I had never heard of this restaurant but our usual brunch group insisted we try it. So glad we did! Excellent service and beautiful restaurant. I got 2 drinks - an Elderflower and a Mexican Chocolate Bourbon. Both yummy although the bourbon was STRONG. My entree was the brisket hash which I got without eggs. The brisket was cooked perfectly and cut into tiny pieces to better mix with the potatoes, I really loved it. And I got a side of grits - amazing and perfectly done! We will be back! read more

Willow Event Center - Mexican Chocolate Bourbon - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Gal gang brunch perfection! Brunch is offered Sundays 11a-230p. The service was attentive and the food and drink were delicious. It was pouring raining when we arrived and we were offer the option to check our umbrellas upon arrival which was a nice added touch to our warm welcome! Made a reservation for our monthly gal hang, which was also our holiday gift exchange. Our table was ready and waiting for us. We were able to order a round of drinks to enjoy before ordering, and after we got our checks we all decided we wanted another round of bevs to open gifts and the waitress was so kind and accommodating. We got a wide variety off the brunch menu and everything was so well prepared. I got the brisket hash and pro tip - add a side of their bacon jam!!, I also ordered the egg over medium vs over easy. To note - both friends who ordered the egg or crab Benedict added sides of potato hash, a potential suggestion that these dishes have potatoes. The Elderflower cocktail was a crowd favorite beverage. I dined here once before. The experience was consistent and overall an enjoyable time! read more

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The food and service are very good here. This was the case when we visited for restaurant week years ago, too. The prices are high and the food doesn't necessarily warrant the prices. The pasta portions are huge, tho. It ended up being 3 meals for me and 2 for my partner. So that's a pretty decent deal. read more

Willow Event Center - Salmon & pest gnocchi - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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We returned to Willow because they finally got a reasonable wine list. Dinner was good, with the spicy pasta and the shrimp po-boy and fries. The wine list is limited but adequate, with a decent selection of good quality varieties and fair prices. The food menu includes a good selection of meat and fish entrees, several appetizers, some salads, and a decent selection of sandwiches. We'll definitely be back. read more

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I attended a "night before" dinner here a few weeks ago, and thought the bride and groom chose a wonderful venue with great food and staff. Buffet dinner was chicken parmigiana, salmon, NY strip; Caesar salad, veggies. They also created a huge cookie table. It seems to work well as an event space. read more

The wife and I were in the Pittsburgh area and wanted to see some of the familiar faces we grew to know from the Around Back Café (which the owners of Willow recently closed) along with getting a bite to eat. We had the grilled salmon and pasta primavera along with some wine. Without getting into great detail, although the food wasn't bad, it was mostly middle-of-the-road in quality. The salmon was on the dry side and overly seasoned and salted. The pasta primavera was lacking in vegetables, and overly drenched in butter and oil. It was also very salty. The fried Brussel sprouts and sautéed scallops weren't bad. We wanted to splurge on a good bottle of red. Especially for the prices, we didn't find anything that was better than a low-priced "Chairman's Selection". Wishing this new endeavor success, but I have a strong suspicion that they'll drive this business into the ground like they did with the ever-successful Around Back Café, formerly located in Lower Burrell, PA. read more

Delicious food!! This was our first time there, not sure why it wasn't busier-our meals were delicious. read more

Willow Event Center - Shrimp Po boy - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Takes a lot for me to complain but a $50 for a bad entre hurts. Was way better in the past read more

Willow Event Center - Pretty rough filet that was cooked wrong, risotto that I honestly couldn't differentiate from mashed potatoes with how mushy it was. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Had dinner at this restaurant for the first time and have to say I won't be back. Two of us ordered coconut shrimp and sadly there was no coconut seen or tasted ...just a very bland unseasoned breading. The entrée was supposed to come with a grilled pineapple spear and neither one of us had the pineapple. After the server gave us our meal he never came back so we didn't have an opportunity to ask about the missing pineapple. Also, mashed potatoes were cold. Too much wrong for us to even consider a second visit. Pittsburgh has so many good restaurants, no need to return. read more

