The Speakeasy — Restaurant in Pittsburgh

A few of us came in after an event to have a cocktail to end our night. I’ve been here before and enjoyed it. This night it was very crowded so we actually had to wait about a half hour to get a table. The atmosphere there is great and typically the drinks are very well made and delicious. The Moscow mule my girlfriend had was one of the best she’s ever tried.

Unfortunately, the night ended with a couple pretty nasty things that ruined it for us. Our friends left and my girlfriend and I decided to order a second drink. She had the Moscow mule again and I had a dirty martini. In a few minutes the waiter brought her drink over. He set it down and walked away. Never bringing my drink or saying a word. I waited about 10 minutes and finally asked our waiter where my dirty martini was. At this point, he finally informed me that he didn’t bring it over because the bartender needed to get more olive juice. Which was fine. (But it would have been nice to tell me that when he brought her drink over). Then he walked over to the bar where my drink had just been finished and set down. Actually, very close to us since we were sitting at a lounge table right next to the bar.

This is where it got nasty. As I watched our waiter go get my drink, I see him reach over with his bare hand into a glass of olives. There were only a few olives left at the bottom. He reached his entire dirty hand in there and pulled the last few olives out and put them on a toothpick and into my drink. It was discusting and I couldn’t believe he actually just did that. Especially since I had just watched him clearing off dirty tables, touching menus, touching the computer to put orders in, etc. just seconds earlier with those same hands.

He brought the drink over to me and I should have called him out on the disgusting behavior I just saw from him. Instead, I just took the olives out of my drink and set them on the table. At this point, as I’m picking up the glass, I notice multiple lipstick and lip marks all around the rim of the glass. It didn’t even look like it was even remotely clean. I called the waiter back over to show him and he apologized and took the drink back to the bar to put into a clean glass. This is also when I noticed the bartender struggling to find a clean martini glass on the shelf. So she just picked one off the shelf and had to rewash it right there before pouring my drink into it.

At this point both my girlfriend and I were pretty disgusted. We settled our tab and left. The Speakeasy is a very cool place to hang out and they do make great tasting cocktails. But given some of the behavior by the staff and unsanitary conditions, we won’t be coming back...

My husband and I were enjoying a night away in Pitt. We stayed at Omni WP and decided to go to The Speakeasy. At the entry, a gentleman named Mark or Marcus was standing guard which I originally thought was just part of the charm of the idea of a Speakeasy. After an awkward conversation about wanting to make sure it was just a place for drinks (we didn’t want to take up a seat if it was more for food since we had just had dinner) and M attempting to direct us away to the other hotel bar, we did make it inside. The bartenders were working their tails off and really put the most craftsmanship into the drinks I’ve possibly ever seen. The distracting part of the evening was the doorman who kept coming in to verify with the bartenders he could send new patrons in despite the fact groups had just left, which would obviously show there’s capacity left inside. It was comical to us (a few drinks in and with it not affecting our lives) but I truly did feel for the bartenders. Knowing the tips are likely highly important to them, then having to distract themselves by verifying M didn’t have a line waiting while there were empty seats inside… I personally can’t give them enough credit for not losing their cool entirely.

So I would say, GO. Don’t be deterred if the doorman is a bit odd. It was a wonderful environment once inside, only comparable to other speakeasy’s I’ve been to in Denver and Chicago, but I would say even better than those.

Thank you to Stacey and the other gentlemen behind the bar on Black Friday night. You...

Perhaps coming late at night on a Friday was a bad idea, but we found the experience somewhat awkward and unenjoyable. There were two doormen/bouncers holding people from entering to keep the numbers inside low. When we were let in, they wouldn't let us sit where we wanted, despite trying twice. We we're directed to a back/side room, which while artfully appointed, was essentially a coat room. We had no view of the bar or the architecture and less access to the bar staff as a result (though they did come to take orders fairly quickly).

Drinks were ok but none of us were particularly impressed given the prices. I'd have likely ordered a second or even food if I could have spent time at or near the bar and actually felt more immersed in the theme of the bar. Instead I stared at coats for a half hour and nibbled on the bar nuts that were brought over. Imo the heavy spice on the nuts clash with any delicate flavors you're trying to feature in a...