Apteka is one of my favorite restaurants, period. One of my biggest gripes about eating out is…read morethat everything is always so unhealthy and expensive. This isn't the case at Apteka, where everything is homemade and plant based. Despite the love and care that is put into each dish, the prices remain low (your entire meal will be less than the cost of a single steak at a traditional restaurant). The ambiance is a bit chaotic, so I recommend outdoor seating if possible. They don't take reservations, so you will have to wait unless you show up well in advance of opening. All of this is worth it! Everything is good here, but the ice cream we had on our last visit was exceptional. I was so full, but I would have eaten a second scoop. If ice cream is on the menu, get it. They use a dense cashew cream, which is imo the best base for vegan ice cream. I wish they would open up in DC, but this is the type of place that can only exist somewhere like Pittsburgh. If you are in the area, run there!

I went on a Thursday to the wine bar version of this restaurant (vinoteka) and got exactly what I…read moreexpected. Excellent Polish food on the limited menuand an excellent matching wine list, thoroughly modern. It feels sleek and casual, with a professional and knowledgeable crew. Seating is chaotic since there aren't any reservations and you sit wherever there is space. I had fried pierogis and a cold beet soup. Packed with flavor and excellent on a warm summer night. The wine went so well with the food; I think it was all Eastern European wines, since what grows together goes together.

You can cross off your vegan trinitarian restaurant off your vegan bingo card with this gem…read more Delicious whole food made from scratch, authentic and delicious. We sampled 3 dishes , 2 smoothies and an empanada. So good. Highly recommended

One of the most unexpected meals I had in Pittsburgh was at this unique eatery. I was spending the…read moreafternoon strolling the North Side from the Andy Warhol Museum to the Mattress Factory. I noticed this spot on Google Maps because the idea of Trinidadian vegan fare appealed to me after gorging at Primanti Bros. the day before. It was a cute, bright space and fortunately not crowded. The menu looked tempting with unique dishes like Buss Up Shut (pull-apart bread with fillings) and Coconut Bake (traditional Trini bread). I decided to order the $15 Bowl of Coconut Rice with the choice of three toppings and a sauce. I went with okra, pumpkin, and stir-fried mushrooms.with a side of mango chutney (Photo 9). It was a delightfully housemade melange of Caribbean-style flavors. I've had similar West Indian food before, and this was definitely one of the fresher executions. Although intrigued by the Tamarind Ginger Drink, I decided to order the $4 Iced Coffee to wet my whistle (Photo 6). This led to my quick indulgence of the $3 Key Lime Cookie (Photo 8). If I lived in Pittsburgh, I'd be coming here often. Making Caribbean food vegan and delicious is no small feat. FOOD - 5 stars...really fresh tasting Caribbean food that happens to be vegan AMBIANCE - 4 stars...a small spot but comfy with Trinidadian art SERVICE - 4.5 stars...attentive TOTAL - 5 stars...uniquely unexpected find in Pittsburgh RELATED - Exploring Pittsburgh? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/qN_tq21lnL

This Illy Philly is out on a dinner date in the Southside, and I've always wanted to experience…read moreEssence for their vegan and Caribbean fare. It was a Saturday and the restaurant had a nice ambiance. They don't have their liquor license yet, so it is BYOB! I wish I'd known because I would have definitely brought a bottle of wine! The server greeted me with a smile and knew the menu. She made the suggestions of the Fried Dumplings ( you can get them steamed) with spinach and tofu, and it was sooo good!!! Delicous!!! My date ordered the Buffalo Cauliflower, and it was definitely hot, but good. For dinner, I ordered the Black Bean Bowl, which was a rice bowl packed with black beans, grilled veggies, and corn with a cream sauce, but that is not quite what I got. It was rice and beans, mixed, corn with no cream sauce, broccoli, and two plantains. The rice was not too savory, the broccoli was a bit bland and there was no cream sauce on the corn....sad face. I will definitely give this place another go to try their other dishes because the Dumplings were so good. There is off street parking, the service was really good and next time I'm bringing some friends. A couple bottles of wine and a palate ready for some Caribbean vegan goodness!!!!

I went to Essence for Mother's day brunch during Chef Earl's popup and even though it didn't have…read moregreat ambience due to the restaurant being completely empty, it had great food and service! We got the fresh juices, pineapple ginger apple and the mango one and both were super fresh and tasty. For appetizers we got the spinach sambosa and the no crab cake. The sambosa was great with the sauce and the no-crab cake was tasty but didn't hold its shape together. I really loved the jollof rice, falafel burger, and the ful madammas. Everything was vegan and really good. Even my mom loved it! Would recommend coming here and trying out some of everything! The waitress was really attentive and gave lots of recommendations and tips on what to get!

Having heard about this establishment, and not admittedly in a rush because we aren't…read morevegetarians/vegans - we finally got to try the Sunday brunch.....and it was excellent! Probably one of the quirkiest places in South Pittsburgh - fronted by a thrift and curiosity shop - it's rather easy to miss given the off-the-beaten path location. Anyhow, we had an excellent experience. The brunch had several options - we opted for the seitan "pot roast" and the mushroom pasta. Both were great - ample portions and flavorful. The salad buffet was great, offering a bunch of options, all of which were pretty tasty. I didn't try the dessert section, but it was also pretty large. Overall, possibly the fairest deal on a meal you can get in the greater Pittsburgh region, while still keeping things healthy. Tables are arranged where it's communal, so you end up meeting other folks in a close environment. The walls are adorned with all kinds of artwork, there's no shortage of things to look at. Lastly, I saw some people on a certain social media platform had some critiques of the menu development method - it's all a bad opinion, this is a legacy business in our city and deserves even more of the positive attention they currently get.....support this place!

I've been going to The Zenith in the South Side for years now, and honestly, it is the definition…read moreof a Pittsburgh staple. The layout is wonderfully chaotic; half of it is a restaurant and the other half is a packed antique shop and vintage clothing store. You're literally sitting at a mismatched table surrounded by creepy old dolls, retro lamps, and racks of 1970s jackets while you wait for your food, which is just the coolest vibe. The service matches the aesthetic...it's laid-back, totally unpretentious, and run by folks who just let you do your thing. But let's talk about the food, because it's some of the best vegetarian and vegan comfort food you will ever eat, hands down. I always crave their Seitan Reuben (and I'm not even vegan), which is so perfectly savory and messy, and if you go for their famous Sunday brunch, you have to load up on the sesame peanut noodle salad and grab a slice of whatever vegan cake they have out that day. It's affordable, incredibly quirky, and I'll keep coming back forever.

Back for another fantastic meal at the forge. They have a summer drink menu, I got the Lemongrass…read moreis greener. Super delicious, nice ginger flavor. We shared the rainbow platter, shawarma hummus, gambas al ajillo, labneh, and a peach! Pizza. The shawarma hummus had a delicious flavor. The pickled veggies had a nice kick.

I met some friends at The Forge for dinner and we got there a little early so we could take…read moreadvantage of their happy hour and get some delicious cocktails! They have some unique drinks and a good mix of sweet and savory options. The inside has seating at the bar, some plush lounge chairs with low tables, and some normal tables. We then moved to a table for dinner and we all agreed that the real star of the show were the small plates so go with friends and make sure you get a bunch to share! We all thought the pizzas were just okay. We ended the meal with an incredible bartender's choice drink creation and a light and lovely tiramisu.

Fresh and mostly flavorful. We got a vegan bowl ($16) and arepa ($12). The sautéed peppers were…read moreexcellent, and were THE flavor for the bowl. The plantains need a little work to be the sweet treat I have come to expect from other places. The black beans tasted no different than anywhere else where they are just a side alongside a more flavorful mean star -- and could use some seasoning when they are the "meat" of a vegan dish. Same goes for the arepa. The black beans were the bulk of it, lined by a few thin-sliced plantains and a teeny tiny side of avocado cream (~1 tablesp) on top of a fresh arepa with rather bland "cheese". For $12, it definitely left me wanting, but hit the spot in a healthy, portion-appropriate meal sort of way. Bottom line: Fresh with a lot of potential with a little more attention to portions and flavoring.

A quick, delicious gluten free lunch!! Stopped on our way to…read morehotel & grabbed some empanadas for lunch Ordering was quick, we found a table & they quickly brought us our food The empanadas were HOT, crispy and the flavor was so intense - I wanted to try all the flavors because they were so good but I held off until next time!

Woman at the front taking orders (white, middle aged, brown hair) is rude AF. I'm holding my phone…read moreout ready to pay and she just says "Nooo! NO!" I'm sorry? Who the fuck are you talking to like this ?????? "I have to push a button" Yeah ok, I'm not a dog, you don't just say "NO" to me. RUDE AF!!!

Pretty good pizza at an affordable price!! Not to mention it's wood fired!!! I was hesitant, but…read moreafter a bit a COAXING, it was really good.

