Balvanera has become one of my regular spots in Pittsburgh…read more As someone who grew up seeing some of my all-time favorite bands at Metropol, I'll admit I was skeptical about anything taking over that space. Balvanera does it right. The room still has that big, moody, industrial-cool energy, but now the thing that draws me in is the food. The Argentinian menu is a standout. The corn empanadas are a must-order, with a flaky crust and a sweet, savory filling I keep coming back for. The lamb sausage is rich, perfectly seasoned, and cooked just right. The Lomo is tender and full of flavor, and the chicken dish is somehow juicy and crisp-skinned at the same time. Honestly, I've never had a miss. My go-to move is to grab a seat at the bar, which works great if you don't have a reservation. The bartenders are friendly and knowledgeable (especially Anthony aka "Tony Negroni"), and the drinks are well made. Service has been consistently warm and attentive every time I've gone, whether I'm there solo or with friends. If you're a Pittsburgh local with a soft spot for the old Metropol days, or you just want a great meal with real character, Balvanera is worth it. I'll keep coming back.

Nice caesar Flavorful chicken cutlet, crisp. The salad on…read moretop so nice with it Spacious private room in the back for special occasions Great service, plate and utensils changed with each course

Came for lunch and sat on the roof. Very pretty with lots of plants and bright colors…read more We started with the chorizo app. Super yummy, and the bring all their chimmichuries to try. My favorite was the roasted onion. We each had a sandwich. The bread looks hugged but the crust is soft enough to bite into, and the bread itself very light. I had the tilapia, which was well seasoned and browned nicely. The braised beef was delicious as well. Definitely give this a try if you are in the area.

This is a challenging review. I haven't been to Gaucho in a while. The last time we visited was in…read morethe downtown location and it was really very good--reminiscent of the Strip location, but a little fancier and with more room to sit. If I hadn't been here before, I would probably rate my Gaucho experience four stars, but this spot (I hate when people say this, and I hate when I sound like those people!) just isn't what it used to be. Dammit. I went there. I had my favorite sandwich--the braised beef. It used to have a really nice, pronounced rosemary flavor. Not so much anymore. And it used to come on a really beautiful slab (not an overstatement) of Gaucho's delicious focaccia. Now it's on an ordinary roll that doesn't stand up to that slow cooked, beef. The beef was still good and tender and flavorful, and the portion is still generous, but the sandwich overall isn't the knockout it once was. It wasn't a bad sandwich. It was a good sandwich. But it wasn't the sandwich I went for. My husband's carne sandwich was on the same ho-hum roll. (Bring back the focaccia as sandwich vehicle, guys!) The beef was flavorful with that nice Gaucho char, but it was a little chewy and hard to eat. Like my sandwich, the bread was the crime here. It was a decent sandwich, but a shadow of its former self. The potatoes...the travesty of the table were the greasy, small, overly charred flimsy potatoes. Maybe you'll remember the roasted papas from the old Gaucho days: chunky, crispy on the outside, toasty and roasty, served up in a wooden bowl. These were definitely not that. (Also, does anyone remember that old-time Strip District Gaucho bowl of corn? The best best best.) The service was very fast and very friendly. The gentleman who brought our food brought us a complimentary dish of all four chimmis--which was so nice, and they are exactly the same as they've always been and absolutely delicious. (Pimenton will always win first place for me. Slather it on a piece of cardboard and I might eat it.) Overall, our meal was fine, but I'm sad to know that Gaucho at its best is in our rear view.

I've been here twice. On one visit, I had the beef bourguignon, and on another, I had the lamb…read morechops. Both were excellent. Also tried the Escargot au beurre a l'ail (snails) and Empile 'e saumon fume (smoked salmon stack). Preferred the escargot. It's BYOB so don't forget to bring a bottle of your favorite wine (which pairs perfectly with the food). The location is unassuming, the first time I went, I thought I had pulled in to the wrong shopping plaza/area. It's tucked in the back and looks like most of the other store fronts are shut down/closed. I'm excited to come back during the warmer months as I saw they have outdoor seating!

