7 hidden gems that are worth the hunt
Pittsburgh is filled with hidden restaurant gems, some of which require a little extra effort to find or are best known within their immediate neighborhoods.
Here are seven worth being on your radar the next time you head out to eat.
The Warhol Cafe
Museum restaurants and cafes are not usually standout spots in their own right, but the Warhol Cafe, tucked inside The Andy Warhol Museum, is a surprising exception.
Besides serving quality, locally roasted java from Commonplace Coffee, the bakery offers a variety of fresh pastries and tasty meals for takeaway. The reasonably portioned — and well-priced — dishes are refreshingly healthy in a stadium-centric neighborhood serving mostly bar food.
Most items range from $3.25 for a side or salad to around $6.50 for a sandwich or bowl. The most expensive item is $10.50, for a charcuterie board. Other options include a turkey club sandwich, tofu bowls, a poached salmon cobb salad and kimchi veggie rolls.
The cafe’s hours are somewhat limited by museum hours (both are closed Tuesdays, for example) and the cafe might not be open early enough for a before-work coffee. But it’s certainly a wonderful stop for a quick bite during the lunch hour. Even though food items are all made to go, the Warhol museum provides a lovely sit-down venue as well.
117 Sandusky St., North Shore; warhol.org.
Big Jim’s in the Run
Big Jim’s, located nearly underneath the Penn-Lincoln Parkway and slotted between row houses and Four Mile Run Park in lower Greenfield, is a pub serving Italianinspired dishes and massive hoagies in a homey setting. The restaurant’s wood-paneled interior is filled with photos of local sports teams and other pub staples, including neon signs and vintage posters. The aura might be described as “extreme comfort.”
The restaurant has a website that looks like it was last updated in 2006, back when they were visited by Guy Fieri’s “Diners, DriveIns and Dives.” Mr. Fieri marveled at the size of the veal Parmesan hoagie, which certainly hasn’t gotten any smaller all these years later. The Italian wedding soup is also a must for first-time visitors.
Big Jim’s hours have been cut down by employee shortages, but from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. every day, they are still chugging along in the Run.
201 Saline St., Greenfield; bigjimsrestaurant.com.
Edgar’s Best Tacos
One of the more difficult-to-find places on this list, Edgar’s fills a booth inside the nearly empty Pennsylvania Market plaza, across from the original Primanti Bros. between Penn Avenue and Smallman Street in the Strip. When the weather’s nice, the covered plaza offers a wonderful place to sit down and eat.
Owner Edgar Alvarez is the sole chef, serving authentic Mexican tacos, empanadas, tostadas and burritos, with meat options including chicken, beef, lengua (tongue) and even soyrizo for vegetarians. Other dishes include an elote side, chile relleno and, sometimes, freshmade agua fresca, such as limeade.
The best way to stay up to date with his hours is to follow the taco stand’s Facebook page, with posts often signed with a smiley face and multiple taco emojis.
108 19th St., Strip District.
Kavsar
Kavsar, a halal eatery in a quiet section of Mount Washington, serves primarily Uzbeki dishes from a brick corner building at the intersection of Southern Avenue and Shiloh Street, down the street from a karate academy and across from Scarpaci’s bar.
Uzbeki food, which is heavy on grain-based dishes including noodles, rice and bread, tends to be hearty and meaty. Popular dishes at Kavsar include varieties of plov (rice pilaf); hanum, steamed pasta rolls stuffed with meats; and shurpa soup made with beef broth.
Kavsar, which opened in 2013, is takeout and delivery only.
16 Southern Ave., Mount Washington; kavsar.company.site.
Pauline’s Caribbean Soul Cuisine
Nestled between a T-Mobile cellphone store and the Allegheny branch of Pittsburgh’s Carnegie libraries, Pauline’s serves homemade staples from an unassuming venue.
The tiny eatery has just two small tables, and the cashier’s desk serves as a sort of community bulletin board, advertising everything from shows at the Benedum Center to Pittsburgh’s Rock the Boat 2022 Memorial Day boat party. Jerk chicken, fried plantains and mac and cheese are some of Pauline’s most popular dishes, and many other Jamaican staples like oxtail and pepper steak are also on offer.
The building is surrounded by other local favorites: A strong contender for this list was Nana’s New York Hot Dog Shop, just a few doors down from Pauline’s. 1204 Federal St., Fineview.
Subba Asian Restaurant
Subba’s entrance, on Cedar Avenue, between a boarded-up home and above a shuttered Subway, brings guests up to a simple second-story venue where they can order a unique variety of Southeast Asian dishes.
The menu features momos, a popular Nepalese dumpling, in addition to the country’s thali platters, plus Bhutanese datshi, Indian curries and Chinese lo mein. Owner Deo Subba was born in Bhutan and lived there until he was 17, spent another 25 years in Nepal and then moved to Pittsburgh, bringing the flavors of neighboring countries with him to his restaurant.
Note that most menu items are spicy and that the restaurant closes between lunch and dinner service, 2-5 p.m. daily. 700 Cedar Ave., Deutschtown.
Tram’s Kitchen
This small cash-only venue serves traditional southern Vietnamese dishes. While the menu here is more limited than some of the other restaurants on this list, the dishes it does serve are flavorful and delicious, down to the homemade sauces that come on the side. It’s a perfect place for those looking for pho, spring rolls and báhn mì sandwiches.
The ambiance of the restaurant definitely leans more toward holein-the-wall than upscale, but that’s exactly what this list is for. All of the decor also looks authentic — or, at least, seems to have remained unchanged since the restaurant opened its doors back in 1997. 4050 Penn Ave., Bloomfield.