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Visiting Pittsburgh - Local Flavor Must Do Stuff (2 Viewers)

Man, from the age of 17 to about 24, all I drank was Iron because well I am from Pittsburgh and it's a Pittsburgh beer and all my iron worker buddies drank it.  Not until my mid 20's did I realize what an idiot I was and how much quality beer drinking I missed out on in the best years of my life.

 
Lots of good suggestions.  I agree that it would help if we knew where you are staying.

If you are into beer there are tons of breweries in the area and most are damn good.

If you're into wine and/or baseball I strongly suggest you check out Engine House 25/Clemente Museum.  It is normally reserved for events but they do offer tours to the public at certain times.  You just need to call for a time.   The wines are outstanding (grapes are NOT locally grown) and the museum is really cool.  The owner has a lot of great stories about the history of the building,  his career as a photographer, how he got into wine making, his exclusive customers (many are famous athletes) and how he became the curator of the museum.

 
belljr said:
Wait Iron City is frowned upon? :unsure:
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Iron City was never considered a good beer but the price was right and it got you drunk.  I haven't had it in 20 years I bet.   

The original brewery in Lawrenceville closed about 10 years ago and it is now brewed at the old Rolling Rock brewery in Latrobe.

 
Took the family on the double decker bus city tour.  Started early and fished at end of day.  It allows for on and off privileges and will hit almost all the areas listed.  Very touristy thing to do but Pittsburgh seems like a tough city to drive in if you have never been there before and you don’t have to worry about parking.  

 
Inclines, without a doubt. Fallingwater if you can get there. Nationality Rooms at Pitt - or just walk around Oakland and check out the Cathedral of Learning. 

Primanti's, though overrated, is still a necessity.

Church Brew Works. 

Kennywood is doing holiday lights which is cool and unique if you're on the east end. https://www.kennywood.com/holidaylights

Roberto Clemente Museum in Lawrenceville is by appointment only, but maybe you know a guy who can get you in.  http://www.clementemuseum.com/

Heinz Field tour or PNC Park tour would be fun.

Not sure how many people mentioned the South Side, but it's basically more bars per square mile than anywhere in the world. A few of them are even good. If you ever wanted to drink 25 drinks in 25 different bars over the span of an hour, go for it. 

Ice skating in PPG place? If you're into that sort of thing it's pretty cool.

 
Primantis inside Heinz Field was a total letdown...they only had premade "cheese steak" sandwiches that were like some sort of meatloaf, a slice of cheese, 4 fries placed strategically on the sandwich to get some in every bite, and a teeny bit of slaw. At $10 it wasnt a total ripoff as it filled me up, but I had a Pastrami and Cheese (double meat) the next day at the Washington Rd location and it was pretty good . Like others have said, its not an OMG sandwich, but ya gotta do it if youre in Pittsburgh. I actually liked the classic Pastrami and mustard on rye I got at Smallman Street Deli in Squirrel Hill much better.

 
Stoneys said:
Just be prepared, you have that one bridge to make a decision on which way you want to go on the other side while also having traffic merging onto the bridge as soon as you exit the tunnel

This is very true
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Got into a fender-bender there one morning.  Some lady hit me from behind in the middle of rush hour.  It ended up being pretty minor and no real damage and we exchanged info pretty quickly, but I heard a lot of car horns and other stuff during those 30 seconds.   :bag:  even though it wasn't my fault.

 
The Indestructible said:
Got into a fender-bender there one morning.  Some lady hit me from behind in the middle of rush hour.  It ended up being pretty minor and no real damage and we exchanged info pretty quickly, but I heard a lot of car horns and other stuff during those 30 seconds.   :bag:  even though it wasn't my fault.
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My MIL got hit there a few weeks ago.  I was just there over the holiday weekend.  Fortunately for me, I don't need to cross over as we're usually coming from the In-Law's house headed to their condo downtown I just stay in the right lane of 279S), but I've seen more accidents there than I care to count.  

Had some Margaritas and Tacos at Tako near Market Square - wouldn't call that "Quintessential Pittsburgh" but they were dang good.

