Wowwwww!! We had an amazing dinner at the Cafe Momentum location in Pittsburgh! We had a reservation for a party of 7 and the party grew by dinner, Lol. We had a party of 11 and CM didnt miss a beat of course there were a few hiccups along the way but it was worth it! Cafe Momentum-Pittsburgh is located in the heart of downtown. The staff was outstanding and I truly love the mission of CM. We had multiple people waiting on us because of the party size! I ordered a Jamaican ginger beer ($5), the special of the evening a ribeye (medium well of course)with mushroom risotto and grilled asparagus($72). AND an extra side of their homemade biscuits! Ok sooo everything took a minute to come out but it was worth it! I had to send my steak back because it wasnt cooked enough but it was perfect when it returned! It was so much food. I only ate half of my 14-16oz steak and bought the rest BACK TO GA yall and it was even better! The sides were great and nicely seasoned! I am making it my mission to visit EVERY Cafe Momentum! Thanks for an outstanding Ali and the team!! SYOY! read more

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Finally had a chance to visit cafe momentum last night. Everything was quite good. The mission of this place is fantastic. We enjoyed our appetizers: shrimp, French fries and wedge salad. The shrimp with potatoes and chorizo in a slightly spicy sauce was my favorite. For mains we got ravioli, steak, gnocchi and fried chicken. All were very good. The steak was cooked perfectly. The gnocchi were paired with a lamb bolognese--very rich! The fried chicken was crispy on the outside and juicy inside, perfectly done. And we finished with three desserts--sticky toffee pudding, apple crisp and chocolate tort. We will be back! read more

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I love their concept and what they offer to the community. I made reservations without realizing it was restaurant week in Pittsburgh. This worked in our favor as we got to try more dishes than originally planned so this was great! They offered a mocktail menu - love to see it!! Both NA options were delicious. The meal overall was great! The truffle butter that came with the appetizer bread was the true winner for me. Service was slow and subpar. Overall we had a good experience. There are so many great restaurants around Pittsburgh, I would come back with a group if someone else chose but would not seek out a date night here or travel to the city just to eat here. read more

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Cafe Momentum is smack dab in the middle of downtown Pittsburgh near Market Square. The mission of this restaurant is second to none. They train adjudicated youth to teach them the skills needed for the workplace. It's such a great cause. My group had the Cobb Salad, Truffle Fries, and mushrooms for Appetizers. All were good. We got some of the foccacia dipping sauce and butter, which was fantastic and unique. Most of us ordered the fried chicken. The breading on the chicken definitely had a distinct flavor, and it wasn't my favorite. I had the bread pudding for dessert, which was flavorful but a little dry. Overall, my entire group loved their meals. I will continue to support this restaurant for the mission alone! read more

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The food was delicious. We had smoked fried chicken, the ravioli and a shared salad. Lemon macarons for dessert. We stumbled onto this restaurant and were definitely pleased. Staff was friendly and prompt in their service. read more

This place is legit. I'm so glad they've recently started being open for lunch, as I work a block away and can stop by more often during the daytime Café Momentum is founded on the concept of providing wraparound services, from internships to financial education, to youths recently involved with the juvenile justice system. It's a terrific concept to support, but the restaurant stands on its own as a pretty terrific casual fine dining spot. It's chef driven, with creative menu options and thoughtfully sourced ingredients. On a prior visit I had the mac & cheese, made just how I like it with cavatappi pasta and herby breadcrumbs. On this visit I stopped in because they were one of the downtown restaurants offering a special menu in honor of Picklesburgh, Pittsburgh's annual celebration of all things pickled. I planned to try the pickle pizza but my server mentioned that others had been liking the soup and deviled eggs, so I went with those items instead. They were both creative, delicious and reasonably priced. Although many of the employees here are interns, they are well trained and motivated because the professionalism is always first -rate. This is a great spot to come if you want to eat a good meal while also supporting something good. read more

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I came here at the recommendation of one of our professional service providers where I work. There is so much that's great about Café Momentum. Obviously the mission is upstanding and worthy of support. The food itself is outstanding too. This visit I got the Maryland crab cakes which texture and taste wise were perfect. Paired with the vinegar slaw (which wasn't all that vinegar-y) and seasoned fries, this was a perfectly well- rounded meal. The cakes were nicely coated too. Plenty of other items on the menu I'd love to try - this place is legit. read more

Café Momentum - Pittsburgh - Maryland crab cakes with vinegar slaw and Old Bay seasoned fries - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Very cool place and very cool people that own/work here. It is also BYOB and the food is incredible

