The happy hour here is really awesome. Great deals on wine and food in one of pittsburgh's classiest spots. I know it's going off the menu soon for the season but the peach whiskey tea is one of the best drinks available in pittsburgh. The food is really good too. The Salmon was great, the pork chop was good, and I thought the foie gras was forgettable.I like that they rotate the menu every day and source a lot of things locally. This may be a nit-picky thing but I'm put of by the bench seating. I think that's pretty tacky for an upscale restaurant. I also don't like the fact that they don't seem to have tables for two. If I'm on a date having a nice meal, I think it's odd to sit at a six-top. Generally I think the service is good not great but was underwhelmed last time I was there. Overall I'm always happy to be here but wish it would live up to its promise more. read more

Eleven is a fine upscale restaurant with a lively, engaging atmosphere, adventurous and interesting dishes, and a large selection of wine, beer, and cocktails. My wife and I were visiting from Cincinnati, and enjoy an upscale restaurant now and then. Reading the reviews on Eleven drew us to it. We were surprised and delighted when we were able to get a 7:30 reservation for Saturday night that very afternoon. I appreciated that we could reserve through Open Table right on the Yelp app. Very easy. We arrived about 30 minutes early, ready to get a cocktail, but they were able to seat us immediately. Once we walked in, it was clear why we were so readily able to get seating: this is a large restaurant! For this type of restaurant, I am used to smaller, more crowded rooms. This appears to be in a converted factory or warehouse, and the large main room with high cielings, exposed rafters, and contemporary decor and furnishings was fun and comfortable. The wine storage room hovers above, encased in glass, calling to you to try its selections. We were seated next to an open kitchen, which was boistrous but not noisy. The guest is brought into the open kitchen experience on purpose - this was not bad seating. We rather enjoyed seeing the action and feeling the bustle. The service was competent but did not rise to the level of the food. We were not ready to order cocktails when our server first visited (my wife was not sure she was ready to try a cocktail with frothed egg white). After a second quick check, we decided on our cocktail order, but the server did not return for about ten minutes. Once we ordered the cocktail and some oysters, we were given only a few minutes before we were asked for our orders. I was expecting some explanation of featured dishes or recommendations, but our server got straight to business - maybe that's just how it's done at Eleven, or how it's done in Pittsburgh, but the pace was a little fast for the evening-long experience we were prepared for. We decided on the chef's tasting menu with wine pairings. The dishes were brought out at a somewhat irregular pace, but all were served at the appropriate temperature, and all of the service was absolutely courteous. There is the matter of the bread service - at unpredictable intervals, a woman came by to offer us bread. Once, after our appetizers (about 20 minutes after we were seated), again about 10 minutes later, and again when we had our dessert. Good bread, but a strange serving style. We chose a plate of four oysters to start, two for each. Two were of average size, and two were unexpectedly small. They were excellent with the hot sauce. The Chef's tasting menu was excellent - tuna tartare, grilled swordfish with couscous, sun-dried tomatoes, and pickled jalepaño slices, lamb, and a fantastic selection of desserts. Despite the dessert listed with the tasting menu, we were presented with the opportunity to select any of the desserts, and our wine would be paired appropriately. The paired wine selections were very well chosen. These were wines I would have never chosen on my own, but the pairing with the dishes made them a unique experience. Mind that the paired wine selections were half-size pours. This is entirely appropriate for pairings with a multiple course meal, but don't expect to get four glasses of wine. In conclusion, a fine atmosphere, outstanding food, and competent service. Considering the overall experience, Eleven does not entirely justify the prices it charges, but it's close. For the price, I would expect a higher class of service, atmosphere, or more adventurous dishes. It is absolutely worth a visit. read more

Whenever i am in The 'Burgh i must make a stop here! Good selection of wines by the glass and the food is some of the best in the area. I recommend the semolina gnocchi, it's very fresh (i believe they make it daily) and still light despite the butter. A little on the expensive side but well worth it. read more

