Very cool little restaurant. If you're coming for breakfast/brunch on a game day make sure to have a reservation! The food was outstanding and the staff was very engaging. Definite winner. read more

This restaurant definitely has a cool vibe and trendy feel. The decor is amazing. We came in on time for our reservations; however, we were seated 45 minutes later. The manager was very kind, checked on us frequently, and bought our first round of drinks. I got the Enoch's penicillin, which was pretty strong, but good. When we were finally sat, we were greeted by our waitress. She was very friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive our whole meal. Our group is very close so I was able to have a little of everything. We started with pork cheeks and scotch deviled eggs. The pork cheeks were fantastic, a little pricey (you get about 4 bites), but that's expected at a place like this. The scotch eggs were extremely overpowered with horseradish. I like a taste of horseradish, but not that much. The people I was with loved them and are big fans. For all those who love horseradish, this is for you. I got the steak and ale pie. The meat was tender and the flavor was good, but it was extremely salty. I also think mine was a little over done because the top seemed a little burnt (see picture). My friends got the strip steak, onion soup burger, and Pa burger. The Pa burger was my favorite, meat was tender and flavorful, toppings paired wonderfully, and over all very well done. The onion soup burger was good as well, just not as good as the Pa burger. The steak was very tender and cooked well, a little under seasoned, but it came with a decent steak sauce. I usually prefer a well seasoned steak with no sauce, but that's just personal preference. I would say the belle of the ball was the sticky toffee pudding. People are not exaggerating when they say it is delicious. It is a must have. I did order a salad, but some how it got looked over, which ended up being okay because that just saved me room for dessert. Overall, this place is okay. The ambience is to die for. The staff and the service was great. The long wait can happen anywhere and they handled it appropriately. The food, to me, wasn't really anything mind blowing, the only thing that blew me away was the sticky toffee pudding. I would definitely come here again, just maybe for brunch, or I would order something different. read more

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I was pleasantly pleased with my first visit to this restaurant in Pittsburgh's Hotel Monaco, a welcome addition to downtown. The atmosphere is simultaneously lively, upscale and modern with a cool vibe. The room is large, but still comfortable. The grand scale of it is visible descending the stairs from the hotel lobby, but once seated the comfort of the place make it feel almost intimate. In an era where places are trying to do outdo one another with cocktails, The Commoner has managed to produce some offerings that are both divine and different from the rest. The by-the-glass wine list is respectable too. Cheese lovers shouldn't miss the cheddar board. I was impressed that an all-cheddar cheese board would be so good and interesting - the accoutrements were tasty as well. The broccoli cheddar flatbread was okay. The Scottish Cedar Plank Salmon and the Steak & Ale pie were both home runs, as was the cauliflower side. "The Crumble" dessert a combination of apples, butternut squash and lemon ricotta, was every bit as delicious as the combination is unique, and suitable for sharing as well. Service was flawless. If you don't want to bother with the valet, I'd recommend parking in the nearby Mellon Square Garage operated by the Pittsburgh Parking Authority, which is almost just across the (side) street and is only $5 on evenings and weekends. read more

I've been here a number of times for both brunch and lunch, but I've yet to make it for dinner. I feel like The Commoner is a hip, trendy place as designed by a committee. I strongly reflects Pittsburgh in the decor with plenty of maps all over the walls. The menu has stylish food with a twist (sometimes). Unfortunately I feel like its size and partnership with the hotel works against it. I'm not sure if everything is just not quite good enough to justify its cost, or if the price is just a bit high for what you're getting on each item, or really if there's a difference at all. I'm sure to cover such a large venue the prices need to be higher. And normally I wouldn't bat an eye at an expensive lunch, but it needs to have a bit of a wow factor for it. The ambiance gets a 4, the food a 3, and the pricing a 2. read more

After all the hype of this new restaurant, we had to give it a try. The atmosphere was "speak easy" like as the entrance is hardly marked. On to the food.... I ordered the skirt steak & chips and the wife ordered the leg of lamb. We split a side of shells and cheese. Everything was satisfactory. The big difference maker was the waitress Katie. She explained all of our questions and was very attentive. I know I read reviews about service being less than desirable, but that wasn't the case. We will return to the commoner! read more

The Commoner - Leg of lamb - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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I go to the Commoner pretty frequently for work and the service is consistently slow. Orders also come out wrong regularly. Sometimes after the all the confusion we even wait 30 mins for the check to come. We've started going to other places for lunch meetings because of the service here. They have great salads but its really not worth awaiting around for. read more

