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    The Backstage Bar

    3.6 (32 reviews)
    ModerateLounges
    Closed 12:00 pm - 6:00 PM

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    Jackie's Juice. Liefman's  Cuvée Brut, Pama liqueur & fresca. Cherry garnish.
    Dale H.

    The Backstage Bar is my favorite bar in the city. I love to come here before or after seeing shows downtown. The drinks are good, the food is good (their menu is now presented by Meat & Potatoes. Nom!), and the staff is delightful. I love to come here during off days when it's slow to allow more time to chat with the bartenders, they are quippy and sassy! But even when it's super busy because of something exciting going on in the cultural district, the service is still pretty quick and they can handle a rush. They have a nice selection of wine, which I appreciate, and they offer about eight different draft selections. Their specialty cocktails change with whatever show is going on at the Cabaret Theater, so there is always a nice variety when you go back. Another great thing about their drinks is that lot of their stuff is handcrafted, like house infused liquors and homemade simple syrups. With such a variety, the staff is always very helpful in helping you pick out the right drink for you! I was just here this week with my boyfriend before seeing a show at Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre and had the best time. We had some wine, Justin had a beer (Abita Grapefruit IPA. Grapefruit, yuck! IPA, yuck!) , and I tried one of their specialty cocktails for their show "Judge Jackie Justice." We also shared their House-made rosemary + sea salt chips with their own french onion dip and a margherita pizza. The chips were amazing and the pizza was great, although I didn't care for the extra large pieces of basil. The atmosphere is great. They feature art from local artists along the main wall, the lighting is nice (it's dim, but without being so dark that you can't see the person you're talking to. I'm looking at you MadMex Oakland!), and sometimes they feature live music. If you find yourself downtown with some time to kill or you're looking for a good place for pre or post show food and drinks, give The Backstage Bar a try. You won't regret it!

    Wall of booze
    Carrie N.

    My H and I stopped at the Backstage bar after seeing a show at the CLO and before reservations at M&P for a drink or two. I don't have a strong opinion on the place. I had a few Troegs IPA's and the H had a Miller Lite. I guess if I had to say anything I thought the place was a little expensive. A domestic draft over $6.00? Are we at the ball game? I wasn't a fan of the prices. Meh, what can you do it was so incredibly convenient to go there in between. We didn't even need to go outside because it's all connected, making the transition simple. The place is modern and clean, service was nice but a tad on the slow side. Not a big of deal in this situation. I would go back if I found myself again waiting for my reservations at M&P.

    Caesar salad

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    15 years ago

    Although the menu was fairly limited, the food was excellent. I had a shrimp wrap with chip, delicious! The bar tenders are great as well.

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    Ask the Community - The Backstage Bar

    Review Highlights - The Backstage Bar

    Reasonably priced for a spot in The Cultural District (it connects to the CLO theater).

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    BURN By Rocky Patel

    BURN By Rocky Patel

    4.0
    (112 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    We came to Pittsburgh while they were hosting the D2 March Madness in 2026, and thanks to my…read morenephew's team bringing us out here, we were able to uncover this gem of a cigar lounge. I've been to quite a few cigar lounges--and even worked at one--so I have a good sense of what makes a place stand out. Burn by Rocky Patel did just that on every level. The ambiance, décor, cigar selection, and service were all top-tier. It's a classy lounge with a twist of sports bar energy, which made it both elevated and fun. We enjoyed it so much that we came back the next day, and they had live entertainment--a violinist playing along to hip hop and R&B--which created such a unique vibe. Kayla, the bartender, let us know about the live entertainment the day before, it wasn't posted on their social media or website. She was attentive, sweet, and made excellent drinks. Evan, who was working the cigar side, was extremely knowledgeable, patient, and communicated well with customers even during a heavy flow. One thing that really stood out was the crowd--mixed ages, mature, and plenty of ladies confidently partaking in the beautiful art of cigars, which I loved seeing. Even if you don't smoke cigars, the vibes in this place are worth the visit. If and when I return to Pittsburgh, this place is a must. It's also within walking distance to the stadiums, which is a huge plus. Feedback for management: The only reason I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 is the disconnect between locations and social media postings. There was an event listed on the website that wasn't actually happening at this location, while an amazing event that was happening wasn't shared online; which would have been a shame to miss. It may be worth considering in-house social media and website management to ensure updates are accurate and timely to the specific location.

