Dining Guide: Pittsburgh’s restaurant scene thrives amid various neighborhoods

Primanti Brothers, a popular Pittsburgh-based sandwich shop, opened during the Great Depression in 1933. Before it had a brick-and-mortar storefront, the Primanti’s stand was run by Joe Primanti and his nephew John DePriter. 

With the help of John’s brothers, Dick and Stanley Primanti, the four men later bought what is now the original Primanti Bros. Restaurant in downtown Pittsburgh.

Since its debut in 1933, the chain has expanded to 19 locations, with 16 locations in the Pittsburgh area and three locations in Florida.

Amy Smith, a member of Primanti Brothers’ sales and marketing department, said that although the service is prompt, the restaurant does not serve fast food. 

“And though we’ll serve you at your table, we’re not uppity, nor expensive,” Smith said.“It’s a special place — more substantial than a burger joint, but really not that much different in price.”

Oakland restaurants with long-standing Pittsburgh roots have become known for their entrees, distinctive atmospheres, patronage and charity work within the community. Some of these eateries include Fuel and Fuddle and Uncle Sam’s Subs, which are located on Oakland Avenue; Primanti Brothers and Joe Mamas, which are located on Forbes Avenue; and The Porch, which is located in Schenley Plaza. One dish at a time, such factors have earned these popular Pittsburgh eateries a spot in locals’ hearts and stomachs.

All of the Primanti Bros. locations use fresh, locally produced ingredients in their dishes, and the sandwiches are all homemade. Each day, employees slice fresh meat to place on bread delivered daily from nearby bakeries. 

Some Oakland restaurants offer home-cooked ethnic dishes that draw locals and Pitt students in swarms. 

Carolyn Carson, an urban studies professor, said students who choose Pitt’s urban campus kick off their college years expecting a diverse place to live and eat.  With these students as permanent clientele, restaurants in the area can successfully feature ethnic cuisines on their menus.

“You have students from all over the world on this campus,” she said. “You also have people from all over the world working in the medical centers, so this is a great place to have ethnic restaurants because people want a variety of cuisine.”

Carson emphasized the diversity of the people who live in and pass through Pittsburgh, whether they are students or working professionals.

“You have all kinds of people constantly coming into Pittsburgh. You have a huge market here for whatever restaurant that goes up,” Carson said. “And if they’re good, and they’re affordable, they’re going to keep the students coming back, as well as all the other surrounding folks.”

Many of the popular Pittsburgh eateries fall under the control of one man. Vic Bovalino is the director of operations for four restaurants: Fuel and Fuddle, Joe Mama’s, Uncle Sam’s Sandwich Bar and Burgatory.

Three friends, Ron Lutz, Jerry DiLembo and Mike Hanley, opened Fuel and Fuddle in Oakland in 1996.

Fuel and Fuddle’s menu consists mostly of American eats, according to Bovalino, with a few Asian, Eastern European and Italian-influenced items. Some of the menu items at Fuel and Fuddle include the Greece Job salad, the Guido’s Meatball Pie and Thai Me Up Skewers.

“Our entire philosophy in opening Fuel and Fuddle was to have a restaurant with good, American, eclectic food in some fusion,” said Bovalino.

Fuel and Fuddle’s price point falls between $10 and $20 and caters to professionals, including Pitt professors and UPMC employees. But the restaurant gears its late-night menu, which offers half-off discounts, toward students.

“Our goal is to always keep it affordable,” Bovalino said. “Even now, compared to other restaurants in Oakland, our price points are competitive.”

Some of the restaurants under Bovalino give back to the community through charity-inspired menu specials.

Burgatory, with locations in Fox Chapel, Robinson and Downtown in the Consol Energy Center, often donates proceeds from sales of a particular milkshake on the menu to a local Pittsburgh charity. The restaurant currently donates a portion of profits from the ScareHouse Shake to Make Room for Kids. Make Room for Kids is a Pittsburgh-based charity that fundraises for sick children and provides them with gaming and video equipment such as Xboxes, Nintendo Wiis and DVD players. 

“We always try to keep things local so that the impact is local,” said Bovalino.

The ScareHouse Shake is a mixture of homemade vanilla ice cream, cream cheese icing, red velvet cake mix and optional chocolate vodka, topped with blood-red raspberry sauce and a gummy eyeball.  

The Porch at Schenley, which opened in November 2011, also gives back through charity work and the use of locally produced ingredients. 

The Porch belongs to the Eat N’ Park Hospitality Group, which aims to serve customers and the community. Other eateries in this group include Six Penn Kitchen, located Downtown, and Hello Bistro, located in South Side and Oakland. The National Restaurant Association offered the group the Restaurant Neighbor Award for its outstanding community service in 2011.

That year, the Eat N’ Park Hospitality Group raised more than $7 million for Caring for Kids, an organization that raises money for sick children and their families. 

Mike Damas, general manager of The Porch, said that the restaurant is also home to a rooftop garden. The garden is used to grow fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, zucchinis, banana peppers and various herbs which are used in entrees.

“We wanted to make sure that we replaced the grass that we took up during construction, so we actually placed the grass that we took up on our roof,” said Damas. 

During lunch time, The Porch’s menu features salads, sandwiches and pizza. After 4:30 p.m., the menu switches to items including smoked wings and roasted lamb shank.

The Porch also offers convenience with its $1 coffees in the mornings, fresh-brewed from locally roasted coffee beans and a walk-up window for on-the-go customers.

Kevin Kerr, president of Pitt Pathfinders, said that he and other tour guides often recommend their favorite restaurants to prospective students while showing them and their families around campus.

During the summer Pitt Start programs, the Pathfinders hosted a dinner for parents at Joe Mamas. 

“I think Joe Mamas is a good example of the unique styles local restaurants embody,” Kerr said. “Parents dropping off students can be more at ease knowing their children have so many options off campus.”

Kerr also mentioned the advantage of many half-off, late-night specials at local restaurants, such as Fuel and Fuddle, that benefit students who are looking for a cheap meal and something to do at night.

“Local restaurants show that Oakland’s residents have fully embraced the quirky and exciting spirit of this neighborhood, and that’s an important piece of the process in showing prospective students how amazing life at Pitt really is,” Kerr said.