I had high expectations for this place but left disappointed. The interior decor is divine with industrial lighting, beautiful woodwork and a dim-lit space however, I was less than impressed with the menu selection and the service. My friend and I visited after lunchtime when the space was nearly empty and was told by the hostess that we had to wait. So we waited and discussed leaving (since my friend had somewhere to be) but the hostess heard us and decided to seat us. We were not waited on for about 15 minutes and wondered if the waitress even knew we had just been seated. Once we were finally able to order and be served, we were not revisited by any members of the staff for another 20 minutes. This was frustrating because my friend had somewhere to be and we were in a hurry to leave. Not sure if I will be revisiting The Commoner anytime soon... read more

I love the Commoner! This review is awhile coming! The wait staff is excellent and the food is on point! The chicken tikka masala is one of my favorites and I love the breakfast! The cocktail list is wonderful too! read more

I have been here several times and I have had a mixed bag of results. First the food. Each time I have gone I have really enjoyed the appetizers I have ordered. The scotch/deviled eggs are a true treat. So much flavor and so decadent. The beef tartare with the poached quail yolk was simply amazing. I could have eaten that all day. The meat plate and cheese plates respectively change up, and have been from average to very good with the selections. If I were only rating this I'd have said 4-5 stars. I have in general been less enamored with the salads and entrees I have had. Going last night they had completely changed the menu, so almost everything was new except for a few staples (the French Onion burger etc). First off the bar was missing several beer selections that were on the menu still. Not a deal breaker, but annoying. For my entrees, I had the root vegetable with goat cheese. I ordered this because I love goat cheese, which played nicely with the vegetables, though, it was a little much for my tastes. If you are a fan or beets, carrots and turnips it is quite good. I then got the Short Ribs which came with a gastrique and sour cream mashed potatoes. This entire was good but not great. I tend to think that braised meat is done more than I like in general and this was no different. It was pull apart tender, but a little on the dry side. More sauce could have helped. We also ordered family style sides which were nothing special. Again, good but not great. I was excited by the duck fat friend potato wedges, but they were under-seasoned. The food was good, and I would not have a problem going back, it just wasn't enough to blow me away. My biggest complaint though about The Commoner though is the overall noise level. It is extremely loud to the point it is hard to converse with the other side of your table or even talk to the server. If you are going for a business dinner (like I most recently was), I'd suggest going elsewhere in that case. read more

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Yum! We happened to walk by this restaurant while we were exploring Pittsburgh. We were pleasantly surprised at how good the food was. The cheese plate was heaven, Tika Masala was just the right amount of spice and my steak was amazing. Tender, bursting with flavor. Server was cool. Everything was great! read more

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(7:00pm) Im writing this as we sit waiting for our food we ordered an hour ago. Am i taking crazy pills? Hangry....so hangry. (11:00pm) Update: Oh god. What happened with this place? Our first time here, everything was on point. It was a great experience. This time....I don't even know. No, it wasn't the server's fault - he couldn't have been friendlier and eager to serve. If only the kitchen gave him something TO serve. Same for the bar. Nope, it wasn't crowded for Friday night at 6pm (surprising). Yet still a 20 minute wait for a drink....and a 1+ hour wait for a steak? NO food was coming out of that kitchen. 3 hours later....we were outta there. For good. read more

The food here has always been good. Enjoyed going there for breakfast. Went there today for breakfast and was greeted by a receptionist with an attitude. The place was 70% empty, empty, however we were told that we would need to wait 10-15 minutes. Asking why we had to wait I was told that because we did not have reservations we would need to wait. I pointed out that 70% of the place was empty . Didn't matter needed to wait! I pointed out that there was no one other then us waiting, that there was plenty of empty tables, servers weren't to busy, and I was willing and able to pay for a breakfast for 4 people, all to be met with an attitude. YOU MUST WAIT!! Don't waste your time at this place. They can go out of business because of their lack of service and lousy attitude. To bad as it has been a good place. Went back to the Omni and had a great breakfast at Palm Court read more

Great food and atmosphere! The holiday evet for the kids was a hit! Love that Santa landed on the roof top! read more

The Commoner - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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I was at The Commoner on a Saturday night and I was treated terribly by the host who's name was Johnny at the front desk of the restaurant. He was racist and told my friends to shut up while he spoke about a mixup about the reservation despite the whole restaurant being empty through the night (we know this because because we were at another bar at the rooftop). Despite having spoken to everyone politely and having made a reservation in prior for the place, my friends and I were treated with utmost disrespect by the man at the front desk and urge everyone reading this review to reconsider going to this restaurant. read more