My parents and I came here for brunch on Mother's Day. We made a 1:30 pm reservation online earlier in the week. When we arrived, we were greeted instantly and seated right away. They had a great variety of brunch items. I ordered the chilaquiles. My mom ordered the eggs Benedict and my dad ordered the French toast. The eggs Benedict was easily my favorite! The atmosphere and service were also great. read more

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Another phenomenal experience at Cafe Momentum, this time for their Plating for a Purpose event. The ticket was $65 for a family style multi course meal. We enjoyed focaccia, a Caesar salad, chicken Romano, eggplant Parmesan, pasta with red sauce, and tiramisu! They also offered beer and wine with our meals. The food was amazing as always, the service was top notch, and we had great conversation with the other attendees. Highly recommend attending one of these events! read more

Café Momentum - Pittsburgh - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I attended a plating event with Chef Cory Hughes and was absolutely blown away by the many talents at the front and back of the house, cheers! read more

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I went to one of the Plating with a Purpose dinners here from Chef Cory Hughes of Fig and Ash and was blown away. They really make the ingredients shine in their dishes. The staff were so nice and the ambiance was amazing inside! The wine and food were all incredible and I had a great time. I love the decor inside too. I definitely need to come back to try the regular menu. read more

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If you haven't been to Café Momentum located in downtown Pittsburgh yet, then you're missing out! I've been wanting to go back since last fall because I've been dreaming about their butter board so I made reservations for yesterday night. Café Momentum is part restaurant and part culinary training facility. It's their mission to equip Pittsburgh's justice-involved youth with life skills, education, and employment opportunities - an amazing mission that will make you feel good about dining there. The food itself was incredible. The butter board was just as good as I remembered! I also really loved the duck spaetzle and NY strip entrees as well as the two desserts we got. I thought everything was really reasonably priced and the portions huge. It's also BYOB. Multiple members of the staff stopped by during the meal to see how we were doing and to chat and they were so lovely. I can't say enough good things about this place! One thing to note is that a lot of the staff there is in training so be patient; your patience will definitely pay off. read more

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I made reservations for a Wednesday evening as Cafe Momentum had been on my list for a while to try. We were seated in a cozy booth and found the space large and welcoming. The open kitchen had us looking at the beautiful oven. It's BYOB and the corkage fee is $5/person. We love the mission of the place, helping to equip young people with new skills. The staff was pleasant and helpful. Food wise, hubs really wanted the pickled plate. We shared that and found some interesting pickled veggies. The broccolini was my favorite, more lighter on the fermented flavors. The tomato was very acidic. It was a fun way to start the meal. I had the smoked fried chicken for the main. The hint of smoke was a nice touch. It also comes with a flaky biscuit, mashed potatoes, and collard greens. Yes, it's heavy but lovely. Hubs ordered not your grandmother's gnocchi. It was very rich and quite flavorful. The mix of meats used for the meatballs intrigued us both. We were really full and didn't try dessert. Hopefully next time! read more

Café Momentum - Pittsburgh - Smoked fried chicken comes with biscuit, mashed potatoes, and collard greens - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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We had a great dinner here on a Saturday night. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. We made a reservation in advance, but it looked like they had plenty of space for walk-ins. The concept of Cafe Momentum is really cool. Many of the employees are youth that have been involved with the justice system that are there as part of a paid internship. They also provide counseling and other services to the youth while they are in the program. Very cool! There are only 3 in the US - Dallas, Nashville, and PITTSBURGH!! We're so lucky to be one of the 3 cities! They accept donations to their program in lieu of tips. The receipt shows this. They are BYOB. read more

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My parents were in town visiting and I've always wanted to eat here - especially because their mission is so wonderful. After eating here, I can confirm: the mission is wonderful, the staff is fabulous, and the food is fantastic. I don't know why this restaurant sometimes gets overlooked in the downtown scene, but do yourself a favor and go visit. I look forward to coming back soon. read more

Saw the menu and reviews and though it was a great place. The lunch menu was very limited and was disappointed at that.The food was good but I won't be back read more

