Travel to Pittsburgh

[Jaded-Fan]

Great suggestion with Pamela's. The strip is definitely a better option, since he can literally hit Pamela's for breakfast, Primanti's for lunch, and then Peace, Love and Little Doughnuts for desert! HAHAHA. Sounds like a Pittsburgh-kinda day to me.

Like I said my brothers in law both hated Primanti's. One said that it was the worst sandwich he ever had. I wouldn't go that far but it is really nothing special, at best boring and blah. Much more rep than anything else.

I also took them to Mallorca on the South Side, and they went wild for there too.

http://mallorcarestaurantpgh.com/


It is a bit pricy, not ridiculous, but not cheap either. But really good spanish food. And the south side is well worth experiencing just like the strip district.

Speaking of the southside, I like Fatheads as a sandwich place a thousand times more than Primantis. There really is no contest.

http://www.fatheads.com/

 

[Jaded-Fan]

With all the health crazes nowadays i'm surprised Primantibros even still exists any longer. That sandwich was built in a different era. Yuppies and vegans must lose their minds knowing it still continues on.

Those Pamela's hotcakes are not the most healthy thing in the world either, but at least the taste is worth the calories.

I am not a fan of them, but at least the President and his wife have good taste in food when here in Pittsburgh:

 

[Dying Alive]

The airport is only an hour out of town if you're on the bus making stops or there is heavy traffic. Otherwise it's about 30 minutes. I live in the Robinson area and it takes me 20 minutes to get home from Pens games (longer if going inbound due to traffic) and it's only another 10 minutes to the airport.

Count me in as another non-fan of Primanti Bros. I know it's a tradition and all but IMO it's just ok at best. If I'm going to take in that many calories I can think of lots of better ways to do it. I agree with the Fatheads recommendation. The Bay of Pigs, Jack-O and South Side Slopes sandwiches are all better than Primanti's IMO.

 

[Cherpak]

The airport is only an hour out of town if you're on the bus making stops or there is heavy traffic. Otherwise it's about 30 minutes. I live in the Robinson area and it takes me 20 minutes to get home from Pens games (longer to going inbound due to traffic) and it's only another 10 minutes to the airport.

Count me in as another non-fan of Primanti Bros. I know it's a tradition and all but IMO it's just ok at best. If I'm going to take in that many calories I can think of lots of better ways to do it. I agree with the Fatheads recommendation. The Bay of Pigs, Jack-O and South Side Slopes sandwiches are all better than Primanti's IMO.

The only time I have ever seen the parkway west not jammed with traffic was very early mornings when I was coming home from work. And I worked out near Moon. Granted thats been yrs ago but I doubt the construction got much better.

 

[Dying Alive]

The only time I have ever seen the parkway west not jammed with traffic was very early mornings when I was coming home from work. And I worked out near Moon. Granted thats been yrs ago but I doubt the construction got much better.

Depends on time of day generally IME. Inbound traffic in the morning and outbound in the evening is miserable as far as I can remember (I no longer commute to downtown, thank god). I rarely ever hit much traffic other times of the day. Definitely not after games unless there's construction. Those on the bus are actually better off than regular commuters because of the West Busway. That said, in December the weather can be a crapshoot so OP may want to factor that into his decision as well.

 

[Cherpak]

Depends on time of day generally IME. Inbound traffic in the morning and outbound in the evening is miserable as far as I can remember (I no longer commute to downtown, thank god). I rarely ever hit much traffic other times of the day. Definitely not after games unless there's construction. Those on the bus are actually better off than regular commuters because of the West Busway. That said, in December the weather can be a crapshoot so OP may want to factor that into his decision as well.

Thats a good point. I live in the south now so I forgot all about winter weather factoring in.

 

[member 51464]

My girlfriend's sisters and brothers' in law were in town this past weekend and asked to go to something here that the could not get where they come from. The last time that they came was years ago and rarely get here. I took them that time years ago to the famous place here, that you see on television all the time,

https://www.primantibros.com/

for one of these:

And both said that it was the worst sandwich that they ever ate. I honestly agree with them, it may not be the worst, but honestly it is the most overrated.

