McCandless kicked off its first-ever Restaurant Week on Monday, rolling out special menu items, discounts and deals at 18 participating businesses across the North Hills suburb through Friday. The town-organized promotion spans everything from a decades-old pharmacy lunch counter to a craft brewery that brewed a beer just for the occasion, all aimed at steering residents toward local spots during what is typically a quieter stretch for restaurants heading into fall.
The event is backed by a $10,000 Main Streets grant awarded through Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato's economic initiative, according to TribLIVE. Town coordinators issued a public call for restaurant participation in early July and sent letters directly to local businesses, eventually landing 18 participants with no restrictions on business eligibility, the outlet reported. Organizers have said they hope the promotion encourages residents to visit local establishments and discover new favorites, according to CBS Pittsburgh.
Businesses taking part include Clark's Restaurant, Shooters Golf, Convive Coffee, First Watch – McCandless, Allusion Brewing Company, Commonplace Coffee at Northland Public Library, Texas Roadhouse, Hello Bistro, Shabu-Shabu Hotpot & Grill, OTB at the North Park Boathouse, Large Plain Pizza and Pints, DiBella's Subs at McCandless Crossing, Mark's North Park Lounge, Bruster's Real Ice Cream of Ingomar, Little Viet Kitchen, Yoyo Panda, Lucky Bug Coffee and Adzema Pharmacy, per CBS Pittsburgh's reporting. Some participating restaurants are offering special meals and discounts, while others are simply highlighting their classics, the station noted.
New Dishes Built Just for the Promotion
Several restaurants designed limited-time items specifically for the week. Little Viet Kitchen introduced a $20 roasted chicken rice plate paired with passionfruit lemonade, while Large Plain Pizza and Pints debuted a $20.99 McCandless Meatball Pie, according to The Pittsburgh Wire. Bruster's Real Ice Cream of Ingomar, meanwhile, turned a familiar Western Pennsylvania dessert into a frozen version, offering a Strawberry Pretzel Salad Sundae, according to official Town of McCandless event listings.
At Mark's North Park Lounge, general manager Scott Brady said he expects the event to bring extra business and hopes it becomes an annual tradition, per CBS Pittsburgh. The lounge is offering weekly specials that include a cheeseburger, fries and a choice of domestic beer, milkshake or fountain drink, as well as a 10-inch pizza, salad and a milkshake, domestic draft or soft drink, each priced at $18.99, the station reported.
A Beer Brewed for the Town's 175th Birthday
Allusion Brewing Company tied its Restaurant Week offering to a bigger milestone: the Town of McCandless's 175th anniversary this year. The brewery created The Harmony Brew, a Pre-Prohibition style lager made specifically to mark the occasion, according to official township event schedules and Untappd records. McCandless was first established as Taylor Township in 1851 before adopting its current name in 1857, making 2026 a landmark year the town has woven into its promotional calendar.
A Pharmacy Lunch Counter's Fight to Stay Open
Among the most distinctive participants is Adzema Pharmacy, known locally for both its prescriptions and its old-fashioned lunch counter. The pharmacy serves the Frizzle Burger, made with grilled chipped ham, Isaly's and American cheese, plus a hamburger topped with provolone, according to CBS Pittsburgh. Owner Jay Adzema described the sandwich's origins as going way back, and he said he expects interested people to come out during Restaurant Week.
Adzema Pharmacy has faced financial challenges tied to building updates and code requirements, CBS Pittsburgh reported, and Adzema said he hopes the promotion attracts new customers and strengthens community support. Established in 1959, the pharmacy operates one of only three pharmacy lunch counters remaining in the Pittsburgh region, and it is the only one where the owner runs the food counter directly rather than subleasing it, according to TribLIVE's 2023 reporting. Local donors rallied to support the lunch counter last month after Adzema faced significant expenses tied to building code compliance and structural upgrades, according to a TribLIVE North Journal report.
Deals That Outlast the Week Itself
Customers participating in Restaurant Week receive a passport containing additional offers and discounts beyond the standard menu promotions, per CBS Pittsburgh. While the main event runs through Friday, passport offers can be redeemed for up to 45 days after the event ends, the station reported — a window that, per official Town of McCandless announcements, extends discount redemption through November 30. The structure is designed to turn Restaurant Week diners into repeat customers well past the initial five-day stretch.
The promotion lands in a town built largely around car-dependent commercial corridors. McCandless spans 16.6 square miles with roughly 28,400 residents and an owner-occupied housing rate above 70%, according to Town of McCandless data. Its main commercial arteries run along Perry Highway and McKnight Road, anchoring mixed-use developments like McCandless Crossing that house several of this week's participating restaurants, according to a Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices analysis.
