The Pittsburgh Pub Guide - Pittsburgh City - South Side

Pub Comments Location
Angry Johnny's (Goodfellas) A rather nice pleasant bar/restaurant. The menu looks good. Draft beers include Great Lakes' Elliot Ness, Hoegaarden, and Victory.
Last visited August 2001
East Carson / 17th Street
Bar 11 The eccentric decor adds to the fun in this quirky, lively, scruffy bar hidden in residential back streets (The locals are petitioning for its closure). Each round comes with a toy or a candy necklace, and you are encouraged to write on your friends with highlighter pens which glow in the ultra-violet light (Which also turns Newcastle Brown a muddy green colour!) Entertainment is provided by the efficient and friendly bar staff who regularly set fire to the counter, shoot water pistols at the drinkers, etc. etc.
Last visited February 2002
11th / Bradish
Bar Southside A large dark bar and another room with two pool tables and a second counter which was closed when I visited.
Last visited February 2002
18th Street / Mary Street
Casey's Draft House   East Carson / 18th
Chauncy's A large open traditional-style night club. Good fun.
Last visited December 2001
Station Square
Cheese Cellar Cafe A rather up-market restaurant with a pleasant bar at the front serving the usual domestic draught beers. Friendly bar staff!
Last visited March 2001
Freight House, Station Square
Clubhouse on Carson   East Carson / 22nd
Dee's Cafe This place comes highly recommended by one source, and severely criticised by another. You'll have to wait until I get a chance to visit. East Carson / 14th
Fathead's Twenty taps and one hand pump plus a range of bottled beers in this crowded corridor bar with a restaurant area to the rear. Recently expanded into the property next door to give twice as much space plus an outside area, it is still packed on a Friday night. The extension is mainly given over to diners. Sadly the "Wall of Foam" seems to have been lost in the refurbishment. Once we had persuaded the barmaid that a glass full of froth wasn't right, the hand pulled beer was excellent, and was served at the proper temperature - I forgot to ask what it was and there was nothing written on the pump.
Last visited August 2001
East Carson / 18th
Fish Tank A plain friendly corner pub. Look out for the mad barman.
Last visited February 2002
Sarah Street / 15th Street
Funny Bone This comedy club with a warehouse-style interior serves three domestic draughts and a selection of bottled/canned beers. The staff were friendly and the three acts were good the night I visited. $2 entrance and a two drink minimum on Wednesday.
Last visited August 2000
Freight House, Station Square
Grandview Lounge This restaurant/pub on three storeys has a small bar at the bottom with a balcony outside providing a superb view of the City from Mount Washington. Half the room is space behind the counter, leaving the customers squeezed in the other half. I visited on Light Up Night when the place was, not surprisingly, absolutely packed, but it did provide a wonderful view of the fireworks. At quieter times it's a great place to relax over a few pints and look out over the city.
Last visited March 2001
Grandview Avenue
Hooters What can I say? Hooters is the same all over the world and you all know what to expect. And you won't be disappointed!!
Last visited March 2001
Station Square
Houlihans An enormous restaurant with a fairly large bar, nicely decorated. They serve a good pint of Guinness and the Buffalo wings are very nice.
Last visited March 2001
Freight Shed, Station Square
Inn Termission   East Carson / 19th
Jack's The small lively front bar has a quarry-tiled floor and every inch of wall space is covered with posters and signs. They are open 365 days a year according to the sign, and they open at 7 in the morning! Draft beers include IC, ICLight, and Hoegaarden and there's a good range of bottles. Miller light was $1 a bottle when I was there. Food is burgers, hot dogs etc. and one poster advertises the "boneless chicken dinner - 3 hard-boiled eggs"! I think there is another larger bar to the rear.
Last visited August 2001
East Carson / 12th
Jeckyl and Hyde Decorated with a voodoo theme and lots of black paint. The bottled beers include Dixie Voodoo Black from the New Orleans.
Last visited February 2002
18th Street / Harcum Street
Jellyroll's   Freight House, Station Square
Joyce's Celtic Bar A long narrow room with a long rectangular island bar. The long mirror on one side makes it look twice as large. The usual range of drafts including Guinness and Bass.
Last visited August 2001
East Carson / 12th
Jimbo's This rather odd bar consists of a few tables and chairs in the middle of the Freight House mall. What makes it special is the amazing range of bottled beers. When I visited I enjoyed some Fuller's 1845, one of my favourite beers, and the first time I've found it in the US. The extensive range also included all four Lindemans fruit lambics (kriek, cassis, peche and framboise). The food menu is sandwiches and pizza's.
Last visited June 2001
Freight House, Station Square
Kopy's A rather tatty plain pub occupied in the main by tatty plain boozers. Yeungling on draft.
Last visited August 2001
12th Street / Sarah
Lava Lounge   East Carson / 22nd
Lucky Charms This bar, opened 22 September 2000, has a small bar area at the front with a limited range of draft beers, and a small dance floor at the back. The DJ seemed to be stuck in 1991 which I suppose is cutting edge for Pittsburgh - It certainly brought back fond memories of Bar 1-11 and Streets, back home in Liverpool.
Last visited August 2001
East Carson / 14th
Margaritaville A small busy dark front room with an island bar, nice bare brick decor and a fine ceramic frieze and bar front. There is also a tiny back room and a dining area to one side. A strange collection of mobiles hangs from the ceiling. They serve the usual range of domestic brews.
Last visited September 2000
East Carson / 22nd
Michael's A pleasant pub serving Bud and IC on draft.
Last visited June 2001
Shiloh Street, Mount Washington
Onyx Inn   East Carson / 10th
Nick's Fat City A fine bar on two floors. The two level balcony has classic diner-style furniture and affords a good view of the (extremely loud) rather good live bands. Domestic drafts include Yeungling. Stunning waitresses!
Last visited June 2001
Philthy McNasty's A very large Canadian-themed bar/diner in the same building as Hooters. The food looks good, and they serve a fine pint of Guinness.
Last visited December 2001
Station Square East
Pipers
Web page
Pipers Logo This supposedly Scottish pub has a very wide range of beers from all round the world, including Guinness, Hoegaarden Wit and Fuller's ESB on draught. If that's not enough, the bottled range includes Orkney Skullsplitter and Fraoch Heather Ale from Scotland and Orval and Chimay Rouge from Belgium. I was pleased to see the Hoegaarden served in a proper glass, but why do Americans always have to put a slice of lemon in it? They certainly don't do that in Belgium.