Cafe Momentum has a few restaurants across the United States, and its unique mission is to provide support for youth who are coming out of the criminal justice system. Youths participate in a paid internship to learn about the restaurant industry, and they also receive mental health services, financial education, etcetera. I first heard many months ago that this restaurant would soon open, and I felt excited to try it out. I made my reservation on OpenTable's website. On the day of my reservation, my table was ready on time. Here are my reviews for the food and the service: Service - 4 stars - I understand that these youths are developing their social skills personally and professionally, and overall they did complete their jobs. When my husband and I entered the restaurant, the intern did not smile or say hello, and a manager helped him to use the computer to figure out our seating. Later, when we were departing the restaurant, the intern wished us a good night. Our waitress promptly took our order, and a manager had to tell her to take back our menus. When interns brought out our foods, they did not say the names of the foods or otherwise talk much. The waitress did check in with us a few times to see if we were OK. We asked for more water, and she poured more water for us. At the end of our meal, we waited a long time for our check. Food - 4 stars - The menu listed several appetizers (e.g., cheese board, meat board, and chef salad), several entrees (e.g., swordfish, ribeye, drunken noodles, and pork chop), and some sides (e.g., mushrooms, collard greens, smoked vegetables, and popcorn grits). I was still fasting for Lent, so I felt happy to see vegetarian and vegan options. The Butter board ($9) had three butters--honey, smoked onion, and plum-blueberry--as well as focaccia and sourdough breads. The Veggie Flatbread ($15) had a thin, crispy crust and was topped with ricotta cheese, microgreens, and other vegetables. The Beet Salad ($13) contained mostly arugula but also a good amount of beets, ricotta, walnuts, carrots, and balsamic dressing. The Smoked Fried Chicken ($27) contained fried chicken as well as mashed potatoes, gravy, and a buttermilk biscuit. My favorite food was the Beet Salad. My husband did not like the flavor of his fried chicken. The other foods were good. read more

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Cafe Momentum is definitely an experience you will never forget. I'll start with the mission of the establishment being geared towards helping our youth become responsible citizens. The youth are your servers during your visit. The atmosphere is inviting, intimate, and relaxing. It's everything you think of when you envision a 5 star restaurant. The food is nothing shy of a chef's kiss; just absolutely incredible. You don't have to add or take away anything during the course of your meal. Literally everything from start to finish was exceptional. The space can definitely hold a family gathering while providing intimacy for a date night. So when you think of fine dining include Momentum to your list! read more

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Classy décor, thoughtful service, and great food. And excellent room temperature - neither too hot nor too cold on a sweltering day. My lunch partner said the Momentum burger is fantastic. The beet salad is womderful. read more

Café Momentum - Pittsburgh - The Momentum burger, with freshly-made potato chips. - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Great and original cooking and thoughtful and attentive service. Plus the concept behind Cafe Momentum is awesome and should be supported by all. That is--to provide life skills, income, and support for young people who are trying to find their way and may not have that support elsewhere. The track record is excellent. Feel good and go there! read more

This was my first time here and I will definitely be back. All of the staff were extremely friendly and kind! We ordered: Butter board: This board was no joke! Three house made butters accompanied with focaccia and biscuits hit the spot. 'The cure' Flatbread: This flatbread was delicious. It had cured meats, whipped goat, lemon vinaigrette, and balsamic. All my favorites Fried Brussel Sprouts: These were the best brussel sprouts of my whole life!!! If you love brussel sprouts you NEED to come here and order them. Not only do they have great food, but they are serving a greater purpose. They work with Pittsburgh's justice-involved youth and teach them life skills while also aiding them with employment opportunities. read more

"Eat, drink, change lives" For food and service this place gets all fives A warm, cozy atmosphere that can't be beat, Salad, flatbread and gnocchi, we did eat. An appletart for dessert made in their gorgeous kitchen, Transforming young lives is this restaurant's mission. Tucked away in market square, what a hidden gem, Stop in and show the crew that you believe in them. - AM read more

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The whole experience was wonderful! The food was outstanding, and the service was great. The perfect balance of attentive, but not overbearing. This place is a hidden gem in the city. Note it's BYOB, but the corkage fee is reasonable. We will be returning in the future. read more

Excellent service! The Butters starter was really tasty. Three butters: a spicy one with habernero was my favorite, an herb butter was second and third I can't remember that was also good. The biscuits that came along with the focaccia were the best I've had since I moved from the south! I had the smoked fried chicken with ham hock collard greens, mashed potatoes, more biscuits and a black pepper gravy. Unfortunately, the chicken was very dry although it had good flavor. The collards and potatoes were very good. I only had a small taste of the gravy and I've already said the biscuits were fantastic. I would love for Cafe Momentum to be open for lunch. The mission is awesome and I love the commitment of the employees! read more

My colleagues and I were here on a work trip looking to sample the local food in Pittsburgh and we were so glad that we found Café momentum. The staff took care to make sure it was an incredible experience for us and made us feel very welcome. Our server also explained to us the mission of Café momentum, which gives opportunities to youth who have been swept up into the juvenile justice system to become high-end culinary interns and break the cycle of incarceration. Knowing this made the experience that much sweeter! The service was a 10, the food was a 10, and the experience was a 10. Highly recommend. read more

