I have only really been here late night so keep that in mind Ritters is located within walking distance of the bars in Shadyside and Bloomfield and unfortunately it's the only place open at 3am. As such I have been here more times than I would ever want to... If I were blackout drunk cooking on a George foreman grill I could make better food... If you like your eggs served in a puddle of miscellaneous kitchen liquid, or bite into a chicken parm sandwich and have the breading slip off of the entire piece of chicken this is your place!!! Though I could list the horror stories I have experienced I will concentrate on one that summarizes this diner.... Friend orders a milkshake... Only gets the glass and not the residual leftover in the mixing metal cup... He drinks it rather quickly and wonders if the leftover will ever come... So he waits and waits keeps looking at the counter where the leftover bit is just sitting there... 45 minutes later waitress finally walks over to it, drops a little bit of icecream in it mixes it... Puts it into a glass and serves it to someone else. We called it the circle of milkshake life...in that every milkshake is half old half new. People keep coming back perhaps because they like the little nickel jukeboxes or because nothing else is open , I have even heard it being called a Pittsburgh culinary institution... I'm sure the brothers primanti, Pamela, and the delucas are rolling over in their graves... If they are Infact dead. What's sad that though I am downright disgusted with this place at times,I know that I will return one drunken night ... Fml read more

Back in the day the place was great. Now gets worse and worse, actually very sad. Beyond dirty and they only have one great waitress, the rest are terrible. Tonight my waitress put a saucer with creamers on top of my coffee , so the bottom of dirty saucer was actually in the coffee. And floating piece of meat in the water. Floors are filthy and owners no longer care. They have shortened the hours, hardly anyone there, Just sad really.... read more

On a postive note, the honey dipped chicken dinner is tasty as well as breakfast. However, my meatloaf last night was anything but yummy. There was no seasoning in it and I probably tasted one onion in the entire 2 thick slices. his Greek lasagna was made out of Easy Mac noodles + 1 lasagna noodle on top. It also had a teeny tiny bit of sauce. I'm not sure what was Greek about it. The rolls were rock hard too. I'll come back when Im drunk and hungry for a greasy 3am breakfast or a burger or appetizers since yelpers seemed to say good things about those. Also they changed their hours are are no longer always 24 hours. Sunday, Monday & Tuesdays they close at ten. read more

2.5 but I rounded down. This is not a place you go to eat out but it's rather a emergency stop when you have no other place to go perhaps 4 in the morning. Cash only. Doesn't separate the check so if you are eathing with somebody else figure it out among yaselves. I'm not a big fan of diner's and haven't been to one so I don't have anything to compare to but like I said, if you have nowhere else to go you might try this one. Food is ok. It's like the food that a mom who doesn't care for cooking cooked. I don't want to be too mean. Waitresses are friendly. They are dressed up in scrubs like nurses. read more

Ritter's will never be a fine dining establishment. It will always be a diner. It will always be a standby. It will always be home-cooked, open and ready to accept you regardless of the time of day or the day of the week. All that is truly required is that you find one item on the menu that you really enjoy. For me, that one item is the Grilled Chicken Breast Dinner. I almost always get this item with the veggie of the day, sliced tomatoes or sliced cucumbers. It always tastes good and it never breaks the bank. Sometimes I might get breakfast, but usually it is the grilled chicken breast. Everyone should try Ritter's at least once. They only accept cash, but they do have an ATM present at the entry. Every now and then, I do allow myself to order a slice of the freshly made banana cream pie. Wow...it is tasty. read more

Something about this place.... I don't know what it is. The food is really only 3-star at times, and yet if you come in here starved, it can taste as good as 4 stars or hell even 5. Maybe 5 if your stoned, actually. ;) It might be because my dad used to take me here after church when I was a kid, so I feel really nostalgic about the place. Ironically, I am pretty sure I hated it as a kid. I love their buckwheat pancakes now though. Truly a PA tradition for me. And my BF enjoyed their French toast. Sat at the bar to be served right away. Scrubs-clad waitstaff was friendly and prompt. They only take cash *gasp* but luckily for me (a.) there's an ATM in the front of the place, and (b.) my credit union will refund my ATM fees every month. So yeah, not a big deal. Parking was kinda tight but they do have an overflow lot, kinda behind the place a bit. Legit comfort food at a greasy spoon diner that's been around for ages. Gotta love it. read more

