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    Poetry Lounge

    4.7 (19 reviews)
    Closed 3:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

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    POETRY LOUNGE ATMOSPHERE

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    Spork House Punch
    Mary F.

    Honestly... Poetry Lounge is just such a fun place and definitely something the city needed. If you haven't been you definitely need to check it out. First of all you just feel welcome when you walk in the door. There is lots of bar sitting, along with some booths and even a couch. We usually grab some seats at the bar. There are frequently events going on and a wide range as well. Some events are ticketed, sometimes there is a cover and sometimes no charge. The artwork is great and all the fun photographs and sayings. Every time I'm there I spot something new. There is even a gumball machine with poetry in it. How cool. Most often we have gone for live music. This time we were in the area and just wanted to grab a drink. They did have a DJ though which was fun. It was also a great choice because they stay open late when so many local places close early. They do have a limited food menu but I have never eaten there. They have a variety of drinks ranging from non alcoholic to beer or wine, even cider. The cocktail menu is where it's at though. There are so many choices and some unique combinations. It's been fun trying so many. I think my favorite drink on the menu is Galeophobia which comes in a fun shark glass. It's fruity without being too sweet and the macadamia liquor adds just the right amount of nuttiness in the background. I seriously could drink several of them. The Spork House Punch is another favorite. Immediately *pinkies up* with the fancy little crystal mug. The pear and lemon gives such great flavor and it's well balanced and an easy drinker. It also feels like a good value with the amount you get. This time my fiancé tried Elvis' death and loved the toilet mug. He said it was tasty but a bit expensive for what it was so he probably wouldn't order it again. Fun bartenders, great drinks, good atmosphere, enjoyable entertainment.. what's not to love?

    Seth Portenlanger
    Amy P.

    Friendly bartenders, fun atmosphere, awesome performances! Plenty of drinks including 3 NA options. Friends said that the hot dogs were good.

    Karla D.

    I absolutely love Poetry Lounge. Literally everything about it from the decor...amazing homage paid to so many local and national folks alike. Mural by the famous local artist Rick Bach. Love that you can attend poetry readings, open mics, book launchings, deejay nights, live band karaoke, live bands, art shows, and so much more entertainment-wise. THE STAFF ABD OWNERS ARE SOME OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE HUMAN BEINGS ON THE PLANET!!! Light food menu, can't beat a hot dog and chips for $5. Let's talk cocktails... On par if not better than the likes of high-end cocktail bars you'd expect in NYC, London, or Chicago. Carefully curated, liquid works of art. Support local business.

    A murder of goth chicks
    Natalie H.

    Great love music, friendly bartender, creative strong cocktails. Drinks to suit a wide range of budgets and tastes.

    Mirabelle Skipworth and the Brink Of live at PL
    Terry B.

    Love this place. An intimate, trendy, hipster dive, with vinyl spinning and great live music.

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    2 months ago

    The coolest, sweetest bar I've been to in a while. Super fun vibe! We were in on a Monday night for karaoke. Great bartenders and DJ.

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    4 months ago

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    21 days ago

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    7 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    2 months ago

    Good music, good drinks, nice ambience, nice crowd. Parking can be challenging but worth the walk

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    4 months ago

    Great people. Great vibes in general. I reallt was here for some other things as well. But the vibe was on point

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    4 months ago

    Service is always perfect here. Unless you're being rude to the staff once they let you know you may have had a little much to drink.

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    1 year ago

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    4 months ago

    my favorite bar in the city! best bartender (especially brexlyn) and cool shows with bangin dj nights ;)

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    3 years ago

    Great local bar in Millvale! Good drafts. Good cocktails. Great music. Great crowd. Great bartending staff! Highly recommended!

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    Ask the Community - Poetry Lounge

    Review Highlights - Poetry Lounge

    Great music and it's a fun vibe because it's packed during events on weekends.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    The Forge

    The Forge

    4.5
    (260 reviews)
    1.4 mi

    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.

    Amazing experience from start to finish. Loved the ambiance - felt high end without being stuffy…read more My husband and I got 2 very interesting cocktails- one was like a spicy dill margarita and one was a dirty martini with a black pepper/curry taste to it. The dirty martini was fairly pungent and strong so not sure I would get it again but I'm also not big on dirty martinis so probably just the wrong choice on my part. But the food was the star of the show. We ate so many good dishes- starting with the rainbow platter. Loved the baba ghanoush and the roasted cauliflower - those were my favorite of the 7 dishes on the platter. We also ordered the labneh, hummus with chicken and lamb shawarma, and the kafta kebabs (rolled up in some sort of tortilla) which were all fantastic! If we come back (which we will) I would just order the baba ghanoush instead of the rainbow platter, all the other dishes we ordered, and maybe one additional plate. I felt like I didn't really need the Israeli salad (tomato and cucumber) or the pickled cauliflower and radish that came on the rainbow platter. The hummus was SO soft and fluffy. This was some of the best food we've had in Pittsburgh. After having lived in a Philly for 4 years, we know good mediterranean/lebanese food and I'd be surprised if you can find better in Pittsburgh. Service was also very good.