We've been meaning to try Bae Bae's for a very long time and I'm bummed that we didn't try it…read morebefore it's latest reinvention under the Bar and Supper Club banner. I wouldn't really call this a supper club to be honest but the place definitely carries a house music bar vibe and the back bar area and seating is very dimly lit, perfect for cozying up and enjoying a drink late night. The ladies' room was so dark, I mistook it for a storage area because I could only make out a white ladder in the corner that was being used as cute shelving. The place is seat yourself. Our waiter was not super friendly and didn't offer to give us napkins or anything when our wobbly table caused our drinks to splash all over the place. The cook served our chicken with a big smile and happy interaction and we really loved his personality. The bartender also stopped by to bus our table and he was very pleasant as well. We enjoyed the perfectly fried small plate cauliflower with the plum sauce and the fried cheese/garlic wonton bites with the sriracha mayo spicy dipping sauce. The fried chicken breast on the large plate was slightly overcooked with a maple gochuchang sauce that was very bland. We were so thankful that the large plate fried chicken came with a side salad to offer some respite from the heaviness of the fried dishes. It would have been great to have some side acidic or fresh vegetable options like Kimchi or something. Maybe we tried the wrong dishes and there are other not fried things that are delicious? The dirty martini cocktail was just so-so, not really much flavor at all, but the mojito was very good and refreshing. It's probably a good late-night place for a bite and drink.

Love this place!! Hidden gem in downtown pittsburgh. Only thing is I feel like their hours are a…read morebit all over the place

I was introduced to Veggies N'at at a Garfield Community Farm fundraiser. Their food is absolutely…read moreamazing. The chef changed his diet in 2017, on a path to eating more healthy foods. Everything on the menu is connected to mindful eating, loving and appreciating yourself, and improving your health and the way you feel about yourself. That sounds pretty heavy, but I recommend that you try it. It may not change your life, but at least you can appreciate how delicious it is, and how vibrant and healthy you feel after eating it. All the ingredients are fresh and healthy, you couldn't ask for anything more. Bottom line, it tastes fantastic.

I visited them last August while attending the VegFest and like many other places I've enjoyed over…read morethe years that I have yet to review I am just now getting around to leaving them one. So, actually a guy at the information booth was eating something from here and I asked him where he got it from because it looked very good and he recommended them to me. So we headed their way. Tbh: Every place that we wanted to eat at had a line 25-50 deep and we were super hungry and their line was only like 5-7 people deep which was a blessing. First off, the service in general was kind of crappy, but I understand as it was a hot and very busy day and from what they told my gf at the time they were getting low on food as well and only had a couple items that were left from the menu. After deciding what we wanted which was one of three things my gf at the time ordered us the Mac and Cheese and a container of ranch to take home while I looked for a place for us to eat. So after they handed her our food we headed over to an area with tables and chairs to eat the Mac and Cheese. I must say we both thoroughly enjoyed every single bit of it and my gf at the time isn't even vegan. So that says a lot! I highly recommended it :) FYI: The person who took her order also forgot to give her the container of ranch she paid for. I wasn't made aware that she purchased it until afterwards because my gf at the time wanted to surprise me but they didn't give her a receipt so she had no proof. Oh well, you live and learn, sadly! The vibe on this day was on point so we let the little things go in regards to the crappy service and the shorting us of an overpriced container of ranch fall to the wayside and continued on with our wonderful day, smiling and enjoying the amazing festival and area. If I decide to stop by your food trailer again this year at the festival or whenever I am somewhere you are posted up in front of, I hope you make up for your mistakes from last year because that's the right thing to do.

I was visiting Pittsburgh for the day and saw great things about this restaurant online! The food…read morewas very good! The Philly egg roll was my favorite! If I had time to go back I definitely would have to have that egg roll again! Everything was made fresh and the owners were welcoming and checked in on me during my visit! Will definitely be going back the next time I visit!

This is a pretty solid vegan spot, but you can definitely tell that the food is vegan if you are a…read moremeat eater. It just doesn't have quite a similar flavor and it's not as satisfying, with most of the food having some artificial flavor to it. I got to try their breakfast sandwich ("no egg" bagel), ranch, and peaches n cream egg roll. The egg just tasted strange. It was somewhat greasy and very artificial. The bagel itself was fine but just very standard. An okay price for the portion. The ranch it was served with was also watery and just didn't hit the spot. I will say though, I added a hashbrown and the hashbrown was very good. The egg roll was a bit better, but still had some artificial flavor to it. Portion was fine and the peaches tasted reasonably fresh for something like this. Not bad. All in all, it's an okay spot. The food looked better on the photos. The presentation is almost always good but the flavor is not so much.