I used to come here before new owners. Second time trying them under new ownership and it was again awful! The meat and cheese board did not have any honey or jams or many cheese and meats. They threw left over cooked steak on the board with a warm pizza type of dip?!? None of it made sense . I am a private chef and while I don't hold all places up to my expectation I expect places with a certain price point and ambiance to higher expectations. This place that was once a dream to me is now an utter disappointment. read more

Willow Event Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Drinks were weak and our salmon was so dry. The calamari we ordered for appetizer was excellent! So so read more

Recently had a pretty disappointing trip to Willow. My wife and I went for happy hour. I ordered an Old Fashioned, and was extremely disappointed with the amount served, for the price paid. I've had plenty of Old Fashioned's, and this was far and away the smallest pour I've ever had. We also ordered the Arancini, which was good. We ordered the daily tacos, which we also have had in the past. The serving size has gone from 3, to 2 tacos, for the same price. Lastly, my wife got a side of Pesto Gnocchi, which were swimming in oil, absolutely drenched. I would not recommend. One final thing, we sat at the bar, and noticed a sewage like smell, we noticed the same smell when we were there a few months ago. All told, it's unlikely that we will return any time soon, which is unfortunate, because it's close to home. read more

Willow Event Center - Side of Pesto Gnocchi, absolutely swimming in oil. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Everything about our meal was excellent. The fresh hot bread and calamari was very good. We had coconut shrimp with butterscotch rice and sea bass with cheddar risotto. Both meals were excellent, along with the service we received from Leo. We will definitely return to Willow. read more

Went there for Brunch, and while the ambience is nice, and location is pretty, the food was disappointing especially considering the cost. Maybe Brunch just isn't their speciality, but definitely would not recommend going to Willow for it. read more

Food, atmosphere and drinks are delicious highly recommended the buffalo cauliflower!!

Buyer Beware if you are planning to have an event at the Willow. I will say the food was good not great. We did not get what was promised or what we paid for. I planned a Baby Shower for my only child and saved up for a long time for this. I will list some of the problems so this doesn't happen to you. I ordered the Brunch With the waffle bar and mimosa bar a cost of $56.00 per person plus tip and tax, not cheap! The menu states carved ham, is was thick and thin pieces all ready cut in odd shapes and slapped in a pan. Housemade waffles, they were pre made cut in half and slapped in a Pan, so cold the soft butter would not even melt, the assorted pastry were one kind with different fillings. The pastry looked like they came wrapped Individually than opened and slapped on a dish. Definitely were not homemade or even from a bakery shop. Also included was coffee tea and soft drinks nowhere was that around and not once offered to my guests. The worst was the OPEN mimosa bar for 3 hours. It was very poorly ran I had to ask several times for more champagne, the juice was empty and was never refilled until I asked ( they only refilled one of three)and fresh fruit was to come with it, 3 small bowls and never refilled. Open bar for 3 hours is what I paid $17 a person++for. The bar was taken down after 2 hours, I was never asked or consulted with about taking it down. And a few small items, no plates on the Dessert table which they charge a dollar per person if you bring your own desserts, they did waive that for me, there were 3 light bulbs out in an already dimmed room and there were no votives on the tables like I was promised. Also, never once did the waitress or event planner come to me and ask me if everything was OK or if I needed anything. It would have been nice if the waitress did her job and served coffee and soft drinks. She was very nice but lacking. I was only asking for what I paid for, professionalism and courtesy would have been a nice added benefit. So please make sure you are very clear of what you're getting and receiving. I did send an email to the Event Planner and no surprise, she never answered. read more