After many years of going past this place, I finally had the chance to go in and check out the food! As soon as you enter Ritter's Diner, right there in front of you is an ATM- credit/debit cards are not accepted. The décor is not modern, but it still adds to the diner's charm. The waitresses, who wear hospital scrubs as their uniforms, were friendly, but they seemed rather tired while I was there. Nonetheless, my waitress was attentive and provided efficient service. Ritter's Diner is open 24/7 and whatever is on the menu can be ordered any time of day. So for brunch, I ordered a steak breakfast that came with eggs, home fries and toast. Everything was delicious! I am so pleased with my first experience at Ritters Dinner that I will definitely be back to try other items on their menu! read more

Ritter's Diner - Diners Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Breakfast, breakfast, breakfast!!! I've been here many times over the years 90% of which I've ordered breakfast. Diner breakfast easily excites me and this place hits the spot!! Home fries over hash browns and if my bacon bends and not breaks, then you can get from me! I don't think I've ever had a bad experience here. I love it here any time of day from early a.m. when the seniors are here to after hours when the drunks are here lol. Thanks for many delicious meals, Ritters, and hopefully more to come :) read more

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I can't really give a food review since I didn't order anything, but there is a reason why I didn't order anything. My brother and his friends had the midnight munchies after the whole pub crawling. Being the responsible little sister, I "chaperoned" the boys and went the Ritters with them. I wasn't in the mood to eat after midnight, but that's not the reason why I didn't order anything. The reason why I didn't get anything was because when we walked in the diner, I looked at the variety of dishes other patrons ordered and felt slightly sick to my stomach. Must've been my inner conscious that the food is bad news and I guessed correctly. My brother had the Arcadian burger and by sunrise, his stomach didn't settle well. Had no desire to eat throughout the day. Trust your eyes, nose, and instinct. It's most likely right. read more

I was visiting a church in the area and decided to try this diner. It had mixed reviews so my curiosity got the best of me. The menu is lengthy. I am a huge breakfast food fan so I decided to order breakfast. I usually go the eggs and bacon route, but flipped the script when I saw the Coco Loco pancakes. They are pancakes with chocolate chips and coconut. I also ordered a side of bacon. My son got bacon & eggs that came with toast and home fries. When my pancakes came they looked like your typical pancakes with a light sprinkling of coconut and chocolate chips. There was also a drizzle of chocolate syrup. I was a tad disappointed. I ate the top pancake and it was incredibly delicious. I thought " it's too bad this is not in each pancake. Still hungry I started eating the two remaining pancakes. Oh. My. Word. There wasn't any coconut in them but they were packed with chocolate chips. I'm talking packed! They were some of the best pancakes I've ever had. The side of bacon was a little salty which was needed to break up all of the sweetness of the pancakes. My son eats "dippy" eggs ( runny sunny side up). I'm not a fan but he enjoyed them. Living in the Burgh we are used to getting Italian bread as toast but this was true blue white sandwich bread. He cleaned his plate so that should tell you that he liked it a lot. The diner is exactly that-a true diner. It has never been updated. The menu has probably been the same for more than 25 years. But if your parking lots (they have 2) are filled that means you are doing something right. The cars were everything from old beaters to Porches. That says a lot as well. We will definitely be back to try other menu items!! read more

Ritter's Diner - Bacon & Eggs (sunny side up) - Diners Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Yinz! Spending 3 days in town I had learned about this quirky PGH linguistic tic, but I only heard it spoken here. That alone makes it a Pittsburgh gem. Classic diner fare, quick, cheap and cheerful. What more do you want? read more

I've only been here after 2 AM, and it's always been a flaming trainwreck of an experience. I've had to figure out if the waitresses were doing this as a halfway house job, I've had staff members not apologize while picking pieces of steel wool and green plastic scrubber out of my food, and I've witnessed an armed robbery. The food is decent, for the hours they're open. Try Tom's Diner or Eat 'n Park instead. Heck, go to a grocery store instead. read more

Ritter's is amazing- for what it is: A big, Greek-ish, old fashioned greasy spoon diner with A LOT of character. Granted I have been and will only go here for a weekend breakfast, (or maybe I would go after a night of drinking- since it is open 24 hours.) It is also walking distance from my house- so that makes me a little bias. I always order a Greek omelet of some sort, and eat half of it and am stuffed, so take the other half home. The servers have all been there for awhile I'm sure- but are still friendly and not too bitter. OK greasy spoon diner- especially because I can walk there. read more

