Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

Generic_Mustard t1_j60q4z6 wrote

The Zenith is an enjoyable unique experience with good (and cheap) food but it could be a really bad time if your date is uptight.

33

ambientcountryhead t1_j60q5ow wrote

Onion maiden is super unique but may not be the best for a date (super small, no reservations, cash only)

55

CARLEtheCamry t1_j60rv7k wrote

Not sure if you want to limit yourself to the City proper, but Five Stars Honduras in Coraopolis is one of the most unique cuisines I've had in a while.

64

vanderbeek21 t1_j60toyh wrote

Lots of good options. On the expensive end I'd say Gi-Jin.

8

starchyewexbox t1_j60urle wrote

A bunch of Lawrenceville / Strip options:

Salem's if you haven't been there and like Indian / Middle Eastern food (plus they have some more American staples like steak and burgers.) It's more unique in it's style and culture. Lunch counter / cafeteria style, no waiters. Probably your best portion size value.

Parlor Dim Sum - Dim Sum hasn't had a huge presence here in the past, so I'd call it unique. The super general idea is that you order a bunch of small sharable dishes instead of 1 entree per person - I guess like Chinese tapas.

Umami Izakaya - A Japanese "street-food" style restaurant, also sort of like tapas. Multiple smaller dishes.

Smoke - a mix between tacos and bbq. Not authentic mexican, but still good in it's own right. You may come out smelling like wood smoke tho.

Kaya - Unique since it's Caribbean. It's not amazing, but it's decent enough and okay priced. Conch fritters are pretty good - but only on site (fried so it doesn't travel well.)

Coop De Ville - unique in that it's bar / coffee shop / chicken sandwich restaurant / arcade / pool hall / duck pin bowling alley all in 1 building.

Downtown

Tako - it's sorta expensive, but a unique setting with some cool art (bike chain chandeliers, doors on the ceiling with light bulbs everywhere.) Tacos and cocktails are all good - get the papas bravas side dish.

​

*I'd say the Parlor is what best qualifies for as unique and interesting for me - but it is closer to authentic Chinese (like you could see people suckin' chicken feet) - and might require a slightly more adventurous palate. The meat cuts may have bones in them, and they just start you off with chopsticks. So while it might feel strange, it's an authentic part of the experience to suck the meat off and spit the bones back out. If you go here, pay the small extra fee for their dim sum sauce and chili crisp.

24

Cryptic_97 t1_j611zgq wrote

Shady grove in shadyside is decent for a date night

−10

ejcpc17888 t1_j614v6p wrote

Huzar is Hungarian in an extremely eastern European pittsburgh style setting

46

PittFall09 t1_j616y0q wrote

Point Brugge Cafe in Point Breeze.

21

kellytop412 t1_j617zbc wrote

Tepache in mars (obviously not the city...but). My husband is from LA and is constantly disappointed by Pittsburgh restaurants. I took him here for his birthday and he said it was the best birthday dinner he has ever had. We especially loved the spicy broccoli sprouts

2

Watchyousuffer t1_j61a8mq wrote

Replying to vanderbeek21 (#1,515,783)

gi jin drives me crazy trying to book - you can do three months in advance, and you have a maybe a day before the good times are gone. wanted to book it last friday for a birthday in april and missed it. oh well!

3

sebileis t1_j61bqvd wrote

Original Oyster House downtown.

4

Ok_Shopping7204 t1_j61k2sm wrote

Apteka in Bloomfield has been making a bunch of national lists for being very good. I haven’t had a chance to go yet. They are vegan which can be a down side for some but it also keeps their prices very reasonable given the accolades they are getting.

27

65wildcat_buick t1_j61kha3 wrote

Onion Maiden if you are interested in a play on words menu and vegan food. Not a vegan by any means but it is good food.

23

AgentG91 t1_j61mxzn wrote

I’m a big fan of Tako for something fancier, but my wife and I always Rave about the awesome date we had a Yuzu Kitchen. Great ramen, good apps, and good drinks.

6

Buttercupia t1_j61pb7k wrote

Udipi Cafe in monroeville. South Indian vegetarian food. So good!

64

Turtlehedz t1_j61r8dt wrote

Bahama Breeze in Robinson. Caribbean food, pretty unique and different to me. Good quality food and good alcoholic drinks, fruity or regular.

−6

mikeyHustle t1_j61s12t wrote

Replying to Jesuismieux412 (#1,519,884)

I wouldn't take a date to Christos. It's kind of a delight as a dingy Greek cafe, but the atmosphere for a date feels all wrong to me.