 
Fat Drunk and Stupid said:
Club Erotica in Mckeesport Rocks if you want to take in a ping pong show.
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I don't like ping pong. Too difficult to get that little ball to hit the little table. 

 
I have not been there for quite a few years but I second the strip district, the inclines, aviary and conservatory. Falling Waters by Frank Lloyd Wright had an interesting tour through the place when I went there. Takes some time to get there and back but I thought it was worth it. The Oyster House in Market Square had a huge fish sandwich and it was good. If you like to see different buildings the Alcoa building, USX building and PPG building are neat to see.

 
belljr said:
No one else likes Kaya?   :unsure:  
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I liked Kaya just fine the one time I was there.  Cool bartender.

Spoon in East Liberty is also a a great place for dinner(or was, anyway.  I understand they aren't under the same ownership/chef as when I was there a while back).  Butterfish was freaking awesome. 

 
Stoneys said:
so @Joe Bryant have we given you some ideas?  
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For sure. Thanks guys. May pass on the ping pong ;) but have a good list of stuff. I love the vibe of this town. Soulful and authentic. Opposite of the shiny plasticy stuff. I love the South but if I ever moved North, Pittsburgh would be near the top. 

 
Joe Bryant said:
For sure. Thanks guys. May pass on the ping pong ;) but have a good list of stuff. I love the vibe of this town. Soulful and authentic. Opposite of the shiny plasticy stuff. I love the South but if I ever moved North, Pittsburgh would be near the top. 
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So when are you coming in and what part of town?

 
There's a restaurant in the Strip district called "Eleven" that is owned by the same group that owns Kaya (previously mentioned in this thread).    That gets two thumbs up from me.   

The Sharpe Edge in Friendship (right on the edge of East Liberty) is a good corner spot with an Authentic feel.   It's been a number of years since I've been there but used to be they had one of the best beer selections in town.  

Gooski's in Polish Hill is a great hole-in-the-wall bar to get stabbed in.   I mean that in the best way possible.   

Lawrenceville, when I lived there in the mid 1990s, used to be a meth-haven sketchy white trash dump.   That (along with East Liberty) has seen the biggest transformation / renovation in recent years.     Both used to be places you'd watch your step after dark.    Now both are now hipster / new money / gentrified --  so you take the good and the bad that comes with that.   In the 1990s it would have been a "lock your doors and keep moving".  But, there's some cool stuff to see / places to eat in each of those neighborhoods now.     At least worth a ride through.  

 
AhrnCityPahnder said:
There's a restaurant in the Strip district called "Eleven" that is owned by the same group that owns Kaya (previously mentioned in this thread).    That gets two thumbs up from me.   

The Sharpe Edge in Friendship (right on the edge of East Liberty) is a good corner spot with an Authentic feel.   It's been a number of years since I've been there but used to be they had one of the best beer selections in town.  

Gooski's in Polish Hill is a great hole-in-the-wall bar to get stabbed in.   I mean that in the best way possible.   

Lawrenceville, when I lived there in the mid 1990s, used to be a meth-haven sketchy white trash dump.   That (along with East Liberty) has seen the biggest transformation / renovation in recent years.     Both used to be places you'd watch your step after dark.    Now both are now hipster / new money / gentrified --  so you take the good and the bad that comes with that.   In the 1990s it would have been a "lock your doors and keep moving".  But, there's some cool stuff to see / places to eat in each of those neighborhoods now.     At least worth a ride through.  
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There are 5 Sharp Edge's now.  The one Beer Emporium in Friendship, Bistro downtown(near the convention center), Bistro in Sewickley, Creekhouse in Crafton (home of Bill Cowher) and Brasserie in McMurray.  Food is decent and they do have a good selection of beer with a focus on Belgian beer but also other imported and craft beers.

 
Joe Bryant said:
For sure. Thanks guys. May pass on the ping pong ;) but have a good list of stuff. I love the vibe of this town. Soulful and authentic. Opposite of the shiny plasticy stuff. I love the South but if I ever moved North, Pittsburgh would be near the top. 
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Tennessee to Pittsburgh?  Eesh.

