone in my family agrees that this might be the best restaurant at which we have ever eaten. I have never had a bad meal and I have tried many different items. Often the chef's samples impress me despite ingredients I would never seek out. The service is slavish and witty. Ask for balsamic vinegar with the bread because it tastes sweet like it costs $100 per bottle, which it might. When they ask which type of bread you want, say one of each. The burger is a must at lunch. They have the best salmon I have found in Pittsburgh. The seafood tasting has been great each time I have had it. The desserts are works of art. The crab cakes are great. If you are reading this and considering eating here, just do yourself a favor and make it happen. You will not be disappointed. read more

I feel bored by the idea of writing this, even as I'm starting the review...I wanted to like Eleven, and technically enjoyed it, but it all somehow seemed expected. I'm trying to be thorough about my Pittsburgh food experiences, though, so here goes. I've been here three times, and each time was slightly less interesting than the one before. The food averaged to the same quality, but I had expected more creativity and change over time, especially for such a high price. The food ranges from average to very good, but rarely tops out at excellent (I say this having tried the chef's tasting). I do recommend it, but only because Pittsburgh is sorely lacking in the romantic food date genre. Docked two stars because the quality is inconsistent, and it's definitely overpriced. read more

I went to Eleven on Monday night for a business dinner, and had a fabulous time. The food was outstanding, the service was great, and the atmosphere was unique and very homey. We all started off with some wine (the list was nothing special but had some good choices... I had the Shiraz, which I really enjoyed) and appetizers. Between 6 of us, we shared the lamb tacos (unbelievable!), the sashimi (REALLY small - not much of an appetizer unless it is for one person) and the crab cakes (I've had better, but they were tasty and sizable). They came by with a bread basket with three different types of bread, and came back to offer us more bread about 3 times. The breads were all delicious as well. For my main course, I had the pork chop. Ah-ma-zing. One of my fellow diners asked the waitress's recommendation between the salmon and the pork, and wow was she right that you can't go wrong with the pork. It was so tender and flavorful, with roasted vegetables and a delicious glaze. I am salivating just thinking about it again right now. And the desserts.... we were full but we couldn't say no. You may not think the cannoli sound like anything special, but they really knocked our socks off. We also tried the pretzel/chocolate/ice cream whatever-it's-called, which was delicious too. But I think everyone was more surprised that the cannoli were so delicious that they were the hit of the night. I do have two complaints about Eleven. One is that it is pricey. As long as you know this going in, it's not really a problem. Obviously going for a business dinner, it was okay, and it would also be fine for a special occasion. But it's definitely not your everyday dinner location. The second is the lighting. We had to ask our waitress for a flashlight/pull out our smartphones to read the menus. While the ambiance was nice, we could've used a little more light so we could at least read the menus. Overall, I definitely recommend Eleven for an elegant and delicious dinner in downtown Pittsburgh. I would definitely go back if I ever find myself back in town! read more

I brought my boyfriend here for his birthday. I reserved the Chef's Table, which means the chef prepared a 9-course meal customized for us based on our like/dislikes, and we sat next to the kitchen so that he could present each of the dishes to us. We also had each dish paired with wine. I did not give them a whole lot to work with during the interview. I told them that we eat a lot of seafood, but also enjoy vegetarian dishes as well as red meat dishes (so essentially I was saying we eat everything). I said that I strongly dislike bananas (which might sound weird, but I really cannot stand the taste/smell/texture of them). I also said that we are willing to try anything once, and the chef should just have some fun and bring out some of his favorite dishes. I have always been impressed with the food here, but this time in particular I was blown away. We started by taking advantage of their gin selection and ordered some gin and tonics. We later realized this was unnecessary and that there would be more than enough wine to go around, but we didn't realize how generously poured their pairings would be. The nine courses included oysters, scallops, halibut, oxtail, fois gras, lamb, and 2 desserts. Each of the dishes came with some unique toppings that were combined to create some sensation flavor pairings. For example, the scallops (my favorite dish) were served with heirloom tomatoes, lardo (cured strips of pork fat), and tarragon, all over smoked corn grits. The foie gras (my boyfriend's favorite) was served over zucchini bread with fig, blackberry, and red wine vinegar. I could have never dreamed up these combinations, but I am so glad that our chef could! The meal was not cheap, but it was well-worth the price and was a great way to celebrate the special occasion. read more

