meat & potatoes

stratified reviews...makes sense. i can understand that not everything is for everybody. meat andpotatoesdoesn't cater to the factory food crowd. they serve quality food that naturally is going to cost more...deal with it. the cocktails i tried, the sazerac, corpse reviver, and sgt. pepper's old fashioned, were not only interesting but deftly crafted. the food was perfectly executed. i shared the curry moules fritte and found the addition of coconut milk and cilantro to perfectly offset the the spicy thai peppers. the fries were not very salty but they were cooked just right. nothing over powered the flavor of the perfectly pillow soft mussels. for an entree, i had the salmon which was creamy velvet on the inside, crispy crunchy on the outside. the pineapple pepper topping and the brussels sprout kimchee's spiciness paired perfectly with the salmon's demanding character. the pastrami duck breast was almost too good. i damn near tried to steal it from my fellow diner. the pierogi was as good as i've had and home made. i appreciated the addition of this regional favorite. everyone is going to claim their grandma's is better. it's audacious to offer something so common in a city full of comfort food fanatics. i am sure some will dislike it because it's not slathered in margarine and slimy onions but, what can you do? they strive for local here and interpret what's available into something foreign. locally sourced nettles turned into pesto. brussels sprouts turned into kimchee. the way to create a regional food is to interpret the influences of its inhabitant into the food that grows there naturally. meat andpotatoesdoes that and does it well. i hear they're expanding too...well done.

a nice gem in the cultural district. had a chance to take my dad for a thank you dinner in town and a friend recommended meat andpotatoeson penn ave. i don't spend much time in town these days so i am always excited to hear about a new place to eat. meat &potatoesis a self described gastropub and i would agree with that moniker.

we were in a bit of a hurry so not as much time as i would like to sit and really enjoy the place. we did have time to enjoy the poutine appetizer and some small entrees. i had the short ribs flat bread and my dad had the bbq brisket sandwich special. i really enjoyed the poutine, although the cheese curds did not give quite the squeak of the curds you get in canada for the same dish. the brisket had a great spicy slaw and sauce that made for an excellent sandwich. the meat was tender and moist which is not as common as it should be in around town. the flat bread was also fresh and delicious. i would like to have had some more of the short ribs, but the dish was well balanced and very enjoyable.

the place has a great buzz and reasonable prices especially considering the location and quality of food. i did take home a pot de creme for my wife which she indicates was quite good and you will find no harder critic of desert than my wife, so that's high praise. after my recent "fear and loathing" food experience in las vegas, this was a great welcome home

sublime... transcendent.... i went to meat andpotatoeswith very high expectations. at cafe richard (now cafe raymond) in the strip, rick deshantz created the most remarkable sandwiches i have ever eaten anywhere, including paris and rome. at nine on nine, the food was delicately balanced and exciting, and while i considered it the best value in pittsburgh, it was too pricey for me to frequent.

at meat & potatoes, i expected the food to be excellent, despite more moderate prices, but instead i'm searching for words to describe how good it was. i had the sweetbreads... it was sublime... transcendent...

my husband and i had an early dinner at meat andpotatoeslast friday. we liked the place; ate indoors as it seemed noisy outside. the vibe is good. i enjoyed a pimm's blue ribbon cocktail, and we shared the wedge salad. we're talking pittsburgh portions here, folks. half the salad was quite large. the lettuce was crisp, the bacon crispy, and the blue cheese dressing out of this world. my husband order the pork chop which was huge and a bit tough but tasty. i had the salmon which was perfectly cooked and served on a bed of brussell spouts and kimchee. service was strange however. while we were eating the entrees, a bus person approached and asked if the pork was good. my husband said it was. the fellow then launched into a comparison of prices between m&p and a restaurant where his brother works in mount lebanon. he went on for a while. really? while i enjoyed my dish, the very last bite apparently contained a hunk of chile pepper. my mouth was on fire. when the server asked if we wanted dessert, i told him my mouth was on fire and asked if they had ice cream (knowing that milk products help with the problem while water does not). he said they didn't have ice cream, listed the desserts, and was clearly unmoved by my pain. he could have offered a little milk or some other appropriate thing but didn't seem interested in doing so. really?
we'll give it another go. i just hope the wait staff is more professional next time.

