The Carlton Lounge Pittsburgh
Downtown Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh's downtown cocktail lounge scene has flourished with the city's remarkable renaissance — a formerly struggling post-industrial city that has transformed into one of America's most celebrated model of urban revitalization, with a thriving tech, healthcare, and creative economy driving unprecedented investment in downtown entertainment and hospitality. Pittsburgh's extraordinary self-reinvention story, combined with genuinely affordable cost of living, creates a cocktail lounge market of unusual energy and optimism.
Harris Grill Pittsburgh Lounge
Shadyside Pittsburgh
Harris Grill is Pittsburgh's most beloved neighborhood lounge — a Shadyside bar that has been the quintessential Pittsburgh neighborhood gathering place for over 25 years with its bacon nights, outstanding cocktails, and genuine community spirit. Pittsburgh's extraordinary culture of neighborhood loyalty and its deep sports fandom (arguably the most sports-passionate city in America, with simultaneous championship runs by the Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins) create bar cultures with a depth of community identity rarely found in American cities.
D's Six Pax & Dogz Pittsburgh
Regent Square Pittsburgh
D's Six Pax and Dogz is Pittsburgh's most beloved craft beer bar — a Regent Square institution presenting 500+ craft beers alongside outstanding hot dogs in one of the most unassuming and beloved bar settings in the Steel City. Pittsburgh's craft beer market, shaped by a working-class culture that has enthusiastically embraced quality craft brewing, creates an extraordinary demand for neighborhood beer bars that D's has served with distinction for over 25 years.
Allegheny Wine Mixer Pittsburgh
Lawrenceville Pittsburgh
Allegheny Wine Mixer is Pittsburgh's most beloved wine bar — a Lawrenceville establishment presenting an outstanding natural wine selection alongside craft cocktails for Pittsburgh's most creative and rapidly gentrifying neighborhood. Lawrenceville's transformation from a blue-collar Polish and Italian Catholic neighborhood into Pittsburgh's hippest arts and entertainment destination mirrors the city's extraordinary broader revitalization.
Phelan's Bar Pittsburgh
Shadyside Pittsburgh
Shadyside's bar scene serves Pittsburgh's most upscale residential neighborhood — an Aiken Avenue corridor of cocktail lounges, wine bars, and craft beer establishments serving the Shadyside community of academics, medical professionals, and creative industry workers. Pittsburgh's extraordinary neighborhood bar culture (every Pittsburgh neighborhood has its own distinct bar scene) finds one of its most sophisticated expressions in Shadyside's cocktail establishments.
Fergie's Pub Philadelphia PA
Fergie's Pub on Sansom Street in Center City Philadelphia is a beloved Irish pub with an exceptional whiskey and craft beer selection, live music, and the warmth of a genuine neighborhood pub that serves the Midtown Village community.
Brillobox Pittsburgh PA
Brillobox in Pittsburgh's Bloomfield neighborhood (near Garfield) is a beloved art bar and live music venue, named for Andy Warhol's famous Brillo box sculptures in tribute to Pittsburgh's most famous artist. The multi-level bar hosts DJ nights, live music, and events for Pittsburgh's creative community.
Bob & Barbara's Philadelphia PA
Bob & Barbara's on South Street in Philadelphia is a legendarily seedy dive bar beloved by generations of Philadelphians for its cheap drinks, the iconic $2.50 Pabst + shot special, live jazz performances, and the Thursday night drag show that has made it one of the most inclusive and unpretentious bar experiences in a city of great bars.
Round Corner Cantina Pittsburgh PA
Round Corner Cantina in Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville neighborhood is a beloved Mexican bar and taqueria that has become one of the most popular gathering places in the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood, serving excellent margaritas and tacos to the creative class that has transformed Lawrenceville into Pittsburgh's most dynamic entertainment district.
Thunderbird Café Pittsburgh
Thunderbird Café in Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville neighborhood is a lively bar and live music venue on Butler Street, the center of Pittsburgh's most vibrant and evolving neighborhood bar scene. The Thunderbird's combination of live music, craft beer, and Lawrenceville's creative community atmosphere has made it a Lawrenceville anchor.
Moondogs Bar Pittsburgh PA
Pittsburgh's Fox Chapel and Aspinwall neighborhoods along the Allegheny River provide the eastern Pittsburgh suburbs with locally owned restaurants and bars serving the communities between downtown and the Fox Chapel area that are less served by Pittsburgh's more famous South Side and Lawrenceville entertainment districts.
Arsenal Lanes Pittsburgh PA
Arsenal Lanes in Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville neighborhood is a classic bowling alley bar serving the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood's mix of longtime working-class residents and creative newcomers, one of several community entertainment institutions that have survived Lawrenceville's transformation.