The food here was ok. I wasn't blown away. The bread was delicious, served hot. The lagman noodles were good. Overall average food

Great place! Great staff! Delicious food! Want to mention server Lilya! She is precious! Definitely recommended! Omg I would eat there daily! read more

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All around best ethnic restaurant in Pittsburgh! It's a hidden secret at the corner of Shiloh and Southern Ave. Excellent Borsct soup!

My friends and I visited this place recently and I loved it! We started with the eggplant rolls and the stuffed eggs. I hate all eggplant dishes, or so I thought, and then I ate the eggplant roll. It is a dish served chilled and I loved it. The stuffed eggs have fish in them and were also good. The bread was amazing. I tried the Chuchvara and my friends had the Lagman and Kavsar. Of course, we all tried each dish and we all really liked the food. The service was good but she had to lug everything up and down stairs, I think. She earned her tip! The only negative I will add is the decor. Banquet-type chairs covered in white cloth with a black band were odd. Also, I hate pink and there are pink walls. Can't make everyone happy all the time. The videos on the television, presumably Uzbek music videos, were entertaining to watch. read more

I stopped by here last night with my fiance and 2 other dining companions for a late dinner. My fiance and I arrived right around 8:30 PM to a completely empty restaurant. The downstairs of the restaurant is a bar area with a couple of tables that can only seat three people. As I looked around a little worried about the seating situation, our server came out and asked how many? Whenever we replied with 4 she pointed to some stairs and said that we could sit upstairs. Since she didn't come with us we were free to seat ourselves wherever we wanted. The upstairs of this place is actually quite nice and reminded me of a room used to host nice parties. There were white table clothes on all of the tables along with white chair covers and black bows. The only oddity was the flat screen TV on one of the walls which had on a foreign station (Uzbecki perhaps?) playing music videos. While it seemed a bit odd at first, everyone eventually ended up enjoying the music. Since none of us had ever had Uzbek halal before the table decided to split a couple of appetizers to start off with. We went with the eggplant roll, julien in pancake bags and finally a double order of the homemade bread. Both the eggplant roll and julien in pancake bags come out together before our meals. We were actually debating about whether we should order the pancake bags or something else whenever we had placed our order but after it arrived we were more than happy to have to stuck with our decision since it was delicious. It did indeed look like a pancake bag whenever it arrived at our table and seemed to have the consistency of Injera. The inside of the bag was filled with mushroom, beef and a creamy sauce all of which was delicious. Meanwhile the eggplant roll consisted of some eggplant rolled up around tomato and garlic with dill on it. It was decent but paled in comparison to the bags. For my entree I went with the Kavsar (You can't go wrong ordering a restaurants namesake, right?) while my fiance went with the Gampam and our dining companions went with Chuchvara and Lagman with each couple also ordering a lamb kabob. It was nice to see all of the different dishes whenever they arrived at the table with the double order of homemade bread. The kavsar is roasted meat sausage rolled with whipped eggs and cheese steamed with some bell peppers and I choose mashed potatoes as my side. It ended up having a pretty good flavor and it reminded me quite a bit of stuffed cabbage with the cheese and egg taking the place of the cabbage. I was also able to taste both my fiances Gampam(rice topped with rich and delicious broth with vegetables, asian spices and beef tender loin) and our friends Chuchvara (handmade small boiled dumplings filled with ground beef and chopped onions) with the spices in the Gampam making it my favorite of the three entrees I tried. The kabob was also excellent and sort of reminded me of peppered beef jerky. That's not a bad thing in my book though as I do love that flavor. The homemade bread was also really good with a unique shape and a good thick crust around it and a soft inner filling. Finally for dessert my fiance and I ended up splitting the dessert of the day which was a honey cake. The server was unable to describe it to us but being adventuous, we ordered it anyways. I would describe it as a multi layered sponge cake with a strong taste of honey in the frosting and both my fiance and I thought that it tasted pretty good. The bottom line for me is that I would definitely head back here again in the future. The restaurant itself ended up looking pretty good inside, our server was nice and all of the food was had was both different and good. read more

