Dining Out

Originally settled by Scots-Irish and German immigrants, mainly, Pittsburgh in its industrial heyday attracted Slavs, Italians, Hungarians, and other Europeans as well as African Americans from the U.S. South.

More recently, Asians and Hispanics have joined the mix. And, thanks substantially to Pitt and UPMC, Pittsburgh continues to attract people from around the globe.

All of these nationalities and ethnic groups have contributed to Pittsburgh’s delicious and seriously diverse food offerings.

Thai, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Polish, Italian, Mexican, Argentine, and Ethiopian, as well as American fast food and home-style cooking…you name the cuisine, and you’ll find it roasting, baking, simmering, or chilling in Pittsburgh.

View a list of the city’s restaurants by neighborhood.

Shopping for Food

From household staples like bread and milk to incendiary chilies and curries, you can find the foods you want at Pittsburgh’s many markets.

Grocery Stores

• East End Food Co-op
• Giant Eagle
• McGinnis Sisters
• Trader Joe’s
• Whole Foods Market

International Grocery Stores

• Bombay Mart
• Donatelli’s Italian Food Center
• Groceria Italiana
• Murray Avenue Kosher
• Polina's Russian & Eastern European groceries
• Salim’s Middle Eastern Foods
• Seoul Mart
• Star International Gourmet European Market
• Tokyo Japanese Food Store
• Veracruz Mexican Grocery
• Young’s Oriental Grocery Store

Farmers Markets

You can buy fresh-picked fruits and vegetables, as well as meats, eggs, cheeses, baked goods—and sometimes flowers, gifts, and gardening items, too—at the dozens of farmers markets in the Pittsburgh area.

The Oakland Farmers Market, located on Sennott Street between Atwood Street and Meyran Avenue, is within walking distance (or a short drive or bus ride) of many Pitt and UPMC facilities. It’s open on Fridays from June to November.

From early May through late November, the City of Pittsburgh operates seven CitiParks farmers markets, most of them located within a few miles of Oakland.

• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette List of Farmers Markets
• Slow Food Pittsburgh - Organic and CNG Farmers Market
• Pittsburgh Public Market

Strip District

The Strip District is a one-half square mile area northeast of downtown Pittsburgh, best known for its retail produce and ethnic food stores, restaurants, and coffee shops.

"The Strip" is just that—a narrow strip of land in a flood plain confined by the Allegheny River to the north and the extension of Grant's Hill to the south. The Strip District's east and west boundaries are 11th and 33rd streets; the produce district runs from 16th to 22nd streets.

Source: Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania.