Soba — Restaurant in Pittsburgh

-Update 12/18- Jeff, the GM of Big Burrito, responded stating that staff didn’t do anything wrong by taking our authentic IDs to the back without any rationale. And that we should take their word that they didn’t do anything in the back with our personal information. Jeff also mentioned that they should’ve been more “delicate” with us, but all we wanted was straightforward, respectful communication, not a patronizing approach that suggests we needed special handling. If they are so willing to talk about and enforce this PA law, then why is it always so inconsistently enforced at Soba? Also, not responding to my emails and writing a reply to this review instead is probably not a great example of this “excellent service” you keep on talking about.

Don't come here if you're celebrating a 21st birthday or any sort of celebration. We had a 7pm reservation tonight for my friend's 21st birthday. Wanted to get a drink to celebrate, the friend showed their ID. Waitress said it was authentic and good to go so they left. The waitress comes back again asking for the ID again, confiscating it, and then going to the back without any reason for 5 minutes. Had no idea what they were doing for those 5 minutes. They took an authentic driver's license without any reason and came back confidently stating that it was fake. We came here to celebrate a 21st birthday, an event they knew was happening from my reservation notes, and denied a person a drink because they thought their ID was fake without any reason. They didn't give us a SINGLE reason as to why they thought it was fake, the manager basing everything on assumption. I brought this up to the staff afterwards, and they stated that there's a PA law of some sort and they had no control. However, they did have control into how they addressed the situation. They could've been more respectful when rejecting the ID instead of confidently stating that it was fake (even though it was authentic), but instead they chose to treat us with discourtesy. We felt out of place and confused. I came here once before in the same situation, but they didn't mention this type of law.

It's crucial for any establishment to handle situations involving identification and age verification with professionalism and respect, especially in a celebratory context. A straightforward and respectful explanation about any concerns with the ID, or at least a consistent policy enforcement, would have been appreciated especially for a...

Soba is my favorite restaurant of the BBRG (Big Burrito Restaurant Group). Tucked away from the bustle, this elevated Asian restaurant offers a refined yet welcoming atmosphere that sets the tone the moment you walk in. The interior is sleek and moody, with warm lighting, tasteful minimalism, and just enough edge to feel modern without being overdone. It’s the kind of place where the music is low, the service is attentive, and the vibe invites you to stay a while. Brennan took great care of us. The cocktail program deserves its own praise. The bar team clearly knows their craft, offering a menu full of bold flavors. We started with the lychee heartbreaker and the sakura sour. We decided to get all share plates for the evening. The short rib dumplings are a new addition to the menu and WOW-The braised short rib was melt in your mouth tender, wrapped in delicate dough that was just the right thickness to hold everything together without feeling doughy. Then came the crispy tofu, and it was anything but an afterthought. Lightly battered and fried to a beautiful golden crunch, the tofu had this almost airy crisp on the outside, while staying pillowy soft inside. For the second course of food, Abigayle brought over fresh plates as we enjoyed the tuna crispy rice and the spicy tuna roll. The tuna crispy rice was the kind of dish that hits every note- texture, flavor, and visual appeal. Each square of rice was pan-seared to golden perfection, with a crisp outer layer that gave way to warm, slightly sticky rice inside. It had that satisfying crunch that makes you slow down just to savor it. As for the spicy tuna roll, every bite delivered a layered experience-spicy, savory, creamy, and crisp all at once. Soba is ideal for a date night, intimate celebration, or a slow evening catching up with friends, this spot blends ambiance, flavor, and hospitality in a way that feels grown, grounded, and just a little indulgent. Can’t wait to book my next...

I been to Umi 4 times previously and been blown away, so I decided to give Soba a try for the first time last Friday with my partner. Overall, we were a little disappointed - the biggest disappointment was that most of what we ordered was just a little "bland" for lack of a better description. Our specific thoughts are below:

Crab Cake Egg Rolls - essentially what you'd imagine, but the combination just didn't work that well. The crab was somewhat overwhelmed by the fried shell, and I found myself wishing that it had just been a plain crab cake (or just a plain egg roll).

Tuna Tartare - the tuna was overpowered by the vinaigrette and ended up being lost in the mix. The taro chips were great, but the flavor contributed to the above.

Short Rib Bao Buns - these were solid from a flavor perspective, but the portion size (2 slider-size buns) was definitely a little small for the price.

Pork Dumplings - the dumplings were good although a little heavy. The sweet vinegar sauce didn't really hit my palate as sweet, and it didn't pair particularly well with the fried dumplings (it almost combined for kind of an acrid aftertaste).

Pad Thai - the portion size was pretty large, and overall it was good, but honestly my immediate take was that Senyai is ~150ft down the street and does a better, more flavorful pad thai with a similar portion size for much cheaper.

Nothing we had was "bad" or even "not good", but our takeaway was that we've had much better overall experiences for around the same price. The service was also a tad slow but not unreasonably so, and the staff were friendly and attentive. I think I probably have a personal bias as well given the fantastic experiences we've had at Umi before, and I'm sure that plays a factor as well.

Overall, we'd definitely give it another shot, and I think most of what we experienced could potentially be chalked up to either an off night or our own personal...