Trip to Pittsburgh

[mucrew08]

Hey guys, a group of six of us are heading out to Pittsburgh for the game Saturday. We are staying the night so I was wondering if anyone had any good recommendations for restaurants (nicer ones but not super expensive) or bars to go to. We are staying near Pitts campus so anything around there would be great.

Thanks!

[MU_all_over]

No trip to Pittsburgh would be complete without a meal at Primanti Brothers. http://www.primantibros.com/ There is one on campus. Church Brew Works has good pizza and beer brewed on an altar http://www.churchbrew.com/. It would be a short taxi ride from the campus.

When I was at Pitt my favorite campus bar was Hemingway's, just down a ways from Primanit Brothers. Cheap Yuenglings and Iron City.

[MUMBA]

I lived in Pittsburgh when I was a kid and went to games at the old Fitzgerald Fieldhouse all the time during the Jerome Lane/Charles Smith/Demetrious Gore days.  On game days my father, brother and I would always hit a place called "The Original Hot Dog", also referred to as "The O" or "The Original O" or "the Dirty O".  If you are ok with an old-school dive whose featured menu item is a hot dog with bacon and cheese, you'll like it.  Their large fries occupy an entire cafeteria style lunch tray.

I took some coworkers there on my last business trip to the Burgh.  I told the cab driver that I wanted to take my friends to the O.  He said "They must not be very good friends."  The garish neon sign out front will burn your retinas out.  And the service is on par w/ the SoupNazi.  I am not sure if that qualifies as ambiance, but my coworkers enjoyed the pure diveyness of it.  It's an experience.  

[PE8983]

See the previous thread for info, but skip the Primanti's crap (tourist trap) and go to Fatheads on the South Side.  Best sandwiches, wings, and beers hands down.  Plus, all the bars you could ever want are right there.

[PE8983]

Sorry, thread was on scout:
http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=415&f=2850&t=6984851

[MU_all_over]

Can't believe I forgot about the O. A definite stop after any night out drinking.

You can't pay me enough to go to a bar on the South Side. Douche city. But that's just me.

[bamamarquettefan]

mucrew - awesome, i am going too.  I swear 2 years ago I was the only MU fan in the building.  I will be breaking out the Crowder jersey again (ok, it was a Hayward jersey then).  Post back if you end up picking a place and time Friday night or Saturday, or just drop me an email at jpudner@concentricgrasstops.com.  I am staying at a client's house, but very flexible on sched.  The place that published the book I did on Marquette hoops is a few blocks from there, cool team at College Prowler.

[PE8983]

Only Pittsburgh people think Primanti's is great.  Put a mound of french fries on a couple pieces of meat, throw it all on a bun, and there you have it... 

South Side - douchey???  It is an interesting collection of people, no doubt.  Can be a little rough also.  If you're looking to put back a few, see a band, shoot some pool, it's fine.  If you're on the prowl, you may want to try the Strip District or Station Square. 

Fatheads is worth the trip to the South Side on it's own, even if you want to hit bars somewhere else.  Church Brew Works is good too.

[MU_all_over]

When I say the South Side is douchey I just mean E. Carson Street. The rest of the South Side is fine.

The Sharp Edge (http://www.sharpedgebeer.com/) and the Squirrel Cage (http://www.yelp.com/biz/squirrel-hill-cafe-pittsburgh) are a couple more great places away from campus. Sharp Edge has a great beer selection, Squirrel Cage is cheap and can have some interesting characters.

[ech]

Hey guys, Pittsburgher here.  I have been reading this board for years now and really enjoy (most) of your comments and insights. 

For those of you coming to the 'Burgh: welcome! and I hope you enjoy the trip.  Some suggestions:

Unless you are just graduated and looking for the typical college dive bar, you may want to venture off campus and out of Oakland.  Though, if you are staying near campus there are a couple of options.  The Original Hot Dog on Forbes Ave is an institution, but it has really earned the nickname "Dirty O". The Fuel and Fuddle on Oakland Ave has very good food and a decent selection of adult beverages.  Its a usual pregame stop for my group and gets a really good crowd.  If Tex/Mex is your style, Mad Mex on Atwood is excellent.