If you want to try something unique to Pittsburgh, and which is actually great, and somewhat famous (Obama had them come to the Whitehouse to make these for them), then go to Pamela's Diner in the strip district:

http://www.pamelasdiner.com/

Just ignore everything else and order the Pamela's Famous Crepe Hotcakes:

http://www.pamelasdiner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/strip_menu.pdf

The Strip is worth walking around as well, and is not far from the arena.

I took my borther's in law to Pamela's and they went bonkers after trying them.

Trust me, run do not walk there and get an order, but be prepared to wait in a long line if it is a busy time, like a saturday or sunday.

Am I crazy or does the Famous Crepe Hotcake not actually appear on that menu?

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Am I crazy or does the Famous Crepe Hotcake not actually appear on that menu?

Top item under 'Carb Corner' column for $4.99. You can add meat below.

 

[Ogrezilla]

My girlfriend's sisters and brothers' in law were in town this past weekend and asked to go to something here that the could not get where they come from. The last time that they came was years ago and rarely get here. I took them that time years ago to the famous place here, that you see on television all the time,

https://www.primantibros.com/

for one of these:

And both said that it was the worst sandwich that they ever ate. I honestly agree with them, it may not be the worst, but honestly it is the most overrated.

If you want to try something unique to Pittsburgh, and which is actually great, and somewhat famous (Obama had them come to the Whitehouse to make these for them), then go to Pamela's Diner in the strip district:

http://www.pamelasdiner.com/

Just ignore everything else and order the Pamela's Famous Crepe Hotcakes:

http://www.pamelasdiner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/strip_menu.pdf

The Strip is worth walking around as well, and is not far from the arena.

I took my borther's in law to Pamela's and they went bonkers after trying them.

Trust me, run do not walk there and get an order, but be prepared to wait in a long line if it is a busy time, like a saturday or sunday.

Solid choice. 2nd best pancakes in town. More convenient than the Dor-Stop though.

And Primanti's is delicious. Though again, you're right about Fatheads. Its better. But its not at all unique to the area. They are typical sandwiches and burgers, just really good ones.

 

[titaniumexpose]

Thanks folks, keep it coming!

This shadyside area looks pretty far, I think I'll try to stay downtown or at the airport. I could've phrased it differently and not said Arena District. I was gonna say downtown but I didn't want to assume the arena was actually downtown. I just meant the arena near the arena as opposed to any sort of district .

This Souper Bowl place is cool in that it's right next to the arena so I'll definitely be checking that out. At least a few of those bars listed as well.

When you guys referred to the worst part of town, I just wanna make sure I understand WHICH direction you mean. If I understand you correctly, the area from the arena then towards the junction of Allegheny River and Monongahela is the "good" area? That's where I'm looking at hanging around. Might walk over to PNC/Heinz Field for some pics too, I just like stadiums in general and a 35 minute walk isn't bad if the weather isn't horrible (which it might be!) when I've got plenty of time to kill.

Looking forward to it!

Also...Mike Legacy...got any Percocet?

Great advice Mike. I found Tailgaters on street view...I'm willing to check out any place but what a RANDOM spot for a bar .

I've never heard of this sandwich but I'm more than happy to check it out.

Any idea what a cab to the airport costs from this area? I'm super cheap so that's why the bus works for me, plus I can handle some "discomfort" and I'll be travelling super light and if my hotel is by the airport I'll have no luggage at all. I'd love to cab but if it's like $60 or something I'd rather spend that money having fun at the game, I have a real thing against cabs (not the drivers, I just hate the price!) plus I feel like a fun way to get a sense of the city a bit is using public transport. I do this for almost all the road games I can (...Anaheim/LA I have to rent a car, just because it was gonna be a real b**** otherwise).

A reference to the drug problem in Vancouver?

Anyways I forget which route it is but the best way to come into Pittsburgh is when you go through the tunnel only to come out the other side with the glow of that magnificent skyline, especially in the evening. It always takes my breath away.

 

[Dying Alive]

A reference to the drug problem in Vancouver?

Anyways I forget which route it is but the best way to come into Pittsburgh is when you go through the tunnel only to come out the other side with the glow of that magnificent skyline, especially in the evening. It always takes my breath away.