There's not much to say about Bertrand other than it was a complete disaster. Tucked into a random…read morestrip mall in Upper St. Clair, Bertrand is nestled in a rundown area that leaves a lot to be expected. Upon entering the restaurant, there are crystal chandeliers, bright colors, French posters, and a lively atmosphere. The restaurant had a lot of potential until we experienced the service and cuisine. I brought my Supper Club here, and we had a group of 8 of us. There was also a very large group at the restaurant. We were neglected on several occasions, and it took us 2 HOURS just to get our food order. That's not an exaggeration. Our waitress was rather snippy with us, and ended up apologizing at the end but it did make for an unpleasant experience. When we finally received our bread, we were so hungry that we scarfed it down despite it being not so great sour dough bread. Every dish was flavorless and left us wanting more. I had to send back the steak on two occasions: once for being undercooked and once for being overcooked. I ended up getting my meal for free. The Coquilles St. Jacques had the smallest scallops without the lovely scallop shell its usually served in. The shrimp cocktail tasted like anything you could get at the grocery store. The Nicoise Salad was just sad and flavorless. The porkchop and escargot had the most flavor. I will definitely not be back to this establishment. Our group did enjoy each other's company, and it created a very memorable experience even though it was an overall bad experience!

4.5 stars. The Rib Room is in the back of Meat and Potatoes restaurant. Its menu focuses on prime…read morerib that is aged in-house. Please see my attached photos for the other menu items in February 2026. My husband and I had a reservation for dinner. I was one of the first customers to give my name to the seating host. He, however, called the other customers before me, and my husband and I were left there standing. The seating host had to ask for my name again, so apparently he had forgotten about me. The seating hostess looked too casual in her jeans. The experience got better. The room contained only 16 seats so was quiet. Throughout our dinner, our waitress provided timely and friendly service. Our appetizer was Bone Marrow, which tasted very rich with toast. For the main course, my husband's 12-ounce Queen Cut Prime Rib was juicy and flavorful, especially with the accompanying horseradish, beef au jus, and Yorkshire pudding. He called the prime rib a "dinosaur of a steak," and he had leftovers to take home. My special of Lobster Thermidor was fewer ounces but was also very flavorful. We also enjoyed our sides of Truffle Fries and Creamed Spinach. For dessert the Baked Alaska was a show for both our eyeballs (tall flames of fire!) and tastebuds. We did not order any alcohol. The total price for our six foods, state tax, and credit-card fee was $237 plus a tip.

Rib Room is tucked away inside Meat & Potatoes and their focus is on prime rib!…read more The space is small with 16 seats and the red leather and vintage wallpaper make it a whole upscale vibe. We got a prime rib along with their Delmonico special of the day and a bunch of sides to share. Everything was so flavorful, decadent, and delicious! We ended the meal with their baked Alaska which is a showstopper of a dessert. Our service was fantastic and everyone in our group kept raving about how great our meal was. Put this on your to go list if you haven't been yet!

We used to live in the Burgh and were fans when they first opened. We were able to snag a bar seat…read moreSunday (10/11/26) after the home game and I was delighted to see not much has changed. I was ecstatic to learn the burger and bone marrow are also just as good as it was 14 years ago. The menu has plenty for all to enjoy. Excellent cocktails and comfortable ambiance. Shout out to Skylar (bartender) who handled full meal service while making drinks for the entire restaurant. She was smiling and remaining customer centric while obviously very busy.

I picked here for my birthday and I was not disappointed, I loved it !…read moreWe ordered the 50 oz tomahawk with potatoes and bone marrow, loved it Then the coconut cake dessert was so good , one of the best I ever had !!!! Can't wait to go back for the pork chops next time

Really nice vibe for drinks, with some food that was even better than you'd expect! The atmosphere…read moreis nice and intimate, almost like a lounge. The featured cocktails were incredibly interesting, with many fun flavors that you don't see anywhere else. Also loved the Mediterranean food options, everything was great, but especially loved the seasonal autumn pizza which you see being fired right in the front. Service was top notch throughout, had a bit of a wait for our table but they were amazing throughout! Overall would definitely recommend for cocktails and even a full meal!

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.

We went there after being discouraged at another bar on Carson Street. We were not that hungry,…read moreso, upon our waitress' recommendation, we tried a pepperoni pizza, thinking that we could order more if it proved to not be enough. It was probably the best pepperoni pizza I have ever had. The high point of the evening, was our waitress. I wish I knew her name. She was very helpful, attentive, and friendly. She treated two old people just like we were 30. One caveat though. The steaks on stones looked and smelled delicious, but the prices might be a bit high. It depends on how much you enjoy steak, I think. If you are a steak eater, I'm pretty sure you will be happy. Maybe we can find out next trip.

