We were looking for a nice local place for Father's Day breakfast and wanted to keep it simple, low-key and not too expensive. Hadn't been here in a minute and thought of this place right across from Brentwood Towne Center. They get pretty busy on weekends and it's clear they have a lot of regulars, which always speaks well of a place. We happened to hit it at just the right time before it got too crowded. JT's name remains on the place but it now seems to be run by Sam whose name is added on the menus and inside. We had a funny experience when parking on the street as I was checking the app to see if payment was required on Sundays, and Sam happened to be outside and called over to us to make sure not to pay today. It set just the right start to this homey family diner experience. The space inside is modest and feels like you are eating at a family member's home, complete with kitschy little framed sayings on the walls. There is a television on and patrons chat with the staff and one another. There are maybe 10 tables of varying sizes and a counter, and today we had one server working hard to take care of everyone, the owner and a couple of cooks in the back. The menu is two pages, almost entirely breakfast items such as egg combination dishes, omelettes, French toast and pancakes. There are a few specials posted each day. You might think that a breakfast item is a breakfast item, but they really do it well here. First is a focus on high-quality ingredients from local providers like Weiss Meats and Mancini's Bread. There are creative items like my veggie jumbot, which was sort of an egg scramble including mushrooms, green peppers, onions and cheese, and it was delicious. Their potato pancakes remind me of the most I've had of a friend's who used to make authentic Eastern European ones. You can substitute one of these for your potato side and I highly recommend doing so. Even my companion's relatively simple breakfast of eggs, bacon and potato pancake was a huge hit for being perfectly prepared, because "no one ever flips the over-easy eggs just right." This is an under-the-radar spot, but locals know about it, and you should too. read more

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Fast! Always super friendly service and very reasonable prices for high quality diner food. read more

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Sat in the bar area... a group of 4.... Service was quick and Lori was very attentive.... I ordered a Chicken Croissant Sandwich... written it had romaine lettuce and dressing with fries... fries were excellent... nice and hot and crispy... I asked for dressing on the side but unfortunately the romaine had already been tossed with dressing leaving it wet and soggy affecting the taste of the sandwich .... Bloody Mary was decent.... read more

JT Sam’s Diner - Bloody Mary - Diners Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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We were at JTs for breakfast. The food was just ok. The home fries lacked flavor. One in our group got sick from the food. Service was good. The place is small but handled our group of 10. I would not be going back. read more

This is my favorite Saturday morning breakfast spot. They open up early which is great for me when I typically start work on a Saturday at 8:30. The service is always great! Jen is an awesome waitress. The food is consistently good and the pancakes are great! read more

JT Sam’s Diner - Western sandwich - Diners Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Jt's restaurant, now known as Sam Jt's restaurant is an elegant little diner on Brownsville Road. Within walking distance of many houses, businesses, and even the school. The staff of this diner provide a kind and social experience. The staff recognizes regulars and asks them how they've been, holds conversations with them. You're welcome to sit in silence or join the conversation. the food is also delicious. It's mostly strictly breakfast food besides the occasional special that could fit a light lunch role. They get their meat from a variety of local sources, including Weiss butcher and some other markets in the strip district. This is definitely my favorite American breakfast diner in Brentwood. read more

Amazing potato pancakes Sam is a great host everything is fresh and big servings don't drive past this place right across from giant eagle in Brentwood read more

The food was great and I noticed how clean the place was it is one of the best restaurants I've ever been to ever. read more

JT Sam’s Diner - Diners Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Small, clean breakfast spot with friendly service. Good scrambler and great Italian toast! Within walking distance from many Brentwood homes and across the street from Brentwood Town Square. read more

JT Sam’s Diner - Veggie Jumbot with Feta in place of American Cheese - Diners Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

NOTE! NEW OWNERS TOOK OVER IN AUGUST OF 2023. CHECK THE DATES OF REVIEWS TO BE SURE YOU'RE GETTING CURRENT INFO. We used to frequent JT's years ago. At first, they were good, but we noticed a decline in quality and we just stopped going. Well, we went back after learning there were new owners. IT WAS TERRIFFIC! It's pretty much the same as we remember, decore-wise. The real differences are in the quality and variety of the menu items. The service was also much improved with friendly and efficient staff. There is an extensive menu and you can customize anything you like. My companion opted for the basic bacon and eggs (a standard to judge by). The eggs were cooked perfectly and looked great on the plate. The bacon was thick-cut and very tasty. The choice between hash browns or home fries resulted in the former. Tasty, but could have been cooked a little crispier. To be fair, there is no doubt that if you asked for them that way, it would be done. A toasted and buttered English muffin topped it all off. I chose the Italian Fritatta. Not the way my grandmother made it, but it was very good. A base of scrambled eggs, topped with banana peppers, onions, zucchini, hot sausage, and gooey melted mozzarella cheese made for a great combination. A thick slice of Italian toast accompanied it all. Coffee was hot, delicious, and constantly re-filled without having to ask. If you haven't been to JT's on Brownsville in a while, or if you haven't been there yet, you owe it to your tastebuds to pay them a visit. We will be back to work our way through the menu. read more