The food is also excellent, I particularly enjoyed bangers and mash.

On a recent visit they suffered an embarrassing power failure and we sat in the dark for twenty minutes!

Live football from England on Saturday mornings. (Real football, that is)


Last visited July 2000
East Carson / 19th
Pittsburgh Steak Company There is a small front bar serving the usual domestic draught beers at this excellent steak house. Menu not suitable for vegetarians!
Last visited September 2000
East Carson Street / 20th
Redbeards Mountain Resort & Yacht Club I presume the name is meant as a joke - I'd like to see a yacht on the top of Mount Washington. A pleasant friendly plain boozer serving the usual local and national drafts. The food smells good! On one wall is a mural depicting a Redbeards bar in the middle of a deserted forest - not quite the same locale as this place!
Last visited June 2001
Shiloh Street, Mount Washington
Ref's Sports Bar A plain bar filled with pool tables, pinball machines and video games etc. Very dark and a little scruffy and definitely not up to the standard of the other establishments in the Freight House! No draught beer, just domestic bottles (plus Corona). As far as I could see they hadn't even got a large screen for the sports events.
Last visited August 2000
Freight House, Station Square
Rock Jungle A large night club aimed at the younger market. The interior decor has a jungle theme and includes a tank of piranahs and some very large iguanas. Very popular on a Thursday night with cheap drinks until midnight. They actually have some card swipe machines for checking IDs on the way in - They don't work on a British passport though!
Last visited December 2001
Station Square East (the same building as Hooters)
Roman Room This rather nice, open, bar is decorated with a faintly roman theme although the lettering on the front is Greek!
Last visited February 2002
East Carson / 13th
Shiloh Inn   Shiloh Street, Mount Washington
Shootz This is an enormous, friendly and popular pool hall where the bar serves the usual domestic selection at very cheap prices. I have visited a number of pool/snooker/billiard halls around the world and this one is the nicest by far.
Last visited September 2000
East Carson / about 25th?
Sloppy Joe's A rather nice small bar with a disco to one side. The usual drafts including Sam Adams are available. Do they sell sloppy joes? I don't think so.
Last visited June 2001
Shiloh Street, Mount Washington
Sonny's This plain pleasant pub seems very popular. They serve the normal selection of American drafts although the Amber Bock was off when I visited. There is a rather scruffy games room at the back.
Last visited June 2001
Shiloh Street, Mount Washington
Young's Tavern   East Carson / 18th
Zythos A small pleasant bar with about 24 draught beers.
Last visited February 2002
Carson Street / 21st Street

Highly recommended on East Carson Street is the wonderful Tom's Diner. One of their breakfasts at two in the morning is a treat not to be missed!

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