Best Restaurants in the Burgh? (Carnegie, Crafton: house, live, prices)

[Charley Barker]

Also like Insurrection in Heidleburg for a friendly crowd, a tasty bite and a good brew.

[guy2073]

Originally Posted by Goodjules

We were there Monday night. Good food and good service. What happened at your last visit?

The chicken for my wife's food was raw inside, she sent it back and they just microwaved it to finish cooking it. They never reheated or recooked the pasta after it had the raw chicken on it. She had salmonella poisoning years ago so she was not to happy. My pizza was just blah.

[Charley Barker]

Originally Posted by guy2073

The chicken for my wife's food was raw inside, she sent it back and they just microwaved it to finish cooking it. They never reheated or recooked the pasta after it had the raw chicken on it. She had salmonella poisoning years ago so she was not to happy. My pizza was just blah.

OMG. That's absolutely revolting. and is probably a health violation - there are very strict rules on keeping food at temps that inhibit the growth of bacteria (below 40 and above 120, I recall).

[osirus226]

Alla Famiglia

[Herodotus]

Originally Posted by osirus226

Alla Famiglia

The OP asked for inexpensive.

[Herodotus]

Originally Posted by Charley Barker

I am not vegan, but I will tell you that two of the best, reasonably priced meals I have had were at Apteka in Bloomfield and Onion Maiden in Arlington.

Also moderately priced and tasty are Tako, downtown, Honest John's in Homestead, The Summit in Mt. Washington, and Scratch in Troy Hill.

Onion Maiden is in Allentown, not Arlington.

[Twenty Years in the Burgh]

Once Dish closed (sad face), Stagioni became my go-to Italian place to eat if I'm on the South Side. Alla Famiglia is good, but be prepared to open up your wallet and let any moths fly out as it's not a cheap date.

From this and a different thread that you started, I've gathered that you're a bit older and that your idea of good and not too expensive might be different from what many posters here consider to be both of those things. That being said, for the quality and quantity of the food provided for the price, Lidia's in the Strip might be a great fit for you if you're looking to "do" Italian. The pasta sampler is tasty and the best value on the menu. Definitely get a Frico (a thin stuffed envelope made of cheese) if you end up going here. You won't be sorry.

If you're into Asian food that's not the typical Asian-American fare, Everyday Noodle in Squirrel Hill is great. It's not expensive per se, but if you order more than a few items from the menu it can become rather pricey on the p.d.q. If you're going to be with a group of people who enjoy both Chinese American food and more traditional Szechuan items, head across Forbes Avenue from Everyday Noodle to How Lee. As an added bonus, there's a Rita's nearby both restaurants so you can "fill in the corners" with an Italian ice for dessert.

Any of the restaurants in the Sienna group (one restaurant is in Market Square, the other three are in one building on Penn Ave.) are good if you're going to be in the Cultural District. The restaurants in the DeShantz group (Tako, Butcher and the Rye, Meat and Potatoes) are also good C. District venues), although I don't recommend them if you're going to be in a larger group than four people as seating at all three restaurants is a bit tight.

I'll third Gaucho, although be aware that they're closed on Mondays.

In closing, although I realize that you're looking for actual sit-down restaurants, if you can hit up the Pittsburgh Taco Truck, do it. They post where they're going to be on certain days/times via their website and Facebook page. Tasty, generously filled tacos in a variety of flavors at a great price.

[Tractor Face]

"NO, I don't mean those high-end restaurants like "Le Mont", "Grand Concourse", " Spoon", where they serve a little bit of food and overcharge you an arm and leg."

Ha ha, think that's funny but so true. When I owned a business a long time ago, I gave a gift certificate to Jakes Above The Square as a thank you to one of my really good employees. He took his wife there for dinner and on the way home, stopped at an Eat n' Park for something to eat. Apparently, the tiny, albeit very pretty food was more akin to getting served an Easy Bake Oven version of a good meal.

On another note, I really liked Tessaro's in Bloomfield. My family and I went there for my birthday dinner. It was really good.

[gg]

Originally Posted by Tractor Face

On another note, I really liked Tessaro's in Bloomfield. My family and I went there for my birthday dinner. It was really good.

I am so overdue to go there. I used to feel they had the best burger in Pittsburgh if you like a burger without a bunch of crap on it to cover up the wood/quality flavor. Man, I think it is time I go there again.

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by guy2073

The chicken for my wife's food was raw inside, she sent it back and they just microwaved it to finish cooking it. They never reheated or recooked the pasta after it had the raw chicken on it. She had salmonella poisoning years ago so she was not to happy. My pizza was just blah.

The last few times I was there it was very good, but I have had some disappointing meals a few years ago.