City kitchen — Restaurant in Pittsburgh

On the plus: The food (that we did manage to get) was tasty.

On the minus: We didn't get what we ordered on every single item selected, which is ironic given an app based ordering system (more on that in a minute). -The Hawaiian surf and turf was delicious, but we ordered extra shrimp (and paid $6 extra) and got 4 medium shrimp with the dish. We asked the server and they explained that the normal amount is 2 shrimp, so we did get extra! -The sweet and spicy noodle dish was also yummy, but was not made with sweet potato noodles (as mentioned on the menu) and the chicken it was supposed to come with might have had maybe 2 bite size pieces of chicken in the whole dish. -We ordered spring rolls that NEVER came out despite us asking about them 3 different times. We also ordered a passion-fruit drink that they were out of, so we settled on a berry - but why not have the app updated with the drinks you do have? Chasing down a server for ice in a glass was also a challenge.

*To their one bit of credit, the server must have seen our incredulous faces with the shrimp issue as the chef brought out a small bowl of additional shrimp that did make a $28 dish seem slightly more reasonable.

When clearing out, we asked once again about the appetizer that never came and the server did take them off the bill, but now the 20% tip that I had to select when ordering (and before any actual service) was actually more like 25% of the bill - for what amounted to absolute mediocre service. While I am not one to short change the wait staff EVER when it comes to tips, I still would not have tipped ~25% given the choice for what the service turned out to be. Final result: Two lunches with one Lacroix came to $64.63 (with the tip).

I would have said a plus was the huge and varied menu, but since it was not accurate on any level nor was the app that supports it functional/working AND it forces you to pay and tip prior to getting anything - I see this as a major system problem. But like most IT issues - it probably works fine most of the time... until it doesn't. Frustrating.

The atmosphere was open and "fun", but also a bit loud. I can see some folks loving it here - especially when it's warm and can be more open to the outside eating areas... but just don't expect the food to be what you ordered, or for it to come out at all - at least based on my experience.

For perspective: I may come back someday, but won't be rushing to do so. If someone else picks it and wants to go, I won't say "no", but I don't see myself voting for it either. ...

I recently hosted a large group at City Kitchen, and I can’t recommend them highly enough! From start to finish, the experience was flawless, thanks to the incredible team led by owners Nick and Summer. They went out of their way to curate an event for our family that we will never forget.

Summer crafted a special menu so our guests could order individual items from City kitchens expansive menu as opposed to having to do a traditional buffet style service.

Nick left no detail unaddressed. He meticulously coordinated the various teams at City Kitchen to ensure everything went as planned. He had multiple contingency plans available in case any unforeseen situation arose. I honestly can not find anything to complain about. Everything was as promised and beyond our expectations.

Working with Head Chef Julien was one of the highlights. His pride in his craft and confidence in his team gave us no doubt the food would be fantastic, which it was! Julien even took the extra step to source specific ingredients to make vegetarian alternatives for several dishes. I can’t compliment his abilities enough other than to say that it is rare to find a chef who can prepare such a diverse range of cuisines at the level he did.

Joel, the event planner and manager, was the epitome of professionalism. He spent countless hours helping us plan the celebration we desired and most importantly bring our vision to fruition. As expected, he knows the venue intimately well and all his suggestions were spot on.

Finally, Stephen the bar manager and the entire bar staff did a fabulous job. The drinks were consistent and delicious throughout the event.

On the day of the event, the entire City Kitchen team operated like a well-oiled machine, seamlessly managing everything behind the scenes and delivering an event that exceeded all expectation. Without hesitation, I wholeheartedly recommend City Kitchen for any gathering you may...

It's hard to gauge City Kitchen. The food is actually good, better than the Galley concept, but it is quite expensive for the price.

Definitely come here with a big group. The atmosphere is just fantastic, and there's plenty of tables to accommodate a big room. No wait times... usually. Ordering is a breeze, and there are so many options that everyone will have something they want.

Burger quality is good. They have another sandwich place (Elevate), and some of the items on the menu are top quality. Again though, the price is high... around the $20 mark for the food.

I feel Somi and Haka are a little controversial for me. The portion sizes from these restaurants are very small for the price. You will not get full from ordering one thing. But they do taste good. The ramen actually tastes decent though not at all traditional and way too expensive for what they are ($22-25). However, do note that the tonkotsu broth is legit, and on the high end of good in Pittsburgh. The $5 spam musubi is a highway robbery (they shouldn't cost more than $2.50, but I get it, it's Pittsburgh). I'm not a fan of the egg rolls or Korean fusion options either. However, the appetizers more than make up for the cons because they're quite big.... Bigger than the serving sizes of the main dishes.

The best food IMO are actually the banh mi and the pho... Maybe? This isn't a surprise because the owner of the place had a great restaurant in Smallman Galley called Banhmilicious (she's also Viet). The pho when I tried it had plenty of flavor, and while not "traditional," the banh mi is huge. But again, they're $17-22 each.

Overall, it's a great group place. Food tastes good. It's just expensive. I would come back, but the quality:price ratio prevents me from outright coming here regularly, even if I literally live...