We didn't entirely know what to expect out of Kavsar Restaurant. But the second I saw that there was an Uzbek restaurant in Pittsburgh, I knew we had to try it. This isn't something you can get just anywhere, folks. It's unique. And it's DELICIOUS. The food at Kavsar is 5 stars, hands down, no debate about it. Kavsar is definitely not a restaurant one would have found in the days before GPS and Yelp. It's off the beaten path in a residential neighborhood, far from the hub of activity in the city. To get there, we drove up and down crazy streets with massive inclines and sharp turns, through some areas of the city we never would have seen otherwise. Kavsar is located in a small, old building on the corner of a dimly lit residential street on Washington Mountain. There is a private parking lot for it on the opposite side of the street a block away. (They ask you on a sign there to remember your license plate number and register it in the restaurant, so that non-patrons do not use the lot, but the waitress told us we didn't really need to give it to her.) The restaurant smells really good. We were led up their small staircase up into the upstairs dining room. It all seemed a little sketchy at first, but once you get up there, it's a very nice atmosphere. It was a real toss-up of what to order here. It all looks so good. I had the ugra, a soup of beef, noodles, potatoes, carrots, dill, green onions, and some other spices. It is a traditional Uzbek soup and it was absolutely delicious. The noodles and potatoes were perfectly cooked and you could tell everything had been slow-cooked carefully with just the right amount of each spice. I highly recommend the ugra. My mom had the nuhot shurak, a delicious dish of beef, onions (pickled?), and chickpeas swimming in savory beef broth and a spice mix. It was heavenly. The beef in the nuhot shurak was the best thing we tasted here. The chickpeas were perfectly cooked and absorbed the flavor of the broth well. My dad had the plov (also spelled palov), which is Uzbekistan's essential rice dish, with a little beef, carrots, and green onions mixed in, and a whole lot of spices. The plov spices were definitely very unique. You can tell this place cares about getting everything just right, because they used different spices in all of our dishes. They don't take shortcuts here. They make stuff just how it is intended to be made. There's little more a restaurant can do to be perfect. If you're in Pittsburgh this is a must!!! Where else can you get an authentic Uzbek meal?? I want to try it all...the lagman, the gampan, the kovurma chuchvara, the shurpa, the mastava, the okroshka...I have no doubt that it would all be delicious. And on top of everything, it's pretty cheap too! Our meal for three was under $30 excluding tip! read more

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Very nice Uzbekistan & Russian cuisine. The place has just opened when me and my 3 friends went there. Manti (dumplings with meat) were the best, and home-made bread with fruit compote felt just like at home! The place is very quiet, clean, with tablecloths on tables, which is seldom seen around Pitt. Staff is friendly and welcoming. read more

Nice dining room and waiting stuff. Food was below average and overpriced. Only julien in pancake could receive a grade B. the rest was just bland and tasteless. Bread (claimed homemade) was not even baked well. Till they get a new good chef we are not going back. read more

A friend and myself stopped at Kavsar on Saturday night around 8:30 PM. We were the only people dining during our entire stay. When you walk in there is a small bar (not sure if they serve alcohol) and a few tables. The actual dining area is upstairs. It's not the nicest restaurant I've ever been to but some of the best places I've at weren't the prettiest. They had live music which consisted of someone playing soothing guitar music. The performer was really good! The service was prompt and knowledgable. The server answered our questions and gave us her favorites. For dinner, I opted to try the Uzbek Palov and green tea with lemon. The Palov consists of tender beef served with rice, tender carrots and scallions/onions. Overall it was a very good dish, but I would have liked more meat in particular. There were only a few pieces on top of the rice. One option may be for $2-3 more adding more meat to the dish. The tea was also very good. For desert I opted for the honey cake based on the recommendation of our server. It was good, but not really something I would normally try but I like trying different things. Overall, I'd recommend this restaurant, especially since its not too busy. read more

Very very average quality. The food was not fresh at all! They advertise the bread as it's cooked there, but the bread was very very stale. The soup tasted that it was microwaved but not even warm enough! Tea was also kind of cold! The restaurant has lots of potentials, but they just need to care more about the food and serve it fresh!! read more

Great service,good food, We were very satisfied with the portion sizes! Our whole family was pleasantly surprised,an amazing find!

