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    Essence

    4.7 (11 reviews)

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    Restaurant chef.
    Anil P.

    The chef, Ojok greeted us as we arrived. We have many dietary restrictions and he was comfortable with all of them. He asked us few things and then prepared assortment of small dishes for us. Amazing experience. He is very good human. Must visit.

    Veggie burger and fries
    Christine J.

    This place has a lot of promise, but isn't quite there yet. The service was very slow despite there only being about 5 people in the restaurant. But the server was very friendly. The space looks like it has potential, but still needs some work. The food was ... ok. I always am excited for a new vegan or vegetarian restaurant. The menu looked great, but the food was a bit underwhelming. I always think that if a restaurant is bold enough to have Brussels sprouts on the menu, they must be amazing. Not so, apparently. The samosas were decent. The veggie burger was ok. The fries were Potato Patch-style, and who doesn't love that? I'm confused about what on the menu is vegan. Some things are marked only vegetarian, but the server said she thinks they messed up the menu. She asked the kitchen, and they said everything is vegan except the mozzarella sticks. I'm not so sure about that. Like, who decides not to have a fully-vegan restaurant just to serve mozzarella sticks!? Especially when they allegedly have other vegan cheese on the menu. I'll be back to give them another chance. Stay tuned!

    jollof rice
    Hailey J.

    Wonderful little restaurant serving delicious African cuisine. Excellent service, a must-go in South Side!

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    3 years ago

    The food was delicious! Only one person in our party was vegan but we all enjoyed our lunch.

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    Pittsburgh Sandwich Society

    Pittsburgh Sandwich Society

    4.1
    (32 reviews)
    3.5 mi

    Hey friends! I wanted something with a Pittsburgh stamp on it before I headed home. A Yelp search…read moreled me here to this eclectic spot with delicious food. Pittsburgh Sandwich Society runs a kitchen out of Strange Roots Experiential Ale which is a small locally-owned distillery. Once you enter, you'll scan a QR code to order online. Don't waste time like me waiting for a server lol. I ordered the In-An-Aht burger which features spring mix, their society sauce, American cheese and tomato. The burger was SO GOOD. All the ingredients had the perfect portions and came together beautifully. It was a perfect medium-well cook. The fries are hand cut and delicious. My only distaste was that fries were veryyyyy salty. +Customer service was amazing! +Limited Free Parking out front and in a nearby alley. +Plenty of tables for dine-in +Free boardgames to play +Beautiful patio with plenty seating I'm excited to return for the patio in the summer when I return to PA. I hope you enjoy!

    Been a while since I've been to Pittsburgh sandwich Society due to me moving. Ive always enjoyed…read moretheir burgers and chicken sandwiches. However I had to come down for the fish sandwich. They don't open until 4, but you can place orders online hours before then. Picked up food around 4:20. By time we got home, the fish maintained its crispness. I was actually quite impressed with how well it was prepared. Nice and flaky but didn't fall apart. The bun it comes on is well proportion with the fish. The only thing I could've went without, was the macaroni salad topped on the fish. However, the food here never disappoints. I'll be back.

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    Pittsburgh Sandwich Society
    PGH Cheesesteak with fries PGH Hot Chicken
    PGH Cheesesteak with fries PGH Hot Chicken
    Outdoor seating

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    Outdoor seating
    Moonlit Burgers

    Moonlit Burgers

    4.5
    (224 reviews)
    3.7 mi
    $$

    Dare I say this is the best burger place in Pittsburgh?…read more Might be. Whenever I want a burger I'm always ordering from here. I also enjoy the shoestring fries with cheese. Yum,

    In town for The Living Dead Weekend, we decided to park the car and take a walk around an area of…read morePittsburgh since it was such a beautiful day. We found an adorable part of town to walk through and then we spotted Moonlit Burgers and decided to stop for lunch. They have limited table service in the sense that you place your order with the cashier when you walk in and they bring your food out to you a little bit later on. They even checked on us a few times while we ate. Very nice staff too! The restaurant is a good size with lots of tables for two and few bigger tables as well. They also have a separate bar if you want something other than soda with your burgers. I ordered the Moonlit Smashburger and the hubby ordered a chicken sandwich; we also ordered fries and a drink to share. The cup for the drink was super duper tiny though, and we weren't sure about refills so we just took shallow sips. Next time we'll make sure to get two drinks. The smashburger was so good!! Everything a smashburger should be. The moon sauce was tangy and complimented the meat so well. And those crispy edges!! The fries were nice and crisp too and the hubby thoroughly enjoyed his chicken sandwich. We left the restaurant satisfied and full!!

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    More bar and seating
    More bar and seating
    Classic Moonlit Burger - Double
    Classic Moonlit Burger - Double
    Dormont!! Love the transformation!!!

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    Dormont!! Love the transformation!!!

    Essence - burgers - Updated June 2026

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