UPDATE - I went back for dinner to give them a fair shake....well my first clue was sticking to the table. Stains were present from other diners...no biggie...I will ask to have the table wiped down. While I listened to the waitress arguing with another old timer over the price of a roll (who manages this and let's this stuff go on?), I decided to check the silverware. Yep...leftover food particles. I have a healthy immune system I think....well then my sprite came in a clear glass. The white milk like stain on the inside of the drink was slowly flaking off into my ice....last straw...I told the waitress and walked out. FILTHY MCNASTY! My morning review is below: Walked over from UPMC to have breakfast. Typical diner look and menu. I really don't get the hype as the food was average at best. The server was nice and attentive thus the third star. One thing that bothered me was one old man who just got up got behind the counter and helped himself to drinks. Clearly a customer and not an owner. I may try something else but really underwhelming concerning the hype. read more

Okay, the food isn't wonderful -- but, it's pretty good AND it's cheap! I must admit I always stick with the breakfast-y menu items, but I'm such a fan of this place! You gotta appreciate Ritter's being open 24 hours. Where else in Pittsburgh can you go at 2 AM and get some comfort food (or something to sober you up)? I've been here at all hours of the day, and the crowd is always interesting... and so are the waitresses. Ah, I love it! There's just something special about Ritter's. read more

Ritters is a Pittsburgh treasure. Old school diner, complete with at-table mini jukeboxes that sometimes work. Great people watching here. This is the place you come for late night munchies or possibly morning after recovery. Breakfast food is on point, as is the Greek fare. Cash only like most of the coolest spots in The Burgh! read more

I moved to Pittsburgh a year ago and only came here for the first time this past weekend. I live a few blocks away and I can't believe i didn't try sooner! Everything we ordered for breakfast was delicious, plentiful, and affordable. The staff were very friendly, and it was a quick and easy Saturday morning breakfast. I'm so excited to make this my new spot, looking forward to the next time. read more

I hate writing this review but I feel like I must. I go here frequently but wouldn't call myself a regular. However after waiting for almost 15 minutes for a waitress while they were all talking amongst themselves and those that are regulars I just say something. That is a good way to lose customers especially when you practically greet you regulars with open arms and leave others sitting. read more

Traditional diner with red vinyl booths and diner coffee. Very homey and quaint, and you can't beat the price. I enjoyed the omelette with kale and black eyes peas, and the home fries were perfectly crispy on top. I will definitely be back for lunch or dinner There is plenty of parking on Baum, and the place was crawling with customers on Sunday morning for breakfast. read more

Worst food in Pittsburgh. That's all. I have been there twice, never my choice, I had tummy ache both times. I think the food is boring. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with non-gourmet food, but Ritter's, is just "blah". It also was an unclean feel at times when you are seated and you look around. They are cash only also. That doesn't both me at Pamelas, because the food is oh so delish. Here, you are just wasting you apetite on food that has TONS of rooms for improvement. read more

Sometimes at four in the morning you need a place to eat, and, for that purpose, Ritters does its job. Otherwise the food is pretty mediocre. Remember if you can after a long night out that this establishment is cash only. You are never going to get great service here, and for the most part at night when the entire place is packed full of belligerent drunks why should you? The waitstaff does their job: takes orders, brings out the food, and refills your drinks, but don't expect much more and surely don't expect to have all your requests pampered. I feel bad for the waitstaff who have to deal with drunks all night, especially on the weekend. This is a Pittsburgh landmark, nice diner vibe, and a place where I will always have great memories. Though the food is pretty mediocre and slightly overpriced for the quality I will always keep coming back here out of nostalgia. read more

Just ate here today for the first time, the meatloaf was awesome. The waitress was very attentive and the price was great. Will definitely be coming back for more read more

One of my favorite dinners. The food was consistently tasty, and always had a great diner feel to it. Even on a Sunday afternoon, the wait was never too long for a table. The wait staff is definitely a bit old, but if you can find a good waitress, you'll get good service. I recommend the spinach/feta omelet. read more

Quintessential diner complete with in-booth mini-jukeboxes, waitresses in diner aprons and cheap, good, simple food. Go early, go late, go REAL late - it's ALWAYS open. Located on the borders of Shadyside, South Oakland, Friendship and Bloomfield it serves the likes of college students as well as the eldery. Used to live around the corner from it and went weekly. read more

