Best al fresco spots for summer dining.
AN AL FRESCO DINING GUIDE FOR 2019
Among the ethical tenets and manifestos of style reflexively beaten into the cortex of aspiring journalists, there is one of great meteorological import: that is, unless you’re writing specifically about the forecast or a storm’s aftermath, don’t talk about the weather in your opening graph.
For example: It was a hot night at PNC Park, but the Pirates bats went cold in a 7-0 loss to the Cubs.
Don’t do this. Ever. It’s worse than cliche. It’s the writing equivalent of a comedian using “what’s the deal with that?” for a punchline.
But ...
It’s worth pointing out that good weather — bright sunshine and temps in the mid-80s — is of chief concern when seeking out the growing number of outdoor dining and drinking spots this summer and fall in the ’Burgh.
Here are a dozen new Pittsburgh patios, courtyards and decks to grab a nip and a nosh, plus another five hall-of-fame outdoor dining options.
CINDERLANDS WAREHOUSE
2601 Smallman St., Strip District; 412-2091575
A massive expansion from the Cinderlands Beer Co., which has taken over and rehabilitated an historic space in the Strip District that was once a steel foundry and a stables. Enjoy topnotch ales and eats on a second floor deck with views of this rapidly transforming part of the neighborhood.
COUGHLIN’S LAW
10 Virginia Ave., Mount Washington; 412-586-5673
Although its name is taken from a reference from what is universally regarded as the worst film of Tom Cruise’s canon — that’d be 1988’s “Cocktail” with a whopping 5% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 12 on Metacritic — this Mount Washington bar is no bomb. Expect aboveaverage pub grub on an expansive front patio or on a back porch with Downtown skyline views.
DUNCAN STREET SANDWICH SHOP
543 North Ave., Millvale; 412-252-2940
Gourmet sammies, soups and salads are available on a delightful ivy-lined patio at this brick and mortar offshoot of what grew out of the very novel come-to-our-house-andwe’ll-cook-for-you-if-you-pay-us Duncan Street Dinners concept.
ENIX BREWING CO. 337 East Eighth Ave., Homestead; 412-656-2107
They have bowling upstairs inside but a big new patio downstairs outside to enjoy the craft brews and gourmet fare with a Spanish-lean at this ambitious brewpub.
FAIRLANE
292 Beverly Road, Mt. Lebanon; 412-668-2292
In her recent review of the new Mt. Lebanon restaurant, Melissa McCart said, “Take a short menu with lots of crowdpleasers, accessible prices, a welcoming space and a standout bottle shop, and you’ve got a prototype for an essential Pittsburgh neighborhood restaurant and shop that’s meeting our cravings for international flavors — especially when it comes to snacks and sips.” Add to that an outdoor patio along the Beverly Road business district and you’ve got a warm weather winner.
MOLINARO
2 PPG Place, Downtown; 412-586-4599
Ron Molinaro, the man who brought Neapolitan pizza to Pittsburgh at Il Pizzaiolo in 1996 last year opened his eponymous Market Square restaurant where a truly baller Italian meal can be enjoyed from an excellent covered patio, a perfect perch for Downtown people-watching.
MUSA
2318 Broadway Ave.; Beechview; 412-207-273
A bolt of colorful cheer along the T line in Beechview, West Indian by way of eastern Texas is the culinary lineage at Musa (which is the genus from which banana and plantain trees come). Proprietor and Galveston, Texas, native Kenrick Cheong’s parents come from Trinidad and Barbados, and he combines all of those influences into a Caribbean and Cajun fusion menu where patrons sip on dozens of rum drinks on an outdoor deck.
THE PENNSYLVANIA MARKET
108 19th St., Strip District
An East End Brewing tap room has been open in the Pennsylvania Building for several years, but now the remodeled upstairs adds a full-service bar, tacos from Strip District favorite Edgar’s and some truly worldclass Roman and Neapolitan pizza from Kevin Konn and his team at Romulus Pizza al Taglio and Dante Pizza Napoletana, and an expansive second-floor deck that looks onto 19th Street and a rear courtyard on which to enjoy them.
REVIVAL ON LINCOLN 366 Lincoln Ave., Bellevue; 412-223-5715
Chris Driscoll, an architecture buff and director of technology at Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh, and John King, a longtime chef at Allegheny Country Club in Sewickley, now retired, have teamed up to bring life to a 117-year-old Bellevue building with stained glass, fireplaces and summertime patio seating along with a menu including walleye ramen, pork tenderloin with smoked tomato compote and shrimp and lobster grits.
SPORK PIT/SUGAR & SMOKE/WALTER’S BBQ SOUTHERN KITCHEN
Spork Pit, 5349 Penn Ave., Garfield, 412-404-2128; Sugar & Smoke, 4428 Liberty Ave., Bloomfield, 412251-0240; Walter’s BBQ Southern Kitchen, 4501 Butler St., Lawrenceville, 412-683-7474 There is arguably no food on this earth that is better suited to eating outside than barbecue and all the associated fixins, and these three East End spots do them well. Spork Pit and Walter’s specialize in classic Texas-style barbecue and have large outdoor spaces; Sugar & Spice is a bit more deep south BBQ with a large soul food menu and a courtyard patio facing Liberty Ave. on which to enjoy it.
FIVE ALL-TIME FAVORITES: CAFE DU JOUR 1107 E. Carson St., South Side; 412-488-9695
Paul Krawiec and Christopher “Locke” Cook bring rustic, fine-dining quality fare to one of if not the most beautiful courtyard settings in the city; it’ll almost blow your mind that you’re on the same block as Jack’s Bar.
DOUBLE WIDE GRILL 2339 E. Carson St., South Side; 412-390-1111
The food here can be hit or miss, but the beer selection is reliably good and the expansive patio on the grounds of an old filling station is a summer staple. Bonus points as it basically introduced Pittsburgh to the idea of bringing your dog to the bar, and on May 18, it hosted its seventh annual “Lucky’s South Side Dog Festival.”
SHOWCASE BBQ
6800 Frankstown Ave., Homewood; 412-361-7469
You can smell the fragrant smoke blocks away from the corner of Frankstown Avenue and LaSchall Street when Drew Allen has the grills firing for his signature “Northeast Style Backyard BBQ” and the patio out front is a perfect spot to watch the world go by.
CHURCH BREW WORKS
3525 Liberty Ave., Lawrenceville; 412-688-8200
Closing in on a quarter-century, this brewpub remains a stunner and among the most unusual in the country, with a delightful rear courtyard to enjoy their award-winning beers and gourmet pierogies.
RILEY’S POUR HOUSE
215 Main St., Carnegie; 412-279-0770
The best Reuben sandwich in the county is also at this family-run Irish pub with a huge outdoor patio that is a regular site for live music. Its motto, “Have fun when you can,” are good words to live by.