Over the past decade, a host of homegrown innovators and culinary transplants have pushed Pittsburgh into the national spotlight, honoring the city’s rich food heritage while infusing traditional recipes with contemporary flavors and flair. Even though Pittsburghers still love to top even their salads with french fries, the Steel City has finally begun to cast aside its meat-and-potatoes reputation.
“Pittsburgh was built on glass and steel and that’s part of so many people’s stories here. They have those roots and that keeps things real,” says Sylvia Emmenegger-McCoy, founder of ’Burgh Bits & Bites, a local tour company that connects people to Pittsburgh’s historic neighborhoods through food. “We have all these local restaurants where people are really genuine and are going to sit down and talk with you. That’s who people are here.”
That sentiment was laid bare during a recent trip to the ’Burgh, where everyone I met, from Uber drivers to bartenders to the valets at my hotel, had plenty to say about where—and what—I should eat. I quickly decided that Pittsburgh is a town that takes its food seriously.
Pittsburgh is home to 90 distinct neighborhoods, many with their own culinary vibe. Here are 5 of the foodiest, to help you eat your way around town.