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    Smokin' Joe's

    3.8 (120 reviews)
    InexpensiveBars, American
    Open 3:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

    Smokin' Joe's Photos

    SMOKIN' JOE'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Juke Box
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Smokin' Joe's

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    Cherry T.

    We went here with a big party for our birthday's on a random Tuesday and were met with the nicest, most efficient bartender. We ordered food that all came out quick and was delicious! Everything was reasonably priced, huge portions, great vibe. He was so quick with our drinks and was so cool about it. 10/10 would recommend!

    Christopher B.

    I always have a great time a Smokin Joe's. They have great specials on drinks and food on most days. I went on a Thursday, and it just so happened to be half off burger night. I got the BBQ Bacon Burger Which was cooked to perfection. The wings are also a great item on the menu. There are a bunch of flavors, and they go well with the wide assortment of beer.

    Yes they look burnt...UM no just never changes the old oil and slapped these greasy fries on us ...barf.
    Victoria C.

    I've been coming to Smokin Joes forever! Always had above 'standard bar food' in fact always good. Always super friendly service. I will say though, in the last few years stuff (except the staff) has gone completely downhill. Wing night was terrible. I ordered boneless smokin parm. This used to be saucy with parm in sauce. Now it's this dry disgusting chunks. It's like as if they as made these and put them in that sauce and froze them. Then when someone ordered, they put them in deep fry for a sec. they were terrible ate 1 of the 5. Cold and gross. Friend ordered French fries - obv they never change the oil. So disgusting. Black and greasy and gross. Staff took them off bill per request if friend, but like we came here to eat. Not to save money.. No one enjoyed the food. And a topper offer- they have the very worst trivia guy in the world. Possibly the universe. Never shut up for over an hour and a half. Every three minutes about saying we have trivia. Yeah we know guy....it's in the door and website...thanks

    basket of fries
    Isaac M.

    Situated in the heart of South Side's E Carson street, Smokin' Joe's is a popular spot to grab a beer and some pub food with your friends on game day. The grub is good, and one of their various discounted boneless and bone-in wings or flatbreads is key. Smokin' Joe's feels distinctly Pittsburgh. Friendly faces and good greasy food alike. I went to Smokin' Joe's on a Monday a little before the end of happy hour. My friend and I wanted beer and discounted food, which is what we got. It was Monday, so we went with boneless wings and flatbreads. Paired with a beer, for each person this about $10. We were surprised about how empty the bar was when we first arrived. This wasn't the case for very long, as a bunch of parties started to show up around 8PM. The atmosphere at this place is great and people are kind. Definitely worth a trip!

    Mona C.

    I came here with a big group of about 20ish poeple for happy hour. We gave them a heads up beforehand but when we got there they looked severely understaffed (with only one bartender and one server). The girl took our orders pretty quickly and was very nice so it wasnt an issue. The food took a while to come out (granted we did order A LOT so this was expected). They were generally pretty good about keeping track of who ordered what but did not manange to bring out my friends food in time with everyone elses. He had to ask two times where his order was while everyone else was eating and it finally came out around an hour later. While I understand the stress of serving a big group, I feel like the restaurant should have been better equipped with handling big crowds. The food itself was hit or miss. The wings, provolone sticks, and tacos are very tasty. The burgersm on the other hand, are a bit dry and tasteless. They also have a very extensive selection of brews that I have to come back to try. Overall, I would come here for the happy hour tacos and wings but wouldnt recommend for a venue for big crowds.

    Daily specials.
    Misti M.

    With an amazing beer selection and bar games (pool & darts) this is a gem that I need to think about frequenting more often. They kitchen menu is decent, and while I haven't eaten there in years, I do recall enjoying the wings. They have specials each day and the waitstaff was incredible when we were there on New Years Eve (day). Certainly a place to check out in the southside!

    Dan

    This is THE southside spot. Always good vibes, never too crazy. Great beer selection and food. Tell Dan wyatt sent you.

     bowl of macaroni and cheese and a basket of pretzels

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    8 years ago

    I really like this place and it has a great beer selection but service is way too slow.

