Pamela's Diner — Restaurant in Pittsburgh

Believe the hype…

We came here on Monday morning and had to wait about 30 minutes but it could’ve been a lot longer based on what we had heard coming into Pittsburgh. Knowing that in advance, my wife and I were pleased to be seated and out of the brisk air outside. Our server came right to us and grabbed us some coffee (French pressed for my wife) and gave us some time to peruse the menu.

It didn’t take long for me to find my order - meat and eggs, which I got with turkey sausage and buttered wheat toast and fries - along with a chocolate banana hotcake. My wife ordered the croissant French toast and the Lyonnaise potatoes with a scrambled egg on the side. We didn’t have to wait very long before the food got out and, my worries about whether the table could fit all the food were out to rest quickly.

Now, this is why I write this review. The meat and eggs were great and exactly what I wanted for a traditional breakfast (tho fries instead of home fries is admittedly non traditional - that first bite of the hotcakes changed my life and I’m not joking. It was sweet, crispy, fluffy and not too thick. My wife asked for my rating and I felt like it would be Simon Cowell-like of me to say anything other than 10/10. Then she tried a bite and her life changed. She’s very particular and agreed immediately that these hotcakes were the best. They don’t need syrup, they’re perfectly thin/thick and deserve all the hype. I devoured the meal (almost all of it at least) and our bill was about $60 before tip, which was very affordable for all we got. Service was great and, while it’s a diner and seating was an open floor, we didn’t feel squished or uncomfortably out of reach of our server. Cannot wait...

the best meal i had in pittsburgh (and throughout my midwest road trip) because it was satiating, tasty, and affordable.

heard about pamela's diner from a friend and of course because obama has ate here. there's several locations in the city but we chose to visit the original strip location. at 11:00am on a thursday, we got a table right away. service was friendly and efficient.

prices are still very reasonable for a meal that is going to keep you full for awhile! good range of savory and sweet dishes. we decided to share two dishes to get the best of both worlds.

// corned beef hash ($12.00) // corned beef hash with potatoes, two eggs of your choice, two slices of toast of your choice. corned beef was a little salty but very tasty with the potatoes. lots of butter on the toast and definitely a greasy spoon spot, but was very satiating.

// strawberry hotcakes ($10.50) // two hotcakes with whipped cream on top and strawberries inside. opted for strawberries since they were fresh vs. frozen blueberries. definitely sweet and indulgent but tasty. i like how the ends of the hotcakes are thinner and crispy -- the rest are more like your typical pancake. very buttery (you can taste it!) but a good treat.

glad we shared one savory and one sweet dish because not sure i could finish one flavor palette by itself. overall, good quality and very affordable for a brunch! would definitely revisit if i came back...

Had out of town visitors and wanted to show them some unique Pittsburghy things, so the Strip District was one of the items on our list. When it was time for brunch, we suggested coming here (as another Pittsburghy thing to do). They are always busy on a weekend so we were not surprised by the 45 minute wait, and since it was a beautiful summer day, we were able to sit outside and enjoy talking with our friends and doing some people-watching.

In due course we were ushered inside and ordered some of their specialty crepes as well as other offerings. The staff really hustles, even though the kitchen was struggling to keep up with the demand. Our coffee cups were constantly refilled and waiter / waitress team checked on how we were doing.

When the food arrived, we were all happy. The food was tasty and hot. No complaints from anyone regardless of what they ordered. The Chorizo in the Chorizo hash was actually a spicy chorizo which was refreshing as we've had very bland chorizo in other joints around town. Portions are ample so you are not going to leave hungry (In fact, we took home leftovers!).

All in all, a good experience. Our friends...