Great neighborhood restaurant a real surviver place in a old steel town I only wish they were open more days But I get it

My husband and I polled a Facebook group called "Pittsburgh foodies" to get recs on everyone's favorite Reuben sandwich in the greater Pittsburgh area. With at least 50 responses, Emil's came up in the top 5 so we knew we had to give it a try. We drove all the way from cranberry during rush hour so it was quite the ordeal to get to Rankin but well worth the trip. The restaurant was very busy and service was slightly slow, but not terrible. It's a fairly rundown looking establishment, but the food was great and the server was friendly. I wouldnt say it's the best Reuben I've ever had but it was big and flavorful and definitely satisfied the craving. I would have loved just a little more sauce too! If you love a good Reuben definitely add Emil's to your list! read more

Emil's Lounge - Reuben sandwich - New American Near Me - Rankin, Pennsylvania

Our first visit will not be our last. We thank Yelp for finding this very nice neighborhood restaurant so close to Waterworks in Homestead. The Reuben was fantastic but I especially liked the Hawkins, a local spinoff of a Western Sandwich. Soup was a potato, cabbage, & chicken last night and I would have ordered more had I not been so full. The sandwiches are huge. The people were so friendly and the prices were more than reasonable. Would suggest that you don't want to be in a rush as service is on the slower side. Have their own large parking lot right across the street. Very pleasant experience. read more

Been a while. Forgot how amazing the Rueben's are. Too big for me I ate half but the flavor is so good! Stuffed cabbage always amazing!!! Friendly service always a hello. read more

Emil's Lounge - Rueben - New American Near Me - Rankin, Pennsylvania

Emils is in some parallel universe! Locals frequent the bar lovingly patting each seated patron at the bar as they enter. This place deserves to have a line waiting outside the door. Unbelievable old style favorite items on the simple menu. It is featured by Rick Seback of PBS (channel 13) fame. Look it up, I won't repeat all the good things Rick says. Google for directions and go, especially take out of town guests. It is what Pittsburgh is all about. Excellence in unexpected places! read more

I've been on the hunt for a good Reuben and several friends and associates mentioned Emil's Lounge. As it was a Friday during Lent, in my party of two, one of got the Jumbo Fish Sandwich and the other got the Reuben and we shared. Both meals were really great and I enjoyed the flaky fried fish and what I believe was house-made tartar sauce. The Reuben was absolutely loaded with meat and the bread was nicely buttered and toasted too. I wish there had been a little more sauerkraut in the sandwich to even out the meaty and cheesy flavors, but all-in-all it was a solid sandwich and well worth the drive! read more

This place is a hidden gem which has been around for decades.They offer a variety of different foods which are delicious. I recently enjoyed one of their amazing Corned Beef Sandwiches, but in the past I've also enjoyed their delicious fish Sandwiches. The atmosphere and staff are very friendly and welcoming and the service is prompt. The dining room is somewhat small yet not too crowded. In addition to the dining room there is also a bar where you can either enjoy a drink or enjoy both a meal and a drink. This place fills up quickly, so try to get there early. read more

Emil's Lounge - Corned Beef Sandwich on Marble Rye with lettuce, tomato, provolone cheese. - New American Near Me - Rankin, Pennsylvania

Just good Pittsburgh food in hearty portions. Service is always pleasant and the wait for food is minimal. Try their fish sandwich-huge!

The rueben was awesome but it was huge, only problem was the thousand island. The corn beef was beyond words tender! I wish the waitress was more attentive. The age shows but no complaints as the hours are the only issue. The vibe is old but you will have great meal. Wish I had a picture of my rueben. read more

Such a friendly place , neighborhood bar , I can not come here and not get the Rueben,, it's huge and amazing !!!! read more

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Rueben and fish sandwiches are large and delicious. Stuffed cabbage dinner is also very good. Service is friendly.

Emil's is amazing. Best Prime Rib around on a Friday night. Great Rueben's and cheeseburgers. Nice stop for a home made meal

Great service. Went on a extremely busy night and they still went out of their way to make sure we were taken care of. The Rueben sandwich is enormous, no lie the size of a dinner plate piled high with meat! The prime rib fantastic. This place will not disappoint or break your budget!!!! read more

Very good fish sandwiches and Rueben's. Good portions, reasonable prices. I highly recommend.