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    6 years ago

    Everyone is extremely rude. If I could rate 0 stars I would. Would never come back again! Don't waste your money or time.

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    The Woods House Historic Pub

    The Woods House Historic Pub

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    (67 reviews)
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    We ate in the basement level, by the bar. Feels something like a colonial or British pub. Small…read moreroom, rustic. 20 table seats in the downstairs portion with room at the bar for 9 more. Stone walls. Exposed wood and burlap ceiling. - Honey whipped goat cheese: this is good. Warm piece of crispy baguette. The tomato confit side goes well with it. - The scotch eggs are fantastic. Crispy outside, nice eggs within. Excellent with a little bit of Frank's. The dijonaise with it works well, gives almost a deviled egg vibe. - The fish and chips sandwich is fantastic. Large portion: Two of us could have split it and still walked away full. Battered. This one is cooked perfectly. The sandwich sandwich roll is crippled and lovely. The tartar sauce is subtle and dead-on. This is exactly what I want from a fish sandwich. - The french fries that came with the fish and chips are nicely cooked, medium cut. Crispy potatoey and perfect. These are crowdpleasers - everyone at our table liked them. Could possibly be worth a trip in and of themselves.

    Great vibe in this place and you feel it right when you walk in - super quaint, like stepping into…read morea nice Scottish/British gastro-pub. It's a bit confusing at first - you don't enter from the "front" of the house; rather, you head around to the back, just off the small parking lot under the balcony. You enter directly into the lovely stone walled bar area that has a decent number of dining tables. There's an upstairs that looks quite different. We - far & away - preferred the downstairs. Much better ambiance. The place was already humming at 5pm! We took the last open table (we had a reservation). Our server came to the table pretty quickly to welcome us, put down menus, and let us know that their draft beer system was on the fritz (what?!) - had been since the day prior. Ack! But they had a really good brown ale in cans from nearby Hazel Grove Brewing, which we had been wanting to try anyway. We ordered our meal pretty soon after, as the place got even busier. But that's when things got a bit harrier. The wait staff got more & more overwhelmed, and the kitchen was overwhelmed, too, clearly as it took 40+ mins for our appetizer to come. But it was good. The goat cheese toast w/ yummy homemade tomato jam. The sliced French bread it was on could've been toasted more - for sure - but the flavors all played really well together. Another 40 mins later, we got our meals, which was fine - we were enjoying each others' company. But we couldn't get our waters refilled to save our lives, & it took forever to get another round of beers. People at other tables were getting restless waiting, too. Three of the 4 of us ordered fish & chips for dinner. The fish was huge - beer battered haddock. The tartar sauce - homemade- was mild and flavorful. The hand cut fries were good, but my sisters-in-law substituted with sweet potato fries - and those were *really* good. My hubs got the bangers & mash which he said "wasn't bad." The peas were fresh and good, and he really liked the mashed potatoes, but sausage was just "meh," he said. No one came to clear our table as people finished their dishes. The 1st beer glasses sat on the table, as did our appetizer dish. As a group, we ordered bread pudding to share for dessert. To my shock, the server was actually going to cram it onto our table with ALL the dirty dinner/appetizer dishes still there! I said, "No no. We need to have these taken away." We started stacking dishes for him to remove. I mean, yuck! We were trying to give the guy the benefit of the doubt on some of the other stuff - he was totally crushed under an avalanche of customers - but that was a bridge too far. As for the dessert - it was a huge serving with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream & a swirl of caramel on top. I thought it was a bit like eating a good apple pie, but my fam wasn't impressed at all (they all love bread pudding). One sis-in-law said it was way too firm and just seemed like the ingredients had been buzzed up and mashed together. BUT --- it was a good night, and we'll be back. I think we would opt for a week night, instead. Hopefully, it will be a bit less busy. And definitely, we want to try the patio. It looks really quaint with all the white twinkle lights. The parking situation is a bit tough for anyone with special needs. One sis got the one (I think) handicap spot near the door (the other small handful of spots were taken); the other sis had to park up a rather steep hill (she waited while we retrieved her car for her when we were done). There's a decent amount of street parking, but I don't know what that situation is like if you come after 5p/530p.