That's the Parkway West/Fort Pitt Tunnels. It's the main route between the airport and downtown so traveling by car you'd be almost certain to go that way. I do think the West Busway bypasses it, though.

 

[Ogrezilla]

A reference to the drug problem in Vancouver?

Anyways I forget which route it is but the best way to come into Pittsburgh is when you go through the tunnel only to come out the other side with the glow of that magnificent skyline, especially in the evening. It always takes my breath away.

Its the Fort Pitt Tunnel, and its the most direct way to get into the city from the Airport.

 

[The Tang]

Its too bad you get a fraction of the meat in that picture. I have to seriously suggest avoiding primanti's because literally no one does a worse primanti's sandwich then them. Done right, it is damn good so I say try and find it elsewhere.

For bars around the arena tailgater's is small but cheap but before the game will be really crowded. I've had bad experience at blue line and Superbowl but I wouldn't say to not give a try.

In the central business district as others have said, Bircher and the rye and meat and potatoes are higher end. Sharp edge has a big beer selection and I actually like tavern 245 but it's not great to watch a game. Market square does have a good selection of places too. There's some other bars and nice restaurants but nothing truly unique outside of what's mentioned.

Venturing further to shady side you've got pamelas (the ht cakes definitely live up to the reputation), stack'd, and some other trendy places. If you're by one of the locations I'd suggest burgatory but of you don't beat the rush its a long wait.

 

[Cherpak]

A reference to the drug problem in Vancouver?

Anyways I forget which route it is but the best way to come into Pittsburgh is when you go through the tunnel only to come out the other side with the glow of that magnificent skyline, especially in the evening. It always takes my breath away.

Your talking about staying on the Parkway west and exiting through the Fort Pitt tunnels into the city. Absolutely breathtaking in the evening.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Its too bad you get a fraction of the meat in that picture. I have to seriously suggest avoiding primanti's because literally no one does a worse primanti's sandwich then them. Done right, it is damn good so I say try and find it elsewhere.

For bars around the arena tailgater's is small but cheap but before the game will be really crowded. I've had bad experience at blue line and Superbowl but I wouldn't say to not give a try.

In the central business district as others have said, Bircher and the rye and meat and potatoes are higher end. Sharp edge has a big beer selection and I actually like tavern 245 but it's not great to watch a game. Market square does have a good selection of places too. There's some other bars and nice restaurants but nothing truly unique outside of what's mentioned.

Venturing further to shady side you've got pamelas (the ht cakes definitely live up to the reputation), stack'd, and some other trendy places. If you're by one of the locations I'd suggest burgatory but of you don't beat the rush its a long wait.

The newer "chain" versions of Primanti's are actually really good. Way better than the hole in the wall versions in the city. I love the one in Greensburg. Its actually clean. And they don't skimp on meat at all.

 

[member 51464]

Top item under 'Carb Corner' column for $4.99. You can add meat below.

I always liked you.

 

[Contender]

A reference to the drug problem in Vancouver?

Anyways I forget which route it is but the best way to come into Pittsburgh is when you go through the tunnel only to come out the other side with the glow of that magnificent skyline, especially in the evening. It always takes my breath away.

Coming out of the tunnel and seeing the skyline is one of the most beautiful sites. If there's time, I'd suggest to drvannostren to go on the Duquesne Incline and truly see the view.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I always liked you.

So you're the one.

I had heard that there was someone out there that did. I always assumed that it was a Flyers' fan.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I really want some pancakes now.

 

[The Tang]

The newer "chain" versions of Primanti's are actually really good. Way better than the hole in the wall versions in the city. I love the one in Greensburg. Its actually clean. And they don't skimp on meat at all.

Can't say I've tried a new one. I have a few local places near w that do their own rendition which are good so I just stick to those. Do the newer ones use actual steak or still the overly processed sickly grey slab?

 

[Ogrezilla]

Can't say I've tried a new one. I have a few local places near w that do their own rendition which are good so I just stick to those. Do the newer ones use actual steak or still the overly processed sickly grey slab?

The Black Angus steak seems legit, but that's all I ever order.

 

[member 51464]

So you're the one.

I had heard that there was someone out there that did. I always assumed that it was a Flyers' fan.

That didn't last long.

