Hey Babe — Restaurant in Pittsburgh

I was so excited to try this new restaurant inside the Maverick Hotel. I absolutely love the hotel itself—truly one of my favorite places. I’ve given it the most glowing review I’ve ever written, so I came in with high hopes.

The space is beautiful (that building is just incredible), and the atmosphere had a really cool vibe. The food was also genuinely great—creative and delicious. We especially loved the masa chicken and dumplings, and the BLT was honestly one of the best I’ve ever had. I’d come back just for those.

That said, the overall experience left a lot to be desired.

First off, it was so loud. Between the music and the noise from people trying to talk over it, we were basically shouting across the table. It completely took over the experience. The lighting was also weird—not quite dim, not quite bright—just that uncomfortable middle ground that somehow makes everything feel a little off.

I really disliked the seat-yourself policy. The place was packed, and it felt awkward and tense trying to snag a table. We ended up hovering and then grabbing a not-yet-bussed table as soon as one cleared. It’s not a great first impression, and a proper seating system would go a long way. Service was another issue. Our server seemed overwhelmed, and food took a long time to come out. But the biggest letdown came when we ordered dessert—the strawberry pretzel “little something sweet.” It’s a pre-made shot glass dessert, so we figured it would be quick. It took nearly 20 minutes, and the table next to us (who ordered it after we did) got theirs, ate it, and had it cleared before we even saw ours. When I asked the server about it, he gave me attitude—told me I’d asked for the check before it came out, and basically made it seem like it was my fault. No apology, just defensiveness. I explained the situation, and suddenly the dessert appeared from the back immediately. It wasn’t even that great, and by then, the whole moment was kind of soured.

I still love the hotel. The owner was adorable, running around in her oversized striped shirt. And the food really was solid. But between the noise, the seating chaos, and the rough service, there are a lot of kinks that need to be worked out. I might try again someday, but not...

Visited here on October 22nd. For my girlfriends birthday dinner. Our server was male with curly hair and tattoos. Over all we loved it!

To start the service was amazing. I apologize that I don't remember his name but he was truly excellent. He was very knowledgeable and approachable. He regularly checked up on our table and gave great recommendations. It was also very clear that he and the rest of the team was actively paying attention to the tables scanning and manicuring as they moved about.

The food and drinks were very tasty and generally well executed. Nothing was particularly ground breaking but everything was well conceived and approachable. Perfect for a hotel restaurant. We got a bunch of small plates and that was more then enough food. We especially loved the potato with chili aioli. Tbh potatos are super simple so it's always nice when a restaurant does them so well that it's all we can think about. My only criticism is on the salmon tartar. We ordered it cuz my girlfriend loves salmon. And don't get me wrong it was still very tasty I especially liked the use of the salmon skin as a vessel for the tartar. That being said I think that there was too many things going on. And was hard to identify and understand the component. The chili crisps and the salmon skin helped break up the textures but there wasn't enough salmon skin and the chili crisps were not mixed evenly enough to allow for a perfect bite each time. But I am nitpicking at this point. Everything else hit the mark and was tasty!

The vibe was dope! Loved the chandeliers and the lounge style seating was super comfortable. However we chose to seat our selves in the corner near the check in tablet. Even though there was a barrier in the form of a table with plants it was still very easy to notice people walking behind us to access the hotel. Also it did get a tad chilly as the door was constantly opening and closing. Maybe a heavy curtain at the front door might help. Again nitpicking.

Overall we will definitely come back again! I apologize for the essay. But I am super excited to see this place grow! Keep up the great work!

Note we forgot to take pictures of all...

My wife and I had dinner at Hey Babe on Saturday, September 6th. It was our first visit. We walked in around 5:30 PM and took two seats at the bar. We had a truly great experience. We decided to try four "small sharable plates". We had the tomato focaccia bread - served in a small cast iron skillet with a side of herbed butter which was delicious. We also shared the pork belly..fried perfectly drizzled with a Korean BBQ type sauce and dressed with a pickled slaw The crispy eggplant, which was splayed open, breaded and fried and served with an aoli and roasted peppers on top, was amazing! Lastly the crab cake which was Maryland crab sitting in a red pepper remoulade and dressed with marinated tomatoes and veggies, and although a little salty, it proved to be another great choice. There was more than enough food for the two of us and we enjoyed each dish. Our bartender / waiter (Joseph K) was the best (and he makes a pretty mean gin and tonic!). In addition, the ownership pays great attention to detail and the place is CLEAN... unfortunately, not always seen in restaurants these days! We are looking forward to going back soon as our one regret was that we saved no room for the peach cobbler...keep up the outstanding work!!!...