Piada Italian Street Food — Restaurant in Pittsburgh

I was excited to visit Piada today for the first time at their Oakland, PA location near the Pitt campus. I visited with a colleague who had visited this store on multiple other occasions. I decided to order a pasta bowl with the basil sauce. when I stepped up to order and asked for spaghetti with the basil sauce, the server quickly sloshed my spaghetti with what appeared to be a white sauce. I thought perhaps I had read incorrectly and it was a Parmesan and basil sauce, but the color still surprised me. I then heard the woman after me order the Alfredo sauce, and the same server dipped into the same that of sauce which I now knew to be cream-based, which worried me as I am lactose intolerant. I attempted to get the server's attention to ask if that was basil or parmesan sauce, and was quickly and pointedly told me "SHE gets you your basil sauce!!" as the first server pointed to the next server in line behind the counter.

I waited my turn, and when the second server called spaghetti with basil sauce, I raised my hand and said that was me but I had a question. this second server said " this isn't your basil," and then began to work with a customer two people behind me in line. After helping him, I again tried to say that I had a question, and she said "I'm getting you your basil," handed me the spaghetti that now had alfredo sauce and basil sauce on it, and moved on to the Third customer behind me. I resigned myself to potential GI symptoms to come and paid for my order. as I was filling my drink, the woman who had been immediately behind me in line came up to me and said 'For what it's worth I thought they were both very rude to you.'

My food was adequate, neither stunning my taste buds nor completely offending them, but based on the fact that I was not able to get a simple question answered that regarded potential food intolerances, I don't think I will return to this establishment, nor would I recommend it to any friends that I know have strict dietary restrictions or food allergies. Taking a moment to answer questions about the ingredients of a dish for a customer could make the difference between anaphylactic shockbat worst, or an afternoon of reflux and...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ First-Time Experience That’ll Keep Me Coming Back!

I recently visited Piada for the very first time, and I have to say, the experience was far better than I could have hoped for — not just because of the food, but because of the incredibly warm, patient, and helpful staff who made me feel welcomed and taken care of from the moment I walked in.

I’d like to give a special shoutout to April, Cynthia, and Dae, who truly went above and beyond. Being new to the menu, I had a lot of questions — and maybe even a little confusion — but not once did I feel rushed or brushed off. April was incredibly kind and attentive, walking me through the different options and giving honest suggestions about flavor combinations. Cynthia had such a friendly energy and made sure I understood what I was ordering, making me feel confident in my choices. And Dae was just as gracious and upbeat, checking in to make sure everything came out just right and that I was happy with my meal.

It’s rare to find a team that works so seamlessly together while still managing to offer such individualized care. Their patience, professionalism, and genuine friendliness made what could have been an overwhelming first visit into a smooth, enjoyable experience that left a lasting impression.

And let’s not forget the food — fresh, flavorful, and well-balanced. Everything tasted like it was made with intention and care, and you could tell the quality was a priority.

Thanks to April, Cynthia, and Dae, I’ll definitely be returning. Not only because I now have some go-to favorites on the menu, but because it’s clear this location values both great food and exceptional customer service. Can’t wait...

Had a steak and pesto wrap and the garlic bread. The marinade / flavor on the steak was quite good, but the wrap was lacking in volume and the pesto was saltier than I would've liked. Red onions were a poor decision on my part; the lettuce was fresh and of good quality, though. The garlic bread was disappointing; kind of small (comparable in size and shape to a half-circle of naan at an Indian restaurant), and not very garlicy, with salt and pepper as its dominant flavors. My coworkers assign low credibility to this assessment, on the basis that I sometimes drink garlic tea, so take it for what it's worth. For $10 I was left sort of satiated but not really full, and I was thirsty all afternoon as a result of the saltiness. One advantage compared to Chipotle is that they didn't close online ordering during the lunch rush; whether that policy stays in place remains to be seen. Picking up from the online ordering register was surprisingly slow, but still faster than waiting in line.

Edit 21 March 2019: Having been to Piada several more times since writing, the value play is definitely the pasta. It's still quite salty though. A coworker and I got sick from Piada once, but it only happened once despite eating there about once a month...