 
Tony Jabroni said:
Do they ship sammies?? I see this on Travel/Food Channels and I am dying to try it.
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I have no idea, but I don't think it would be the same after shipping. Part of the appeal is combo of warm fries with the cool slaw plus whatever meat you go with IMHO.

Road trip!

 
Gonna piggyback on this thread for a second with some small questions.  A friend and I will be in town for a bit this Thursday for the Radiohead show at the PPG Paints Arena.  My goal is to get there sometime mid-afternoon on Thursday with a few hours to kill before the show.  Ideally I would like to park my car somewhere near the arena and Uber (or something) my way around town during the day.  My questions:

  1. I have been to The Igloo before it was demolished, so I am loosely familiar with the location and the fact that it's pretty much downtown.  Any idea what parking options I may have during the day to leave my car for the afternoon/evening?  Is this a bad idea?  I'm assuming that much of the surrounding parking may be full with cars for people working during the day.  Looks like there is a parking garage called Forbes Garage over by Duquesne?
  2. I'm a beer person, so I've been actively scoping out beer locations . I've found Grist House and Strange Roots, which both come recommended and are located near to one another in Millvale.  I assume this is a safe area to walk the short distance between the breweries?
  3. Is the food at Church Brew any good?  I'd like to check the place out.  I've done Primanti before and while it was fine, I don't need to do it again.
  4. Any decent beer stores selling Pittsburgh (or other regional) beers on the north side of the city / northern suburbs worth stopping by?  I know PA's beer sales laws are wonky and I'm not really sure how it works.
Thanks in advance for any assistance.

 
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Steve Tasker said:
Gonna piggyback on this thread for a second with some small questions.  A friend and I will be in town for a bit this Thursday for the Radiohead show at the PPG Paints Arena.  My goal is to get there sometime mid-afternoon on Thursday with a few hours to kill before the show.  Ideally I would like to park my car somewhere near the arena and Uber (or something) my way around town during the day.  My questions:

  1. I have been to The Igloo before it was demolished, so I am loosely familiar with the location and the fact that it's pretty much downtown.  Any idea what parking options I may have during the day to leave my car for the afternoon/evening?  Is this a bad idea?  I'm assuming that much of the surrounding parking may be full with cars for people working during the day.  Looks like there is a parking garage called Forbes Garage over by Duquesne? Where are you staying?  This could help in mentioning where to park. But the Forbes Garage, Locust Garage and Chatham Garage and they may still have parking across the street where the Civic Arena used to be.  You can also park near Station Square and take the "T" to Steel Plaza to walk up to PPG Paints Arena, or Uber it over....again it all depends on where you are staying.
  2. I'm a beer person, so I've been actively scoping out beer locations . I've found Grist House and Strange Roots, which both come recommended and are located near to one another in Millvale.  I assume this is a safe area to walk the short distance between the breweries? you should be fine
  3. Is the food at Church Brew any good?  I'd like to check the place out.  I've done Primanti before and while it was fine, I don't need to do it again. yes. the food is very good.  beers are pretty good too and it is a neat setting.
  4. Any decent beer stores selling Pittsburgh (or other regional) beers on the north side of the city / northern suburbs worth stopping by?  I know PA's beer sales laws are wonky and I'm not really sure how it works.  probably would need to stop at a distributor - funny thing is that if you go to one of the breweries and there are more than just grist house and strange roots, they may be able to assist you.  Some distributors are better than others.
Thanks in advance for any assistance.
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Thanks @Stoneys.  Sounds like Church Brew might be a dinner option for us.

We are not staying overnight; we will be making the ~3.5 hour drive from Buffalo during the day and leaving immediately after the show ends to drive home.  (Neither of us will be drinking enough for that to be a problem).

 
I realize this probably puts me in the minority, but I don't love Church Brew Works.   The building is cool...but not a lot more than that.  None of it is terrible, but outside of a great old building the beer and the food are pretty forgettable imo.