Had an extraordinary meal at Café Momentum last night. Challenging dishes done perfectly with great balance and nuances of flavors. All four of us agreed that our meals were fantastic. They source everything locally. Their appetizer of three breads and flavored butters (all made in the kitchen) were phenomenal. I had Jerky Spiced pork chop over popcorn grits (yup ) with corn and shishito peppers. Flavors were excellent with just the perfect touch of heat from the shishitos. The restaurant is BYOB, which is another plus. Now the best part!!!!! They are a non-profit organization providing paid internships to troubled youths ages 15-17, where they learn life skills and front and back operations. Executive Chef Peter Henry is VERY talented and a great mentor and has a very interesting background. At age 26, he was working with Alice Waters (of Chez Panisse fame) when he had some serious health problems. After much difficulty, he came out the other side and wanted to give back, so he is working with Café Momentum in Pittsburgh. We spoke with several of the interns and they have very rough stories but are working through Café Momentum to get their lives together and headed in the right direction. Alex was working the grill and cooked my pork chop to my exact specification of doneness. The restaurant is on Forbes Ave by Market Square and there is parking at the Hilton Garden Inn garage two doors down from the restaurant. Do yourself a favor and sample this excellent food while also contributing to a great cause! read more

Was visiting Pittsburgh for the first time and was intrigued by the chalkboard display in the storefront when we walked by as it mentioned the restaurant supports justice-impacted youth. Coming from SF, I was intrigued since we have a similar restaurant named Delancey Street Restaurant for adults (founded by an ex-felon). I immediately grabbed a reservation on OpenTable for 5:45 PM, however, realized that it was a bit too close to happy hour and called back to see if they could move this later, which they were happy to accommodate a 7:30 PM spot. We were hanging out around the neighborhood as we arrived early to stop by SPACE the art gallery (highly recommend). At around 7:30 PM, we got a courtesy text that our table was ready--which we truly appreciated since it was so easy to get immersed in the gallery. Our time at Cafe Momentum felt like the "younger sibling" version of what we experienced back home at Delancey St. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, with booth and table seating. Chris had been our host to seat us at our booth and made sure to wish me a happy birthday (the special event noted in our reservation). We were then greeted by our waiter, Daniel, and the manager Gene even stopped by to say hello (a nice touch since the restaurant had just opened on Mar 1st). Since it was a Friday during Lent, it was nice to see seafood and vegetarian options on their seasonal menu. We ordered apps first, which were brought out, then ordered sides & mains following. The Food: - Butter Board - 5/5 You MUST get this spread of delicately crafted compound butters accompanied by fluffy biscuits and crunchy focaccia slices. It was so good, we had to stop ourselves from filling up on bread. - Baked PA Mushroom - 3/5 I hadn't expected this to be another bread spread, so we had definitely over-ordered on apps--whoops. The mushrooms tasted great, but my husband and I definitely preferred the butter board way more. We'd give this a skip next time around but would recommend it to anyone who prefers goat cheese over butter. - Beet Salad - 4/5 Generous portions of rainbow carrots and perfectly cooked golden and red beets, with goat cheese and a balsamic drizzle. Delicious and refreshing after a long trip. - Ahi Tuna - 4.5/5 Sesame crusted ahi tuna on top of a citrusy soy noodle bed. The citrus soy noodles was a fresh take and an appreciated twist on the dish, and the portion of tuna, like all the other dishes, was quite generous--much more than what we usually expect coming from the Bay Area. We unfortunately had no space left for dessert after this and packed our apps to bring back to the hotel. We were also pleasantly surprised by their no tipping policy--in lieu of tips, the restaurant takes donations instead to fund their nonprofit mission. We grabbed a T-shirt on the way out as well (note: they're running low on inventory so grab one while you can before the next restock!) Tldr;; A great restaurant with good atmosphere, delicious food, and an amazing cause--definitely worth a stop in Pittsburgh to dine with purpose. read more

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How many reviews have you read that start with, "I really wanted to like this place, but..."? Well, look no further to brush aside the disappointment of over hyped restaurants. Cafe Momentum does not disappoint with their service, menu, flavors and mission. There were plenty of vegetarian options and we order quite a few tapas style. The brussel sprouts were delicious, as was the trio of butters. The Baked PA Mushroom was the oddest, but strangely satisfying appetizer. The mushrooms were crispy, charred, almost burnt, but somehow not bitter; it was a savory bomb. We had no room for dessert, but we'll be back. Chef John from the Dallas cafe was in town and shared some hatch chili chutney in a jar that we got to spice up the flatbread. Great mission to match the tasty food in a very nice location. Highly recommended for foodies, and anyone who wants to feel good about contributing to the cause. read more

