Eighth & Hays might be one of my favorite spots in the Pittsburgh area. I travel for work, so I am…read morealways looking for new restaurants to try, and this one is an absolute must. From the moment we walked in, I loved the ambience. The staff was incredibly kind and welcoming and made us feel right at home. During our visit, I learned that it is a family owned restaurant, which made me appreciate it even more. They also have a sports bar right next door, which I thought was a nice addition. The food did not disappoint. I even had to ask if the family was from Italy because everything tasted so authentic. They told me they were not, but honestly I never would have guessed! The pizza was amazing. I am a huge fan of brick oven style pizza and this definitely hit the spot. The pasta was incredible, the steak was cooked exactly how I ordered it, and the wine paired perfectly with the meal. One of my good friends and I came here together, and I am so happy we decided to try it. It turned into one of those meals you keep thinking about long after you leave. Every time I am back in Pittsburgh, this will absolutely be one of the restaurants I make a point to visit. Thank you for such a memorable experience.

I don't know why I have never reviewed Eighth & Hays. Especially since I was there on a very recent…read moretrip back to Pittsburgh. Better late than never right? On my last visit, we had a brick oven pizza which was really good. We went with the Margherita and the flavor popped. All of the ingredients were fresh and the pizza was cooked to perfection. A lot of times brick oven pies can come out rubbery and chewy. Not the case here. On another visit we had the charucterie board & it was filled with great cheeses, jams, crackers, and dipping sauces. The steak sandwich as well as the caprese sandwich are some pretty stellar options. The steak sandwich has a really flavorful and unexpected corn pico. Here for it. Caprese in any form is a plus for me. I like that the sandwich includes red onion and a really tasty sun-dried tomato pesto. Venture over to Homestead for this spot. You'll be happy you did.

We came for my husband's birthday tonight. We made reservations, just to make sure we would have a…read moretable. The front of the house lady was pretty busy, wearing all the hats: host, bartender, server. And she did a great job running from the patio, to the tables inside. The food was delicious! We had the smoked cheese crab dip that was served with pita. There was not a drop left in our dish. We got a couple apps and then for our entrees, we got the stuffed salmon, filet and fish sandwich. Everything was great! The prices are very reasonable on the menu for both the drinks and the food.

We came in on a Sunday afternoon. This place is absolutely phenomenal. The music was great and they…read morewere slow when we got there. The most amazing crab dip and crab cakes I've ever had in my entire life. Absolutely spectacular. The bartender was our server. Her mules and old fashioned spot on. Our food took a little while but it's all made fresh and it was soooo worth the wait.

Back for another fantastic meal at the forge. They have a summer drink menu, I got the Lemongrass…read moreis greener. Super delicious, nice ginger flavor. We shared the rainbow platter, shawarma hummus, gambas al ajillo, labneh, and a peach! Pizza. The shawarma hummus had a delicious flavor. The pickled veggies had a nice kick.

I met some friends at The Forge for dinner and we got there a little early so we could take…read moreadvantage of their happy hour and get some delicious cocktails! They have some unique drinks and a good mix of sweet and savory options. The inside has seating at the bar, some plush lounge chairs with low tables, and some normal tables. We then moved to a table for dinner and we all agreed that the real star of the show were the small plates so go with friends and make sure you get a bunch to share! We all thought the pizzas were just okay. We ended the meal with an incredible bartender's choice drink creation and a light and lovely tiramisu.

We've been here 4+ times now. Unspeakable has such an incredible vibe--cozy, intimate, and dimly…read morelit in a way that feels perfect for a date night or catching up with a close friend. The atmosphere alone is worth a visit. The drinks are definitely crafted with care and have a lot of complexity, but with only two bartenders working, it took quite a while to get ours. Not the place to go if you want quick service or are grabbing a drink before another event. My biggest downside is the price point--most cocktails are around $17. They're good, but at that price I can really only justify having one. Note: They do not have food, just snacks like peanuts. Overall, amazing ambiance and well-made drinks, just expect slower service and a higher bill.

I hadn't been to Unspeakable in a while, so I decided to go have a cocktail. The ambiance is still…read morethe same which is nice. In addition to indoor seating on the first and second floor, they also have a fenced in patio outside for sitting. As we sat outside, we saw groups of people who could not figure out how to get into the speakeasy. Another thing that happened was that they closed early the night that I went because of the lack of customers. A group was trying to come in as we were leaving but we told them they were closing for the night. So be aware of that, if you're planning to go late night (past 11 pm). However, the drinks were amazing as always! They now added a couple of small bites so we tried the cucumbers. They were delicious and packed with flavor! Our drinks were great as always. They have even more options than the last time I was there which was nice! I still really enjoy this little space!