By far one of the best meals I have ever had in terms of taste. My meal, which was in part shared with the others I ate with: oysters, Pumpkin ravioli, cod, lamb (a saddle cut of shoulders and flank), pumpkin creme brulee, and a cheese platter that held some an amazing triple cream brie that I will probably never forget. It was an evening of eating food as slowly as possible because the scent and flavor were so fantastic I forgot all about hunger or anything else for that matter. Our waiter was also fantastic- obviously very knowledgeable about what was on the menu and funny too. When we arrived we commented that we were cold and the heat was turned up right away- this was both relieving and impressive. The atmosphere of the place was pretty fantastic on it's own. I can't see myself being able to afford the type of meal I'm reviewing on a regular basis, but it was a great introduction to a few things I'll return for in the future. For alcohol we had both a red and white that were excellent ( though the names escape me) but the wine of the night that stole my heart was a Sauternes from Bordeaux that I plan on buying as soon as I can locate a merchant selling it. All in all a fantastic place. I will return. Menu is on line for details. Appetizers $8-$20 Main course $ 20-$60 (some main courses were tasting meals) Wines and liqueurs- $8 on up to OMG... read more

This is a stellar place for happy hour - their Eleven Mules is one of the best cocktails I've ever had. Unfortunately, their dinner isn't as great. I was intrigued by their vegetarian tasting menu, but it fell flat, along with their regular tasting menu and a la carte dishes. I came here with my husband and two other Pittsburgh family members that we see a few times a year. The tasting menus (vegetarian and regular) were blah. Good but not great, and definitely not worth the price. The a la carte choices were more well received, but probably because they were less expensive. When our check came, we were definitely not impressed. We could have had a much better meal for our money. BIg Burrito - this is an embarrassment for you! read more

I'm eating dinner at Eleven as I write this, and I have to say that it is one of the best meals I've had in Pittsburgh. I had the tasting menu with wine pairing, and the wines were well matched with the food. Everything was pretty solid, including the service, but I actually felt that they were too attentive. They weren't extremely busy, and one of their many servers would approach the table every few minutes. I found this a little awkward, since I was alone and just wanted to eat, although other people might appreciate the personal attention. Also, the place has some bizarre, concept, surrealistic erotic prints hanging on the walls and is going for the "East Berlin Hotel Lobby" decor, so I kind of felt like I was in one of those Mike Myers "Deitur" Saturday Night Live skits from the 1990s ("Would you like to touch my monkey?") The best item on the tasting menu by far was the dessert, although the paired dessert wine tasted like straight-up grape juice. The plates were very seafood-heavy, and they love radishes, the menu is scattered with radish dishes, which is interesting. I've never been a big fan of the radish, but they don't seem to get used much, so it's a nice try. The presentation of the food was really good, but I was left a little unimpressed by the flavor. It's expensive for Pittsburgh, even more than I thought it would be going in. Overall, though, the wine pairing was reasonable, getting four and a half glasses for $35, when they are charging about $10 for most of their glasses. If it were a little cheaper, this would definitely be a four-star place. read more

My fellow supervisors and I came here for a pre-Christmas lunch. It was kind of our way of self-congratulating ourselves while our minions dined on McDon.... I mean we decided to have a nice social outing with a very fine lunch. Anyway, the food here is to die for and it's certainly someplace you don't dine at every day. I mean, when they describe their grilled cheese sandwich as "Arsenal cheese curds, grass fed local white cheddar, parmesan, and onion jam" you know you're not dealing with the Kraft American between two slices of egg-dipped toast that you get at Eat-n-Park. Even the burgers are made of braised veal. O but this place is far from pretentious as they can certainly back it up with the quality of food and service. I went for the Maine lobster salad with mesclun greens and believe you me, I don't order lobster very often but this was heavenly. And for dessert, my boss and I split the chocolate-peanut-pretzel candy bar. See, that's the great thing about sharing a dessert. I had just enough room in my tummy for a little something to fill in the cracks between the parts of my main meal. And since I'm a type-1 diabetic, splitting a dessert means I only have to take half the insulin to cover it. So give me a small "Pump that insulin, Susan. Pump!" here. And just what is a chocolate-peanut-pretzel-candy bar? I'll give you a hint--it's definitely no Snicker's bar. It's a brownie with peanut brittle, and milk chocolate and peanut butter ice cream So anyway, we had a great holiday lunch here with fantastic food and amazing service. If you work Downtown, you owe it to yourself to have at least one fine meal here. read more