If you're not getting dinner from here at least once a week you're missing out! All homemade food, the nicest and most attentive service. This chicken Parmesan I got for my takeout order was SO good! I got to pick from spaghetti or rigatoni noodles. I ordered this on a Thursday, FYI Thursday is their Italian menu. Also not pictured is their delicious fish sandwich! Highly recommend this place. It is just straight up good food! read more

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Excellent chow! Stopped in with a large group of fellows today for lunch...about 14 guys. No worries being seated...they were ready for us. Friday in Lent? Yeah I'm getting that big fish sandwich! It was delicious, and so was the cole slaw! Perfect! All the guys wolfed down their various selections with zero grumbling! Our server was great and kept up with drinks, refills, and keeping it neat around us sloppy fellows. An excellent place to stop into...a gem in Rankin! read more

I give it 5 stars yet again. Old school Pittsburgh. Grabbed an Iron to be like the olden days. Owner was here and spent a few minutes talking to me and making suggestions. She is so darn friendly. Definitely a neighborhood place, but as a stranger I was made to feel as though I've lived here my entire life. Ordered tonight the stuffed cabbage just like Zimmern did. Wonderful with homemade mashed potatoes. Like my grandmother would make. The people are what make this place special. read more

Emil's Lounge - Menu - New American Near Me - Rankin, Pennsylvania

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Great corned beef sandwiches. Quick service , and unusual ambience. I look forward to trying their steaks.

Emils is the best Big food Great food Great people. If you haven't been there you need to go read more

We've had the fried fish, fried mushrooms, coleslaw, fries, onion rings, reuben corned beef sandwich, all delicious! Hope to visit again and try their other items as the rest of the menu looks great! read more

Reuben is great Just a neighborhood eaterie with limited items on the menu but what they got is good Have not been there in a while but I will be going back read more

BEST SHRIMP IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Very nice waiters that work hard. Also very good burgers but not the greatest. Good place that doesn't look too good from the outside but the inside is very fancy and clean. This place will always have somewhere special in my heart. This place is fucking EPIC. I would go here EVERY FUCKING DAY after work if I could!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Fantastic service, people and food!!! We love to dine here, wish they were close to home. Food is always fresh, and homemade. The staff is friendly and greet you with a smile to make you feel like a regular. Please don't make the mistake of letting the neighborhood fool you to not come here.... The food, people, and staff are absolutely amazing. read more

Emil's Lounge - Jr fish sandwich with all the fixing's... slaw, Mac & Cheese, Haulski... gotta love it! - New American Near Me - Rankin, Pennsylvania

The food here is fantastic! I had Chicken Parmesan with a salad and rigatoni. So much food, I had to take half of it home.

This is an old bar in an old neighborhood. My husband spent a lot of time in Rankin as a child and wanted to touch base. It is clearly a locals neighborhood bar. The waitress was familiar with all the patrons and still spent time trying to get to know us. There were screaming noisy kids and parents in the place and she apologized ,a lot, for the extra noise and seated us away from them. She was a kick and she didn't fluster with all the extra noise. We had the 1/2 fish sandwich that, when you get it, you think you won't finish it but you can't stop. We also had a burger and fries which was also very good. It was a fun place to stop on memory lane. read more

Emil's Lounge - The Bar at Emil's. - New American Near Me - Rankin, Pennsylvania

5 Stars for the food! Excellent portion for the main meals and lots of good choices which made it hard to decide. This made our list of places to eat in Pittsburgh based on seeing it on Delicious Destinations with Andrew Zimmern. If he says it's good, it probably is. It's not something you'll typically drive by accidentally, so put on your GPS and head here for some good food. Everyone loved their food. Nice, thick, meaty burgers for the kids. Glorious homemade stuffed cabbage with mashed potatoes. Crispy thick chicken parmesan. And the Reuben was huge with a ton (not literally) of meat inside. The only disappointment was the portion size of the side of haluski. It was a small bowl with hardly any cabbage in it. It was more like buttered noodles than noodles and cabbage. The service on this particular night was lacking. Water glasses ran empty and she said she'd get more, and never came back. We finally went to the bartender to ask for some water. Check their hours online as you have to kinda plan around when they're open for dinner. But it's worth the trip! read more

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Haven't been to Emil's in a long time, but was nearby and it was time for lunch so had to stop. As others have written, this is an old dive bar type place that is a big favorite with really good food and friendly service. The sandwiches are big and good. My reuben was delicious and piping hot. Look at the pictures of the size. Know the size I did not order any sides. Will have to stop back soon and have a few of my other favorites. read more

Best stuffed cabbage in town. Super chill and family run. Other food looks great but I can never get myself to order anything else.