Wowser what a bummer. My husband and I came here for happy hour a few weeks ago for our anniversary. The game plan was to sit in the bar, have a couple snacks, then get a table and enjoy dinner in the dining room. Didnt exactly work out that way though. We arrived about a half hour before happy hour was over. The hostess notified us that it was first come first serve. Thats fine we make our way into the bar. It is pretty busy but there is a high-top table in the middle of the bar area but no chairs. We look around for some empty chairs. To the left is a table of woman with 3 empty chairs. We ask the ladies if we could use them and they said that they are saving them. Go to the table of businessmen to the right with 2 empty chairs. Same response . So now here we are. Stuck eating standing up. My problem with this is that it is first come first serve. We are paying customers that want to SIT and spend money. The chairs being hoarded arnt making anyone any money. There shouldve been a manager or server keeping an eye on this. Eventually after our food came out, a table got up and we ran over ourselves and took two chairs. Moving on. Our server seemed terrified and overwelmed. We never got his name. Or really anything about him. He came over about ten minutes after sitting (err... standing) at the table. Grabbed our drink order. Came back about 8 minutes later with two wines. Took our order and wasn't to be seen again until we were ready for our check. He was obviously very busy but maybe someone should have been helping him. Onto the food. We got the brussels, calamari, shishito peppers, and oysters. All off of the happy hour menu. Due to allergies I could not try to oysters but they were good for the price according to my husband. However the remaining 3 dishes were almost inedible due to the amount of salt in all of the dishes. I am a salt lover but holy moly. We kind of picked over them, notified the server when we asked for our bill and decided not to stay for dinner. Now I understand this is a long yelp review but I was pretty dissapointed. And yes, we shouldve brought up our concerns while we were dining. Between the hostage chairs, food quality and service it was a let-down. I understand we were happy hour customers. Not dinner customers. But should recieve the same quality food and service that would be recieved in the dining room. We may try Eleven eventually again down the road. read more

I chose to have my birthday dinner somewhere new this year. Eleven's menu and website along with the great reviews from my peers made me want to eat here. I made reservations for 12 people at 8:00pm on a Wednesday. We arrived 10 minutes early, was told by the host that they were running on schedule, but could wait at the bar while the table was being prepared. We went to the bar, my friend suggested we take a birthday shot, but was told by the bartender they don't do shots here. She didn't even suggest making it straight. They also don't serve red bull or grape vodka either. So we settled for wine, which was underpoured. Then finally after 8:30 we were taken to our table, we should have known then that the service would be slow and relaxed. The dinner menu is fairly selective so some of my friends chose to order off of the tavern menu, which we appreciated. The calamari was delicious, but a little overpriced for the portion size you receive. Also enjoyed the complimentary bread. I had the sea scallops and they were delicious! We brought our own birthday cake for dessert, the servers put the candles on, lit them and brought it out to the table which was nice. We offered them some of the leftovers but opted to take the rest home, and then the server said it dropped on the floor after she had wrapped it up. read more

One of my favorite restaraunt a in Pittsburgh. I've gotten the chefs tasting menu at least 5 different times and thoroughly enjoyed it each time. Good cocktails and wine list, thought the markup in the wine is in the high side. Good pastry effort. Even better execution by the line cooks. This a great place for a nice date. read more

This place kind of snuck up on me. The tuna tartare was excellent, and the poke was good. All of this was preamble for the lamb. Get the lamb. Do not pass go, do not collection $200. Just get the lamb. Lamb loin cooked, seasoned, and served to perfection accompanied with the decadent, amazing, piece of lamb belly. My party of 8 had a great table that facilitated excellent conversation without being cramped. Solid service and an excellent wine list. Desserts were great. We ordered several and then ordered a 2nd chocolate cake (gluten free!!) because it was just that good. Oh, and get the lamb. Seriously. read more