My wife and I were really looking forward to trying North Shore Tavern after seeing it on TikTok,…read morebut unfortunately our experience was very disappointing. We came in after 9 PM and waited about 20 minutes without ever receiving water or having our order taken. Our server did acknowledge us at one point and mentioned that she had two other tables ahead of us, which we completely understood. However, we later noticed another table that was seated after us being helped before we were. Meanwhile, no one came back to check on us or even bring us water. We also asked the host if someone could help us, but were told she couldn't because she wasn't a server and that our server would eventually get to us. After waiting that long with no service, my wife and I decided to leave. We were genuinely excited to eat here, so it was disappointing to walk out without even getting the opportunity to try the food. I understand restaurants can get busy, especially later in the evening, but even a quick check-in, some water, or better communication would have made a big difference.

In Bloomfield for Italy Days and stopped by for the first time. We sat in the courtyard which is…read morelovely and allowed us to enjoy the beautiful evening. I have heard the rumors of Tessaro's having the "best burger" in Pgh, although I don't eat meat I was accompanied by two serious carnivores. I ordered the chicken sandwich & grilled broccoli - the chicken was moist, flavorful and huge! The broccoli was a show stopper (and who says that about a veggie!) The others in my party both ordered cheeseburgers in an effort to "keep it simple and taste the burger". It was unanimous... it was the best burger in PGH! Not only was our food excellent, but the service was EXCEPTIONAL! We cant wait to go back!

As positive as our first experience was, is as bad as our second visit turned out to be…read more Crowded and the patio was closed related to weather - completely understandable Waited 20 mins for table - no problem Sat down at 5:30 - no waitress for 20 mins - good thing we ordered drinks with the lovely bar staff! Orders taken - nothing exciting 4 burgers and a wrap We watched as tables sat after us received their meals That's ok the food worth the wait - right? Around 7 pm received our food (at least an hour after we ordered) Microwaved broccoli, side dishes wrong, most of the food cold - highly disappointing

Had an amazing dinner tonight. However.... Went to use the…read morerestrooms, both unisex . No problem .... Only the main door does not lock. the left door had 2 stalls. My husband used that one, I went to the right... 1 stall, 2 urinals + 1 stall. ok, if I'm going to use the stall, I could come out to 2 males using the urinals. What the F**k. Same w the other room. I went in there, my husband came out to wash his hands to 2 under 10 yr old girls going on the other. This is NOT OK. I cannot ever come back. This is wrong on every level. What a shame. You should do better. You lost my business and I will tell everyone about this

fet-fisk is an experience, they play wonderfully with each dish, adding new flavorful twists to…read moreotherwise familiar tastes. everything we ordered was wonderful. we walked in on a monday evening as a party of two and were promptly seated, delightful! the restaurant itself has curated decorations which added to the ambiance of the meal. i was also particularly wowed by the pacing of the meal, i did not feel rushed between courses and got to really indulge in each individual dish i would recommend fet-fisk to anyone looking for a special night!

Commoner is a must go whether you are a Kimpton hotel guest or not. Food quality is another level…read more Culinary fare is a farm-to-table ethos, so everything is super fresh. I started with the focaccia and herb butter that co es out in a small pan. The dough wasn't dry and crusty like I expected (soft on the inside) but was delicious regardless. The halibut was perfect. Nice and crispy, and the eggplant caponata was so many things at once - sweet, earthy, vinegar-y, crunchy, briny. I got a glass of Marotti Campi "Luzano" Verdicchio white wine whose acidity and crispness cut through the sweetness of the eggplant dish while complementing the halibut. I had to do dessert. They served this amazing vanilla panna cotta with a blueberry lavender compote and candied matcha almonds. Even had tiny flower petals on top. Fragrant, light, fruity, but the savory-minty notes from the lavender and slight bitterness from the matcha almonds took it to atmospheric heights. The Emotions Sauternes French sweet wine balances all that out with sweet and acidic. I recommend pairing a wine with dessert if you get it. You will love this place. I'd give six stars if I could

Great food! Awesome service and the ambiance is best described as the neighborhood's common ground…read morewhere everyone knows everyone. The tartare provides the perfect balance of fresh and savory. Pistachio cake dessert is a must try.