 
AhrnCityPahnder said:
I realize this probably puts me in the minority, but I don't love Church Brew Works.   The building is cool...but not a lot more than that.  None of it is terrible, but outside of a great old building the beer and the food are pretty forgettable imo.
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Honestly, this was the sense I'd gotten from the handful of people I know who've been there.  It's open during the mid-late afternoon and I've never been, so that alone makes it a place I'd like to check out and have a beer or two, but I didn't even realize they served food until seeing it in this thread.

 
Steve Tasker said:
Honestly, this was the sense I'd gotten from the handful of people I know who've been there.  It's open during the mid-late afternoon and I've never been, so that alone makes it a place I'd like to check out and have a beer or two, but I didn't even realize they served food until seeing it in this thread.
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Food is good. Occasionally great. Beer is very good, occasionally great. Best experience is probably just to stop by for a couple beers and some kind of snack. 

 
Steve Tasker said:
Gonna piggyback on this thread for a second with some small questions.  A friend and I will be in town for a bit this Thursday for the Radiohead show at the PPG Paints Arena.  My goal is to get there sometime mid-afternoon on Thursday with a few hours to kill before the show.  Ideally I would like to park my car somewhere near the arena and Uber (or something) my way around town during the day.  My questions:

  1. I have been to The Igloo before it was demolished, so I am loosely familiar with the location and the fact that it's pretty much downtown.  Any idea what parking options I may have during the day to leave my car for the afternoon/evening?  Is this a bad idea?  I'm assuming that much of the surrounding parking may be full with cars for people working during the day.  Looks like there is a parking garage called Forbes Garage over by Duquesne?
  2. I'm a beer person, so I've been actively scoping out beer locations . I've found Grist House and Strange Roots, which both come recommended and are located near to one another in Millvale.  I assume this is a safe area to walk the short distance between the breweries?
  3. Is the food at Church Brew any good?  I'd like to check the place out.  I've done Primanti before and while it was fine, I don't need to do it again.
  4. Any decent beer stores selling Pittsburgh (or other regional) beers on the north side of the city / northern suburbs worth stopping by?  I know PA's beer sales laws are wonky and I'm not really sure how it works.
Thanks in advance for any assistance.
Click to expand...
Parking by the arena can be rough - people do park there for work. But by afternoon enough people should have left that you can get in. I'm sure the lots at Duquesne won't be full since school is mostly out for summer.

There must be a nice beer store in Cranberry or Wexford that you could hit on your way out, but I don't know of any. 

 
Glad this thread popped up.

My son is starting at Pitt this fall and taking him in August to move in. 

Any good brewpubs worth checking out in the Oakland area?

 
Steve Tasker said:
Gonna piggyback on this thread for a second with some small questions.  A friend and I will be in town for a bit this Thursday for the Radiohead show at the PPG Paints Arena.  My goal is to get there sometime mid-afternoon on Thursday with a few hours to kill before the show.  Ideally I would like to park my car somewhere near the arena and Uber (or something) my way around town during the day.  My questions:

  1. I have been to The Igloo before it was demolished, so I am loosely familiar with the location and the fact that it's pretty much downtown.  Any idea what parking options I may have during the day to leave my car for the afternoon/evening?  Is this a bad idea?  I'm assuming that much of the surrounding parking may be full with cars for people working during the day.  Looks like there is a parking garage called Forbes Garage over by Duquesne?
  2. I'm a beer person, so I've been actively scoping out beer locations . I've found Grist House and Strange Roots, which both come recommended and are located near to one another in Millvale.  I assume this is a safe area to walk the short distance between the breweries?
  3. Is the food at Church Brew any good?  I'd like to check the place out.  I've done Primanti before and while it was fine, I don't need to do it again.
  4. Any decent beer stores selling Pittsburgh (or other regional) beers on the north side of the city / northern suburbs worth stopping by?  I know PA's beer sales laws are wonky and I'm not really sure how it works.
Thanks in advance for any assistance.
Click to expand...
Is staying at the Cambria an option?

 
pecorino said:
How about the original Quaker Steak and Lube near the outlets? I think it is right off I79.
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The original is in Sharon, which isn't all that close to 79. The outlets in Grove City are, but I don't remember seeing a Quaker Steak there--maybe you're thinking of the Primanti's there?

 
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