The restaurant is nice. We stopped by on a Sunday evening and it wasn't very busy which was great as it made the ambiance more intimate. As I am not familiar with the surrounding area, I will say that it's a nice restaurant in a kind of abandoned area. Sea scallops: Excellent. Sea scallops atop some creamy cheesy grits. If I were uncouth, I would have licked the plate clean. read more

3 of us enjoyed a cozy, warm, attractive booth for dinner on a Saturday. Lighting is subdued. This place just says: "Worth it for whatever you spend!" Service was by pros, not your run of the mill wait staff. The beef tenderloin was excellent, the chicken was tender: everything reeked of quality. You cannot go wrong here. Desserts knocked it out of the PNC Park! We cannot wait to go back in the Spring to visit our Pitt kid. This will be first choice for dinner. Gorgeous restaurant. read more

was treated for my bday. and man, oh man... was it a treat. started it with the heirloom tomato salad. wowza. and a serious portion too. the duck salad was great too. it was like duck bacon. what more can you ask for? went on to the seafood tasting and the halibut. both delicious. but the real shocker was dessert. three words for you... fried. peach. pie. read more

We followed the advice of the concierge at The Priory and had dinner at Eleven tonight. I am SO GLAD we did. I am stuffed! It was so delicious it was all I could do not to lick the plate. The menu changes nightly (although I'm sure there are some staples). I had the seafood sampler; it was divine. The dish this evening featured a seared sea scallop, a crab cake & salmon fillet. The last two items can be notoriously ho-hum, in my experience -- everything in the plate was fabulous. The crab cake was breaded on the outside & crabmeat on the inside. No mushy fillers! The salmon was sublimely crispy and tender. If you're in Pittsburgh eat at Eleven. read more

Our dinner last night was outstanding! From the fantastic celery leaf gimlets, grilled Hamachi collar, and tuna tartar we had at the bar - to the wonderful tasting menu we had in the beautiful dining room - everything was truly spot on! Our waiter was Brian - what a gem. Chef Stevens is a genius - that dinner was amazing. Amanda, the manager came over to check on us as well. It's one of our favorite places! read more

Any bar or restaurant can have good food or drinks. Any happy hour can have great prices. However, it is so few and far between that you find a bartender that is as knowledgable, friendly, and professional as Josh at Eleven! This restaurant is fortunate to have a bartender as kind and as hospitable as him. Both his food and drink recommendations were fantastic. All of the drinks were unique and refreshing and the oysters were extremely flavorful. However, like I said, good food and drinks can be found anywhere. It is the service that keeps guests coming in the door and Josh is the best in the business! I will most certainly be spreading the word! read more

This is one of my FAVORITE traditions! My Husband reserves the private table every year for our New Year's Eve dinner. We adore the atmosphere, the privacy, and the 5 course, FABULOUS NYE dinner. Everyone on staff is attentive without being annoying. They are quiet and well mannered. The desserts are amazing too! We just LOVE this place and keep coming back every year! read more

I've done the vegetarian tasting menu twice now. My first experience (over a year ago) seemed elegant, with proper service and a no-trouble attitude about veganizing the tasting menu; the food was solidly "good," but not memorable. The second time (recently), it was a bit more difficult to squeeze the vegan knowledge and ability out of the staff, even though I did call ahead to ask if a vegan diet could be accommodated when I made my reservation. Our server seemed casual and inexperienced, though friendly and he did eventually come through with the information I needed to decide on my meal options. Again, the food was just "good." I do realize that Eleven is considered one of Pittsburgh's finest restaurants and if I were weighing it against Pittsburgh establishments alone, I might add a star. But I feel that its reputation brings it into the major league, allowing me to unapologetically compare it to the world beyond Steelers Country. The distinguishing features of Eleven, I think, are in the breads (try them all, best breads in the city!) and and wine pairings, which I believe are very well done. I've also attended a happy hour here, and I thought the cocktails tasted expertly crafted. You might also say that the architecture of the building is remarkable. read more