You have to love a place that not only serves good, solid fare, but is welcoming and friendly while doing it! The place is homey, and spotless, but the owner, Sam, and his wife Sunny treat you like gold, and that makes all the difference! read more

The food is delicious since the new owners have taken over. He is adding new foods to the menu such as gyros and stuffed grape leaves, which are absolutely amazing and to die for. The staff is kind and courteous. read more

If you like good, basic (in a good way) breakfast food, you need to try this place. We have been living in Brentwood for almost two years and our only disappointment is that we hadn't tried it sooner. I ordered the Hungry Man, my husband ordered the Pecan French Toast with bacon, and my toddler had the kid's pancakes with bacon. Every single thing was delicious! My very picky toddler even ate most of his plate. It's a very small place run by a couple of people who manage it very well considering the place was full the whole time. Almost every person who walked in was called by name or left with a "see you next week," so they seem to have a good group of regulars. If you live in Brentwood, then you know food establishments are unfortunately non-existent, so it's great to know we have this place available read more

JT Sam’s Diner - Our "after" plates. Not much left! - Diners Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Ordered for the first time today. Used the menu on their website. It clearly was not updated. They didn't have most of the food on it. They only had burgers. Ordered the burger with peppers and onions. Menu said included lettuce and tomato. We received neither. One did request no tomato but also got no lettuce. They offered fries, but had none this day. Menu listed homemade chips came with it. We got what appears to be their home fries. Menu price was $7.95, was charged almost $14. Burger had no seasoning. In short, will not order from here again. read more

JT Sam’s Diner - Patty melt burger with "chips" - Diners Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This is a really nice spot to stop in for breakfast. We went in to get take out. The server was extremely nice and the service was quick. We took the food home and were surprised by the portion sizes. Tons of delicious food for a really great price. We will definitely stop in again. read more

JT Sam’s Diner - 19. South of the Border Burrito Special and Philly Cheese Steak Omelette - Diners Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Unassuming but completely LBGTQ/"family"-friendly breakfast spot that was a bright spot in our last trip to Pittsburgh. We were desperate for a place that would accommodate my wife and me with our dog, and the waiter got us set up at the table outside. He and the staff were so kind, and the food was delicious! Loved the local-bakery French toast and perfect bacon. read more

When it comes down to it, I guess I diner's true value is in the food. And JT's has good food. My omelet was very good and full of flavor. The side of Italian toast was thickly cut and had an airy texture, so it wasn't too heavy. My wife's poached eggs were good as well, as was her side of toast (one slice raisin one slice cinnamon). If the review was based solely on the food, it would be a 4 or 5. If it were based solely on atmosphere and service, it would be a 1. My omelet was filled with flavor, but not with double ham, as I had ordered. In fact, there was barely any ham and only 3 or 4 mushrooms. My Italian toast was perfectly airy, thickly cut, and dry - the way I like it and ordered it. But that was after they grilled it with butter and I had to send it back, and wait 10 minutes for it again. My wife's eggs were poached perfectly, but that was after sending the first plate back. Clearly stating "extra well poached so there is no runny yoke," the kitchen didn't even bother to try. They were barely even passable as light, almost like they just came out of the chicken' a$$. Her toast was dry and toasted well... after the first order, which we had to send back also, because it was just thrown on the plate in a puddle of water and was soggy like toilet paper from said chicken after it birthed her first order of eggs. As a result, my omelet came out first, ten minutes later the rest of our orders came back correct. Since I'm chivalrous, I waited to eat. Thus, cold eggs. With all that said, the food was still good. So I have to admit I probably would be back. I just hope the kitchen has more respect for the order next time. read more

JT Sam’s Diner - Ham, mushroom, spinach omelet. - Diners Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This is the first time we came here. Very small and homey. Tables were sticky, but waitress was very nice and food was EXCELLENT. Had scrambled eggs with bologna and cheese, very tasty and just the right size. Price was right. Definitely will return read more