    Photos
    Interior - taken from entrance
    Interior - taken from entrance
    Fried green tomato sandwich
    Fried green tomato sandwich
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    Nicks On Hilltop

    Nicks On Hilltop

    4.4
    (13 reviews)
    1.1 mi

    4.5 stars. Nick's on Hilltop is a local, family-owned restaurant that serves breakfast/brunch,…read morelunch, and dinner. Examples of menu items are chicken and waffles, grits, sandwiches, salads, loaded fries, and wings. I was a customer here once for takeout. The restaurant has two floors--the first floor with a gorgeous library, which I think would be a great spot for kids to study and adults to work, and the second floor with a bar and party space for private events. One of the owners promptly greeted me, took my order and payment, and made pleasant conversation while I waited for my foods to be cooked. She showed me the cool lit-up selfie spot near the bathroom mirror and door. I ordered the Troomy Chicken Club (grilled chicken tenders, bacon, troomy sauce, mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, and onion) with a side of Loaded Fries and also six Whole Wings with my chosen flavor of parmesan. All three foods were very fresh and tasty very good, but I would recommend adding a bit more parmesan to the wings.

    Nick's on Hilltop in Mt. Oliver is such a cure neighborhood spot! They have a dining space…read moredownstairs, bar upstairs, and all the warm, welcoming vibes!!! Their fall cocktail list was incredible -- I tried the Pumpkin Spice Martini, Hilltop Harvest Sangria, both full of great flavor! They're known for their famous Troomy Sauce, so of course I had to try a few dishes featuring it! The pickle chips with Troomy sauce were perfectly crisp and flavorful, and the loaded fries were a perfect shareable appetizer. The Honey Nut Bacon Salad was another standout -- light, fresh, and full of flavor!

    Photos
    Upstairs bar
    Upstairs bar
    Hoagie and Caesar salad
    Hoagie and Caesar salad
    Outside entryway

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    Outside entryway
    The Urban Tap

    The Urban Tap

    3.9
    (454 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    Better than bar food! Group of us came here for food and drinks. Friday night and not super busy…read more(yet) so they seated us right away. The drink - damn was that a smooth old fashioned. Notes of spice, wood, nuts, and slight fruit. The taste was great, but just smelling it was pretty intense. The salmon dish was great. The ginger carrot mash was seasoned and puréed enough that it didn't taste like eating just carrots. They cooked the salmon too perfectly to my liking. The service was excellent too - laid back, friendly but they didn't play either about getting your order on time. Solid bar/restaurant, 8.5 / 10.

    If noise is your thing, if yelling to be heard excites you, if inedible, burned food sounds…read moreenticing then by all means, run, don't walk to the Urban Tap. I wanted to place a carryout order. I first tried online but there was a glitch somewhere in the system. I called instead. When the phone was answered, the background noise was intense. It was so loud that the employee couldn't hear me. At that point I decided to just go in and order. When I walked into Urban Tap, the noise was almost deafening. Music blaring, voices raised to be heard. No one was using their "inside voices", they couldn't. I sat at the bar to order. I never got waited on. I finally caught the attention of one of the bartenders and was ready to place an order. We leaned towards each other, yelling to try to be heard. I couldn't hear her when she read back my order. I really wasn't sure what I'd be getting. Unfortunately, I did get what I ordered - brunch breads and an order of biscuits. It took quite a while to get food - no surprise there. I checked our food when I got it. Oh Lordy, those biscuits looked good. This southern girl appreciates a good biscuit and did these look good. I got the food to the car and we headed out on the next leg of our adventure. About an hour later, I just had to grab one of those golden, flaky discs. Butter? Jam? Nah, the biscuits looked like they could solo on their own. I took one bite and my eyes flew open - not from the deliciousness, it was because of the sheer amount of salt. That can't be right so I took another small bite. I tried a teeny bite of the next biscuit. Salt. The biscuits were inedible. No, I don't mean that I didn't like the flavor. They contained so much salt that there was no way someone could eat these. That's ok, there was the banana bread French toast. It looked a little dark in color but it never crossed my mind that this might not be normal. I took a bite. It tasted odd, off, something wasn't right. My husband pegged it - it was burned. Before grilling or after? No idea. There were also a couple of donut holes. Not even worthy of a second bite. I also ordered fruit. It was good but still not enough to save the meal from dismal failure. We won't be back .

