Spring Into These New (and Soon-to-Open) Restaurants, Cafes and Breweries
It's been a busy year so far on Pittsburgh's culinary scene.
RENDERING COURTESY OF SUGARBIRD
Once you check out 2025’s Best New Restaurants, plot your 2026 dining schedule at these soon-to-be favorites and look ahead to the future of dining.
Allegheny County Health Department applications for all categories of food and beverage permits increased 26 percent over two years, from 511 in 2023 to 647 in 2025. Simultaneously, wait times for all classes of food and beverage permits increased from a maximum of approximately 49 days in 2023 to a maximum of 80 days in 2025.
County Executive Sara Innamorato signed an order this week directing staff to assess and improve the food permit process, with the goal of maintaining public health and safety while streamlining wait times.
The county will also introduce a new suite of communications and marketing materials to better introduce food and beverage businesses to the permitting process, answer frequently asked questions and share information early in the process so they can more smoothly assess what they will need to do to be permitted.
“It is a healthy sign that permit requests have increased so much over the last few years. We want to help businesses get to work expeditiously,” Innamorato said in a press release. “I look forward to sharing more updates throughout the year on the permit reform process, and I want to stress our lines of communication are open for restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and food trucks who want to share ideas for how we can improve the process for them as well.”
The lounge by Atria’s features premium cigars and an elevated bar with an extensive collection of bourbons and fine wines. The menu includes a variety of shareable dishes, entrees and dessert, all inspired by 1930 by Atria’s in Mt. Lebanon.
2350 Railroad St., Strip District
The McKees Rocks-based beer brand, known for its flavor-forward sours and hoppy ales, now has taprooms at Taps, Axes & Games at 1689 McFarland Road in Mt. Lebanon and at Hazelwood Brew House at 5007 Lytle St. in Hazelwood.
A Pittsburgh staple now has a spot in the Strip. Get American comfort food classics with a modern twist such as pot roast nachos, jumbo lump crab cakes and chicken pot pie.
2350 Railroad St., Strip District
The Baked Bean debuted on Valentine’s Day to bring hand-crafted coffee beverages and artisan baked goods to the South Hills.
380 Broadmoor Ave., Mt. Lebanon
A new beer-maker has moved into the former Necromancer Brewing Co. building in the North Hills.
2257 Babcock Blvd., Ross
A historic 19th-century building on Bedford Square is now a place for seasonal dishes, seafood, bistro classics, shareable plates, cocktails and a curated wine list.
51 South 12th St., South Side
Launched on March 5 by newly formed Legacy Hospitality Group, the team behind Ritual House Palm Palm and the soon-to-open SugarBird on the South Side, this fast-casual concept is the place to go for healthy eats Downtown.
Union Trust Building, 501 Grant St., Downtown
Five-star chef Kristin Butterworth heads the kitchen at Cork & Crust, bringing Neopolitan-style pies to The Oaklander hotel.
5130 Bigelow Blvd., Oakland
Located in the century-old Creative Chemical Company building, the space features a first-floor public cafe and a coworking club with flexible work spaces, meeting rooms, a wet studio, shared equipment that includes a laser printer, a full kitchen with free coffee and tea and lockers. There’s also a 10-by-18-foot mural of actor Jeff Goldblum, who grew up in West Homestead, on the wall.
4618 Friendship Ave., Bloomfield
PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER
The Glassport business known for its ridiculously huge hoagies debuted its second location in Irwin on March 9.
3535 Route 130, Irwin
The Mexican restaurant, which also houses a scratch bakery, cafe and bar, opened in the former Periwinkle’s Bakery & Cafe in RIDC Park. In 2021, brand owner Brian Gorder debuted Gordo’s Tacos & Tequila on Shiloh Street in Mount Washington.
900 Gamma Drive, O’Hara
IRL is a cozy cafe with a lineup of non-alcoholic drinks, kombucha, kefir water and snacks.
708 East Warrington Ave., Allentown
Established in 2010, Juniper Grill features a scratch menu inspired by California cuisine, a wine cellar and a full bar.
2350 Railroad St., Strip District
The Korean fried chicken joint is in its soft opening phase, offering wings and appetizers, among them bone-in chicken, sandwiches and other sides.
325 Mt. Lebanon Blvd., Castle Shannon
The owner of the Slice on Broadway pizzeria chain and Tim’s Corner Market opened this Italian taverna with a menu of shareable focaccia boards, small plates and family-style pasta bowls.