Fantastic experience from start to finish! The restaurant is absolutly beautiful, and our server was funny, attentive, and very knowledge! My husband and I came here on our honeymoon, and were celebrated with a glass of champagne right away. We ordered the Pork Belly as a starter, and loved it. For an entree, I had the beef tenderloin, and my husband had the duck. Both were hands down the most tender pieces of respective meats that we've EVER had. We kept going with dessert; a cheese plate and the Banana Cream Pie (which isn't really a pie at all). They even had written "Congratulations" on a piece of dark chocolate, laid across the Banana Cream. The portions were very large, which means we left VERY full, since we tried, and loved, every bite! No detail was missed, which made for a truly spectacular evening! read more

I think Eleven must have been renovated from an abandoned warehouse. While the space itself is large, airy, and exposed, it's been redesigned to be very chic and trendy. Our larger party was escorted to the second level into one of the private rooms for our meal. As I oft do when somebody else is paying, I quickly gravitated towards the most expensive items on the menu. For this go around, it was the foie-gras appetizer, beef tenderloin (ok this was second most, but I love beets and horseradish). As can be reasonably expected with any foie gras dish, it represented completely over-the-top decadence, and I Ioved every bite of it. Melt in your mouth and the brioche had just enough crunch and texture to complement the rich treat. Tenderloin was also cooked to perfection and SO TENDER I wanted to cry (and probably did a little). I ordered the sorbet for dessert (since somewhere along the way I've convinced myself that eating sorbet is tantamount to a 3-4 mile job), but regretted not ordering the peanut-pretzel candy bar that my neighbors ordered. Next time! read more

I recently went for the Valentine's Day dinner tasting. I did the vegetarian tasting while my husband did the regular tasting. All dishes for both of us were average. Nothing wow. Service was very attentive. Beautiful ambience. Great wine/drink selection. Other than that, nothing blew me away. My recent dinner at Luma in Mt. Lebanon was light years better and half the price ($85 vs. $200, not that I have any problem at all dropping a pretty penny on a meal). I've been to almost every restaurant on Pittsburgh Magazine's "Top 25 Restaurants" list for 2012. I'm sure it made the list for a reason, I just didn't see it. I might try going back again to try something other than a tasting, but not before I explore some other restaurants I have on my short list. read more

Eleven tries really hard, but ultimately very little that I ate there succeeded. The menu and ingredients look exciting, but the person preparing the food and creating the recipes doesn't seem to have a chefs idea of what goes together well/how it should be cooked and seasoned. I've never written a dish-by-dish break down of my meal before, but I feel like like Eleven warrants one, so here goes: First, someone comes around with a bread basket. This bread basket turned out to be the highlight of the meal, and there was a cherry poppyseed bread that was excellent. After this, we started with the tuna tartar, which was also good - however, there was a raw oyster, out of its shell, on top of it, which was a sign of the weird choices to come. What were we supposed to do with this oyster? You're not going to chew it with the tartar, but slurping a dry, raw oyster from a fork instead of a shell also seems strange. I love raw oysters, and really all raw seafood, but one just lying over tartar is kind of unappetizing. I also got a kale Caesar, which had really good dressing, but too much of it, WAY too much Parmesan, and an insane amount of pepper - again, good ingredients, but not quite right. Then came the entrees. The entrees are where this slips into a two star review. The entrees took beautiful ingredients and made them tasteless, which makes me sad. I had pasta with shrimp and uni - I think uni is the most magical thing in the world, and it needs to be treated very, very lightly. I couldn't even taste this uni, at all, because it was drowned in butter. The sauce for the dish, from what I could tell, was simply a stick of butter, Paula Dean style. It was bad. My boyfriend got the grilled swordfish, which, again, had great ingredients - but when you see fish with chorizo on a menu, you kind of assume it will be lightly sprinkled with chorizo, not served atop a sausage cake almost as big as the fish. The fish was flavorless and cooked to death, but it wouldn't have mattered if it wasn't, because the chorizo cake totally overpowered it. The shellfish with this dish were tough. All in all, the menu reads like someplace really exciting, but the people in the kitchen just don't seem to get how to meld flavors together, and every dish just seems like a waste of beautiful ingredients. The meal actually made me a bit depressed - definitely disappointing. read more

