Opinion | People’s favorite food places in Pittsburgh

Whether it’s on the University of Pittsburgh’s campus, Downtown near Duquesne or across the river in the South Side, Pittsburgh residents have many options to choose from. After spending a few years in the city, my friends and I cultivated a list of our favorite spots.

Sarah El-Hefnawy: Union Grill

Union Grill is located right on South Craig Street — only a 6-minute walk from the Cathedral of Learning. El-Hefnawy, a senior museum studies and psychology major, often gets the turkey Devonshire and the brownie for a nice sweet treat at the end. Who doesn’t love a sweet treat? 

Bella Lardin: Chick’n Bubbly

Lardin, a senior electrical engineering major enjoys Chick’n Bubbly. 

“My favorite spot is Chick’n Bubbly. It is a little bit more expensive than a lot of the other options around Oakland, but I’d say it’s worth it,” Lardin said.

Her go-to order is the eight-piece chicken tenders with boba to drink.

“The tapioca pearls are the best option with a combination of two flavors,” Lardin said. “Lately I’ve been getting the coffee-chocolate flavor and it’s really good. In my opinion it’s the best chicken on campus and it’s not really close unless we’re considering the Chick-fil-A in the Pete — mainly because, unlike many other options on campus, it already has flavor without adding sauce. They do have some sauce options if you prefer that.”

Zach Shafer: The Colombian Spot

Shafer, a senior physics and anatomy major, loves The Colombian Spot.

“[The] Colombian Spot is my favorite,” Shafer said. “It’s cheap comfort food that tastes incredible and you can’t really find anything else like it around. My go-to is the chori pollo arepa.”

Multiple people agreed that The Colombian Spot is one of the best off-campus restaurants. I’ve never been to The Colombian Spot, but I always walk past it — after hearing the reviews, I’m looking forward to trying it! 

My favorite: Huszar

Huszar is a wonderful Hungarian restaurant, with a menu including langos, schnitzel, kielbasa and more. 

My mom is from Ostrava, Czech Republic, and I’ve had this type of food for years now. Huszar feels like I’m right in the Czech Republic again. I ordered fried cheese and langos as an appetizer and chicken schnitzel as my entree — it was absolutely phenomenal. 

My parents and I talked to the waitress, who told us about how she visits Hungary a lot and has a house there. If you are from Eastern Europe or have family from there, try this place out. Bring all of your family and friends, because Huszar’s food and service make you feel like you’re in Hungary.

Trying out new food and restaurants is one of the best ways to discover new parts of Pittsburgh, especially with friends and family. There are more than enough spots to visit, so don’t ever be afraid of trying out something new!

Need more restaurant recommendations? You can email Irene at inm24@pitt.edu.