Eleven had been on my list for such a long time, it was a pleasure to finally eat there. For $29 a person, you get an appetizer, a cocktail, and an entree. I ordered the oysters, a Bloody Mary, and the lamb huevos rancheros. The mignonette and hot sauce that came with the oysters were both delicious! The lamb was flavorful and I love the combination of ingredients on the plate. The goat cheese and tomatillo salsa were delicious. The cocktail was good enough. The options on the menu were great, I can't wait to try it for dinner next time. read more

I felt like a pretty pretty princess after dinner here. Goat cheese divine. Oysters scrumptious. That goddamn fried egg salad took me over the edge. I haven't even gotten to the main course- the lamb so perfectly rare. This was one of my favorite meals out on the town in Pittsburgh and this is coming from someone that declares "white people food" to be bland and boring. Food was excellent and service the same. Someone take me back! read more

I was taken out to dinner here by a friend dying to try the place, and by the end of the meal, we were speechless (and drunk, and full). Eleven can box with some of the great restaurants I've been to in Boston, both for its wonderful service and imaginative, delicious food. The menu, which they've aptly dubbed "new American," focused a great deal on local ingredients, which I dig. We ordered a bottle of white, and my friend ordered a seafood tasting while I went for one of the best salmon dishes I've ever had in a restaurant. A Pittsburgh must-eat. read more

Went here for my birthday. My husband and I both had the halibut, which was absolutely delicious! The sangrias are amazing! Also, our waiter was great, he let us sample the sweet corn ice cream to see whether we wanted to order that for desert. Needless to say, we ordered the Banana Cream Pie. The standard price is about $50 per person. read more

I have been to Eleven several times since moving to pittsburgh and i figured it was about time for a quick review. yet again, Big Burrito Group never fails to impress. I have had dinner there more than a couple times, but since this establishment has already been reviewed over 100 times, i will just touch upon my most recent visit (Saturday Nov. 26, 2011) where my wife an i just sat in the bar area and ordered off the tavern menu. I want to not that you can order off of the whole dinner menu if you like after 6pm (i think, might be 5:30). We each grabbed a couple beers, they have a 'winter solstice' lager ( i forget the brewery) which was great and very cold off of draft. The wait staff in the tavern area is great, never rush, and are helpful at getting you seated in a decent time frame. seating here is a first come first serve with about 6-7 four person tables and about 12 bar spots. We split the goat cheese and onion perogies, with veal jus on top, which were were very tasty and were perfect size to split for an appetizer. For dinner, we each got the eleven burger. To call this culinary creation a burger does not due it justice. The menu describes it as : Eleven Burger $16. braised veal, black pepper bacon, crispy onions, fries with a choice of cheddar, Maytag Blue, goat cheese, Emmenthaler Swiss. I know, a $16 ;burger', but it is more than worth the cost. you will take one bite and all other burgers that you thought were standouts will quickly fade from your memory. Quite simply, this is the perfect modern interpretation of a what burger can be. Had to pass on desert this last time as the burger and beers were very filling, but complementary chocolate macadamin bark was great (as was the complementary champange we had due to an over order or miscommunication at another table). There many reasons why Eleven is considered to be one of the best, if not the best, restaurant in Pittsburgh and their 'tavern menu and service' is just another one of those very reasons. read more

Setting the stage: Anniversary, first month in Pittsburgh, searching for great restaurants, got the tasting with wine pairing to celebrate Quite excited to get to Eleven due to the good reviews. My husband has the meat pairing and I had the veggie. For each round of courses one of ours was delicious while the other was just interesting. I would say that the food was 3-4 stars for being unique though not all great. The problem was with the wine. Each wine pairing was poorly explained and mixed between the two of us (really every time). As a huge wine lover, I was disappointed and kept thinking you just don't pay $200 for a meal for two for that kind of service. The waiter had said he was new so I figured I should just let the manager know he needed a bit more training. So frustrating. Explained the situation to the manager and didn't even get an apology. The waiter later apologized but never the manager. I could imagine a situation where appetizers and wine are great, however it is just not worth the money for the pairing when the service is bad. read more