I find that the places with the best food are often the least expected. My family and I decided to try out this place after searching for nearby restaurants in Pittsburgh. While the roads leading up to the restaurant were hilly and slightly difficult to navigate, we found our way eventually. The restaurant doesn't seem like much outside-- if anything, it looks like any other house in the area. The interior is very homely with the dining area upstairs. There weren't many people, which we liked-- it allowed for peaceful eating and light conversation without loud noises in the way. The waitress was attentive and extremely nice, even helping us with directions after we finished. We got quite a bit for four people-- 1 large bread, 2 soups, 4 kebabs, eggplant rolls, and 2 main entrees. We ended up with lots of leftovers, even after stuffing ourselves full with the amazing food. The bread is really fresh, warm, and soft. Even though there wasn't any sauces to dip them in, the bread itself is good enough to eat alone. I had some dipped in soup, and it's great either way. Probably the best bread I've ever had. The kebabs are essentially meat, but they were cooked pretty well and were tasty. We only got around to eating one entree, the Kavsar, out of the two we ordered, since we were so full. The balance of egg, cheese, and meat is amazing, and is definitely something to try here. Overall, the food here is amazing. Despite its less than beautiful exterior, this restaurant is one you should try out in Pittsburgh, with great food, staff, and a nice, quiet environment. read more

I ordered the Spicy Cucumber Salad, Baklava, Atlas Salad, 4 Piece Eggplant Roll, Lagman, Samsa, and Homemade Marinated Mushrooms.... everything was delicious! I would recommend this restaurant. read more

This is a really good and authentic place. A lovely restaurant on Mt. Washington. Authentic Uzbek and Russian food, very reasonable prices, and excellent service. Also there is a dedicated parking lot down Southern Ave. They have a lunch special at $9 that is a nice 2-course meal + tea. read more

Woof! What a fantastic feast! We loved everything we ordered: tuzlama, stuffed tomatoes, cottage cheese pancakes, borscht, meatball noodle soup, oliv'e salad, lamb palov, chuchvara, vareniki, stroganoff, homemade bread, baklava.... Pittsburgh's only place to go when you need your Uzbek fix. Bring your own beer & wine, and an appetite. Enjoy! read more

I went over the holidays and ordered takeout... This food is amazing. Truly, amazing. Fresh bread and home-cooking. I can't wait to go back, though I seldom find myself in this part of town. Oh, man, I'm getting hungry just thinking about "lagman" the noodle dish. read more

Service was outstanding. Very cozy and romantic atmosphere. We asked lots of questions about the menu and all were answered with kindness and patience. The bread was homemade and served fresh and hot. The marinated vegetables were also homemade and yummy. We asked our server for suggestions and we enjoyed all of the dishes we ordered. The pumpkin samsa was terrific, the okroshka soup very tasty and the kovurma chuchvara with dill sauce delicious. The baklava was the perfect finish to our meal. Be sure to get the traditional green tea with you meal. Everyone was so friendly and willing to teach us about their culture. We will definitely be back! read more

Uzbek food isn't something you encounter every day in the Rust Belt, so when you find a restaurant that specializes in it, you've got to give it a try! My girlfriend and I stopped by Kavsar on a recent weekend trip to Pittsburgh, and we were both very pleased that we did. This seems to be a small family-run operation, and when we arrived, the first-story café-style seating area was being renovated, so we were shown to a table upstairs in a more formal dining area. The decor is odd and traditional, with paintings on what appeared to be animal skins and dyed textiles covering the walls. I got quite a kick out of the "entertainment" - a TV screen showing a slideshow of facts about Uzbekistan (did you know that Uzbekistan is a major producer of uranium? I did not!), accompanied by spooky Central Asian cover versions of 70's soundtrack tunes like "Theme from The Godfather." Kavsar's menu is quite large, and it was hard to decide where to start, as it features both traditional Uzbek dishes along with many Russian dishes that became popular in the Soviet era. We ended up getting an order of homemade bread known as "non," which was absolutely delicious. Despite the name, it doesn't really resemble Indian naan, and it's somewhere between Greek-style pita and French bread - it's thick and doughy but also very fluffy in texture, and the sesame seeds on top were a nice touch. We also sampled the eggplant rolls, which were simple but very tasty - cold strips of lightly fried eggplant wrapped around tomatoes and onions. As for the entrées, I decided to stick to the Uzbek fare and selected the "nuhot shurak," a dish of beef broth with chick peas, onions sautéed in vinegar and various seasonings, and braised shredded beef on top. I also suspect there was a bit of tripe in the broth, though this was not specified on the menu, and the beef came with all the fatty bits still attached, which I enjoyed, though I imagine that the typical American diner would not be so receptive. Curiously, the dish reminded me more of Mexican menudo than anything else, and though the beef was a bit dry, I would certainly try it again. My girlfriend tried the Russian crab salad, which I later learned is still a very popular dish in Russia. Seafood salads aren't really my thing, but she was still talking about it for days afterward! All in all, Kavsar offers a pretty one-of-a-kind dining experience, and if I lived in the area, I would come back all the time for the bread alone. read more

