Steakhouse to replace Elements/Palomino (Pittsburgh, Morton: 2013, apartment, house)

[Burghgirl17]

Eddie Merlot?s thinks Pittsburgh has right cut - Pittsburgh Business Times

Looks like a steakhouse is setting sights to move into Gateway Center. As much as I love steak, not sure that we need another steakhouse. Ruth's Chris and the Capital Grille do a good business lunch business, add Mortons for dinner, and if you hope over the river you've got Hyde Park.

[greg42]

Eh, there's probably room for another steakhouse. I might wish it could be a home grown one rather than another chain. And it is unfortunately not a type of place I go to very often, if ever. But it might have a better shot at a sustained run in that space vs something more creative. Who knows. It's changed around there now with two new apartment buildings, but that is a huge space so short of dividing it you need something that will draw. And it's a little apart from places where other restaurants are. Tough call. It could be that nothing on this scale can ultimately succeed in there.

[eschaton]

I think that location will continue to house restaurants which ultimately fail.

While it's an area which has good foot traffic during the day, it's pretty dead compared to the Market Square or the Cultural District at night time, which makes it a fairly inconvenient place to go for dinner compared to other options.

IMHO, a more lowbrow restaurant which focuses on a lunch menu would do much better there.

[UKyank]

Who knew that councilman Kraus moonlit as a steak proprieter

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by UKyank

Who knew that councilman Kraus moonlit as a steak proprieter

I was just going to say that!

[Geeo]

Which is what it was for many years. Wasn't it a Palmer's Restaurant originally, which were located all over downtown? Cheap breakfast and lunch. Those places are all gone, replaced by either high end restaurants or places where your food comes in a bag.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Geeo

Which is what it was for many years. Wasn't it a Palmer's Restaurant originally, which were located all over downtown? Cheap breakfast and lunch. Those places are all gone, replaced by either high end restaurants or places where your food comes in a bag.

There's some middle-brow restaurants still downtown, but almost all of them are ethnic (Indian, Thai, one of the Chinese places, etc).

Not that I think it would be the most ideal location (closer to Point Park University or the cultural district would probably be better), but I've been wondering for years why Mad Mex doesn't have a place downtown. They would do brisk business with the lunchtime crowd. Maybe they make all their profit on their drinks though.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by Geeo

Which is what it was for many years. Wasn't it a Palmer's Restaurant originally, which were located all over downtown? Cheap breakfast and lunch. Those places are all gone, replaced by either high end restaurants or places where your food comes in a bag.

No, there was a Palmer's in Gateway 4, but it was on the opposite side of the building from the Palamino location. I think there was a bank branch where Palamino's was.

[greg42]

I think that when Palomino was built out it may have incorporated the Palmer's space, or part of it, but yes Palmer's never occupied that large section that comes all the way out to Liberty Ave. It's a big space in there. Palmer's had windows on the opposite end of the building, facing the Verizon building. I actually ate in that Palmer's once before it closed.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I think that location will continue to house restaurants which ultimately fail.

While it's an area which has good foot traffic during the day, it's pretty dead compared to the Market Square or the Cultural District at night time, which makes it a fairly inconvenient place to go for dinner compared to other options.

IMHO, a more lowbrow restaurant which focuses on a lunch menu would do much better there.

Yeah, this is what I tend to think as well. It has to draw people slightly away from those key areas. Elements might have done so longer if Severino hadn't left.

But to cater more to downtown lunch it would probably have to be divided, not sure. I think it's too big (and thus too pricey in rent) for most new places to take a chance on for lower cost food. Although I had wondered if Max & Erma's (who said they did want to keep a location downtown) would look at it. Quite possibly the Gateway folks were aiming higher than that. I think if this one fails they're going to have to realize it's just not going to work. But I won't write the new place off until it actually opens and closes.