UNLESS they just walk in and grab two Jackie Os for takeout afterward. That could be fun. The dessert is classier than the decor.

2

mikeyHustle t1_j61sl16 wrote

Gaucho.

Bridges and Bourbon has some "elevated cocktails" that you/they mix in front of you and wild glassware (you can ask for something fun).

The rooftop of Sienna Mercato for after dinner, maybe.

0

Treeslooklikepeople t1_j61yc2x wrote

Kaya is good because it feels high-end but doesn’t have high-end prices. It has very flavorful and well-seasoned Caribbean food which is pretty unique. Honestly my head first went to Dobra Tea for the cool atmosphere and they do have food but it’s mainly a tea shop. It’s also a cafe though. If it’s a daytime date maybe though because it has a really cool vibe.

2

mrjm15 t1_j621hpm wrote

Pabellón Venezuelan & Mexican Cuisine on banksville road is quite good.

7

3a5m t1_j627512 wrote

La Cocina de Betty over in Beechview. It's a hole in the wall and little English is spoken, but the food is legit.

7

Plane_Bus t1_j62ag8t wrote

Replying to 3a5m (#1,522,061)

Was bout to post this.

I know it sounds absurd but the gorditas there are so good I literally can't enjoy them from anywhere else anymore. Everything I have had is great, but the pambazo is another standout.

1

3a5m t1_j62aoop wrote

Replying to Plane_Bus (#1,522,415)

I know they cover a few countries in Central America, too, but having spent 6+ months in Mexico the last few years, there's no other place in town that's remotely close for authentic Mexican food (except the tacos across the street at Las Palmas).

1

Plane_Bus t1_j62dtns wrote

Replying to 3a5m (#1,522,575)

Obv as a paleteria they have a shit ton of desserts and they do that well.

I would say they do the best Elotes in Beechview and the best tripa taco. Their specials can be incredible. If the mom/cook is making Chiles Rellenos get your ass up there lol.

3

whyadamwhy t1_j62g0pk wrote

Replying to CARLEtheCamry (#1,515,521)

One of the most mind blowing items I ever ate in my life I ate in Honduras. I always doubt my memory of it at this point because it was 20+ years ago, but it was basically just salsa served on a cucumber boat. I asked about what was in it but they would only just tell me peppers. What kind of peppers? What are they called? Just peppers. Argh!

4

dfjdejulio t1_j62kj4b wrote

The most interesting food I've experienced recently was this place:

https://africaneatscuisine.com

They bill it as "African", but that could mean a lot of things. For example, I've long known that I love Ethiopian food, but this wasn't that. The dishes we had were primarily Nigerian, and were really good.

Disclosure: we got delivery (via GrubHub), we did not dine in.

6

technogeist t1_j62kx6l wrote

Mary's Vine in Rankin, it's an old church made into a restaurant. Great food, lots of wines, a "secret" speakeasy in the basement that's a cigar bar and game room with couches etc. Great place

5

StatisticianWise9526 t1_j6383sj wrote

Sienna mercato in cultural district… bottom floor is a meatball restaurant has every kind of meatball you can think of 2nd floor is wood fired pizza and top floor is a really cool enclosed roof top bar perfect for a date

−2

DarkKnyt t1_j63f5ko wrote

Replying to starchyewexbox (#1,515,919)

Last time I went to parlor, the chow fun was overpriced for the size but the dim sum itself was decent..also 2/3 desserts were interesting. Cocktails were meh but only tried the most adventurous one below the duck sauce one (I think - I have a policy against duck sauce cocktails)

2

murphey_griffon t1_j63luxe wrote

I'll throw in a few places outside for a possible Drive. In Irwin Area I like the following

Gato Taco -very good tequila selection, good frozen margarita's, and pretty good tacos

Laurel Highlands Meadery - Stop in here, walking distance from Gato and Burger Burger if you want a good burger but not date scene

Cenacola - locally made pasta and seasonal dishes. I like it, not crazy pricey but higher. Right next to Quinn brewing, which is great.

​

Greensburg:

Olives and Peppers - Neat setting in an old train station, huge portions, decently priced. Wasn't my favorite chicken parm but it was good. They had a pistachio cheesey ball appetizer thing that was awesome.

The Headkeeper - Claims its a Tapas bar, but while they do Tapas portions, the prices are not, and they aren't typically shareable plates. But the food is really good I like sitting at the bar and watching them prepare dishes. It rotates quarterly. Great beer selection.