Rittes is a classic old style diner in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh. It has great diner food and of course great breakfast. It has been a well know sober-up place for years. read more

Not bad steak, eggs & homefries (real good). Rye toast. Water tastes like rust but had Oj/grapefruit mix. Typical diner. read more

Ritter's Diner - A real diner. - Diners Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!! Negative Zero Stars!!!! Pittsburgh Best of the Burgh rated this dump best of 21, what a laugh!!! I'll start with our waitress was as rough as sandpaper, she screwed up our order adding chili which my wife didn't order, she slammed down my wife's drink so hard it cracked the plastic cup and it splashed on her. Immediate bad first impression (not to mention the filth), we should have left. Let's talk about the food ( if you can call it food) Chili that we didn't order came out splattered all over the outside of the bowl like someone dropped it on the floor, it wasn't hot, barely room temp and it was bland as cardboard. Our sandwiches, the chicken wasn't cooked thru, wife asked for no bacon and it was on it, the roll was stale to where it crumbled. My sandwich had burnt black toast. Our onion rings came out late, burnt, chunks of flour all over every one of the rings, inedible crap. Burger King on its worst day would be 5 star compared to this. The waitress took my wife's half drank Coke like she was going to register it and never came back with her drink and we just started eating this garbage!!! And btw we waited just over an hour for this garbage. Best of the Burg reviewer must have had Covid and could smell or taste how bad the food was. Worst restaurant experience of my life! read more

Not like I remember. I had a Denver omelet today. This was a return visit after many years. The omelet had a small eggshell in it. The veggies were few. The ham was nearly absent. I asked for cheddar cheese. What was put on was a cheese sauce. You know. The kind of lousy tasting cheese sauce you get at the ballpark with the nachos. The waitress was pleasant and service was prompt. The atmosphere is far out dated but reminiscent of a diner from the 70's. The restaurant was clean and tables were bussed adequately. I don't think I'll be back. read more

Don't bother with this place! Worst diner experience I've ever had. Slow and bad and not friendly. Eggs and toast burned, home fries undercooked), and hash is from a can but they managed to turn it to slop. Wish I could write a better review but beware, beware, beware this place! read more

Any establishment that's open 24 hours gets bonus points in my book. It's my firm opinion that any business that serves customers on a walk-in basis should be open 24/7. I mean, yeah, there's that circadian rhythm thing that keeps every business from having the graveyard shift, but I'm sure we're only a couple decades away from curing the need for sleep. Point is, Ritter's is 24 hours, and as a result it's been a standby ever since I moved into town. The food at Ritter's is definitely better than what you'll get at a Denny's or a King's. It isn't top-shelf, artisan food, but it is pretty good diner food. Ritter's is also a great place to go hang out with a few friends late at night, and BS over coffee when you're just not feeling going to a bar and blowing mad cash on drinks. Or for stopping by after you've already blown your mad drink cash. The waitresses are nice. The fellah who usually rings us out was really rude to me at least once. I think he was the owner or manager or something, too. But I'm not really sure. The place is cash-only, too, which sucks. However, the fact that they're cash-only leads to a really encouraging story about the place: one time the ATM did something wacky and I thought I may have been charged without having received my cash. The waitress took down my name and phone number, which I thought was just to get me to stop complaining, but sure enough someone called me the next day and gave me the run-down on what had happened. I'd call that good service. If it's late and you're peckish, don't forget that Ritter's is open. read more

Ritters is, for me, the definition of a diner. If you go early an old grandmother will serve up a sloppy egg breakfast on plates that you can't be sure if they've been washed more than twice. Go late night and you can join drunk college kids and "the ladies of the evening", just be warned that someone may have painted a section of the restroom with a fine layer of regergitated food ("hey, is that creamed corn"). Say what you will about Ritters, it is a place full of character and full of characters. Not to be missed. read more

Ritters is nothing above your standard diner fare. However, that means quick sustenance at a low price. Service is typically very average, but I always enjoy my breakfast. Remember, cash only. read more

Joyce was a great server. She took great care of our party of 7 and was very personable. Cheap, average diner food. You can have subpar breakfast, lunch or dinner at any time of the day! Best consumed late night when nothing else is open. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to go here besides a late-night drunk snack. read more