meat & sardines. no, they don't serve sardines, but that is what you will feel like in this too cramped restaurant. tiny little tables do not work when meals are served on a cutting board. we ordered the meat andpotatoesfor 2, and every time i tried to cut the steak, the people next to us had to move out of the way. we could not eat off of plates because they would not fit!
steak was good, not great. loved the confitpotatoesand mushrooms. bone marrow was a big let down. hardly any was in there, and to add insult i had to pay $3 more for bread to put it on!
so many better places to eat in pittsburgh!

the dj began spinning a space odyssey remix. the doors opened promptly at 10:30, and a small riot of unreserved patrons made a barely restrained rush for the bar. 

meat andpotatoesis not quite as down-home as it sounds. pâté and bruschetta are on the sunday brunch menu. michelle's bellini was made with real strawberries, and my bloody mary bar was a diy festival with six kinds of meat, probably two dozen pickled things in jars and just as many varieties of hot sauce. 

and yet, if there are two kinds of good menus—inventive deliciousness and calculated deliciousness—this definitely was the latter. maybe it was the decor: i just can't take antlers seriously in a new downtown cultural center. maybe it was needing to decide between chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, huevos rancheros and stuffed french toast. 

i ended up with e: none of the above, but it was hard to know if i was eating brisket hash or a marketing gimmick.

meat &potatoeshas been on my wish list for-ev-er. with a restaurant name like "meat & potatoes," one envisions basic, hearty dishes heavy on protein and carbs. but, meat &potatoesa bit more refined. the gastropub serves up high-end craft food classics and libations:. "meat and potatoes" are generally the stand-in for "bread and butter" as shorthand for the staples we need to function. with that thought in mind chef richard deshantz had the desire to enhance his culinary vision by opening up a second restaurant in downtown pittsburgh. chef richards' favorite type of food is simple and approachable; it is the type of food that a chef would eat after a busy day at work. meat & potatoes, pittsburgh's first gastropub, was born in the spring of 2011.

when we asked friends for pittsburgh recommendations, meat &potatoeswas easily the most mentioned restaurant. everyone told us they loved it and we had high expectations going into our meal. they exceeded our expectations and in terms of an overall meal (food and drinks), this was our best experience of the trip. walking into the restaurant without a reservation on a saturday night wasn’t a problem, we were able to grab two seats at the bar. they had three bartenders working and they didn’t stop moving through the entire meal. in normal buffalo eats fashion, we decided to try a bunch of small plates to get a sample of their menu. highlights were their charcuterie plate special, duck liver pate (some of the best we’ve ever had), and fried brussel sprouts. i ordered their barrel aged manhattan and was really impressed. if we revisited any restaurant from pittsburgh, this would be the place. it was just fantastic.

wonderful meal and atmosphere. we dined at meat andpotatoesover the weekend. the food was excellent, not one thing to complain about. we also had a great server named shawn. they provide a great dining experience with perfect timing. the greens served as a side with my boyfriends meal were the best we have ever had. the chocolate baked mousse is also a must. the only negative is the tables are very close together and we would have enjoyed a little more privacy during our meal.
a definite must when we visit pittsburgh again.

couldn't wait to try meat &potatoesbrunch based on most of the reviews. needless to say, i was slightly disappointed. our table was ready on time. staff seemed kinda stuffy but friendly. food was not memorable. i was expecting more for my palette and wallet. we had grilled mahi with quinoa cake. quinoa was cold which i wasn't expecting. mahi was good. but lacked a flavor. homemade granola with ricotta was very good. french toast was just that and just ok. i feel this is just a trendy joint rather than a foodie experience!

