Guess who's back, back again. It was like saying goodbye to an old friend. In early January it was announced that Hemmingways would be closing in May. I've visited Hemmingways since 1999. In addition to many other visits, my brother in law and I came here after the birth of our children too. I'm thinking it's been 10 years since my last visit. I arrived around 6:00 PM on a Friday with a heavy Pitt student presence. They were carding people at the door at which I happily shared my super senior id. I was planning on having a couple beers prior to a concert. Bartenders were very busy but attentive. I was able to find a spot and had a few IC Light pints for $4.00. It's upsetting that another Oakland establishment that I have fond memories will be closing. If you have the chance to make a memory here over the next month, go! The food is pretty good too. This is a classic college bar. read more

Hemingway's Cafe - Dive Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Classic college bar on Pitt's campus. I have great memories here from college and still go frequently with friends. However, the woman who owns/manages the bar is so intensely unpleasant it's little surprise this place is closing. What a shame, good vibes and fun memories! read more

Hemingway's Cafe - Dirty shirley drinks- cheap and good! - Dive Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

A big group of us stopped by last Friday afternoon around 5pm and were able to get a table in the very back immediately. Our server got us a food menu and the drink menus were hanging on clipboards on the wall. Everything is very reasonably priced at Hems and the bill before tip for a group of 10 people was around $250 before tip. The food is really good bar food and the drinks were nostalgic, especially the shot pitchers. read more

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A classic bar on Oakland's campus. While it's a shame it is closing soon, it was a great addition for both college kids and alumni alike. It never felt like it was ridden with underage students thankfully. Pitcher deals are great for those looking to save a few bucks but they are very sugary. They had decent beer options as well. Food wasn't bad, for a bar, and had a couple of vegetarian options as well! Servers can be a bit grumpy at times, but it has been great to have had experienced Hems at all. read more

A wonderful dining experience with attentive staff and delicious, well-balanced flavors. The ambiance was cozy and inviting, making it perfect for a relaxed meal. read more

Nice bar, open seats esp for weekday nights. Came here after a IM ball game with some buds and got some shots and split some pitchers. Good vibes all around. Pitcher cocktails are fun but super sweet/not that alcoholy if thats what ur into (i am). read more

Terrible service, but I love it here. My favorite bar to go to at school. Ordered raspberry white claw, got upgraded to surfside. Straight vibes. read more

This is a cool little dive bar we visited while touring Pitt's campus. I was told it is the place to go for students, so we had to check it out. It's a nice old school bar with a nice sized bar with booths and tables for groups. We grabbed some pub grub which hit the spot on a hot Saturday afternoon. Their beer list was also good with some nice local craft brews on tap. Service was nice and attentive, and the food came out pretty quickly. Definitely a good spot to visit while at Pitt to get the local flavor! read more

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As far as college bars go, this place hasnt changed a bit in the last 20 years. The food is all fried, the beer comes in pitchers and the staff is rarely in a good mood. If you're just drinking and maybe eating a few appetizers this place is exactly what you'd want, but their food is fairly mediocre otherwise. But they have kept their prices low. read more

Oh honey. You want a night out honey? Go to hemmingways honey. Get that buffle chickle dipple with that pita and a pitcher babe. Take over da touch tunes and touch that chicken Caesar wrap with ur tongue. Service is so good but when it's busy it can be a little quick. Bunkle P Dunkle Approved. Ps get the pardi claw read more

Local bar near U of Pitt and my son and I stopped in here for dinner while we were visiting the university. They ID you as you walk in, and at first I didn't think they were going to allow us in given my son was not 21, but they ultimately sat us. Primarily college kids hanging here. Food was ok and about what I would expect for a bar. Portion sizes are huge and prices are good for the amount of food you do get. Service was generally good throughout our meal and refills were attended too quickly. The amount of sour cream you get with the Pierogi's isn't really enough for the amount of Pierogi's, so I asked for more sour cream, which they do charge for. read more

Hemingway's Cafe - Pierogi - Dive Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This is a University of Pittsburgh staple. This bar is a must for bar food and cheap drinks

Great bar...awesome bar staff...great drink specials...highly recommended anyone who is visiting Pitt!

Typical college bar with pub fare. We liked the vibe of it and the food and drinks were pretty good. The staff were amazing. We made multiple stops here during our stay in the area. We will definitely be back when/if we are in town read more

I have come to this place many times. Always have a good time and good drinks. Their food is super good and the atmosphere, while a bit chaotic at times, is fun and upbeat. Very much a college town bar. They have fun events such as trivia and karaoke. If you come here you can definitely expect the crowd to be on the younger side*** Weekends they are usually super packed, so I would recommend getting there before 7 if you want a seat. If you are going for trivia definitely sit up front or you won't be able to hear. read more

Awesome food awesome atmosphere, love going here before Pitt basketball games. Unique drinks and pitchers with really good prices. Really fun place to hang out eat and drink. read more