Tried for first time and very impressed with the service. Looks like a local favorite. There was a family there with several small boys and they all looked like they were enjoying their food and the service. Itis small, but immaculately clean. Parking is on the street, but I had no problem finding a parking space. It is close to the Brentwood Towne Square if you want to walk a bit and not deal with parking meters. Service is very friendly. The portions are big and delicious. A little more expensive than a Denny's, but the quality is well worth it...you will not go away hungry. Spoke to one of the waitresses who told me the little boy in the group with the family is kind of their spokesperson because he always brings his friends with their parents in tow. Noticed they have potato pancakes. Going to have to go back to try them next. read more

Absolutely LOVED JT's Restaurant. Very small, family owned. I got the hot sausage sandwich and everything tasted perfectly cooked, buttered, and scrambled. The home fries were fantastic. All of the food came out very quickly. I don't have anything negative to say about it - absolutely great! Will love taking visitors here! read more

JT Sam’s Diner - Diners Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Breakfast was delicious. All four of us ordered something different and everyone raved about the food. It's a small location but we'll worth it to eat here. Our server was fantastic!! And it supports a small business. read more

Kay and I required nutrition for a last-minute X-Mas shopping mission weeks ago, and we found it in spades at the modest Brentwood staple known as JT's, a suburban canteen my own father has sworn by for years. As I would find out yet again, Dad is rather tasteful and wise. We had little time to dally, so I ordered myself a Ham Off The Bone Sandwich. Accompanied by brilliant, kettle-boiled housemade potato chips, the meat was soft as cream cheese and as flavorfully fatty and brackish as the best brisket. American cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, and a fluffy envelope of an omelet-style egg were bookended by prodigious butter-slathered slabs of Texas Toast. I should have stopped there for an easy 5 out of 5 would have been in order. A weirdly doughy short stack of chocolate-chip pancakes played the role of dessert (and they are dessert to me). These flapjacks required a good deal of syrup to make them edible, so...no, I can't say I was taken by them nor will I state that they were fit only for the family dog. The bittersweet chocolate chips also elevated them slightly as they so often do with anything they bless. A complete tosser they weren't, but pit 'em 'gainst Pamela's in this jousting match and JT's gettin' knocked off of the horse. Be mindful that JT's is a bit cramped in terms of seating. Thankfully, we came by on a slow weekday afternoon just an hour before they closed, thereby avoiding a wait or a rain check. I'm sure weekends are impossible here, and those surely maddening mornings are deserved, JT's being a rock-solid hash house among hash houses that Guy Fieri would likely fall in love with. P.S. The service was adequate on all fronts. read more

JT Sam’s Diner - Ham Off The Bone Sandwich with housemade potato chips - Diners Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Living in the south hills my whole life had been looking for a local place for years. Found JT's about a year ago... My wife and I eat here 2-3 times per month. Food is homemade, nothing frozen or canned. Weekends the potato pancakes are awesome!!! Take 2 potato pancakes, layer with ham carved off the bone, cheese of your choice and eggs - sour creme and apple sauce on the side. Lately they have been offering one of the pancakes as a zucchini variation - luv'em!!! Omelets are generous and well stuffed with ingredients, home fries on the side (I am sure to order mine well (brown edges) - otherwise well cooked without much color as many people prefer them. Toast is make on the grill, no toaster for this diner inspired restaurant - oh, did I say it is 2 large slices of Mancini's Italian bread? Yummy. This weekend I ordered the fritatta special. Sweet or hot sausage, onions, red peppers, mushrooms and salami with cheese. Very good. O"brien potatoes (homefries with onions & peppers) and of course the 2 hefty slices of italian toast. On the weekends is very busy - usually short wait. Tables are a bit cramped together, but hey - it is a "small" local joint. Can't go wrong - if you are looking for low-cal fare, not here... read more

JT Sam’s Diner - Fritatta with Italian Toast - Diners Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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First visit for me this morning. To say " unimpressed " would be too much praise. Staff was rude immediately upon sitting down and were loudly arguing among themselves in the back room. Food finally arrived 25 minutes after ordering. Eggs were slimy, home fries were undercooked, bacon was limp and greasy, toast was barely toasted and wasn't buttered. Go to Frank and Shirley's. read more