A lot of places say they are doing "classics with a twist", and it ends up being the same old items. Not this place. The Commoner takes dishes we thought we new and takes some risks to bring it to new heights. I went with a group of 4 and we were seated quickly. The service all around from staff was excellent and cheerful. Good vibes definitely rub off. The pork cheeks to start were delicious. Tender and juicy and seasoned right. We also started with the scampi and chips and the brussel sprouts. Both good. I went with the Pa burger which is a blend of Lamb and beef. Holy crap was this delicious. I'm a sucker for Lamb but also have high standards. what a burger! Love this place all around. Now my new must-stop in Pitt. read more

I want to love this place. I really do. The things I do love about it are its energy and its atmosphere. Wait staff does a nice job, and I think the cocktails are above average. The bartenders seem to take pride in their pours. But the food isn't what it should be for a place like this. It's good, don't get me wrong, but it's definitely not much better than good. And somethings aren't good, for example I had some oysters on the half shell that I wouldn't recommend. The brussels sprouts are good, but it seems like everyone has good brussels sprouts these days. Pork belly mac & cheese was OK but not great. The luxury pie was a bright spot. And one genuinely great dessert is their sticky toffee pudding. I will keep returning here, because I love the energy and the atmosphere and because the food is good enough. But it could be better. read more

We came here for brunch, and it was delicious. The aesthetic and design of the space is beautiful. Service was prompt. And even though it's attached to a hotel, it didn't get that vibe. The nitro brew coffee was a super nice touch. I ordered the pastrami smoked salmon. I'm a big smoked salmon fan, I order it any time I get the chance. This was a new take on the tradition smoked salmon and it was amazing! So delicious. My dining partner got the eggs Benedict and it was also perfectly prepared. read more

Yum, yum, yum! We were hearing wonderful things about The Commoner and I tried once before to get reservations but was not able to do so. I planned a little further in advance and we got in. Wow! From beginning to end, from decor to staff to food, this place has it all! We got to The Commoner right at our scheduled reservation time. We were greeted promptly by a friendly hostess and were seated immediately. At first me and the hubby were taken aback by how close the tables are but once the food comes out everything and everyone else fades away. The decor is chic, cool, & neat. We loved the aged, faded, wood floors and the steel columns & beams with awesome low lighting that seems to spotlight your food. We were greeted by our friendly waiter who was attentive and knowledgeable. We ordered an app to start: the meat board. It was good but I am not sure we would get it again when we go back. It contained prosciutto, pâtés, duck confit, and, what can best be described as a mouse-like meat blend (yes, I know that does not sound great) but paired with the grilled bread, out of this world! For my entree I got the brick chicken which was served on a bed of garlic roasted potatoes and brussel sprouts covered with a burnt leek purée. We have never, in our lives, had chicken so tender & moist. It was a huge chicken and to have it cooked perfectly-awesome! We loved it. The hubby got the steak frites. He picked the rib eye, again, the meat was cooked perfectly. Although he noted when we go back he is going to get the chicken. His fries were delicious too, well seasoned and a little crispy, terrific! For our dessert our waiter recommended the sticky toffee pudding and me & the hubby both got our own (no way I am sharing if it is that good). Oh my goodness! Heaven! We would stop back just for this. Phenomenal! The steamed date cake was just amazing! And it was topped with toffee sauce and rye vanilla ice cream. I could eat this stuff for days and not get tired of it. Even my drink was good. I got a plum tarragon shrubble, light and sweet! All in all yummy and scrumptious and we will visit again and again even if it's only for the sticky toffee pudding (did I mention that I loved the pudding?!). read more

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Lunch spot in the basement of Hotel Monaco. We came in around 1:15pm on a Tuesday and there were plenty of tables open. I ordered the burger, which was served with mayo, lettuce, tomato, and fried onion strings and comes with a side of fries. It was pretty good but nothing major to write home about. My colleague ordered the fried chicken sandwich which also comes with fries and that looked very good. This seems like a good place for a cocktail in the evenings and less of a fantastic lunch spot. read more

Very well-established restaurant was great Friday. Eight dinner here last night and had a wonderful New York strip steak. Had brunch here today and it was spectacular with a great variety. Service is great. read more

Nice brunch. Dale gave us some great tips regarding which breweries to visit. Great ambiance. Fera made us a really good Bloody Mary. read more

The Commoner - Bloody Mary - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

My guys took me here for brunch and it was delicious! I had the uncommon toast. A splurge on my birthday and it didn't disappoint. We all chose drinks from the mixed drinks menu and really enjoyed them! Perfect way to celebrate! read more