Hemingway's Cafe - Cajun chicken wrap with fries - Dive Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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We stopped in on Saturday evening to grab drinks before an 8 pm concert. There's someone at the door to check IDs, so be ready. We found a spot at the bar and looked at the draft list, which offered a lot of options and well organized by type of beers. We found a couple of beers we hadn't seen elsewhere. We easily ordered and took a spot. We were a bit confused as to whether the two-seater booths were part of the bar or not, so sat at the end of the bar. The crowd itself was a mix. The dining room crowd was calm and there to eat and drink. There was a group at the bar that kept it rowdy. read more

Maybe one of the last establishments still around in Oakland that most students and alumni have been two in the past few decades. Came here on a game day and you could hear the nostalgia all around. On top of preserving memories, they have a solid beer selection with a handful of local and craft options. It's the kind of place where everybody hangs out. Most people were in Pitt gear but there was an eclectic group ranging from a wedding party to a group that just finished a construction shift. Lots of TVs and drink specials. read more

Perfect little college bar for quick bites and brews! They also offer awesome mixed drink pitchers with cool gummies for photo ops. The bartender was fast and knowledgeable! I used to come here years ago and was happy to see not much changed! ( nothing needs to be ) read more

Hemingway's Cafe - Cardiac sticks / Barbie pitcher with edible glitter - Dive Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I love Hem's. Every time is a beautiful time. Except for the waitress who is there every single day with the bun that hates college kids. She yells at us for everything. Cmon, move on it's okay. It's never that deep. No one tips you anyway. A please or thanks uses less muscles than your frown. But thank you Hems for endless fun. read more

The classic undergraduate bar at Pittsburgh's campus, ordered the chicken Parmesan and 2 shot pitchers! Recommend ordering the Long Island shot pitchers 5 star food 5 star for safety during opening with pandemic 3 stars for service, will never be known for hospitality Per pandemic it's at 50% capacity so you are going to want to go during off hours, had to stand outside for an hour for a table of 8 at 7pm on Fr read more

Hemingway's Cafe - Chicken parmesan - Dive Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Casual university crowd with wonderful cheap eats. This is a no frills bar/restaurant that pulls in the nearby university crowd. Food is decent and abundant. I got the tots loaded with pulled pork and it was definitely a dish to be shared! The service is good as friendly. read more

Hemingway's Cafe - Tots with pulled pork - Dive Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Nice local college bar. Inexpensive with good bar food. Nice atmosphere and great service v

Hemingway's is your classic college bar. It's located on a convenient and easily accessible street by foot, although parking is difficult. The food is tasty and affordable, and there's a wide variety of drinks available to match everyone's tastes. The rotating $5.50 daily shot pitchers are a great bargain. Definitely a place to stop by on a night out in Oakland. read more

Getting some wings post Pitt game, I tried the Barbie pitcher and really liked it! My wings were also good. There were some French fries in my wings so if you are concerned about cross contamination I probably would not go here. The waitress was polite. We got a big table in the back which was nice. read more

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I have been meaning to get together with one of my friends for a while right now and told him that he could pick the restaurant we went to tonight, and he decided on Hemingway's Cafe. He has been here multiple times before since he lives super close, and said that the food was really good and there is usually a beer special every night during the week! We got there around 6:45 and the place wasn't too busy, but by 8:00 it was a full functioning college bar. I decided to get the Fish Sandwich, as I can't remember the last time I've had a fish sandwich and it was delicious! They give you a nice size piece of fish, topped with some vegetables and served on a nice fluffy roll. I added the tartar sauce on top of the sandwich which made it perfect. The fish was super flakey and not overly friend which I loved! It was served with a side of french fries that were delicious! They were a little crispier, which I personally really enjoy. My friend got the pulled pork grilled cheese, which he said that it was his favorite out of all the grilled cheeses (and yes, he said he has tried them all haha). I didn't get a chance to try it, but the pulled pork looked super tender and flavorful. His was also served with a nice side of French fries. This was definitely a cool spot in a college town to come and meet with a friend, but just be known that if you come later than 8:00 on any night, you may not be able to have as intimate of a conversation because of all the other noise. Will definitely be back here again soon! read more

Hemingway's Cafe - Fish Sandwich and Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese - Dive Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Hemingway's is your classic college bar. It's usually hard to find a table but if you do, the shot pitchers are great. I recently went on a Monday and it was Karaoke night. Everyone had a lot of fun and the host was really sweet. She even sang a few of the songs with us to help us out! We got shot pitchers, Moscow mules, Nachos/tot-chos to share, and the California Club Turkey. The food was your classic bar/diner food. No complaints and definitely good food. Our waitress was really nice and checked in with us frequently. Just watch out for the shot pitchers being too sweet. But if that is your style, then this is the place for you! read more

