Conley's

This is one of those bars that you aren't going to go to unless you live right near it. Well, even if you live near it we're still not sure you should go there. It's not that it's terrible; it's just that it’s an average dumpy dive-bar on a street with a lot of great options.

It's cheap as hell, it's dirty and it's smoky even on a Monday night. The decor is pretty dive-bar standard: drop-ceilings and dust. The bartender very nicely wiped down the entire bar area in front of us when we sat down. We doubt the regulars such treatment.


There were a fair number of people there for a Monday and a group of guys playing pool. We were out of place there for sure. Mostly it seems like the place you get your cheap six packs from, or where you buy 40s when you're underage. They did not have Jameson, which is a big strike against a bar as far as we’re concerned.

Address:	5245 Butler St, 15201	Games:	Pool, poker
Façade:	Scary	Scene:	Drop ceilings and cigarette smoke
Parking:	Easy	Patio/Outdoor:	No
Kitchen:	None	Cleanliness:	Nasty
Smoking:	1970s Pittsburgh	Jukebox:	None
Hours:	-2am	Cig Machine:	No
Drink Prices:	Dirt Cheap	# taps:	2
Bathrooms:	Hover	Specials:	Being Cheap
Live music:	Never	Riley Factor:	$6.00
ATM:	No	Cash Only	Yes
TVs:	2	Size:	Hole in the Wall

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

Howard's Park Place Pub

We're going to be honest with you. If you don't live within a five block radius of this bar; you're never going to go there. J lives within throwing distance of it and only goes there for Emergency Six Packs. So, who does go there? Lonely people that live within walking distance, that’s who.

We know that sounds harsh, but we think it's actually kind of nice that they have a place to go. Howard's (previously Donny's, but apparently that had some bad associations with it) is the smallest of neighborhood bars. The people in Howard's live nearby and know each other well. They really seemed like a little support group for each other. There were inside jokes and gossip. When someone came in they spent time catching up with the others, asking after pets and family like old friends do. Everyone who walked in was greeted by the bartender by name and got a drink immediately.

The bartender told us a story about trying to buy what ended up being a $40 copy of Vogue at Barnes and Noble. Someone still goes to Barnes and Noble? Print media is not dead! That was just too much for the bartender to handle, though, and she didn’t buy it. One of the patrons mused, how can they afford to buy the clothes if they spend all that money on the magazine. How indeed?

You have to buzz to get in and it’s brighter than we would like for a little dive bar. It used to be a pretty bad smoke box, but recently turned non-smoking. It’s on a residential street, so it closes at 10pm. For real, if you're not one of the existing twelve patrons, you're not going to go there. If you move into the area and want to meet and have a drink with your neighbors, it's your best bet.

Address:	534 Peebles St, 15221	Games:	Poker
Façade:	Scary	Scene:	Neighborhood Dive
Parking:	Easy	Patio/Outdoor:	No
Kitchen:	None	Cleanliness:	Normal
Smoking:	None	Jukebox:	None
Hours:	-10pm	Cig Machine:	Yes
Drink Prices:	Dirt Cheap	# taps:	2
Bathrooms:	Sit	Specials:	Being Cheap
Live music:	Almost Never	Riley Factor:	$7.00
ATM:	Yes	Cash Only	Yes
TVs:	3	Size:	Hole in the Wall

Stack'd 2 (The Avenue)

So, remember the Shadyside Saloon? Yeah, that place is gone. The Owner of Stack'd bought it, gutted it, cleaned it and turned it into Stack'd 2. We heard that they were going to call it something else, but it has not changed in the month since it opened. They did a nice job with the renovation. They added a giant garage door, which they may open if winter ever ends. They ripped out the raised seating area and added a bunch of booths, which really opened up the space. It is cleaner and brighter and there is no smoking now. Pour one out for one of Shadyside’s last dive bars.

They are doing a version of the original Stack’d concept, but instead of burgers they are doing hoagies or grinders or subs or whatever you want to call them. We speculate that it is the lack of a full kitchen that led them to this decision, but maybe it was a conscious choice. We did not eat when we went there, but A went there a couple weeks later with some friends and tried the food; it was not bad. It is more the novelty of getting Fritos and jalapeno poppers on your sandwich than anything else.

It is a nicer space, it has food now, it is not a smoke box and it will be nice to open the garage door. We sure are going to miss having dive bars in Shadyside.

Address:	5741 Ellsworth Ave., 15232	Games:	Darts
Façade:	Not Scary	Scene:	Too Soon to Tell
Parking:	Wear Walking Shoes	Patio/Outdoor:	Maybe
Kitchen:	Bar Fod	Cleanliness:	Normal
Smoking:	None	Jukebox:	Internet Crap
Hours:	-2am	Cig Machine:	No
Drink Prices:	Average-Richie	# taps:	16
Bathrooms:	Sit	Specials:	Happy Hour
Live music:	Never	Riley Factor:	$10.00
ATM:	No	Cash Only	No
TVs:	>10	Size:	Normal

Bites and Brews

Bites and Brews is a beer and pizza joint on Ellsworth Avenue. They have a small selection of liquor, and some salad and sandwich options, but let's be real, if you go there looking for a cocktail and a salad, you're going to be disappointed.  As you should be, the name is Bites and BREWS after all.

