The best value restaurants in Pittsburgh

1. 1
   
   Chengdu Gourmet4.9

   Squirrel Hill · $$ · No. 6 of 157 overall

   Wei Zhu's Sichuan cooking is some of the best Chinese food in the country, full stop. Strip-mall setting, transcendent food. Order off the Chinese menu.

   Order: Mapo tofu & cumin lamb

   Full review →See on the map →
2. 2
   
   Apteka4.9

   Bloomfield · $$ · No. 4 of 157 overall

   Vegan Eastern European that converts skeptics for real. You order at the counter and it gets loud. Worth it for the pierogi alone.

   Order: Potato & kraut pierogi

   Full review →See on the map →
3. 3
   
   Casbah4.9

   Shadyside · $$$ · No. 5 of 157 overall

   One of the quietly best rooms in the city. Wood-fired everything, a knockout wine program, and service that reads the table. At a 4.9 it is knocking on the door of the Kings.

   Order: Mezze & wood-grilled mains

   Full review →See on the map →
4. 4
   
   Gaucho Parrilla Argentina4.8

   Downtown · $$$ · No. 10 of 157 overall

   Worth the hype and the line. The braised beef sandwich, shredded with caramelized onions and horseradish, is genuinely special. Counter service and the wait are the only real knocks.

   Order: Braised beef sandwich

   Full review →See on the map →
5. 5
   
   Pusadee's Garden4.9

   Lawrenceville · $$$ · No. 7 of 157 overall

   Real Thai cooking in the prettiest garden in the city. Easily a top-tier date night; book ahead in summer.

   Order: Beef tenderloin in the garden courtyard

   Full review →See on the map →
6. 6
   
   Fet-Fisk5.0

   Bloomfield · $$$ · No. 1 of 157 overall

   A genuine five. Nothing else in the city cooks like this. Nordic technique, house-cured fish, fearless flavor. The catch: it's tiny with oddball hours. Plan your week around it; it's worth it.

   Order: Smoked sturgeon pate with seeded crackers

   Full review →See on the map →
7. 7
   
   Alta Via4.9

   Downtown · $$$ · No. 8 of 157 overall

   Big Burrito's Italian flagship on Market Square, and quietly one of the most consistent kitchens Downtown. The half-pasta duo is the pro move: two favorites, one plate each, zero regret. Polished room, serious wine, and service that makes a Tuesday feel booked-for-weeks.

   Order: Half-pasta duo, order two favorites

   Full review →See on the map →
8. 8
   
   Tessaro's American Bar & Hardwood Grill4.6

   Bloomfield · $$ · No. 22 of 157 overall

   The best burger in Pittsburgh and it has been for decades. Hardwood grill, butcher on site, no reinvention required. Cash flows, the bar is loud, and the char on that patty is the whole argument.

   Order: The hardwood-grilled burger

   Full review →See on the map →
9. 9
   
   Prantl's Bakery4.5

   Shadyside · $ · No. 26 of 157 overall

   Home of the Burnt Almond Torte, and it lives up to the legend. It's a bakery, so set expectations. But that cake is special.

   Order: Burnt Almond Torte

   Full review →See on the map →
10. 10
    
    Emerson's4.8

    Downtown · $$$ · No. 9 of 157 overall

    Upstairs in the Thompson Building off Market Square, and the best-kept date secret Downtown has. Firelight, a wine list with real depth, cocktails built like they matter, and a kitchen that outcooks the 'bar food' label by a mile. The hush is the luxury.

    Order: A fireside Old Fashioned and the truffle fries

    Full review →See on the map →

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