Off campus, a couple of areas to consider:  The South Side (Carson Street) has probably close to 100 bars and eateries.  Fat Heads mentioned before is tremendous.  I can also attest to the Double Wide grill...very good food, relaxed atmosphere.  Further south on Carson past the bar-centric heart of the South Side is the new, upscale South Side Works that includes a Cheesecake Factory, Hofbrauhaus, McCormick and Schmicks, and a Claddagh among other options.

Downtown, I would suggest the area near the convention center known as The Cultural District (Penn Ave).  There is a Sharp Edge there along with some very good bars and bistros.  Think a little more business like and upscale than the south side and a little more refined than Oakland.  Typically a little more eye candy to be seen as well.  Also, in the area are Olive or Twist, Nine on Nine, Six Penn, Seviche, and Sanoma Grille as better eating option.  You are also close to Downtown's version of the "Canadian Ballet" at the corner of Penn and 9th, if that's your thing.

If you have any questions or looking for something specific, please let me know...I will try to direct you to the best spot per your needs.

Good luck Warriors...except on Saturday, of course.

[MUMBA]

Primanti's has gotten a bit of a touristy rep since I lived in Pittsburgh, but the original location (in the strip district I believe) is still worth a visit.  It's a momument of diveyness. 

On my last visit there, my coworkers and I marvelled at the sandwhich artist behind the counter.  He burned his bare hands while slamming a fistfull fries on the sandwhich.  After blurting an expletive, he calmly cooled his hands with a fistfull of coleslaw, which he also heaped onto the sandwhich.  After wiping his hands on his apron, he rang us up at the register. 

(You may want to check on your vaccinations before going to the Dirty O or Primanti's.)

[jaybilaswho?]

You are also close to Downtown's version of the "Canadian Ballet" at the corner of Penn and 9th, if that's your thing.

Canadian Ballet = Strip Club? I have never heard that expression before.

[The Man in Gold]

I've only been drinking down by PNC and Heinz Field, but I've found the bars on the North shore to be really fun (at least on game days).  I was at the Pete back in '06, great experience, but didn't get to spend much time in Oakland.

[ech]

Canadian Ballet = Strip Club? I have never heard that expression before.

Indeed...sorry, I thought I was using a pretty universal term there.



EDIT: And as far as Primanti's is concerned: If you go, PLEASE stay away from the cheesesteak.  It is gross, like a spongy cube steak patty.  Bland and tasteless.  But a capicola, roast beef, or keilbassa with an egg are pretty damn good...especially after an evening of drowning your sorrows after losing a well played basketball game or watching your football program turn into dust.

By the way...anybody here know the name of a good football coach willing to work cheap? 

[Sharpie]

Fuel and fuddle is one of my favorite places in Oakland. Love their food and beer selection. South side is fun if you like the bar scene. Mostly 20-30 year olds though so depending on the demographic you want. My favorite bars in southside are the library, fatheads and Carson city. Northshore is a great mix of people though and usually a lot of fun to watch any kind of game whether it be basketball or football. I usually stay away from station square unless you're looking for a club scene really. However, there is a bar Louie there which can be fun.

[Boone]

Yes, definitely stay away from Primantis' cheesesteak. Had it 2 years ago and it was just as Ech described: underwhelming and disappointing. Left me wondering how Primantis became such a big deal.

[bamamarquettefan]

The locals I'm meeting did steer me to fuel and fuddle's, so I will be there at noon in the No. 32 jersey. However, over lunch at a very nice lunch place frequented by lawyers and judges downtown yesterday, everyone loved the story on the burnt hand cooled by coal slaw.  They all assured me they had no doubt it really happened, and that's why none of the locals eat at Primanti's.  They also claimed that no matter what you order there, they sometimes simply give you whatever combination of sandwiches they choose too, not really paying a whole lot of attention to your order.