My girlfriend and I went to this restaurant to celebrate my birthday. It was AMAZING! We had a reservation and were seated as soon as we arrived (something few places actually do). We ordered oysters to start, along with two cocktails. The drinks were delicious and the oysters had a great presentation. The homemade hot sauce had a distinct and delicious taste. We then each had an entree. My girlfriend got the steak ale pot pie. The steak was tender and juicy and the crust was cooked to perfection. I had the lamb shank. I love big portions and this was the epitome of that. Unlike other downtown restaurants (cough Butcher cough) I was extremely satisfied with the portion sizes. The lamb was tender and juicy and falling off the bone. It was cooked to perfection! Finally, the service was EXCEPTIONAL! Katie was our waitress and she was as friendly and polite as can be. Now it may be because they had just opened and want to make a name for themselves, but we received a free entree (crab mac n cheese), two glasses of champagne and two desserts . However, even without those freebies, I would have been stuffed. I am still in a food coma! I loved this restaurant. The food. The service. The ambience. The drinks. Even the bathrooms were clean and tidy! I will definitely be back! Great work, The Commoner! read more

I've been here twice now for drinks and food, both times with visiting friends. The vibe is young and fun, cocktails are unique and tasty, to the point that even I could enjoy as I am usually not a fan of hard liquor drinks - 33 days of sunshine is one I particularly enjoyed. The Scottish salmon with spaghetti squash was awesome and so was their rendition of tiki masala. Highly suggest this place for a fun night out! read more

Fantastic cocktails I had a seasonal special s'mores). The carrot appetizer was delish as well as the tikka masala. read more

The Commoner - New American Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

If words were enough? I won't do this fine establishment justice, but just be sure you make reservations when you visit Pittsburgh. It's in the Hotel Monaco (which is great too) and is the reason why we stayed here. The service holds up every bit to the flavors they offer. Be sure to enjoy the Bloody Mary bar and they encourage you to stack it as high as possible. It's easily in my top 5 of culinary, flavor town delights. BAM! read more

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OMG the pork mac & cheese is to die for!! I'm not typically one for pork but this combo is exceptional. I love comfort food. It's a little on the upside for pricing but the food is delish and the atmosphere is lovely. Reminds me of England at times. read more

Really like this place. Great atmosphere food was amazing. We had lunch so if I'm ever back in Pittsburgh will definitely do dinner.

The only reason this place gets 4 stars is because of the sticky toffee pudding, which is a date cake with toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream. It's so rich and a large portion that I encourage folks to share. Rest of my meal deserved a 2...maybe 3. I went here with a friend for lunch and tried the Cauliflower sandwich which was totally underwhelming. It needed a little something something...perhaps something pickled to offset the dry and monotone tastes of the hummus and cauliflower (they seriously had no flavor to them). I thought the pesto would give it some flavor but the unflavored cauliflower and hummus overpowered the sandwich. While we had no issues with the service from our waiter, I think this establishment needs to train their staff better on what is and not in their food. My friend that I was with has a nut allergy (tree nuts) and when looking over the dessert menu I asked if the sticky toffee pudding has any nuts. Our waiter responded yes and so I asked what kind as the description didn't mention anything about nuts. He told us it had a "date nut"...ummm, what the hell is a date nut?!? I told him that a date is a fruit but was second guessing myself since I didn't want my friend to have an allergic reaction. When the dessert came, I tried it to see if it had any actual nuts in it or nut flavoring - both of which it did not contain. My friend had some without any reaction because dates are FRUIT not nuts. read more

This review is really only for the sticky toffee pudding, but it's worth its own review! My friends had dinner here and I met them afterward for dessert. I ordered the sticky toffee pudding and it was divine. The pudding was a dense, rich, moist, sweet cup of heaven topped with vanilla ice cream. There were bits with some crunch and chew intermixed with bits of smooth cakey toffee goodness. I really liked the chill, dim atmosphere of this restaurant and would be happy to come back (even if just for that pudding). read more

Stopped for a quick bite before heading back to or hotel room and had an old fashioned and steak tartare. The steak tartare was the best we have ever had-perfect balance of flavors. The old fashioned was also perfect-simple, clean, classic. This was our second time here and both times the bartenders were spot on with drinks, and the food was great. Highly recommend. read more

Had a birthday dinner here with a friend and our husbands. We shared mussels and then each got an entree and us birthday girls had desserts. Honestly, everything was delicious and we all really enjoyed the food. Then we went to the rooftop bar for a drink. It was a chilly night in April but there were heaters so it was quite pleasant. The city night looked lovely. It was a great spot for two very different vibes to the night and I would return. read more