Apparently this place has been here for 15 years but I never noticed it. We were searching for a place to get some coffee and JT's came up so we decided to try it. I usually do not care for restaurant coffee because its always a disappointment. The java here though was great and very hot thankfully. I love breakfast joints and this place did not disappoint. Its a cute, cozy little place that is warm and welcoming. We were greeted by two friendly women when we walked in. The menu is basic with the usual breakfast fare and a few unusual items. I chose the "build your own" omelette and my daughter had a southwestern style breakfast burrito. The portions were generous, and the food was fresh and hot. I am not a picky eater so it wasn't a deal breaker but some may not have liked the crisp/overdone eggs on the omelette. It was very good though. I had sausage, tomato, and pepper-jack cheese in it. The burrito was perfectly wrapped, hot and delicious. Our experience here was great all around. Good food (reasonably priced), great service, and cozy atmosphere. Its like going on a visit to grammas or moms house and having their home cooked food. We will definitely return! read more

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Great food, great prices. Get there early on the weekend. Nice to support local restaurant. They have daily specials. Something for everyone. The coffee was good to. read more

JT Sam’s Diner - French Toast. Daily specials. You get a lot of food for price. Small place, seats about 30. Get there early on the weekends. - Diners Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This hidden gem is just what Pittsburgh needs to challenge the imperial-like rule of Pamela's Diner. The only way I learned about JT's Diner was by word of mouth, and I'm so glad I listened. Though a greasy spoon, it's full of heart and charm. Most orders come with local, thick Italian bread that is always crispy or family-secret pancakes. Let me stop and mention the pancakes in more detail - they are not your regular buttermilk frisbees. They are a pancake/crepes hybrid that is simply delicious, not overly sweet and sinfully dense. My boyfriend demands that these pancrepes be a part of every visit we make to this diner no matter time of day. It's not just all about the pancrepes either. The eggs and omelettes are fluffy and filed with fresh ingredients including ham off the bone. Every meal is a very generous portion and leaves you satisfied if not asking for a take home container. Though aged and a little rough around the edges, this diner is my new go-to for breakfast. read more

I have been wanting to try this local diner for a while. I have heard some very good things about it. I knew the place was small and would be cramped. Sadly, I was very unimpressed with the food. My wife had steak and eggs, the eggs were not cooked all the way, the steak was overcooked. One daughter had the sausage and egg sandwich, it was bland. Other daughter had chocolate chip pancakes. the pancakes are very heavy, not fluffy. I ordered the frittata which was okay. A lot of good ingredients but very bland flavor. We left wishing we would have went to one of our normal breakfast places like Frank & Shirley's or Bob's Diner. read more

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Went here for a first date and ordered a chocolate chip pancake and he got chocolate chip French toast. Experienced a long wait time for them to be done, but both came out steaming so we knew it was really fresh. Overall, I'm happy that I found this little joint, but not happy that it gets full so quickly! read more

Great food! But has a mouthy owner! Hahaha! Everything is fresh and made to order! Great JT's pancakes!

Overall this was a good experience. I had #6 with french toast and bacon and my companion had the same except with pancakes. We had coffee and split an order of potato pancakes. The eating area is small but in a cozy way. It isn't trendy like Thai Cottage but about the same size. I really liked the setup. The coffee was very good as well. I like it black so really appreciate good tasting coffee. The potato pancakes were tasty, and especially the bacon. The french toast was fine and used good bread. The flavor was subtle. The only complaint was with the pancakes. They didn't appear to be done and my companion could not eat them. Odd since the pancakes are very thin and looked done on the outside. We didn't complain though so I didn't factor this into my rating of 4 stars. read more

JT Sam’s Diner - Menus at the table - Diners Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Awsome spot. Greayt comfort food breakfast and best potato pancakes I've ever had but to be fair I'm from Lousinana , still I thought they were amazing. The owner was super sweet and the serve was too and she was busting hump. Never had an empty glass didn't wait long for my food or drink. All in all great experience. Please go give these people some patronage. They are hurting like others from covid and they really are a great place and it would be sad to see it go. I've been tipping my servers extra because they have been out of work too. read more

My boyfriend and I stopped in for breakfast on Mother's Day, this was a random stop as he planned to cook me breakfast, but when we saw this restaurant we decided to give them a try. OMG!! was that the best decision!! We both had the Chicken Fajita omelette and shared a short stack of thin yet delicious pancakes. This homemade breakfast was nothing short of AMAZING! And the staff was pleasant and very welcoming This is now "our spot" we're looking forward to coming back to try more options on the menu. I LOVE the family, friendly atmosphere and the hospitality was PRICELESS!! If you haven't tried this place I highly recommend it. read more

Horrible. After receiving our breakfast my girlfriend and I were very unpleased with it and asked for new food or something different. The owner came out and said that's how it's served like it or leave and made me pay the $22.35. Never going back. I have eaten there many times before and everything was wonderful. After the rude discussion with the owner I will make my own from now on. Worst place ever!!! Side note. I wrote this review over 2years ago and never hit post. So when I opened Yelp for the first time in a year I had to post it. read more