 

[mikethelegacy]

With all the health crazes nowadays i'm surprised Primantibros even still exists any longer. That sandwich was built in a different era. Yuppies and vegans must lose their minds knowing it still continues on.

Pittsburgh will be the last city to fully convert to the health-kick thing. Sure, we have places that offer vegan options, but look at the heart and soul of this city, man, it's blue-collar and filled with grease and ranch dressing. Wouldn't have it any other way, either

Like I said my brothers in law both hated Primanti's. One said that it was the worst sandwich he ever had. I wouldn't go that far but it is really nothing special, at best boring and blah. Much more rep than anything else.

I also took them to Mallorca on the South Side, and they went wild for there too.

http://mallorcarestaurantpgh.com/


It is a bit pricy, not ridiculous, but not cheap either. But really good spanish food. And the south side is well worth experiencing just like the strip district.

Speaking of the southside, I like Fatheads as a sandwich place a thousand times more than Primantis. There really is no contest.

http://www.fatheads.com/

The airport is only an hour out of town if you're on the bus making stops or there is heavy traffic. Otherwise it's about 30 minutes. I live in the Robinson area and it takes me 20 minutes to get home from Pens games (longer if going inbound due to traffic) and it's only another 10 minutes to the airport.

Count me in as another non-fan of Primanti Bros. I know it's a tradition and all but IMO it's just ok at best. If I'm going to take in that many calories I can think of lots of better ways to do it. I agree with the Fatheads recommendation. The Bay of Pigs, Jack-O and South Side Slopes sandwiches are all better than Primanti's IMO.

I agree with both of you that Primanti's is WAY overrated. I personally hate the sandwiches (the fries just dry out your mouth completely and make it near inedible). I've ordered fries on the side before (which make the sandwiches somewhat enjoyable) and they just give me a condescending look, so I don't eat there very often. I was only mentioning it because it was sort of a "famous" Pittsburgh eatery. If the OP has never heard of it, he/she's probably better off continuing not to hear of it.

I have another recommendation: Winghart's Burger and Whiskey bar in Market Square (like 3 doors down from Primanti's next to Starbucks). Literally some of the best burgers you'll have anywhere. If you like spicy, gotta get the "I Don't Care, Whatever" burger. It's got Siracha, Jalepeno and Pepper rings, Pepper jack cheese, sauteed onions, blue cheese crumbles....mmmmmmm

 

[mikethelegacy]

A reference to the drug problem in Vancouver?

Anyways I forget which route it is but the best way to come into Pittsburgh is when you go through the tunnel only to come out the other side with the glow of that magnificent skyline, especially in the evening. It always takes my breath away.

It's a reference to my avatar, the goalie from the movie "Goon". Here's the scene:

 

[Gallatin]

25 years ago Primate's actually rocked. Nowadays it's the most overrated place in town due to the very low quality of their ingredients IMO. Sad...

Pamela's for the hotcakes is absolutely the way to go if you want to try something Pittsburghy and good.

I have found over a dozen uses from 2010-2013 the early morning 28x is quite reliable within a 10min time-frame. Be at the stop AT LEAST 5 minutes early, and don't freak out if it's 5min late. Can't comment on this year though.

Usually costs me $40 plus tip to get a cab from town to the airport.

Highly recommend you spend some time in the Strip District. There's a Pamela's in the neighborhood, a good taco stand, and of course Penn Mac is the bomb for anything Italian, fresh bread, olives, meats, and especially cheese and ambiance. There are several excellent cafe's about as well. I prefer Enrico's, but the cigar cafe down the street can be a lot of fun as well.

Pittsburgh is a car town. But as long as you can handle the bus ranging from 5 min early to 15 min late, getting around town and the East End ain't so bad. Research in advance on your computer the "Port Authority of Allegheny County" website is my suggestion. Renting a bike would be an even better idea while keeping in mind Pittsburgh drivers are sometimes not very respectful for folks on two wheels.

http://www.portauthority.org/paac/default.aspx

Finding a place to stay near town that is public transit friendly and under $100 a night is almost impossible IMO. One of the bead and breakfast joints in the East End might be your best bet. If it was me, I would check out the couchsurfing site first.

Best of luck buddy!