The Samsa was delicious. We enjoyed the pickled carrot salad very much. The Beef Kavsar was essentially a pot roast (which was good). We were just expecting something totally out of the ordinary. There was only one person waiting on the entire restaurant so it was hard for her to keep up with taking orders, delivering food and bussing tables. The restaurant and bathroom could be kept cleaner... We will give it another shot but hopefully things, service wise, are a little different next time. read more

I had never heard of an Uzbek restaurant before, so I came here on a whim for lunch. I was the only person in the restaurant and was a little scared. I'm so happy I took a chance because it was excellent! I had eggplant rolls and lagman (noodles with vegetables and chicken in a broth). Both were so flavorful and fresh tasting. The server was super nice and helpful! Definitely worth the hike up the hill! read more

Kavsar Restaurant - Eggplant roll - Halal Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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The food was amazing! Me and my husband were there last night. The place was empty we were the only ones there. We ordered the pancake bags for appetizer absolutely YUM! then I ordered the sausage dish called kavsar and my husband ordered the chicken gampan both were delish! This place is worth your money! read more

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Words can not describe how good is food in this restaurant! If you want to try something new and delicious, Kavsar is best place for that! read more

Kavsar Restaurant - Halal Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The soup was yummy. The lamb rice plate was good too. Just had a small meal. Would like to try more next time.

Splendid! I especially enjoyed the carrot salad, stuffed eggs, and beef dumplings. Most entrees are under $12. Our waitress Lili was extremely friendly and attentive. Beautiful Uzbeki tapestries on the wall. Will definitely be back! read more

Great food, friendly service. The layout of the resturant feels dated, a bit like a suburban mom decorating a sitting room in the late 90's, but the staff was super helpful and the decor sorted of added to the charm. A man played music in the corner, most of which was covers with some Uzbek songs as well, as a TV played Uzbek and Russian MTV. I had the egg plant rolls and Kavsar, both of which I would recommend. I have nothing else to really compare the dishes to directly since this was my first encounter with Uzbek food, but the food was fresh and tasty. I am excited to try more off the menu. Oh, and the for the vegetarians, there was a decent vegetarian section. read more

Very good, had the dumplings and baklava. Truly amazing restaurant give it a try if you're in the area.

Tried Uzbek cuisine here, and would definitely like to go back! We ordered samsa (puff pastry with vegetable or meat fillings), the bread, two kinds of soups, beef dumplings. read more

My sister and I went here while we were on vacation in Pittsburgh. Our family is Russian, and turns out that Uzbek has a lot in common with it. We ordered a bunch of sides to share, and we were really happy with everything. We ordered: bread, samsa, eggplant rolls, olivie salad, chicken + beef kababs, The Olivie was slightly different from our family's version, but super delicious. The portion was also extremely generous - great for sharing. The eggplant rolls were light, and we have reproduced them pretty closely at home - yum. The only slightly negative thing about the food is that the kababs were so-so. Not well spiced and slightly overcooked. The food was awesome, the service was slightly less so. We ordered bread, and it came long after we had eaten all the rest of our food. The waitress did not stop-by very often, so we had empty water glasses for most of the evening. Still did not detract from our evening too much, but this is something that might annoy other people. read more

This was my first time trying uzbek/russian food. Everything i ordered was so delicious. Service is excellent. Ambience is cool. Must visit halal restaurant in the hill district of pittsburgh. read more

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Food is amazing. Had some sort of sausage, eggplant roll and soup dumplings. The environment is nice Has free parking at the corner read more

Had dinner there. Here's the breakdown: Appetizer: samsa. Basically a samosa, only with beef and onion. Delicious. A+ Dinner item #1 kavsar beef. This got many mentions on here. The good news is that the smaller pieces of meat were tasty, and the rice with them was good too. The bad news is that the big pieces were very tough. C+ Dinner item #2 palov. Like a pot roast over fried rice--fairly straightforward, tasty but unremarkable. B Dessert: Baklava. Terrific--not overly sweet, and a nice sized serving. A. So, it's a bit of a mixed bag, the dinner entrees were a bit disappointing, but the appetizer and dessert were good enough for me to boost them up to four stars. Plus, having an Uzbek restaurant in town is nice. read more