We came to Pittsburgh while they were hosting the D2 March Madness in 2026, and thanks to my…read morenephew's team bringing us out here, we were able to uncover this gem of a cigar lounge. I've been to quite a few cigar lounges--and even worked at one--so I have a good sense of what makes a place stand out. Burn by Rocky Patel did just that on every level. The ambiance, décor, cigar selection, and service were all top-tier. It's a classy lounge with a twist of sports bar energy, which made it both elevated and fun. We enjoyed it so much that we came back the next day, and they had live entertainment--a violinist playing along to hip hop and R&B--which created such a unique vibe. Kayla, the bartender, let us know about the live entertainment the day before, it wasn't posted on their social media or website. She was attentive, sweet, and made excellent drinks. Evan, who was working the cigar side, was extremely knowledgeable, patient, and communicated well with customers even during a heavy flow. One thing that really stood out was the crowd--mixed ages, mature, and plenty of ladies confidently partaking in the beautiful art of cigars, which I loved seeing. Even if you don't smoke cigars, the vibes in this place are worth the visit. If and when I return to Pittsburgh, this place is a must. It's also within walking distance to the stadiums, which is a huge plus. Feedback for management: The only reason I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 is the disconnect between locations and social media postings. There was an event listed on the website that wasn't actually happening at this location, while an amazing event that was happening wasn't shared online; which would have been a shame to miss. It may be worth considering in-house social media and website management to ensure updates are accurate and timely to the specific location.

I was excited to find a cigar bar downtown where I could hang out with a few friends after dinner…read more It's a great way to thin the crowd a bit. This place seemed inviting, however, the service was non-existent. It was actually kind of busy and the bar was full (not packed). Many of the sections were roped off so there was juts one table open near the front of the store. We sat there with no table service at all. They could have made some money from us but nope. Other than the guy at the front door who was just "find a seat" and not helpful at all, and the guy in the cigar shop, who was one of the few helpful people in assisting with the cigar purchase and cutting of the cigar. He offered to light it, but that's half the fun, so I declined. Apparently, the bartenders have lighters too but I couldn't find a place to sneak in and get the cigar lit and also buy a drink. Luckily, someone in my party had a lighter so I just used that and hung out. A drink would have been nice, but not necessary. After this place, we went to a few more bars in the area where they actually served their customers. What a novel idea, right?

start making the breakfast platters again thanks a lot!!! it's 5 star but without the breakfast…read moreit's a hard 4.5

My husband and I polled a Facebook group called "Pittsburgh foodies" to get recs on everyone's…read morefavorite Reuben sandwich in the greater Pittsburgh area. With at least 50 responses, Emil's came up in the top 5 so we knew we had to give it a try. We drove all the way from cranberry during rush hour so it was quite the ordeal to get to Rankin but well worth the trip. The restaurant was very busy and service was slightly slow, but not terrible. It's a fairly rundown looking establishment, but the food was great and the server was friendly. I wouldnt say it's the best Reuben I've ever had but it was big and flavorful and definitely satisfied the craving. I would have loved just a little more sauce too! If you love a good Reuben definitely add Emil's to your list!

We have been to Palm Palm more than a few times. I love…read morethe fun atmosphere and diversity of patrons and staff. We love all the cocktails and small plates. It's a great way to sit around and have lively conversations with friends. My favorite combo this time was the Spressy Martini and Truffle Fries. However, we had all the small plates and 7 different cocktails. All were very good. The end with Pistachio Cheesecake was so good. The staff are always willing to make their place better. Patrick, manager, is the nicest and always welcoming to any feedback. Our waiter, Elijah, was attentive and super kind.

What was the worst thing about this restaurant? The chairs are little too heavy…read more A group of us went here for a birthday celebration, and we had a great time! The food was delicious, delicately placed on plates and left room for dessert. It's been a long time since I've done a small plates meal with friends. And we had a great time. Definitely will come back again! Possibly even to see what the happy hour menu involves. I would recommend this restaurant we were here for dinner The service was good, could've visit our table a little more often. But the server was a tentative, offered recommendations, and when we requested something special on a plate, it was followed through incorrect the first time. Love the lightning fixtures as well. The green towel and the ladies room was beautiful.

This is a really great cocktail bar with cool speakeasy vibes! My fiancé and I went on a Friday…read morearound 8:30 pm and it wasn't as busy as I was expecting! We easily got a seat at the bar. (Sitting at the bar is the best!) We started with Bartender's choice (which is always a good idea if you're at a specialty cocktail bar), and we both loved what we got! They made me a Juliet & Romeo, which was gin, cucumber, mint, etc. they made my fiancé a Safe Return, which was bourbon, pineapple, cinnamon, etc. (didn't write down the ingredients so can't remember it all lol) I also got the classic Last Word, which was great! They didn't include the maraschino cherry garnish which made me sad, but I lived lol. I also tried the Euro Trip from their specialty menu, and it was delicious and very spicy from the ginger. They also had their own barrel select of Knob Creek, which my fiancé tried - so cool! The bartenders were super chill and the ambiance was great! A little pricey but worth it.

You really can't go wrong with cocktails in this great hidden spot on the South Side. The…read morebartenders are terrific and so friendly and the space is very dimly lit and romantic.

This place is amazing!! I got the jerk chicken, rice and peas, cabbage, Mac and cheese, and fried…read moredumplings. The fried dumplings were so good we went back to get two more orders

Excellent as always! I love this spot as it's closest to the authentic Caribbean food & not…read moretailored to the American palate. The owners take the time to remember their customers which makes you feel special.