106 East Main St., Carnegie
If you need a taste of the Caribbean to beat the winter blahs, Milane’s Mobile, one of Pittsburgh Magazine’s Best New Restaurants, debuted its stationary space on March 21 in McKees Rocks.
112 Chartiers Ave., McKees Rocks
The beloved pizza chain’s long-awaited location has finally taken off at Pittsburgh International Airport.
1000 Airport Blvd., Airside Terminal, Moon
The Downtown restaurant offers omakase and sushi tacos — and has the city’s biggest Japanese whiskey bar.
245 Fourth Ave., Downtown
An eatery specializing in authentic New York-style pizza and Philly cheesesteaks opened in the former Black Lotus Pizza.
4065 Penn Ave., Lawrenceville
Pizzaiolo Primo opened its third location in a former Atria’s space at 4869 William Penn Highway in Murrysville. The company also hand-crafts Neapolitan cuisine in Market Square and South Fayette.
4869 William Penn Highway, Murrysville
SAD BAR is a wellness-focused pop-up designed to fight Seasonal Affective Disorder through non-alcoholic cocktails in the glow of warm spectrum lighting.
3701 Forbes Ave., Oakland
A sapphic cafe offering coffee drinks, snacks, crafts, events and community connection.
5407 Penn Ave., Garfield
Located inside Hyeholde Restaurant’s historic carriage house, The Tavern is reminiscent of a classic European pub with a menu that includes smoked cod chowder, veal osso buco with creamy polenta and a lamb cassoulet with cranberry beans, alongside charcuterie and cheese boards.
1516 Coraopolis Heights Road, Coraopolis
This family-owned South Side spot features a menu of fresh ingredients highlighting traditional Mexican flavors and a full bar.
1831 East Carson St., South Side
Located inside Apis Mead, this small-batch brewery specializes in classic German, English and American ales. The name is a chess term meaning “time is of the essence.”
206 Mary St., Carnegie
Coming soon
After closing their Steuben Street site in Crafton Heights last July, Better-Maid is relaunching its donut operation at Scott Towne Center.
2101 Greentree Road, Scott
Burghers Brewing and A Slice of New York Squared
Burghers Brewing, which has locations in Zelienople, Lawrenceville and Millvale, is relocating its tiny South Side taproom and burger joint to a large space at The Highline at 46 South 4th St. The menu will include Burghers Pizza, featuring the brand’s most celebrated burgers reimagined as pies. Burghers owners Fiore Moletz and Neil Glauiser are teaming up with a celebrated, Murrysville-based pizza purveyor; A Slice of New York Squared will move into Burgher’s old 700-square-foot site at 319 E. Carson St.
The cozy cafe with specialty coffee and fresh pastries is slated to open March 28 in Brentwood Town Square.
4100 Brownsville Road, Brentwood
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ISALY’S
In 2026, yinz guys will be scarfin’ dahn Skyscraper cones and chipped ham sammiches at Isaly’s in the Strip! Jim and Leslee Conroy, owners of O’Hara-based Conroy Foods, purchased the iconic brand in 2015 and plan to build out a 3,500-square-foot shop using an original Isaly’s deli operations manual.
2111 Penn Ave., Strip District
In April, the fast-casual restaurant and market will open at Live! Casino at Westmoreland Mall in Greensburg. It will feature products from DeLallo, a Jeannette-based Italian foods brand. Mangia (which means “eat” in Italian) will serve pizza, pasta, hoagies, salads, desserts, craft cocktails, wines and Italian sodas. Patrons will also be able to stock up on DeLallo’s dried pastas, sauces, oils, spreads, meats, cheeses and gift baskets and more.
Live! Casino Pittsburgh, 5260 US-30, Greensburg
The popular pizza pop-up will soon have a permanent location in Brighton Heights.
3627 California Ave., Brighton Heights
Located at The Plaza at North Shore, a new, 30,000-square-foot outdoor concert venue and gathering spot operated by Legacy Hospitality Group, SugarBird is set to open April 2 with a playful menu of fried chicken, donuts and soft-serve ice cream. The eatery also has a large patio and full bar. A second concept, Highball Social Club, is slated to open at the Plaza next fall.
Corner of Mazeroski Way and General Robinson Boulevard, North Shore
Following the February 2026 closure of Joseph Tambellini Restaurant in Highland Park, the last remaining Tambellini-branded restaurant in Pittsburgh, the Italian sandwich shop is scheduled to open this spring in Brookline.
1011 Brookline Blvd., Brookline
On April 2, Chef Csilla Thackray is set to open an Austro-Hungarian eatery in the former Merchant Oyster Co., which closed in late 2024.
4129 Butler St., Lawrenceville