It was alright. Our food was warmed up, not cooked fresh. It looked like food was prepared few days ago ( I know this because of following reasons: Taste - it literally tasted like warmed food, people do notice when they served warmed and few days old food. Look - You get that overly cooked onion in Somsa and other dishes that includes Onion when that food is warmed up several times.) and taste was ok, not what I expected for a restaurant. Keep in mind your bill includes the 15% tip. read more

My girlfriend and I came here while staying in the Mount Washington area of Pittsburgh. This is the first time either of us have tried Uzbek food--and we both enjoyed it immensely. The prices are very reasonable and portions generous. The unexpected standout from the meal was the "special" carrot salad that came with one of the entrees we ordered. The homemade bread, which is the cheapest thing on the money, was also delicious and fresh. Don't come if you aren't a fan of dill--it's served on almost everything. You can probably request it all without it, but it is an integral ingredient in many of the dishes. This is a fantastic spot, with reasonably priced appetizers and entrees that show off Uzbek and Russian cuisine. read more

The closest you will get to homemade Uzbek food without having some Uzbek friends who will cook for you (which I do, but they're in Texas and I am not). Highly recommended! read more

This is a really interesting ethnic food restaurant in Mt Washington. They serve Uzbeki food, which is similar to Russian, Polish or other Eastern European. They have very moderately priced, hearty food. The decor is heavily Eastern European, and the plates and glasses are beautiful! The Uzbek freshly baked bread hot to the table is heavenly and huge! Mostly meat but some vegetarian options. You should try this. read more

Kavsar Restaurant - Uzbek Homemade Bread - Halal Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Tucked away in the little lanes of Mt Washington is this gem of a place that pops up almost out of nowhere in the heart of a homely neighborhood. Where do I start.. Ok.. so they have a separate vegetarian menu..that's one star right there! The dishes are a nice balance of truly authentic with a couple of fusion options thrown in like Pasta or Eurasian stroganoff. We started with the mushroom and potato Samsa, eggplant rolls and stuffed tomatoes. I would have given the place 5 stars right there! But we didn't stop there did we. My boyfriend and I proceeded to order the traditional Uzbek bread and the mushroom soup, because soups are apparently important in the Uzbek culinary experience. Both were fantastic, fresh and warmly soothing on a cold winter evening. And then we also tried the Manti, the stuffed dumplings. We couldn't decide if we wanted the pumpkin ones or the spinach ones and our waitress sweetly suggested bringing us a half plate one type and the other half of the other. Problem solved! I'd actually give them a couple of extra stars for the service if I could! Our waitress was so helpful, accommodative and efficient. The one item I wish they had on heir menu was vegetarian plaf! (A traditional uzbek rice dish). But our waitress told us that all we had to do is to call ahead next time and they'd have it made! The overall experience was like dining in a warm, friendly Uzbek home! (With interesting interiors!) Here's a business that values its patrons and they've found a huge fan in me. Of course, I took some baklava home for a late night snack. Both my heart and tummy slept happy and satisfied last night! read more

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Dinner was lovely. Appetizers full of flavor. Main entrees savory. Sadly they were out of the baklava. Another reason to come back. read more

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We came on a Sunday for lunch. The place was completely empty and only the waitress was to be seen. She spoke very little with us, but we have had Uzbek food several times before so we didn't have as many questions as first tries. We had beef Julian pancake bags for starter which was the weakest of the meal. There was very little flavor and mushrooms were canned. For entree we had plov and manti. Frankly the food was really not special but what makes it worse is that we distinctly had the impression that they were serving us badly because of us being the only customers. First there was no bread for starters which I saw on pictures of people who came for dinner. Then plov's meat was to the side and burnt. I have had plov several times before and can see that the one we were served here is not how it is supposed to be served. Plus Uzbeks always serve plov with a salad to cut the oily texture. No salad was served. Manti of beef and pumpkin was also disappointing. If you don't want to make an effort to serve lunch then close shop at that time of the day. read more

Kavsar Restaurant - Tasteless Julien pancakes. No meat and canned mushrooms. - Halal Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Delicious food and great service. I recommend the beef dumplings and the beef stroganoff. The bread and baklava were also delicious. Will definitely be back!! read more

We got the twin pancakes as a starter and then I moved into the mushroom soup which was delicious my wife at the traditional how long of an I had the stroganoff we will be coming here again it's on our way to becoming a favorite Mount Washington restaurant. read more