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We had a wonderful Tuesday snack before an event. Pricing is very reasonable for downtown, the dining room is lovely, and there are good menu choices. The flavors of the food are solid and their sourcing is awesome. They have delicious sparkling water and soda, coffee options. BYO at very reasonable price is an added plus. The best part about this place is the mission, which was executed with pride by the people who work here. read more

Pleasant and clean atmosphere; attentive and friendly service. The cookie board for dessert was the best! The server described the cookies, which was nice. The ice cream that came with the cookie board was absolutely devine!! read more

Our experience was great! The concept, the atmosphere, the food, all great. The owner/chef introduced himself and many of the trainees as well. The food was delicious, beautifully presented and the timing of food delivery was perfect for a relaxing night out dining and catching up with friends. One thing they did exactly right in my book was that they did NOT clear anyone's plates before EVERYONE was finished eating, so no one felt rushed. This is my pet peeve in most American eating establishment. And no one brought us the bill and asked us if we were planning ahead to have dessert while we were still eating our main courses, so hats off to the management for knowing how to properly pace a meal! Lovely dinner out! I highly recommend. read more

My wife has wanted to go here for awhile. We finally did. I have eaten in a lot of top level restaurants around the world. I was blown away. One would think the product/service would be challenged with the wonderful mission of this restaurant. NOT ONE BIT. The flavors were magnificent! Whether it was the appetizer, starter, main course or dessert, we ate each like it was our last meal! I hesitate to discuss the specifics of the items as the menu changes depending on the local sourcing of ingredients and chef's creativity. Suffice to say unless we just hit the menu jackpot that one night...it is all good! Service was warm and attentive with a personal visit from the chef! I can't recommend giving this a try enough. I plan to be back...often. read more

We had dinner at Cafe Momentum and had a wonderful experience. The Brie and fig flatbread app was delicious and the steak dinner fantastic and perfectly cooked. read more

What a great experience!! The food was great and plentiful. The service was great! The atmosphere was warm. Keep up the good work young people. We will be returning!! Yum read more

The food was delicious, beautiful, and high quality ( hyper-locally sourced). The restaurant is newly renovated and lovely with an open view of the kitchen. The service was friendly and responsive. The mission is incredible--training justice involved to cook and serve in a fine dining establishment. read more

Café Momentum - Pittsburgh - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Highly recommend the pork chop, the smoked fried chicken, and the cured meat flatbread!

Amazing time! The food was great! Thee kids are great.. the greens were to die for! Please visit them and give this place a chance!!

Wow, what a fabulous experience at Cafe Momentum Pittsburgh. From the moment we walked in, we were treated with enthusiasm and professionalism! Four of us for dinner and everything was spot on delicious! The Butter Board is to die for --- three different kinds of butter (which was produced locally) and breads that were fresh and so flavorful. Salads: Asparagus Salad and Beet Salad (Yum). Dinners were: Linguine w/sardines; Smoked Fried Chicken w/mashed potatoes; Braised Rabbit and the Jerky Pork Chop. Everything was absolutely DELICIOUS and prepared to perfection. The flavors blended so well together. The chef came out to talk to us about the ingredients and most is locally produced, even some by their own gardens. Heard stories of the waiters and staff and just was such a personalized dinner. Absolutely loved their mission and seeing how this incredible restaurant is making a difference in the lives of young people. Will definitely go back -- you won't be disappointed and, oh yes, it's BYOB!! read more

I heard about Cafe Momentum in an unusual way - Chef Chad Houser who founded the original concept in Dallas was on a podcast and mentioned that they were expanding to Pgh. What? Why hadn't I heard about it? (It's still quite new.) So I made it a point to get there for dinner next chance I got. It's a very convenient location just a block from Market Square and next to a parking garage with $5 evening parking. It wasn't busy (yet), they are still working on getting a liquor license so for now it's BYOB. The food was amazing, for apps our group had the butter board, meat board, and Baked PA mushroom, it was hard to choose a favorite. I had a beet salad - loaded with beets! - and the hubby had the Pappardelle Bolognese which he raved about. The staff was friendly and attentive (without hovering), they did a nice job and you could tell they wanted to be there. (I think we've all been to restaurants with miserable over-worked staff, this was the complete opposite.) So here's the deal - I can get a delicious locally-sourced meal at many establishments - but where can you get that same quality of food with a dose of social justice, serving a higher cause? This is your place! read more

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