Under new ownership and management, this eatery is highly recommended. A warm and comforting atmosphere offering modern-classical dishes that are masterfully crafted but not pretentious --- meaning: the menu describes the food perfectly and the descriptions aren't replete with foodie B.S. The food, however, speaks for itself. Wonderfully flavorful and with plenty of surprises. Satisfying and comforting, but not too heavy. My wife had the chicken caprese with balsamic reduction and white cheddar risotto, while I had the sea bass with a heavenly red pepper polenta. For starters, we ordered the roasted broccoli and wedding soup that were both wonderful. Deserts were a Resse's peanut butter-chocolate cake and a NY-style cheesecake with a tiramisu style ladyfinger - sweet tasty ends that were just the right size. The facility was modern and warm and the wait staff and management were prompt and friendly and made us feel welcomed and appreciated. We can't wait to have a seat at the bat when COVID is finally a memory. We're glad to have Willow open in our neighborhood and can't wait to become regulars! read more

Food was bad. Fish overcooked, couldn't even bite into it! Al Fredo like wallpaper paste, risotto watery. Will not be retuning.

Willow has long been one of my favorite places. The building is huge, but broken up into a number of cozy, well-decorated rooms and patios. Post-covid it is under new ownership it never seems very busy, probably because it was closed for a long time. The food is as good as ever, and the bar serves high quality, imaginative cocktails. This place deserves to be buzzing again, but in the meantime I'll enjoy never having to wait for a table! read more

Very average food, salty bland gnocchi, salty salmon. Somehow they managed to undercook cauliflower tempura. The four of us were very underwhelmed by the food. Minimal wine list. Will not be returning to the current iteration of this restaurant. read more

Stopped there for dinner with friends. The dining room is very nosy and make conversation difficult. Our waiter provided slow and unenthusiastic service. He was wearing a mask, which is understandable, but he tended to mumble and speak very softly which made him hard to understand. The food was decent. Based on the atmosphere and service, I'm not planning to repeat. read more

My husband and I recently tried Willow now that it's reopened and under new management. Due to COVID, we opted for take-out. We both got Pittsburgh Salads (mine with steak and my husband's with chicken) and my son got the chicken fingers off of the kids menu. We were pleasantly surprised with the thoughtfulness of the take-out packaging and greatly enjoyed our meal. For our salads, Willow packaged the cold and hot items separately. We had one container with the fried onions, fries, and steak/chicken and another container with the lettuce/veggies -- like the McDLT! Although we didn't have far to travel to get back home, we really appreciated the thoughtfulness and it did keep the various items at their desired temperatures. The food itself was delicious. Our salads were fresh and my steak in particular was cooked very nicely (tender, nicely seasoned, and with a little pink on the inside). We will be back! read more

If three stars is average, this was below average. We used to love this place back in 2017 before they became a catering only place. When we heard it was under new ownership and once again a restaurant, we had to try it. The items on the menu itself were solid, however the execution was sub par. There was no professional bartender. I ordered two different cocktails that were pretty run of the mill and I could tell the lady was reading off of a spreadsheet on how to make them. My espresso martini had olives in it... Then when the food came, the quality looked rough. Bread looked like it had been sitting on the counter for over a week and the burger had a half cup of mayo on it. If this place could get a quality chef and bartender, it could be great again. read more

We had dinner there a few days ago. The meals were good. It was dinner time but I had the veggie sandwich because it's the only vegetarian item besides the impossible burger. The sandwich had a tiny bit of filling and was mostly a huge baguette. I had to take it apart to eat it. I wish they had an interesting vegetarian dinner entree instead of a bummer of a sandwich. The drinks are really expensive. We had a total of 4 drinks - 2 of which were beer and those 4 drinks were $45. We were sat in an awful little room with 3 tables. If I ever go there again I will ask not to be sat in this room. Without any music in the background you're forced to listen to the conversations of the 2 other tables. It's just awkward. This room needs decorated and the whole place needs some music. I was still hungry after my meal so I had a piece of cake. That was delicious! Our server was great and managed not to forget about us tucked away in the little room. read more