It's a solid choice for pizza and beer, though. They've got a really good beer selection and they will sell you a whole pizza or by the slice*.

It can get crowded if there's any kind of event, like Craft Beer Week, or during happy hour, but it's otherwise a pretty chill space. Actually, with the garage door making up the whole front wall it was a literally chilled space when we were there. Those open fronts are great in the summer, but troublesome in the winter, especially this winter. 


* Pro Tip: Pizza by the slice is a key ingredient to many a good night. Or, put more accurately, pizza by the slice is often the key to having a bearable next morning. 

Address:	5750 Ellsworth Ave., 15232 http://www.bitesandbrewspittsburgh.com/	Games:	Darts
Façade:	Not Scary	Scene:	Pizza, Beer Snob
Parking:	Wear Walking Shoes	Patio/Outdoor:	Yes
Kitchen:	Pizza	Cleanliness:	Normal
Smoking:	None	Jukebox:	Internet Crap
Hours:	4pm-2am	Cig Machine:	No
Drink Prices:	Average	# taps:	30
Bathrooms:	Sit	Specials:	Happy Hour
Live music:	Never	Riley Factor:	$8.50
ATM:	No	Cash Only	No
TVs:	6	Size:	Normal

The Shadyside Hideaway

A back alley bar in one of the most affluent neighborhoods in Pittsburgh? Yup. This place used to be a dirty little secret until the owner remodeled the space and put out a giant neon sign facing the street. Now it is nice-ish. It is clean with the appropriate amount of beer signs and bar kitsch. You still need to walk down a very long and skinny alley to get to the door, so it still has a weird feeling about it.

 It was freezing on the night we were there and it was just the two of us alone with the owner. He kept going outside to check and see if it was still cold, and every time he came back in there was a sweet scent of illegal substances following him. Must be those crazy kids.

The owner talked to us a lot since we were the only people there and he seemed very bored. He told us about some of the more famous clientele he has had in his bar and how he makes sure people leave them alone. He also let A know that he was the first person to ever drink Magic Hat #9 from a tap in his bar. He was very concerned with how it tasted. It tasted like Magic Hat #9.

It's an ok little bar. It is a bit too bright. It is a bit too small. It is not a place we would ever suggest anyone go to unless you have already parked and Mad Mex and Buffalo Blues are totally packed.

Address:	228 S. Highland Ave., rear, 15206	Games:	Darts
Façade:	Scary	Scene:	Small
Parking:	Wear Walking Shoes	Patio/Outdoor:	Yes
Kitchen:	None	Cleanliness:	Normal
Smoking:	None	Jukebox:	Internet Crap
Hours:	4pm-2am	Cig Machine:	No
Drink Prices:	Average	# taps:	6
Bathrooms:	Sit	Specials:	Happy Hour and 10pm-12am
Live music:	Never	Riley Factor:	$10.00
ATM:	Yes	Cash Only	No
TVs:	2	Size:	Hole in the Wall

Buffalo Blues

Buffalo Blues is a sports bar in Shadyside. We don't want to pan it, it’s fine and all, but it's also not exciting in any way. They have a lot of beer on tap, but it's kind of pricey. They've got a big food menu, but it's nothing exciting.  We have a feeling they hang their hat on their jumbo wings and BBQ, being that their name has Buffalo in it.  Having tried them in the past, they did not leave a lasting impression.

They have some daily specials that are okay. There's lots of seating at the bar. But has anything noteworthy ever happened to either of us there? Absolutely not. A had been there for a guys’ night or two and to watch a hockey game, but mostly it’s a backup bar. If you are in the neighborhood and can’t get a seat anywhere else, then Buffalo Blues works just fine as a, “You just wanna go there?” kind of bar.

Address:	216 S. Highland Ave., 15206 http://www.buffalobluespittsburgh.com/	Games:	Pinball, Magic Touch
Façade:	Not Scary	Scene:	Sports
Parking:	Easy	Patio/Outdoor:	No
Kitchen:	Bar Food	Cleanliness:	Nice
Smoking:	None	Jukebox:	Internet Crap
Hours:	Mon-Thur 11am-11pm Fri-Sat 11am-12am Sun 12pm-10pm	Cig Machine:	No
Drink Prices:	Average	# taps:	42
Bathrooms:	Sit	Specials:	Daily
Live music:	Never	Riley Factor:	$8.00
ATM:	No	Cash Only	No
TVs:	>10	Size:	Friggin' Huge