    We happened upon this place by recommendation from someone we met on the street while strolling the…read morestrip lol. We had come from the city winery and because it was still early were looking for a place to hear some music and dance! The dj was rocking, the bartenders were on point and we had a time! We didn't get any food but I'm not even sure if they have any lol this is one of the spots I'll be coming back to when I visit again. The staff was kind to us and we had no issues whatsoever. Loved it!

    Photos
    Lighters for sale!
    Lighters for sale!
    Inside
    Inside
    Inside

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    Inside
    The Forge

    The Forge

    4.5
    (257 reviews)
    2.2 mi

    Amazing experience from start to finish. Loved the ambiance - felt high end without being stuffy…read more My husband and I got 2 very interesting cocktails- one was like a spicy dill margarita and one was a dirty martini with a black pepper/curry taste to it. The dirty martini was fairly pungent and strong so not sure I would get it again but I'm also not big on dirty martinis so probably just the wrong choice on my part. But the food was the star of the show. We ate so many good dishes- starting with the rainbow platter. Loved the baba ghanoush and the roasted cauliflower - those were my favorite of the 7 dishes on the platter. We also ordered the labneh, hummus with chicken and lamb shawarma, and the kafta kebabs (rolled up in some sort of tortilla) which were all fantastic! If we come back (which we will) I would just order the baba ghanoush instead of the rainbow platter, all the other dishes we ordered, and maybe one additional plate. I felt like I didn't really need the Israeli salad (tomato and cucumber) or the pickled cauliflower and radish that came on the rainbow platter. The hummus was SO soft and fluffy. This was some of the best food we've had in Pittsburgh. After having lived in a Philly for 4 years, we know good mediterranean/lebanese food and I'd be surprised if you can find better in Pittsburgh. Service was also very good.

    Beautiful space! We came in without a reservation on a Wednesday. It was busy, but not crowded. We…read morewere sat quickly and enjoyed the romantic date night atmosphere. We got drinks and 4 mezze / small plates. I liked my kiss my anise cocktail. It's rye based and was peppery and lightly sweet. My husband's cocktail was slightly sweeter and smoky. We shared four plates. I thought the stuffed grape leaves were a little slimy, but otherwise delicious. The Pierogi peppers were the most interesting item for me. They were pierogi filling in a sweet pepper with crispy onion on top-kudos on that dish! Out other two plates were the seared ahi tuna which had a nice savory crust and the chicken souvlaki, which was pretty standard. Our server was friendly and pleasant. The space was beautiful. Would highly recommend coming here for cocktails and small plates, the pizza at other tables looked pretty tasty too!

    Photos
    The Forge
    Baked Brie bowl - wood-fired oven-baked Brie wheel encapsulated in pull-apart dough with spicy thyme, pepper, and garlic sauce
    Baked Brie bowl - wood-fired oven-baked Brie wheel encapsulated in pull-apart dough with spicy thyme, pepper, and garlic sauce
    Drunken mushrooms - mushrooms stewed in red wine, onions, spices, herbs, cream, served with crostini

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    Drunken mushrooms - mushrooms stewed in red wine, onions, spices, herbs, cream, served with crostini
    Unspeakable

    Unspeakable

    5.0
    (20 reviews)
    2.7 mi

    We've been here 4+ times now. Unspeakable has such an incredible vibe--cozy, intimate, and dimly…read morelit in a way that feels perfect for a date night or catching up with a close friend. The atmosphere alone is worth a visit. The drinks are definitely crafted with care and have a lot of complexity, but with only two bartenders working, it took quite a while to get ours. Not the place to go if you want quick service or are grabbing a drink before another event. My biggest downside is the price point--most cocktails are around $17. They're good, but at that price I can really only justify having one. Note: They do not have food, just snacks like peanuts. Overall, amazing ambiance and well-made drinks, just expect slower service and a higher bill.

    This is my new favorite cocktail bar in Pittsburgh. Every single drink I've had here has been…read morefantastic. I've been twice so far, I've tried six different drinks. Very impressed by their craftsmanship and experimental flavors. There's not many places in this area that even attempt to do that. I love the speakeasy vibe. Super cool entrance and fun comfortable lounge upstairs. It's a fantastic place to go as an intimate group. But it's kind of small to take a group of more than 4 friends. Cocktails were made surprisingly quick even on a busy night. Everything is just really great about this place. Except for maybe the price lol but at least you're getting what you pay for in a good way

    Photos
    Upstairs fireplace
    Upstairs fireplace
    Violet desert
    Violet desert
    Unspeakable

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    The Backstage Bar - lounges - Updated June 2026

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