Nut friendly establishment: I don't think much of their bar food has nuts if any. I went for a larger event that booked out the top floor and our catered food had no nuts.
A cozy bar in Shadyside that is bigger on the inside than it looks. The first floor has a beer hall-like vibe with high tables to seat 2-4, and a bench with tables and chairs to seat 1-2. The bar is very long with a decently large well to mid-tier liquor selection There's a raised area in the back with more seating.
Upstairs after a very narrow stairway are two more bar areas and tables for larger groups, including a large communal table. The heating upstairs is strong. There is nowhere to leave a jacket except on your chair, and you definitely won't need one when all of the heaters are on. Electronics darts machines are present on both the first and second floor, costing $0.75/person/round.
There are nightly drink specials and a happy hour M-F 5-7PM. Normal beer prices are $4.25 for something like a Bud Light, $5.25 for mid-tier lagers like a blue moon, $6.25 for a draft craft beer like a local IPA, and $7.25 for stronger craft beers. I ordered a long island iced tea which was $7.50 and made reasonably well (a little light and diluted by too much ice).
The food was reasonably good bar food with the crab rangoons being a nice crispy surprise. The chicken fingers were better than Stack'd and also crispy. I didn't try the pizza but it looked good.
Two major blunders happened while I was at Mario's: Firstly, I asked one of the bartenders if they had anything local on draft, and she said no. This was blatantly wrong as I noticed when I went back for a second round, as the Brotherly Love Hazy IPA is local enough to Pittsburgh. They also had several bottles of a local lager that was not the best. Secondly, as we were starting a game of darts, the machine froze. We had to flag a bartender down to reset the machine, and they refused to refund us for the cost of the game. It's a small amount but this rudeness in service was off-putting and we didn't want to try to play another round if the machine would eat our money again.
Overall, a nice place to host events or grab a cheap drink during a special. Got a little full as I left around 9PM on a Friday, but there was still space available to be...
Read moreMostly a decent enough bar, but the 5% credit card charge seems inappropriate and unwarranted.
Very weird dress code on door seems to target a very specific demographic (no sideways hats, no sagging...). Was informed that this is not strictly enforced on weekends (see attached photo)
Atmosphere: Radio pop/hip-pop fills the air in this dimly-lit, wood-furnished semi-sports bar, as a few former-fratboy types and late 30/-early 40-somethings chat amongst themselves. Hockey, NBC, and local broadcasting on televisions.
Cost: Half-priced personal pies cost $4 on Sundays, and my Irish coffee took $6.25 from my wallet. Bring cash if you want to avoid the additional 'CC' charge. Your friendly neighborhood PNC ATM lives just on the wall of the building directly across the street.
Service: Strictly-business bartender, and a trust-nobody doorman. "Cold" isn't far from the modifier I seek...
Experience: Perhaps because it is Sunday this St. Patrick's Day (and everyone drank on Saturday) there are no drink specials. Was promptly asked for ID and interrogated about my condition as I entered from the cold. I located a bar seat and noticed signs covering the usual Sunday drink specials on the blackboard. Thankfully, the pizza special (my real goal being a chicken pesto) was still being offered (and even more thankfully, red pepper flakes). Based on past experience I think I prefer the Super Mario and the...
Read moreMore bar than restaraunt,formerly "Doc's". Not a bad place to watch a Steelers game,except when they get crushed by the Jaguars... I had maple-dusted sweet-potatoe fries & a Reuben. Food was ok,not great not bad. Service was good,my server Paige was warm & attentive. Meal came shortly after ordering,no long wait. Had a few beers on special. Wouldn't bring kids or elderly here,it gets a bit loud,especially when sports events are playing on 1 of the many big-screen tvs. There's a game wheel related to football games, fun if your into that but also a source of commotion. No smoking & a somewhat unusual,semi-strict dress code. e.g. Hats can be worn frontwards or backwards but not sideways..Pants must be pulled up no underwear showing at all,no backpacks or large bags,no tank-tops for men,no sunglasses etc. Seems kind of targeted towards african-americans(sideways hats,low waistline pants etc.)& I must say I observed not a single black person there. Also could be to prevent fights or encourage a more classy clientele,but imho the hats n pants rule & no tanks for men but ok for women could also be construed as racist & sexist. You decide for yourself. Younger college type crowd. I would go again with friends for a game but not for...
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