Bonus - White Rabbit Cafe, if your in the area early, I like stopping in here. Its a neat little cafe with a wide range of drink selections. They even have a horchata.

​

Fayette County / Ohiopyle area

Out of the fire cafe - great date spot to sit outside on a nice evening. Expensive, but almost everything I've had there has been good. They even killed it with a Poke bowl.

Tree Tops restaurant - This is a neat experience type restaurant. I didn't do the tasting but sat outside in the fall. Great service and good food, but very expensive.

​

Squirrel Hill area

I like Fujiya Ramen and noodlehead.

​

Strip district / downtown

Gaucho - This one is already posted its pricey, but pretty good. Not always consistent though

Roland Seafood - I liked their lobster roll

Little bankok in the strip - Great pumpkin curry.

2

NotBlaine t1_j63y1xm wrote

Replying to i_justkickedstan (#1,520,556)

>Cilantro Y Ajo

WORD. We first had them when they had like a little pop-up at Kennywood. If memory serves it was really the father doing the work then and his daughter opened up Cilantro Y Ajo. Something like that?

But yeah, really really good arepas.

4

Horror_Financial t1_j642nb1 wrote

Backstreet Burgers & Deli if you are south, its down in Clairton

1

mikeyHustle t1_j649awb wrote

Replying to dfjdejulio (#1,523,461)

Eating inside can be an adventure, depending on the employee vibes, not gonna lie. But the food is always exactly what it purports to be, and like you said -- largely Nigerian-based and spicy as hell.

3

periphescent t1_j64bvpa wrote

Replying to Ok_Shopping7204 (#1,519,111)

I (non-vegan) went with some family last year. When I looked at the menu, I only saw a few things that looked like they would normally appeal to me. However, everyone wanted to just order a bunch of stuff and split/share. I tried a ton of things I didn't even know the names or ingredients of (it was outside after dark and the ambiance made it hard to see) but everything, literally, everything was absolutely delicious. If you go, try to put any reservations aside and just try everything and anything.

5

thehofstetter t1_j64jhqw wrote

If you’ve not been yet, Grand Concourse. The food is pretty good, but the ambience of it being a converted train station is incredible.

−1

i_justkickedstan t1_j64ysu9 wrote

Replying to NotBlaine (#1,529,332)

That all could be true, but I wouldn’t know lol. I discovered them as my pandemic go-to Uber eats meal. The arepas and empanadas are unreal. That green garlic sauce that comes with meals is a game changer too.

2

CasualFriday11 t1_j6556up wrote

The Forge for drinks beforehand. If you want an app, the Old World Falafel is life changing. (I didn't know falafel could taste that good)

Dinner afterwards, in that area:

-Morcilla: Spanish tapas. A little pricy but incredibly unique for the city and also unique as far as Spanish tapas places go.

-The Parlor Dim Sum: Get a bunch of dumplings in all shapes and sizes. Great for sharing, and an excellent cocktail list.

-The Vandal: contemporary American food. I haven't been since they remodeled, but prior to, it was a cut above in this highly represented genre in the city.

-Bar Botanico: after dinner drinks spot if you stay in the area. They're GREAT!

Others less close by:

-Apteka: vegan Polish food. They have a pop-up right now, so it may be impossible to get in until after next week. They're THE MOST unique restaurant in the city, simply because I don't think there's another restaurant in America making food like they are (it's why they made the NYT top 50 list)

-Gi-Jin: Raw fish bar. They're doing unique things with raw fish and rolls which I haven't seen outside of PGH, let alone in the city.

-40 North at Alphabet City: Upscale Asian inspired cuisine. The setting in a bookstore is unique on its own. Don't let that deceive you, the quality is on another level here.

-Spork: also upscale/commentary American. Great service, fun dishes. Expensive, but at my last visit I was given two or three amuse-bouche which I did not select. Worth it, to me. Try the crispy octopus!

Let me know if you have any questions!

2

CasualFriday11 t1_j66mnk2 wrote

Replying to CasualFriday11 (#1,535,464)

I'm at EYV and just add it to the list. Broccoli Chicharrones, and the Meat in Potatoes are dishes I've never seen before. The mushroom barley risotto is the most well executed barley risotto I've ever had. Dessert is still coming. BYOB right now as they sort out their liquor license

1

dardios t1_j68qasy wrote

Check out pub and chip shop on the south side. Their tots kick ass.

1