I've been looking for a reason to try this place out, and a recent late night of work did the trick. We wound up seated in the bar, but it was both comfortable and spacious - lacking the pollution of both noise and idiots one might expect to find. The food is pretty uniformly good, although with a tendency toward the overseasoned. I pile on salt and I didn't need to salt the steak I ordered and my husband found his burger to be more than a little salty. Docked one point for the overseasoning and for a slower than average kitchen. This is not a cheap dinner, although one could probably economize a bit more than we did. What it is, is pleasant, reasonably good, occasionally excellent food with astoundingly good service. read more

Excellent customer service and food. The whole look of the restaurant is so much better than the web site photos for starters and comfortable and laid back feel. We did the chefs tastings, one vegetarian and one fish and meat with the wine pairings. Both were wonderful, great presentation and tasted delicious. As a visitor to Pittsburgh it was well worth the effort to dine in the strip district and then go to Mt. Washington for the view bypassing the tired, over priced under served restaurants on the hill. read more

Intended as a nouveau, upscale menu, the food was acceptable but far short of excellence. (Pricing, by the way, was too high for a not-ready for prime time dinner). The Caesar salad and beef dishes were good quality but held back by overdone dressing and seasonings, respectively. The fish tasting menu included a poor quality breaded crab cake, overcooked salmon, and a slightly overcooked scallop. The desserts were OK - but nothing to floor you. On the other hand, the pork shank was excellent and well prepared. The service was outstanding. Finally, the ambiance is odd. The rooms are dark and encourage a nice conversational dinner. BUT...the restaurant plays a too loud mix of non-dining, non-background music that is simply annoying and distracting. This was an acceptable dining spot but it has many rough edges and, therefore, is well over-priced until they get it right. read more

My entire family got food poisoning from this establishment.. I'm not joking either.. I had a temperature of 103.5.. Enjoy at your own risk.. I've never had more than 4 people become sick at any established restaurant EVER.. I had the omlet with sausage. read more

We LOVED Eleven! We went recently and I ordered the Spring tasting menu and it was was to die for. Beautiful atmosphere, great service, and probably the best meal we have ever had. Highly recommend! read more

Being part of the bigburrito and having great experience in the past with their restaurants I went with high expectations to this one as well. Entering the place increased my expectations since the interior was great (even though from the dining area you could see the whole kitchen which in general I find it not good - even though many people think it is good)! However, soon after we sat on the table the bad things came up. First of all the service was slow. Secondly the quality of the food that you expect from such a place is the best. However, I really think that it was among the worst foods I ever had in Pittsburgh. We tried simple plates (chicken and pasta) and not only they were nothing special but they were also badly cooked (e.g., extremely salty). The waiter did not even ask if we wanted cheese on the pasta! The only good and tasty think was the bread (I am a bread-lover)! Of course the place is overpriced. The average price for the entree is about 30-32$ (however I would not rate it more than a 10$ plate). In conclusion the only good thing about the place is its interior. I do not think I will ever go back to this restaurant, unless if I have to (e.g., a business dinner/lunch etc.). read more

This is a beautiful space. The food is not very good. The waiter assured us that the kitchen perfectly cooked meat. My medium burger didn't have a trace of pink; my friend's medium steak was bloody. Then there were the pierogies, covered with caramelized onions, sweeter than any onions I have ever tasted, as sweet as corn syrup. Yuk, yuk and yuk. To top it off, the wait staff couldn't even keep my glass full. It went empty and sat there at least twice. My friend is a 'foodie.' He paired the too-sweet pierogies with some prosciutto and declared, 'I get what they're trying to do.' Maybe food can be art, but I don't want food that makes me think. I want food that tastes good. I don't think that's a lot to ask. read more

Good food and drinks. Nice atmosphere, convenient to our hotel, within walking distance. We sat upstairs, outside. Quiet evening, beautiful weather and polite service. My only complaint was the small 6 oz. pour for a glass of wine. Coming from California, we traditionally receive an 8 oz. pour. read more