Do you need a place to soak up the alcohol after a long night of drinking? Do you like being served by a grizzled waitress in a nurse's top who has smoked a pack a day since she was 12? Do you enjoy old school diners and mediocre food at low prices? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, Ritters is the place for you! The PIC (Partner In Cuisine) and I have eaten there a few times, but those times were really out of desperation because nothing else was open. Given all the food selections in the area, I can safely say that Ritter's isn't the #1 choice for most people, but it fits the bill when you need something hot to eat. I'm sure the PIC and I will find ourselves back there before too long. read more

Finding a good ol' diner in Pittsburgh isn't exactly easy. Pamela's has great breakfast, but is in no sense a diner, and there are many good sandwich shops, but once again, they aren't diners. Having only been there once so far, my review may be a little skewed. The restaurant has the diner feel, no doubt. There are jukebox machines at every table up front and the decorations harken to the setting of a greasy spoon restaurant. It was busy when we went, so the food took a while. The wait seemed longer than it should have been, but as I said, the place was packed and it was exactly lunchtime. On the menu it stated that they used "premium maple syrup", but I'm pretty sure I just got corn syrup in a cup. The coffee was somewhat watery but still alright. I ordered the french toast with eggs and bacon, all of which was rather bland (Except the bacon, a meat which has some inherent godliness to it. You can't mess it up). Basically, it seemed like a meal I could have whipped up lazily on my own, and in less time. The bread for the french toast was plain white toast and I normally prefer a better bread. The eggs were eggs: good without any pizzazz. While Ritters is cheap, from my small sampling, I found the food boring. Most good diners have some excellent menu item, and perhaps I drew the short straw. I might return to Ritters later, but it's certainly not the diner I'm looking for. read more

I have to show Ritter's some love. I've been here more than 3 times in the past few months and the service each time has been exceptional. It's old fashion, but there's something comforting about it. The coffee is very good, freshly served and hot! The food is served promptly, fresh and hot. I've ordered the fish sandwich twice, along with fries and once with onion rings. The fish is crisp and not too battered up. The hoagie roll was soft and lightly toasted. They also have the best cheesecake. The portion are generous as well. I always enjoy the food and visits here! read more

Ritter's Diner - Like I said, it's old fashion, but charming! ;) - Diners Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Visited around 9 PM on a recent Tuesday evening. Greeted/seated immediately. We used to live 1/2 block away and have eaten at Ritter's for over 40 years. Not having been there for a couple of years, I had my choices already in mind. Not disappointed: new menus; same Ritter's specialties. My wife and I ordered our favorites. Good service. Good food. Clean restaurant. Not fancy. Not supposed to be. There are so many times we want to get away from over-hyped, over-prepared menus and just eat some good, hot food. Ritter's is the place. Been there forever! read more

Morning RANT; Took myself out to breakfast at Ritter's Diner this morning. Had to listen to Little John ( a chef & owner) belittle, berate, yell & swear at the waiters!! I couldn't even finish my breakfast! The more he yelled the madder I got. I got up to talk to one of the original owners about what I had been listening too and he did not seem surprised at all... He took my check away so I didn't have to pay BUT that was not my point... He seemed embarrassed but, after he walked away, I watched to see if he would confirm Mr Little John but to my disappointed, he did not... Waiters & servers are extremely hard workers, they endure so much from the kitchen, the customers, they are on their feet ALL day long taking care of the whole restaurant and getting paid very little so they depending on their tips to make a living & still greet you with a smile! They deserve & should demand more respect from their employers!! I am so mad about this, this is not the end of the story.... I will be back to confront him personally but, to respect the waiters, I will wait for a less busy time. I gave my gal a larger than usual tip and told her that they should strike & make Little John be the waiter for a day!!!! I know they are afraid of loosing their jobs & probably won't stand up, they need someone who will stand up for them! Ask my husband, Little John is in for a big old can of whoop ASS!! read more

The only real downside was the fact that we had to pay in cash and there was an ATM that charged me $$ to withdraw said cash. Besides that annoyance my experience here was pleasant. It's a nice place to go to for some late night food without it being too hectic. I've been here twice and I've ordered the same thing both times - the omelette with shredded lamb in it. I don't remember what it's called but I thought it was pretty well made and was tasty. read more

The food is ok, the service is ok. Nothing much to say other than I really don't recommend. The only redeeming value of this diner is that getting a table is really really easy on a Friday night. read more