    Photos
    The Forge
    Baked Brie bowl - wood-fired oven-baked Brie wheel encapsulated in pull-apart dough with spicy thyme, pepper, and garlic sauce
    Baked Brie bowl - wood-fired oven-baked Brie wheel encapsulated in pull-apart dough with spicy thyme, pepper, and garlic sauce
    Drunken mushrooms - mushrooms stewed in red wine, onions, spices, herbs, cream, served with crostini

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    Drunken mushrooms - mushrooms stewed in red wine, onions, spices, herbs, cream, served with crostini
    Unspeakable

    Unspeakable

    5.0
    (20 reviews)
    1.4 mi

    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.

    This is my new favorite cocktail bar in Pittsburgh. Every single drink I've had here has been…read morefantastic. I've been twice so far, I've tried six different drinks. Very impressed by their craftsmanship and experimental flavors. There's not many places in this area that even attempt to do that. I love the speakeasy vibe. Super cool entrance and fun comfortable lounge upstairs. It's a fantastic place to go as an intimate group. But it's kind of small to take a group of more than 4 friends. Cocktails were made surprisingly quick even on a busy night. Everything is just really great about this place. Except for maybe the price lol but at least you're getting what you pay for in a good way

    Photos
    Upstairs fireplace
    Upstairs fireplace
    Violet desert
    Violet desert
    Unspeakable

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    Cavo Nightclub

    Cavo Nightclub

    3.5
    (115 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    I had my first experience doing a private table/bottle service at Cavo last weekend, and it is SO…read moremuch more fun than just going as a regular patron. They supply you with a party bus to take you to the venue beforehand which definitely set the energy for the night. Once there, we got escorted up to our table in the upstairs section. It was the perfect mix of comfy & private, but we still had the balcony to dance on over top of the main dance floor. The bottle list was a good mix of options at various price points, and they had good mixers too. The bottle girls & bouncers were all extremely professional & friendly. The music was great. I think this would be my only way doing Cavo now! Food: N/A Drinks: A- Service: A Ambiance: A

    We attended the Moonlight Fashion Show benefitting the City Music Center of Duquesne University…read more The place is... probably like every night club... but still let's review. The floor was so sticky that your shoes would be fully stuck while walking. The staff is very uninterested in their jobs. Coat check basically grunted and pointed when asked questions. Unfortunately, the cleanliness of the floor really doesn't make food of interest... even though the event had tables of appetizers set out. But honestly, it was too dark to even see what there was. Like I said probably a stereotypical night club, but it was just gross enough to make me happy that I never go lol Probably only fun when drunk and dancing.. but hey that's their genre!

    Photos
    Room #2
    Room #2
    Room #2 (bar)
    Room #2 (bar)
    Room #1 (entry)

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    Room #1 (entry)
    Spirit

    Spirit

    4.0
    (141 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    We came to the new pizzeria for dinner on a Sunday night and had a great experience. The new space…read moreis very nice - a more elevated experience than the prior design/setup. They were not very busy so we were able to get a table right away without a reservation. We stated with fried artichokes and a caesar salad, which we shared. The portions were a nice size for sharing. We then had the white pizza and the chicken parmesan for our entries. Everything was fresh and delicious. The service was also excellent. I highly recommend Spirit. We will definitely be back.

    Came here for the AMBOY Filipino popup and was so happy at the result!…read moreWe loved the food! We greatly enjoyed the servers. They were kind and fun, obviously skilled at their jobs. Let's get the one problem out of the way: Our only issue was that the host was incredibly cold and seemed very irritated with us, which we were not used to. We tried to joke and interact in an upbeat way, but they almost seemed to be repulsed by us and annoyed that we were talking to them. We had a reservation, so we really didn't have a choice. I suggest Spirit find a different position for that host, as good of a person as I am sure they are, they don't seem to like people at all. I am taking off a star because of the host being a complete buzzkill to the beginning of our experience. Who you hire matters! Where is 3D Mark or someone who loves to play and makes you feel like family? As for the food, five stars. We loved Chef Raf's pop-up! We loved that it felt like a beautiful combo of Spirit's pizza kitchen with Raf's high quality filipino flavors! The drinks were good. We were delighted at the vegan options and all of the cool nonalcoholic drinks. LOVE. The atmosphere was also super cool. Lots of plants, a moose horn, a bear head mascot mask thing, windows with natural light that slightly look out onto the street. It's not that big of a space in the room we were, but there's one big booth in the back that can sit maybe 7 people if you squish.

    Photos
    Soft Vein . . .
    Soft Vein . . .
    1/2 Dozen Seitan Wings
    1/2 Dozen Seitan Wings
    Spirit

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    Poetry Lounge - lounges - Updated July 2026

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