As I am always thrilled to try the newest swanky spots in the city, I was especially thrilled to try the Commoner on a Friday afternoon. As we arrived when it opened [5 pm - lunch is not open yet] we were seated at a table that did not hold a reservation until 7pm. [it is wise to book ahead until the opening crowd settles] The table comfortably fitted the 6 of us but i must note that I was unhappy for most of the happy hour as there was a consistent draft coming from the staircase which left me shivering. The waiter was a thrill, personable, with a way with his addressings [I personally do not mind being called dear and darling, however I could see the boys giving him weird looks] and he advised us promptly on the rotating craft beer draft selection and some of his personal favorites. I was happy to have a bottle of the Blithering Idiot, a singular positive about winter: an increase of stout beers on every menu. With it being 6 pm we naturally sampled some of the food as well. One at our table ordered the Onion Soup Burger which looked delectable and received a positive nod of appreciation and i had two appetizers of the Butternut Squash Champ Potatoes and the Brown Butter Brussel Sprouts. While enjoying the potatoes, I did not find them particularly special and almost forgot there was butternut squash in them, however I found the Brussel sprouts well seasoned and not drenched [:)] Overall the experience was delightful and well paced. I will gladly return at another time. read more

Absolutely fantastic. The chicken and waffles were perfect. The bacon tasted great. And the potatoes were amazing. Definitely recommend for brunch. read more

I guess this may have been a case where the four-star reviews had me expecting just a bit more. Don't be fooled by the pub food claims, it's not your standard pub fare. Maybe that's a good thing for some, but for me it was a bit over-the-top. I finally settled for a burger which came over-cooked and tasted quite dry. The presentation was good but that's about it. I gave it one more try the next day for breakfast but again was disappointed by the offerings on the menu. I settled for a yogurt parfait. The homemade granola was very good but very sparsely distributed throughout the parfait which only included a few blueberries on top and was 90% yogurt. Though I stayed for nearly a week, I never returned. read more

I came here with two friends for my birthday dinner. The restaurant, itself, is stunning. The tavern theme really runs through this place. We were seated right away and had a beautiful table near where the food comes out. Our server seemed enthusiastic and attentive. He took our order for drinks and appetizers then came back later to take our orders for dinner. Appetizers were nice. We shared the Blue Crab Fritters and Duck Rilettes. However, our server literally disappeared for the rest of the evening. Another server brought us our entrees. I had the short rib and my friends had the pork chop and the ribeye. We all thought our dishes were average - nothing amazing that stood out. To our surprise, the ribeye was completely raw in the middle. However, no one came to check on us at any point during our meal. Our water ran out quickly, so we literally had to ration our drinks. It was already difficult to flag someone down, but we thought at least our server would come to check on us after our meal. A little over an hour into our dining experience, our server finally came back to ask us what we wanted for dessert. We had the toffee pudding, which was excellent except for being a bit dry, and the butterscotch pot de creme. The pot de creme was so bitter from the kumquat that it was hardly palatable for anyone in my party. After our dessert, our server appeared again to give us our checks. Sadly, we were all fairly disappointed that the most service he gave us was charging our credit cards quickly. Overall, I really thought The Commoner would be an amazing spot, but the service really killed it for us. The food was almost there, in terms of quality, but did miss the mark on some important aspects. If you're thinking about dining here, I'd say it's a gamble with The Commoner. The reviews are fairly impressive, but your actual experience may be a total disappointment. read more

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Service and food portion was outstanding. Definitely coming back next time we visit Pittsburgh. read more

Menu - is fresh and fun, but doesn't require a dictionary! The charred cauliflower is highly recommended. Atmosphere - is vibrant (and doesn't feel like a typical hotel restaurant). There are a variety of options for seating including a bar, chefs table, long high tops, and traditional tables. read more

Great Bloody Mary Bar. Very nice downtown brunch spot. We got lucky because we were early and no reservation. The place gets packed quickly. The brunch menu is awesome. Having bacon in the Bloody is awesome. Forget about street parking but plenty of parking garages nearby. read more

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I was ready to love this restaurant. Sadly, it was just ok. Reservations for 2 midweek. Very cool vibe and atmosphere. Ordered specialty drink which was beautiful and delicious. The wings were tasty, served hot, nice and crispy. Ordered the pork chop and the burger with an egg and bacon with a side of fries. The entrees arrived beautifully plated. The pork chop was lukewarm served with fingerling potatoes and a pickled cabbage. The pork chop had a very peppery taste but not much flavor beyond that although it was glazed with a sauce of some sort. It was ok. The burger had the elements to be great with Gouda, a horseradish dressing, bacon, and onion straws should have been exploding with flavor but fell flat. I wish I could say this visit was great but it was just ok. If you're looking for somewhere to have a tasty drink and appetizers I would highly recommend this spot. Dinner, not so much. read more