Gus's Cafe

J had heard that a new bar had moved in where Barb’s Country Kitchen used to be on Butler Street, so we decided to check it out. It looks dingy and uncared for from the outside and we almost drove past it, but the inside is a whole different world. There is a lot of space with tables and booths and a really long bar with colorful but not annoying bar stools. It feels a lot more open and spacious than it did when it was Barb’s. Most of the bar walls are covered in chalkboard paint and all the drinks, specials, and other essential bar signage is written there. The menu is written at the far end of the bar surrounding the cooler and that is the only place they have it, which actually makes for a fun experience.

The bar was lightly populated on a Monday, but it was still a pretty diverse crowd--some Yuppies and locals, and we are pretty sure that the hippest hipsters in hipsterdom were next to us at the bar. So that was amusing. One girl was wearing a dog cone. We are sure it draws a bigger crowd on the weekends. No clue if it gets packed, but we suspect it is busy.

We ate here. A had wings and J had the Kale and Garlic Crepe. It was good, better than most bar food and the menu is actually interesting and happens to be gluten free. They have a ton of vegetarian options and a list of gluten free beers, so they know what crowd they’re aiming for: picky hipsters with money. Plus the kitchen is open so you can see where your food is being cooked, which gives you more confidence when ordering food at a bar. They ring a little bell when the food is up, which is kind of nostalgic and cute.

We loved this place. We are going to go back. It is comfortable, the service was great, the owner checked in on us, the lighting is good, the atmosphere is relaxing, and we overheard their plans for the patio this summer. Two thumbs up. We always talked about having some sort of rating metric; we should really get on that.

Address:	4717 Butler St, 15201	Games:	None
Façade:	Scary	Scene:	Hipsters eating and drinking good things
Parking:	Easy	Patio/Outdoor:	Planned
Kitchen:	Come Hungry	Cleanliness:	Normal
Smoking:	None	Jukebox:	None
Hours:	11am-12am	Cig Machine:	No
Drink Prices:	Average	# taps:	15
Bathrooms:	Sit	Specials:	Being Cheap
Live music:	Almost Never	Riley Factor:	$10.00
ATM:	Yes	Cash Only	Yes
TVs:	2	Size:	Normal

Remedy

There are two stories to tell about Remedy. There are the objective facts about Remedy as a bar and then there is our emotional life with Remedy. Let’s start with the facts because they are easier.

Remedy opened about 8 years ago. It used to be Ray's Marlin Grill. It was a pretty well kept secret for a time, as it is kind of off the beaten path, and it became something of an epicenter of hipster culture in Pittsburgh. It has a long bar, with two person high-tops across a narrow walkway. There is rotating art of varying degrees of quality, with some permanent pieces scattered around. There is a dining room past the bar, which can be good if you have a group of 12+ and want to all hang out and talk together. It’s got the acoustics of a gym locker room though. The bar area can be cramped and is really only good for 3-4 person groups. Past the back dining room, there is a small back patio with four tables. It is ideal if you can get a big group and take over the whole porch. It makes for a fun night.

The second floor of Remedy is a totally different scene: it is like a tiny secret hipster dance club. There is a separate bar upstairs and a unisex bathroom. There is also a room with a pool table that is set off from the dance floor with an old fashioned barber chair that is fun to sit in. There are scheduled "nights" on the second floor, but you can also rent it out for special occasions, like say you wanted to use it for your own personal New Year’s Eve bash.

Now, on to us. There was a time, not too long ago, a golden age we'll call it. We spent a lot of time in this bar. A lot. All was good in the world and during this golden age, Remedy was like Cheers for us. We knew everyone there and everyone knew us. The menu still had the Blue Melt and the Riley was born. Fights on the lawn, dance parties upstairs, and access to the mysterious 3rd floor. What a time it was. But nothing lasts forever. The bartenders we knew so well are all gone and we just haven’t been there as much. As we returned for the first time in a while, we didn't feel like the regulars we once were.

