Hey All,
This month is a double feature in Pittsburgh, PA. We were in town for the P!nk concert (which was spectacular, by the way) and decided to hit up two places featured on Man vs. Food: Primanti Bros and DeLuca's Diner. Both are located in the Bar District downtown, but Primanti Bros has expanded to other locations around the state as well. These were both featured on Season 1, Episode 3 of Man vs. Food, but Adam did not do a challenge at either location. They were both his other visits prior to his challenge at Quaker Steak and Lube.
We went to Primanti Bros the first night in town. This is actually my second time going, the first was the Marketplace location downtown years ago. I have a thing for original locations, so this time I insisted on going to the Bar District. It is down a side alley street a little past the fish market. We had to wait outside briefly upon arrival, about 5 minutes, while they waited for some customers to leave and clean the table. The inside is a small, diner-style place with limited seating. Service was fast and they clear the tables quickly, but we never felt rushed. The place has a great vibe. It felt very community based, friendly, chill, and played good alternative music. My friend was dancing in her seat the entire time. If I were a local, I'd be there often.
Sandwiches are made-to-order behind the counter. The menu (see their website, menu and all locations here) can be viewed on the walls opposite of each other, which can be a little hard to read depending on where you're seated. There's also SO many meat options for the sandwiches that we needed a few minutes to narrow it down. My friend settled on pastrami while I picked corned beef. The sandwiches are HUGE. Once you have a Primanti Bros sandwich, you crave them. The fries on the sandwich, the meat piled high, the perfect tangy coleslaw, and the fresh Italian bread make it impossible to forget. Where we were sitting, I could smell the fryer oil for the fries whenever they were made for each sandwich, and it smelled amazing. The corned beef had a wonderful flavor and was thinly sliced. It could've stood on its own from the sandwich if necessary. We high fived after finishing our sandwiches (a feat not for the weak) and headed to the register to pay.
The morning before we left, we headed back down to the Bar District to DeLuca's Diner. On the Man vs. Food episode, they boasted about being the best breakfast in town, and sure enough, they have a sign in the window that says so. We had taken a walk a couple nights before to find the diner, and I'm glad we did because they also have a sign in the window saying they are cash only. We were able to be prepared prior to going.
Upon arrival, we had to wait in line out on the sidewalk, like with Primanti Bros. According to the episode, there is always a line outside so I was expecting it (also a sign on the window stating they clean tables as quickly as possible to keep the line moving). We waited about 20-25 minutes and chatted with other people in line. It's a good way to have conversations with strangers. We were all out-of-towners there for the P!nk concert it turned out.
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| Table with local advertising |
Once inside, it's definitely an old-school diner with checkered floors, diner-style tables and booths, and an old cash register. In true diner fashion, the menu was huge and the portions just as big. Many different styles of omelettes and classic breakfast platters, waffles, pancakes, and other favorites. I settled on scrambled eggs with vegetables, breakfast potatoes, and corned beef hash. I also got a single hot apple pancake because my mother has me in a habit of getting a side pancake to try everyone's. My friend got the biscuits and gravy with a side of cinnamon french toast. We thought the biscuits and gravy were okay and didn't have enough flavor in the sausage or gravy. It's hard to get me to budge on my favorite biscuits and gravy at Lucky's Cafe in Cleveland. The french toast however, was worth it. Plenty of cinnamon, fluffy, not too sweet, and satisfying. My vegetables were sauteed nicely and there were plenty under my eggs. The corned beef hash was *chef's kiss* the best I've ever had. I could taste the corned beef, it was perfectly crispy, and not too salty. I would happily eat an entire plate of it. The hot apple pancakes were amazing. They were fluffy, hot, and had lots of apple filling. I would describe it as if apple pie were made out of pancakes, this would be it. Side note: my favorite thing about diners is how they constantly fill your coffee cup. They never let it get cold. Sometimes I end up 6 cups in and can't figure out why I'm so jittery, but I appreciate the thoughtfulness.
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| Sausage gravy and biscuits |
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| Cinnamon french toast |
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| Veggies and scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, and corned beef hash |
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| Hot apple pie pancake |
I was a little nervous that we would feel rushed with the constant line outside, but that was never the case. Our waiter was pleasant and patient, and multiple people came to check on us about our food, drinks, and if we needed anything. It's definitely a team effort. We were able to sit and enjoy our meal, the atmosphere, and watch what everyone else was ordering without feeling like we needed to hurry. The receipt was handwritten on paper like the old days (I love these kinds of details, honestly), and we had to take it up to the old register to pay.
I really enjoyed both locations and would definitely go back. I love Primanti Bros and will always want it whenever I'm in town. The original location in the Bar District is the best of the two I've been. I always think original locations are the best for all restaurants. The vibe was so fun, busy, yet chill. I would always want to hang out there despite how busy it is. Now that I've had Deluca's corned beef hash and pancakes, I will want to make extra time to stop in as well. I love the old-school diner feel and they really care about their customers and the experience. I would have to agree that their sign about being the "best breakfast in town" is accurate.
Have you been to either of these locations? What is your favorite thing on the menus? Let me know in the comments below!
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