Gastropubs serve craft brews, cocktails and food that's a step above the usual bar fare. If that sounds right up your alley, check out the four best spots in town.
Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top gastropubs in Pittsburgh, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to meet your needs.
1. Meat & Potatoes
Topping the list is downtown's Meat & Potatoes. Located at 649 Penn Ave., the restaurant is the most popular gastropub in Pittsburgh, boasting four stars out of 1,602 reviews on Yelp.
Start your meal with fried Brussels sprouts with Parmesan and lemon aioli or smoked wings slathered in whiskey buffalo sauce. For the main course, look for the Hudson Valley duck breast with polenta or the roast chicken served with garlic sausage, marble potatoes, heirloom squash and broccoli rabe.
On a date? There's a meat and potatoes option for two featuring a 45-ounce rib-eye, five different sauces and sides like rosemary potatoes, truffle fries and collard greens. (Find the full dinner menu here.)
Libations include a $12 Manhattan that is barrel aged for two months and made from George Dickel No. 8, bitters, Cocchi Torino and cherry. Meat & Potatoes also offers an extensive list of wines, beers, absinthe and more. (Find the drink menu here.)
2. Shiloh Grill
Next up is Mt. Washington's Shiloh Grill, situated at 123 Shiloh St. With four stars out of 297 reviews on Yelp, the gastropub is the sister restaurant to Harris Grill, which has locations in Shadyside and downtown Pittsburgh.
The menu offers a wide assortment of sandwiches, wings, tacos, salads and shareable items along with vegetarian options like the garden burger and the jackfruit tacos.
The cocktails feature spirits from Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania distilleries like the Whiskey Sour (Wigle Whiskey, lemon sours and cherry bitters) and Daddy's Lemonade (fresh-squeezed lemonade and Boyd & Blair vodka on ice).
3. The Urban Tap
South Side's The Urban Tap, located at 1209 E. Carson St., is another top choice. Yelpers give the gastropub, which has a second location in Shadyside, four stars out of 242 reviews.
For dinner, try the small plate of duck wings with a choice of dry rub, coffee barbecue, buffalo or sweet Thai chili for the sauce. Fusion options include the shrimp bánh mì tacos made with sweet soy, jalapeño, cucumber slaw and Sriracha aioli, and the beer-battered General Tso's cauliflower.
4. Fire Side Public House
Finally, there's Fire Side Public House in East Liberty, which has earned four stars out of 139 Yelp reviews. The gastropub at 290 Broad St. features an open kitchen that's surrounded by a line of counter seats, giving guests a "front-row dining" experience, the business says on its website.
Check out the deep list of craft beers, wine and cocktails, along with specials like half-priced wings on Monday nights and $4 wood-grilled tacos on Tuesdays.
Hungry? Standout items include the crab hush puppies, shareable nachos with smoked chicken, lemon burger with local beef, feta and a zesty lemon butter cream and the Pittsburgh cheesesteak with sliced prime rib.