Still, we love this bar. Fair warning, it is smoky and can be really crowded on the weekends. The food is actually really good, even though we miss the Blue Melt. The staff is generally really friendly and the dance nights are always fun even if you don’t like the music. And even though the sign by the bar that reads "Don't Stand Here!" refers to us now-a-days, we still are happy to have called this place home.

Address:	5121 Butler St, 15201	Games:	Pool, Magic Touch, Poker, Darts/Cornhole Video Game
Façade:	Not Scary	Scene:	mix of neighborhood and dirty hipster
Parking:	Easy	Patio/Outdoor:	Yes
Kitchen:	Come Hungry	Cleanliness:	Normal
Smoking:	1970s Pittsburgh	Jukebox:	Internet Crap
Hours:	4pm-2am, Sun 12:30pm-2am	Cig Machine:	Yes
Drink Prices:	Cheap	# taps:	16
Bathrooms:	Sit	Specials:	None, actually
Live music:	DJs upstairs	Riley Factor:	$7.00
ATM:	Yes	Cash Only	No
TVs:	2	Size:	Normal

OTB (Over the Bar) Bicycle Cafe

We assume that in more bike friendly cities there are choices for hipster bicycle bars, but OTB is it for Pittsburgh. Luckily OTB is great little bar, so that’s OK. It's very close to the bike trail along the Monongahela River and has a ton of bike parking out front. They also participate in most of the bicycle related events in the city and act as a great hub for the biking community.

We digress; we're here for the booze. They have a full bar and a good beer selection. There's your biker approved PBR, but they've also got a nice mix of micros. Go for a Pedal Pale Ale if you're staying thematic and want to support your local breweries. The bar is fairly crowded most of the time, but if you can find a seat it’s pretty comfortable. The decor at OTB is bright, thematic, eye-catching and occasionally informative.

The food is a slightly upscale version of bar food and is super vegetarian friendly. You can get your burgers and wraps, but also an Ahi Tuna Salad or Seitan Wings. The food is good, but the service can be slow. As we said, it's usually pretty busy.


It's a good mix of a non-terrible place on the South Side and the cleanest bar full of PBR swilling bicyclists that you’ll find.

Address:	2518  East Carson, 15203            http://www.otbbicyclecafe.com/	Games:	None
Façade:	Not Scary	Scene:	Hipster Bicycle Bar
Parking:	Wear Walking Shoes	Patio/Outdoor:	Sidewalk Seats
Kitchen:	Upscale Bar Food	Cleanliness:	Normal
Smoking:	None	Jukebox:	Internet Crap
Hours:	Open Mon-Sat until 2am Open Sun until 12am	Cig Machine:	No
Drink Prices:	Average	# taps:	8
Bathrooms:	Sit	Specials:	Happy Hour
Live music:	Never	Riley Factor:	$9.00
ATM:	No	Cash Only	No
TVs:	4	Size:	Normal

Franktuary

The original Franktuary opened in the basement of an old church on Oliver St. in downtown Pittsburgh as a trendy upscale hot dog joint. It was immediately a huge success and the co-owners quickly looked to branch out.  Eventually, they were able to find a great new space on Butler St. in Larry-ville. They’re still serving the delicious food that they have become Pittsburgh famous for, but they’ve added a pretty big bar to the mix.  This is where we come in.

We were on the fence about reviewing Franktuary. It might be more restaurant than bar, but we were hungry and they have hot dogs. So....rule stretched. It is a beautiful new bar. It was a bit bright for our tastes, but it was still sunny out on a long summer evening. So it was maybe not the best time to judge the lighting. There are giant windows that open up to the sidewalk, with a counter and stools so you can eat your hot dog as you watch the hipsters walk by. 

They have a really great variety of specialty cocktails, getting in on the $10 a drink cocktail boom that Pittsburgh is experiencing. A passable variety of drafts and a stocked bar make this a place where you can get pretty much whatever you like. The bartender was friendly, attentive, and even gave A the end of the bottle of Jameson's for free! There was trivia that night with very enthusiastic participation. The host was also very funny, so if you like trivia, this might be your place.  Be warned, the questions were very hard.