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    Restaurant & bar
    Autumn daiquiri
    Autumn daiquiri
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    Cold Friends Kitchen

    Cold Friends Kitchen

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    I have said it countless times. I am not a food truck guy. 95% of the time I have had them, I am…read moreseverely disappointed and pissed. They are going to be pricier (understandable if you know food industry) and just have not had many that I would ever say I loved THIS IS NOT THE CASE Pork Belly bites. Cooked perfectly and melted in your mouth. The char siu glazed had the perfect umami to spice ratio. Made you feel warm We split two burgers. Their Billionaire and Jelly Belly. What I loved about both these are they aren't smashed to fucking hell and paper thin. Thats what I hate about smash burger. I want juice in my bite. Delivered here The Billionaire was easily our favo and can't imagine another burger can top this beauty. Vanilla candied bacon, caramelized onions, French Brie, arugula and white truffle garlic aioli. Get a side of that aioli for the fries. UNREAL The Jelly Belly. Muenster, bacon, jalapeño apricot jam (insane pairing), candied peanut crunch and peanut butter. I always love a burger with peanut butter. The Quesadilla. BY FAR the best thing. Holy FUCK. That amazing pork belly with, their fire sauce and a house made wasabi aioli. I never thought I would love another quesadilla besides chicken Latino's but wow Not a food truck guy, but am a Cold Friends guy. Seating is connected to the brewery so a ton of outdoor tables and inside.

    Cold Friends Kitchen was the best thing about my night at Velum. They're a different company so…read morethey get their own stellar review. It's a food truck setup, so you do have to go outside to order, but I loved the food truck scene back in Cali so this was part of the experience. I ordered some perogies and my friend did the black and gold Mac. Big big portions for a decent price. Some things are expensive but you absolutely get your money's worth. Most importantly, they have an option on the menu called "Pay It Forward," and it's exactly as it sounds. You pay for a meal for someone less fortunate. My past has several moments where I could have used this, and being that (for once) I have a tiny bit of financial stability, I was more than happy to support this mission. Good food and social conscience? That's a tasty meal.

    Photos
    Cheeseburger Egg Rolls
    Cheeseburger Egg Rolls
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    Food
    Proper Brick Oven & Tap Room

    Proper Brick Oven & Tap Room

    4.3
    (1.1k reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    I somehow always find myself back here for a delicious late night bite!! They really are one of…read morethe only spots downtown that serve food later in the evenings, which is something to always appreciate. Our server (I believe his name was Cody) was genuinely one of the nicest guys ever!! Incredibly amazing energy and super kind to answer and questions or provide recs. We tried the White Sangria and they had a Pina colada both delicious and so refreshing! We have recently tried the Pesto pizza (I sub chicken on top instead) and the brisket mac and cheese which was probably the biggest mac and cheese I have ever seen and super yummy. If you haven't checked it out yet I definitely recommend it to everyone I know!

    We went to the Benedum and stopped in after for a late dinner. It's a cool space, small with good…read morebar seating. That is where we ended up at the bar. I tried a black cherry ale that was delicious. My husband got a Vienna lager he enjoyed. He got the black and gold pizza with potatoes, garlic sauce, pepper, res onion parmesan, and provolone. It is fired in their brick oven with a crispy crust. He enjoyed it but it was a little over done and it was hard to distinguish the toppings as the char was heavy. I got the carbonara. It was definitely not traditional. The sauce was very thick and almost floury. They serve it with pork belly, which does not give the same punch of flavor to cut through the sauce as guanchali or bacon. The papardelle noodle were dry and clumpy. The dish was very heavy. Do not recommend. The place is chill. It is close to the theater. I might try it again if in the area.

    Photos
    Lots of drink selections.
    Lots of drink selections.
    Brisket Mac and Cheese
    Brisket Mac and Cheese
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    Appetizers

    Smokin' Joe's - bars - Updated August 2026

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