Almost one of the only places for breakfast in Brentwood. Huddled in a storefront along Brownsville, this joint is very small and crowded during the weekend. It's only open until two, but they serve breakfast all day.. Unfortunately, it's breakfast like someone else's grandma would make for you (rather than your own). Nothing I had was great or remarkable. The toast was a little greasy and definitely made on the griddle. My eggs and short stack were ediable. If you think Pamela's is the greatest breakfast spot in the world, you'd probably be satisfied. However, this was not cutting it for me. The entire time, most of the staff was sitting at the table next to us, watching tv, being a little loud. I understand it's a neighborhood establishment and probably a family one, but I really didn't want to spend my breakfast listening to the chatter. If you're close, it's convenient if you catch it at a lull. My parents love this spot so take my opinion with a grain of organic, sustainable, fair trade Himalayan salt. I would like to blame my yuppie tastes on this review, but honestly, I'd recommend Eat N Park over here. Take the drive to another staple. read more

Today was our first time at JT's and it will NOT be our last! To start, we couldn't even decide on what to get- everything just sounded fabulous! What we settled on did not disappoint and we are eagerly awaiting our next opportunity to come back. The sign on the window says "homestyle" and that's the honest truth. We had the French toast (Mancini's), Spartan Omelette (with Parma sausage), Spinach Omelette and kids eggs and bacon. The ingredients were fresh and cooked to perfection. The toast was even made on a griddle! We will definitely be back and will bring friends! read more

I love me some good diner breakfast food, and I have to say JT's is absolutely terrific! Usually Hot Metal Diner is our go-to breakfast spot, but since they've closed 885 we were looking for somewhere a little easier to get to. I'm surprised I've never heard of JT's before, it's so good! We went around 12:30, so a bit after the mad breakfast rush. We were only one of two tables in the restaurant, but it's easy to see that if they get busy getting a seat might take awhile. It's not a very big place, but I think that adds to the charm of it. I got the fritata and my husband and I split a short stack of pancakes since we read in other reviews how good they were. I'm so happy we did! They were some of the best pancakes I think I've ever had. They're thin like a crepe but still taste fluffy like normal pancake. The fritata would have been plenty of food on it's own though! The egg, veggies, cheese and sausage concoction covered my whole plate and came with a side of Mancini's toast. It was delicious. That paired with the pancakes was the perfect combo of sweet and savory for breakfast. I was so full I had to get a box to take the leftovers and unfortunately didn't even touch the toast. One thing that really excites me about JT's is that they have Cream Dried Beef! I've never seen Cream Dried Beef offered as a breakfast item anywhere else in Pittsburgh. I love getting this when I go to my hometown in the middle of the state. Unfortunately it's only offered as an occasional special and I didn't look at the special board until after I ordered my fritata, but I'll definitely be coming back until it's a special again! If you're looking for a new breakfast place, JT's is totally worth trying. It may take me a few visits to know for sure, but I think I might like it better than Pamela's. read more

JT's is a small, family-operated diner right on Brownsville Road across from the Whitehall Plaza. They are open for breakfast and lunch. The staff is very friendly and food is good. The JT Omelet is my favorite. The fare on the TV is rather mind-numbing and the syrup is just corn syrup, but they are generally quite busy, so many customer don't count these major issues. read more

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We were in the area furniture shopping and my husband found this place here on Yelp. I was a little nervous at first since the place looked like a bar from the outside and when we got inside. We got there around 12:30 and I believe they closed at 2, so there was no wait and only a few people in there. The menu was a decent size and the food was delicious. My husband got a breakfast sandwich and I got an omelette, which included potatoes. (I can't remember if his included them or we ordered them separately.) My omelette was great, but the potatoes really stood out to me because I feel like it's hard to find good flavorful breakfast potatoes these days. I was so pleasantly surprised by this place and we'll definitely be stopping back when we're in the area. read more

JT Sam’s Diner - Breakfast sandwich with hot sausage - Diners Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Tried JT's for the first time on a friend's recommendation and was not disappointed! Great little breakfast place on Brownsville Road in Brentwood. I use the word "little" loosely, more like tiny. Not many tables squeezed into what I imagine was some old school little shop of some sort back in the day. Great food though! Had the breakfast special, eggs over medium laid out over thick sliced ham with a base layer of potato pancakes, with some provolone cheese melted in for cheesy goodness! Two huge slices of fresh Mancini's bread tops it all off! Great service too and very reasonably priced. I will definitely be back to JT's! read more