The food was good, the drinks were moderately priced, and the atmosphere was fun and inviting. All in all, a great place to go hangout for a bit. “A” recommends the underdog imposter Chicago dog. J recommends the poutine. Check it out, you will thank dog you did.

Address:	3810 Butler St, 15201  http://franktuary.com/	Games:	None
Façade:	Not Scary	Scene:	Hipster Hotdogs
Parking:	Easy	Patio/Outdoor:	No
Kitchen:	Hot Dogs (and more)	Cleanliness:	Nice
Smoking:	None	Jukebox:	None
Hours:	11am - 12am (2am Fri/Sat)	Cig Machine:	No
Drink Prices:	Normal-Richie	# taps:	10
Bathrooms:	Sit	Specials:	Happy Hour
Live music:	Never	Riley Factor:	$10.21
ATM:	No	Cash Only	No
TVs:	0	Size:	Normal

Tender

Tender is a new and beautiful space on Butler Street in Lawrenceville. They are part of the new crop of fancy cocktail bars taking over the city. As such, the drinks are expensive and very slow to make. In fact, the drinks at Tender are more expensive than any of the other fancy cocktail bars in the city.

The whole specialty cocktail thing is booming and it's great for many reasons, but it seems a bit much to ask people to pay $13 for one drink. Sure, the time involved, the ingredients and the knowledge all add up to a higher price point, but we're still in a city where the median household income is less than $40,000. Something about the whole movement seems slightly imprudent and definitely a little pretentious. One has to wonder how many of these upscale cocktail bars our little city can sustain. 


We digress. Tender is certainly the fanciest of the new fancy bars in Pittsburgh, so maybe that’s how they justify the higher prices. They've kept much of the old bank charm and accouterments and added plush seating and rich colors. The service is excellent, the staff is friendly and they have an equally upscale selection of bar food. For all of our griping about cost, it really is worth stopping in for a drink. Have two if you're feeling flush. If you're having three, call us, you've clearly got money to burn.

Address:	4300 Butler St, 15201 http://tenderpgh.com/	Games:	None
Façade:	Not scary	Scene:	Rich Hipster Cocktails
Parking:	Easy	Patio/Outdoor:	No
Kitchen:	Bar Food	Cleanliness:	Nice
Smoking:	None	Jukebox:	None
Hours:	5pm - 1am	Cig Machine:	No
Drink Prices:	Richie Rich	# taps:	8
Bathrooms:	Sit	Specials:	None
Live music:	Tuesdays	Riley Factor:	N/A
ATM:	No	Cash Only	No
TVs:	0	Size:	Normal

Sonny's Tavern

Sonny's has turned into quite the little hipster bar in the years since J lived in Bloomfield. It still looks exactly like it did a decade ago. An old-man Bloomfield bar with wood paneling and drop ceilings, but most of the old men seem to be gone. Cigarettes are still being smoked and PBR is still being swilled, but the pants are tighter and the shirts are, well, the same as the old men shirts.

They do have a good beer selection outside of PBR. They also have a selection of board games, most notably Boggle and Stratego. They do pickle back shots with vodka, which seems strange, but who even knows right from wrong anymore? Especially when it pertains to pickle back shots.


It's essentially a less dirty and more spacious Gooski's. The prices are good and it's not as smoky as a lot of other smoking bars.  Additionally, there was a Great Dane named Kevin there. What more do you want?

Address:	630 S Millvale Ave, 15224	Games:	Darts, Board Games
Façade:	Scary	Scene:	Hipster, Dive
Parking:	Easy	Patio/Outdoor:	No
Kitchen:	Bar Food	Cleanliness:	Normal
Smoking:	Some	Jukebox:	Internet Crap
Hours:	-2am	Cig Machine:	Yes
Drink Prices:	Cheap-Average	# taps:	10
Bathrooms:	Sit	Specials:	Late Night
Live music:	Saturdays	Riley Factor:	$7
ATM:	Yes	Cash Only	Yes
TVs:	2	Size:	Average