Hemingway's Cafe - Dive Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This place was a absolute disaster the woman manager was very racist me and my girls wanted to try this place cause the food on the menu looked tasty we had a ladies night after our boat ride came to the place was not greeted properly first off then was sat all the way in the back of the restaurant now mind you our waitress was the manager but we did not know at first she takes our orders had a attitude the whole time me and my sister got the same meal the 4 alarm chicken pasta when she brought it out it was not hot for one then it had so much oil in it it made my sisters stomach instantly hurt I have real bad acid reflux so I immediately told the waitress could not eat that she never once said well what can we do to assist you or would you like anything else she started getting smart talking bout nothing was wrong with it that's how it's made so I said well I'm not paying for this cause I can not eat it so said well you have to pay for the extra sauce like what lady if I can't eat it I'm not paying for it and pay for extra sauce was crazy she just was mean and ignorant this was a very bad experience she through my cousins change at her and everything will never return here ever again and no I did not pay for the extra sauce only adding 1 star cause I have too this place deserves no stars read more

I've been a huge fan of Hem's ever since I went to Pitt for college and it's a fan favorite for a reason. The shot pitchers and food are all super yummy and affordable. The $5 daily shot pitchers are such a steal especially when you're a broke college student! Their spinach artichoke dip is one of my favorites and you can't go wrong with any of their wraps or sandwiches! read more

Hemingway's Cafe - Dive Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Hem's is a staple for any Pitt student. You really can't beat the $5.50 food menu that they offer multiple times a day, $2.75 daily IPA special, or the $4 shot pitchers from 10pm-midnight. The food is actually pretty good for a college bar. They have a decent amount of vegetarian and vegan options, including 3 new dishes with jackfruit! The real winner here is the spinach artichoke dip, served with fresh fried pita. So. Good. The drinks are all reasonably priced, and they have a pretty good beer list. I took away a star because it always feels kind of...sticky inside no matter what time it is, but especially as the night goes on. Also, a lot the shot pitchers are WAY too sweet. You'll get a massive headache the next day from the sugar before the alcohol. read more

Hemingway's Cafe - Spinach Artichoke Dip - Dive Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Cool dive bar in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh. Strong pours for good prices and a good vibe. I came in the summer but when school is in session this place is overrun by the college kids. This ain't a bad thing, just as a middle aged day drinker, its probably more my scene in July. read more

Cheapest drinks you will find at Pitt. A little watered down but for the price amazing

Hems gets a 2 for food but a 4 for drinks so I'm splitting half way at 3 stars. That being said, hems is a MUST for a "pitcher" on a weekend night. A classic location for Pitt students and alum. Warning: Long Island pitcher will f*** you up but that's the fun part! read more

Hemingway's Cafe - Lemonade pitcher - Dive Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This is the best spot in Oakland for a drink and a bite to eat. It's a college bar but is a fixture on campus. You'll find current current students, local regulars, and alumni all go there. There are always drink specials posted. Now they have a nice selection of beer on tap too. read more

Hemingway's Cafe - Shot pitchers - Dive Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Move-in weekend for Freshman at Pitt, so the area was packed. Server had a lot of tables to handle by himself, so getting his attention for drink refills and the check was a chore. Everything else was fine. read more

What a staple in the Oakland and Pitt community. This is what every college bar aspires to be like. It is fun, the drink specials are amazing (5 dollar pitcher of Long Island on Thursday), and super fun drinks (from Olivia Rodrigo to misspelled Carnegie Mellon drink). I asked for mine extra sweet, not knowing how sweet it would be, and it gave me heartburn, amazing right. As someone who likes when alcohol goes down like water, this place definitely delivered while still giving me that fun buzz I love. There is a drink here for every single person and it is located in a convenient location. I know this is listed as top 10 bar food places in the country but I could not see that from my food. I got a chicken parm sandwich which was mediocre, but who comes to the bar for the food anyways. Viva the drinks! read more

Hemingway's is an establishment that I'll forever appreciate. From my first introduction to the University of Pittsburgh and the city of Pittsburgh at large we quickly developed a relationship. Their happy hour is undefeated. All menu items are 5.99 with an exception of the things in red you can't beat. The food is actually pretty decent. There's been an ongoing relationship that I've always remained indifferent about how I felt towards it. I was thinking because the food is pretty good. However, the service at this place is honestly just terrible. The customer service is simply just non existent. Besides that - conveniently located - stellar prices - vegetarian / vegan options read more

Solid college bar with surprising good food! Would definitely recommend the buffalo chicken dip. The daily pitcher special is also a solid addition read more

I have been going here since I was a freshman in college (2001). I love Hemingway's but you have to know what you are getting yourself into. No they do not have the best food, service or cleanliness... you go because thats what you did when you went to Pitt. Every few months I meet my friends from college at Hemingway's. They have $5 off the menu from 11am-12pm. I typically order one of the grilled cheeses that are decent. This time I switched it up and ordered the one with crab cake. It was pretty good. The place was packed because of finals week. There were tons of drink specials and late night food specials for the students. If you didn't come here in college you probably wouldn't like it but I will continue to return! read more

Fun college bar with pretty good deals on drinks, and really really good happy hour deals if you're looking to get hammered the most cost efficient way. The bartenders know what the kids want and they'll help light your night up. The food is your typical trashy college kid food, but I don't think this place needs more than that. With that said, it's not good food by any means, but it definitely supports the occasion and will keep you and your friends happy. Service can be really inconsistent here, especially when it gets super crowded or very late, but be nice to the waiters! read more