Full disclosure: this is an overdue review from the pre-COVID days... remember those? My family is from the Steel Valley and I've heard whispers about Emil's for so long... a sunny Saturday afternoon seemed like the perfect time to make the drive and give it a try. Emil's is everything I want in a neighborhood restaurant. I love that this place has stood the test of time, making it feel like somewhere my Pap would've gone after a day in the mill. Something about it just felt instantly homey (maybe it's the wood paneling?), and you know the food just HAS to be great in a place like that. My SO and I decided to split a fish sandwich and Reuben, since they seem to be the most holiest of menu items according to previous reviews and local lore. We were informed by our waitress that this is known as the "Rankin Surf And Turf." Genius. The fish sandwich was HUGE and hot. The fish itself was tender and flaky, and there was a great bun to fish ratio (very important). I learned on this day that I really dig cocktail sauce with a fish sandwich. I am no longer a strictly tartar kind of gal! Next up... from Rankin, PA... weighing in at the size of a small infant... the Emil's Reuben! This thing is amazing. It is absolutely, completely, without a doubt worth the hype. I don't know what voodoo magic they do to this sandwich, but I like it. I like it a lot. There were several minutes of silence as my SO and I savored the first glorious bites. Pro tip: this is one of those sandwiches that you don't want to put down once you start eating it, lest it get away from you. I am a big fan of the Reuben and this is the best one I've ever had, no question. The two sandwiches and an order of onion rings, even when split between two very hungry people, were a LOT of food but for not a lot of dough. Come hungry, leave very, very happy. read more

Emil's Lounge - Fish sandwich, the biggest onion rings I've ever seen, and the infamous Reuben. - New American Near Me - Rankin, Pennsylvania

Excellent. Neighborhood gem. Best kept secret. Fish Fry. Friendly. Food is consistently good and fair prices.

Food is always spot on, the only thing better than that is the outstanding service. I just wish that I lived closer.

Really a Pittsburgh legend for local restaurant that is a landmark in Rankin, PA. Thurs they have Italian special menu and their chicken Parmigiana is fantastic, great sauce and served with Italian noodles. Great local atmosphere and very friendly servers. read more

A Rankin institution! Great food, great people! Great home cooked comfort food! Bring the whole family.

Had lunch here last fall while in town visiting family. Perfect Pittsburgh neighborhood bar with great food at a good value

I don't really even know what to review here other than GET THE REUBEN. It's your standard neighborhood bar, which I love. And they dish out great meals. Honestly though the Reuben will blow you away. One thing I'd say is ask for your pickles in a cup or something, the pickle juice kinda soaked my bread on the bottom so next time I'll definitely know to avoid that. But that's just me being picket to ensure that this Reuben gets the amazing credit it deserves. read more

Emil's Lounge - Reuben sandwich 3 - New American Near Me - Rankin, Pennsylvania

Visited Emil's after having my first Covid vaccine. This was the second time I've eaten inside a restaurant since last year at the start of the pandemic. Last time it was a trip to Emil's too. I love Pittsburgh bar food! Emil's is such a great Pittsburgh place. I ate the same thing I had last time, a half of a huge Reuben and half of a huge one pound fish sandwich. So good, so nice. All is well. Ommmmmmm...... read more

Great neighborhood restaurant. I got the stuffed cabbage. It reminded me of Sunday dinner at Grandma's house. During previous visits, I had the fish sandwich and the ruben... both excellent. read more

Great traditional steelworker tavern and restaurant with friendly service, a great owner, and really good traditional Pittsburgh food. The Ruben is monstrous. read more

First time at Emil's and it was wonderful! The food was fantastic! I had the liver which was melt in your mouth, Jamie had the enormous Rueben that she got two meals out of and Renae got the famous stuffed cabbage! Our plates were clean! The women that waited on us could not be any nicer! Made you feel like home!!! Definitely will be back read more

Homely neighborhood spot off the beaten path, with friendly staff and generous portions. Unfortunately, I couldn't have the popular fish sandwich since its beer-battered, so had the shrimp basket, which was so-so. read more