Nico's Recovery Room

Nico's Recovery Room, which we assume was named due to its proximity to a number of hospitals, is one of those Pittsburgh bars that hasn't changed since the last time you were there. Even if the last time you were there was ten or twenty years ago, Nico's is still the same: same drafts, same décor, same bartenders, same everything. Although they do have a pretty cool t-shirt now.

It's a slightly divey bar in Bloomfield that's always had a good share of college and hipster clientele in addition to the requisite Bloomfield yinzers. It's a friendly crowd and the service is good. The food is bar food, but it's decent. There's lots of room for watching sports and we have always heard that this is one of the places for Karaoke, if you're into that.


It can get super smoky in there, fair warning. The drinks are on the cheap side for the area, but not all the way at the bottom of the scale. Overall, it's a solid bar for a cheap beer and a shot. Stop by and heal up some time.

Address:	178 Pearl St, 15224	Games:	Darts, video poker
Façade:	Scary	Scene:	Bloomfield Dive
Parking:	Easy	Patio/Outdoor:	No
Kitchen:	Bar Food	Cleanliness:	Normal
Smoking:	19070's Pittsburgh	Jukebox:	Internet Crap
Hours:	4pm - 2am	Cig Machine:	No
Drink Prices:	Normal	# taps:	8
Bathrooms:	Sit	Specials:	None
Live music:	Karaoke	Riley Factor:	$8.00
ATM:	Yes	Cash Only	No
TVs:	6	Size:	Normal

The Evergreen Cafe

Have you ever been driving down Penn Avenue towards Wilkinsburg, approaching South Braddock? Have you almost died as a result of the random cars that are always parked in the right lane of a major two lane road? Then you have the Evergreen Café to thank for your near death experience. We have been cursing this bar for many many years. Being East Enders and using Penn Avenue regularly, we have to deal with this random traffic snarl all the time. At this point, we know about the random parked cars and we plan for them while driving down Penn, but we have had to warn so many people about them, and have seen some pretty near misses. So, be warned!

J once went to this bar 20 years ago and had a very interesting story to tell, but we'll leave it at that. Suffice it to say, it was sketchy and she hadn’t been back. So, after parking around the corner to avoid being one of those annoying cars, into the Evergreen Café we went.

There was a basketball game that night (Spurs vs. Heat, game 6, Spurs up 3 games to 2). Growing up in da ‘burgh, we’ve had very little exposure to professional basketball. We really don't have anyone to root for, and thus have very little interest in what is going on in the NBA. But this place was jumping. There was a lot of energy in the room, lots of strangers talking, and making predictions, and high-fiving. If there was a place we would ever want to watch basketball, it would be here. 

All that being said, it is a dingy dive bar, but not the worst we have been in by far. It has a horseshoe shaped bar when you walk in. There’s a small room with tables and booths off to the right. The owner approached us a short time after we were there, and wanted to know if there was anything we needed, which was very considerate of him. We are pretty sure that he knew it was our first time in there, and that we were a bit out of place.

It is an interesting bar, given its location. If you know anything about the area, the Evergreen Café is simultaneously next to some of the richest and poorest areas in the city, divided by Penn Avenue. Technically, the Evergreen Cafe is on the "right" side of the tracks, but it is definitely not a rich person’s bar. 

So, if one day you so happen to crash into the stupid parked cars on Penn in front of the Evergreen Café, you might as well grab a drink while you wait for the tow truck. Otherwise, it is not somewhere you should try to end up.

Address:	7330 Penn Ave, 15208	Games:	Darts, Pinball
Façade:	Scary	Scene:	Dive
Parking:	Easy, just use Penn Ave!	Patio/Outdoor:	No
Kitchen:	Bar Food	Cleanliness:	Normal
Smoking:	Some	Jukebox:	Internet Crap
Hours:	- 2am	Cig Machine:	Yes
Drink Prices:	Cheap	# taps:	6
Bathrooms:	Sit	Specials:	None
Live music:	Never	Riley Factor:	$7.50
ATM:	Yes	Cash Only	Yes
TVs:	4	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

The Shadyside Saloon-CLOSED

Every neighborhood needs a dive bar. Don't get us wrong, this is still Shadyside. So a dive bar here is WAY nicer than a normal dive bar. It is large and spacious; not dirty, but not clean, and dimly lit. It’s smoky but not unbearably so. They even have some iron chairs to throw out onto the sidewalk if the weather is nice.

It is occasionally used as a backup bar for Harris Grill. You go to Harris with hopes of sitting on their beautiful porch, only to realize that everyone else in the East End had the same exact idea. That is where the Saloon comes in.  If you look next door, you will see those iron chairs sitting outside of Saloon. Do not be afraid of these chairs. They are just like normal chairs, just not on an elevated porch surrounded by fencing. Also, you will have to get up and get you own drinks (which given the service at Harris is probably preferable). If everywhere else on Ellsworth is packed, the Saloon will probably have space to spare, and will probably be lighter on your wallet.

“A” has had some good times here, and has even made it a destination at times. It is worth checking out if you have never been there and you live in the East End.  If you are feeling particularly flush with cash and want to amuse yourself, order a liquor off of the top shelf, just to see how they have to get it down. It is well beyond the bartender’s reach, and has to involve some kind of ladder or stepstool. We couldn't bring ourselves to do it, but maybe you can! Let us know how it goes.

Address:	5741 Ellsworth Ave, 15232	Games:	Darts, Bubble Hockey
Façade:	Not scary	Scene:	Dive
Parking:	Wear Walking Shoes	Patio/Outdoor:	No
Kitchen:	None	Cleanliness:	Normal
Smoking:	1970's Pittsburgh	Jukebox:	Internet Crap
Hours:	- 2am	Cig Machine:	No
Drink Prices:	Average	# taps:	12
Bathrooms:	Hover	Specials:	Nothing notable
Live music:	Never	Riley Factor:	$8.75
ATM:	No	Cash Only	No
TVs:	6	Size:	Normal

Spin

There are a few terms we believe should be eradicated from the English language: Ultra Lounge, chillax, brah, etc. After looking at Spin's website, "Bartini" can be added to that list as well. That is some unnecessary made up shit right there. Go home Spin, you're drunk. 

Spin is like the rich older brother of 5801. It still wants to watch its Rihanna and En Vogue videos, but it doesn't want any of your shenanigans, thank you. Those days are over for Spin, you kids have fun.

It's a very sleek space. The bar is curved and shiny, the booths look lush and clean, and the lighting is nicely dim. It's a slightly older crowd than across the street and a little more sedate. A jazz band frequently plays.

The drinks are a little pricey, but they aren't outrageous for the neighborhood. You're in Shadyside, you know what your wallet is getting into. They do have a very generous pour on their drinks, though. Watching the bartender make a mixed drink was like watching an alcoholic friend pour themselves a drink at home.

Address:	5774 Ellsworth Ave, 15232   http://www.spinbartini.com/	Games:	None.
Façade:	Ultra Hip	Scene:	Gay Techno Yuppie
Parking:	Ultra slightly annoying	Patio/Outdoor:	Ultra patio
Kitchen:	Ultra non-existent	Cleanliness:	Ultra
Smoking:	Ultra none	Jukebox:	Ultra none.
Hours:	4pm - 2am, ultra hours.	Cig Machine:	No Ultra way!
Drink Prices:	Ultra!	# taps:	5 Ultra Taps
Bathrooms:	Ultra Awesome	Specials:	Ultra Happy Hour! http://www.spinbartini.com/experience.htm
Live music:	Sometimes	Riley Factor:	$12
ATM:	No	Cash Only	No
TVs:	1	Size:	The Ultraist size