favorite pittsburgh brunch. i have been to both sunday brunch and late night shindigs at meat &potatoesmany, many times. the brunch selection has a refreshing selection of internationally-influenced breakfasts, and gourmet takes on american classics. and the bloody mary bar? check out the liquor infusions of the day (jalapeno tequila is a favorite of mine) and get creative with the buffet options for your morning drink! this is one of my favorite pittsburgh brunch traditions.

the cocktails and wines are also great in the evening, with a small but quality beer selection. great bar snacks, and a great place to meet up with friends. i highly recommend making reservations well ahead of time on almost any night of the week, especially if there is an event happening downtown or in the theatre district.

great!. i've been to meat &potatoesmultiple times and have never been disappointed. i highly recommend the hanger steak, the burgers, and the fried brussels. the decor is hip and the vibe is noisy and alive which makes it a very fun spot for cocktails as well.

delicious food and great service!. four of us headed over for a light supper after a great day of art events in pittsburgh. we shared 7 dishes and 2 desserts. everything was great. the mussels with frites, pork belly tacos were just a couple of the great items. dessert was panne cotta and pot of chocolate, both amazing. service was efficient and fast. nice selection of boutique draft beers as well. definitely recommend meat andpotatoesfor a great meal.

makes me wish i lived in pittsburgh. we went here for brunch and could not have been more impressed. the outside is pretty nondescript, but the inside is perfect. casual, but contemporary and classy. this place is busy, so reservations are recommended. our server wes, was knowledgeable, friendly and on the ball.

the drink selection is excellent. many fine cocktails to choose from. we wanted the kingston club but they were unfortunately out of pineapple juice. so we tried the old thyme refresher which had black pepper, thyme, grapefruit juice and some type of liquor. it was excellent and like nothing we have ever had before. they also have an amazing bloody mary bar for their weekend brunch.

we tried 3 meals between the two of us because we couldn't decide. we had the french toast, chicken and waffles and the shortrib hash.

the french toast was made with sourdough bread that had bananas and a bacon almond brittle. this dish was amazing and my wife's favorite by far. i believe this dish was $10 and worth every penny.

the chicken and waffles were great but probably our least favorite dish of the three. it came with 4 whopping pieces of fried chicken (leg, 2 thighs and a breast) and a jalapeno cheddar cornbread waffle. the syrup had a kick with bacon and bourbon in it. the chicken was great, but the waffle didn't quite do it for me. it was kind of cold and dry. could have used some heat and some butter. it was $12 and i probably wouldn't order it again since there are so many awesome things on their menu.

the shortrib hash was my favorite. it was a little on the greasy side, but the shortribs andpotatoeswere so tasty. it also had poached eggs on top as well as a horseradish hollandaise. it was $12 and worth it.

our neighbor to the right had the huevos rancheros, and he seemed very pleased with them. it was a nice portion and everything looked fresh and delicious.

i really don't think you can go wrong at this place. i seriously doubt there is one bad thing on the entire menu. i am so happy we found this place and were able to walk there from our hotel (westin downtown - check it out). its restaurants like this that keep me looking for the next great thing. people in pittsburgh should be proud of this place. if i lived there, it would be my go-to spot.

p.s. i read in a local magazine that the owners have a new place opening up called "butcher and the rye" but we couldn't find it in town. i am guessing it hasn't opened as of aug 2013.

i first heard about meat andpotatoesfrom my supervisor, who had mentioned she had reservations to dine there one weekend. although i always forgot to ask her how the meal was, its unique name stuck. so with my parents' upcoming visit to pittsburgh, i thought meat andpotatoeswould be the perfect spot to try. it's relatively new to the pittsburgh dining scene, having only opened in the winter of 2011 and is located in the heart of the city's cultural district. in terms of decor and ambience, meat andpotatoesis definitely going for an "in" and relaxed look-exposed ceiling beams, the day's specials written on a chalkboard on the wall, tumblers instead of wine glasses, and of course the beef meat chart, an outline of a cow that shows the location of all the various cuts of meat. the restaurant isn't overly large as the bar which serves as the "nucleus" takes up a decent portion of the space, although i had no problem making reservations less than a week in advance for a friday evening