Pittsburgh is known for its successful professional sports teams and its abundance of bridges, but these five restaurants are transforming the Steel City into a foodie paradise. From fresh fish markets to colorful island cuisine, these local restaurants will satisfy all of your food cravings in the Strip District.
1. Gaucho Parilla Argentina
You won’t find a better cut of steak in Pittsburgh than at Gaucho, a traditional Argentinian eatery that serves up wood-fire grilled meats and a variety of delicious sides at its cool location in the Strip District. Gaucho has an extended menu that features its award-winning steak sandwiches with your choice of cut served on fresh bread with grilled peppers and caramelized onions and topped with chimichurri sauce, a staple of Argentinian cuisine.
The restaurant also serves other types of meat and fish, hearty salads, and delicious sides including empanadas, provoletta, and roasted cauliflower. Don’t let the long line out the door scare you away from Gaucho—it’s well worth the wait.
2. Smallman Galley
This incubator houses four ‘restaurant concepts’ under one roof in the Strip District that change on a yearly basis. This modern space will please everyone with its wide variety of options. The current restaurants housed at Smallman Galley include IronBorn, a Detroit-style pizza joint, Brunoise, an upscale American cuisine spot, Colonia, a Latin-American concept, and Banhmilicious, a Vietnamese fusion eatery. Smallman Galley will keep you coming back to try each unique restaurant concept.
3. Luke Wholey's Wild Alaskan Grill
This piscatorial themed seafood restaurant was started by Luke Wholey, owner and head chef, who grew up working in the kitchen of the iconic Pittsburgh fish market that bears his family's name just down the road in the Strip District.
The menu is devoted to fish and seafood and features Wholey’s original grilled salmon, Dutch Harbor Alaskan king crab legs, halibut, Baja shrimp, ahi tuna, crab cakes, cod, lobster, scallops, and a fresh catch of the day option. Seafood lovers come to this grill from around the city to try the chef’s fresh and delicious creations.
4. Kaya
The bold, exotic flavors of Kaya’s dishes are inspired by the Caribbean Islands, South America, the Pacific, and beyond. The menu offers dishes such as conch fritters, jerk chicken, and tropical paella, along with festive tropical drinks that have made Kaya an award-winning dining destination in the Strip District for more than 20 years. The colorful atmosphere and vibrant menu keep Pittsburghers coming back time and time again.
5. Casa Reyna
This intimate, rustic restaurant and bar is located under the Reyna Foods authentic Mexican grocery store in the heart of the Strip. Casa Reyna serves up traditional, locally sourced Mexican cuisine including a variety of tacos, specialty platters, tropical beverages, and its famous homemade tortillas. This restaurant is considered one of Pittsburgh’s best spots for authentic Mexican food and is known for serving guacamole made right on the table in front of you. Visit Casa Reyna for delicious food, live music, and a vibrant, colorful atmosphere.