When I need to impress a visiting friend I take them to Eleven for a spectacular Sunday brunch. This weekend just reaffirmed my love! The prix fixe deal really can't be beat, for $25 you get a drink, appetizer, and entree. For my morning drink I got the first snowfall, which aside from the name, was amazing. Sweet and light, perfect for the boat-load of calories I was about to consume. I tried to keep the appetizer on the healthy side with a beet salad. With apple butter and goat cheese lightly fried, it was refreshing and delicious! I can't stay away from the mushroom, zucchini omelette with fingerling potatoes and bacon. They must have the best bacon in Pittsburgh. It must have a dry rub and its cut thick and really crispy. I will definitely be going back as soon as I have something to celebrate...or maybe I won't be able to wait that long! :) read more

How have I missed reviewing Eleven? I've been here several times and I never had a bad meal. Service is good, though doesn't blow me away as memorable. For the price of the meal, sometimes I wish the service had something a little more special to it. One great, if underrated, feature is the variety of bread choices they have. When the server comes around to ask you what you'd like, don't be afraid to try a few different varieties. Their tasting menus are great choices and you should get plenty to eat over the various courses. The portions aren't huge, but the flavors are rich and complex, which helps to fill you up. Both their seafood and meats are high quality selections and cooked perfectly every time. The bar area is very chic, almost like something you could find in Las Vegas. Their wine menu is extensive and there are some good, decently priced offerings (again, considering the overall price-point of this restaurant). This would be an impressive date restaurant. If you get cold easily, you might want to dress with long sleeves or bring a jacket or shawl or something. There are tables both upstairs and downstairs, and depending on where you're sitting and how the A/C is blowing, you might get a chill! read more

Just want to add, I came back here for brunch and it somehow exceeded the amazing dinner I had here earlier. Don't miss the bloody maria, a fiery spicy way to kick off your morning! read more

Sometimes I wish Yelp had the option of half stars. I would give Eleven 3.5. Alas, I have to choose 3 stars because I don't want to go 4. The ambiance in here is nice. Different tables scattered throughout a couple of levels, 2 different bars, good lighting, relaxed feel. I consider Eleven a special occasion spot and I was here with a couple of friends celebrating a friends birthday. The bread basket here is good! Try the olive bread. Our table started with 2 appetizers. The lamb tacos and the grilled peaches and ham. Not a big fan of the lamb tacos. Difficult to share because they aren't really tacos more like a heap of meat with some cheese. The peach and ham was delicious! For dinner I ordered the seafood tasting menu which came with salmon, crab cake, and mahi. Good- I ate every last bite. The waiter was entertaining. It seemed like he wanted to sit down and chat with us. He may have been flirting with the birthday girl? The best part of the meal was the banana cream pie. I want to go back and get my very own without having to share it next time. I'm selfish like that with my dessert! A bit pricey here. read more

First time here, loved it. We ate in the tavern, because we wanted something laid back. Drinks were cold and delicious with a great beer list and a huge selection of wine. Boy and I both ordered seafood dishes. He went with the sampler and I had the red grouper with mussels. Both dishes completely exceeded expectations. Highly recommend both, but boy liked mine more :). For dessert we split the lava cake and it was by far the best lava cake ever. It was served beautifully with a small scoop of hazelnut ice cream and small pieces of house made "crunch bars". It's a beautiful restaurant and I'm already looking forward to going back! read more