This rating is 3.5 stars. The food was quite delicious. Grilled salmon was mediocre, lacked seasoning, and EXTREMELY small portion. Crab cake was very good, great spice, needed a sauce, a little dry and over cooked. Scallop delicious and perfect. Asparagus tasty, but too much lemon zest. Grits delicious and perfect. Harmonizes the dish and brings everything together. LOL this sounds like an episode of Chopped :) What brought this down was the bread. After reading the reviews I was expecting a wonderful bread option. it was extremely difficult to get the bread person to come to my table. She seemed to neglect me because I was dining alone. She would serve others and pass right by my table. It was really annoying because I was very hungry. The portion size was also very small, so more bread would have compensated. The piece she did bring was stale and cold. This was a major bummer, because I wasted carbs on some old bread. My high expectations and this lack luster bread course really brought the experience down for me. read more

For us this lived up to the hype- great ambiance, fresh oysters and probably the best steak I've ever had. I would definitely consider it more of a special occasion place and look forward to more meals here! read more

HUGE fan. One of the best places I've been to in Pittsburgh during my college days! Dinner is great- but I would say that the reasonable priced pre fixe brunch menu is AMAZING! read more

In my opinion, this is the best restaurant in Pittsburgh. The atmosphere is romantic and refined, yet seems to be casual at the same time. The lamb tacos are to die for and the seasonal desert is always heaven. As far as entrees are concerned, I like the chicken and the fish. The service is nothing short of spectacular and the wine list is extensive. While i prefer to eat in the main dining area, the bar area is nice for a very casual (i.e., jeans and heels) kind of night. read more

The food was amazing. The service was pretty quick... and then there was the hooker at the table next to us with an older gentleman. She was a hot, drunk mess. However, the servers were pretty darn good at handling her... I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have known what to do. read more

One of the best places downtown. A must try if you're spending time in PITT.

We came here for a bach party. The group ordered the beef tongue, yellowtail, pierogies, and some sort of rock shrimp app for the table. Surprisingly I really liked the beef tongue and I knew I'd love the yellowtail. I was trying to decide how much I wanted to eat and was debating on a trio of salmon, crab cake, and scallops OR just ordering two apps of scallops and crab cakes. I chose the app portions, but two others in the group split the trio and got PERFECTLY portioned meals for each of them. The app portions with their accompaniments ended up being a little too much food. The food was good, but not fab. The initial apps we ordered for the group were actually better. Everyone seemed to enjoy their food and the atmosphere. We all wanted the pics on the wall in the bathroom - very...different. read more

While in Pittsburgh for an overnight, the two of us were thrilled to treat ourselves to delicious, delicately plated food in the friendly, architecturally pleasing Eleven. All personnel were genuine and friendly. The cocktails were luscious. Nothing disappointed us. We'll be back. read more

Food was well prepared, wait staff was extremely attentive. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Will definitely go back.

I was here for dinner on a Saturday night . The place was crowded but not jammed . I had the seafood tasting and my date had the chefs tasting . We were both pleased but I felt the portions were small . The only draw back was that the service was slow but everyone was professional and nice . read more

I haven't been to Eleven for a few years. On the plus side, the restaurant was pleasantly crowded. When I came a few years ago, the place was empty - never a good sign or a fun atmosphere to dine in. My complaint about this visit is that Eleven committed a cardinal sin of dining - they let me sit w/ an empty wine glass for about 15 minutes (this is a really long time!). I felt like there were a bazillion servers and food runners running around the restaurant, but our waiter was MIA. I finally had to flag down another server and ask him to find our waiter so that I could order more wine. Our food was good, but not amazing by any standard. Between the two of us, we had the asparagus soup and the soft shell crab for apps. For our main courses, we had the NY strip, the crab cakes and the lamb taco. I was pleased that they didn't give me any flak for ordering 2 apps as my main. Desserts were key lime creme brulee and the chocolate pretzel dessert. Dinner was good, but nothing special. read more