Enigma

Walking up to Enigma, a new bar in the cultural district, seemed like a terrible idea. It is purple. Really purple. There are purple-lit question marks on the walls. There was a band finishing up a set and the place was pretty dead. Then we found out that it’s owned by the Grille on Seventh people where we had such a weirdly bad experience. Can we hold all of this against them? Yes. What we can’t hold against them is their choice in bartenders.

Enigma is half bar, half lounge with a lot of tacky mismatched couches that no one was using, all awash in purple neon light. We decided on one quick drink; it didn’t seem like our kind of place. Then our bartender poured our Jameson shots in a waterfall and charmed the pants off us, figuratively. We have said it over and over: a bartender really makes the bar. He was charming and charismatic, making us feel much better about the place and its chance for success. It was the exact opposite of the bartender experience we had at Grille on Seventh. Also, their bar stools have hydraulics. Which, no lie, amused A for a good 5 minutes. He is unashamed.

Will we ever go here again? No. Should you ever go here? We wouldn’t make a spectacular effort. Do we want to hang out with that bartender? All the time.

Address:	130 Seventh St, 15222	Games:	None
Façade:	Scary	Scene:	?
Parking:	Wear Walking Shoes	Patio/Outdoor:	No
Kitchen:	Bar Food	Cleanliness:	Normal
Smoking:	None	Jukebox:	None
Hours:	4pm-2am Closed Sun-Mon	Cig Machine:	No
Drink Prices:	Richie Rich	# taps:	6
Bathrooms:	Sit	Specials:	Happy Hour and Late
Live music:	Sometimes	Riley Factor:	$14
ATM:	No	Cash Only	No
TVs:	0	Size:	Normal

Nied's Hotel

We were pretty lukewarm about going to Nied's Hotel. We literally put a hand on the door, saw a guitar and fiddle combo playing and were like, "Do we really want to do this?" We decided it is our job to put ourselves into harm’s way for our semi-loyal readers and that we would take one for the team.


Nied's Hotel is an old bar. They have a "famous fish sandwich" which we are sure had its peak of fame 30 years ago, but it looked pretty good. They have an old-school menu, which reminds A of his time in Brooklyn. It was sparsely populated, with a table full of some suspiciously young looking kids. However, we can't tell how old the youngsters are anymore. They just keep getting younger and younger.


We walked in and found two bar stools as far away from the musicians as possible. They were really going at it and the fiddle player was pretty fierce. After all our trepidation, they were actually good and just finishing up a quick set. It turned out that she is a violinist for the Pittsburgh Symphony, which was the first of many surprises we encountered at Nied's Hotel. She was playing with resident musician Slim Forsythe to let her hair down a little. The lighting was nice until the music act stopped, and they turned on some very bright hanging globes for some reason. We both recoiled from the bright light; yes, we are Mogwais.

The place probably hasn't changed in decades. It has some charm to it, but it is definitely from a by-gone era. Then there is Jim.


Jim is the owner of Nied's Hotel, and you couldn't find a nicer guy if you tried. We know his entire life story. We also now know Slim’s life story. He bought us beers. He is having a ska band come in and he had no clue what ska music sounded like, so he gave A $10 to go play some ska on the jukebox. He showed A his amphitheater and tried to convince A to have his band play at the bar (A did not think it would be a good fit.) Regardless, Jim went out of his way to give A a great contact and some info to help him along. We would go back just to hang out with Jim again. Jim is a great guy.


We usually stick to one drink per bar when we’re reviewing, but we liked Jim so much that we stuck around for a second just to shoot the shit with him. Then all of a sudden, there were plates of Doritos on the bar. We’re not sure if there’s much better in life than surprise junk food at a bar when you’re having fun.


This is a bar for your parents. As with most parents, they are really thrilled when their kids come over to hangout, and that is kind of how we felt here: loved.

Address:	5438 Butler St, 15201 http://niedshotel.myfastsite.net/	Games:	Poker
Façade:	Not Scary	Scene:	Fish sandwiches and nice people
Parking:	Easy	Patio/Outdoor:	Yes
Kitchen:	Bar Food	Cleanliness:	Normal
Smoking:	None	Jukebox:	Internet Crap
Hours:	7am-12am (closed Sun)	Cig Machine:	No
Drink Prices:	Average	# taps:	3
Bathrooms:	Sit	Specials:	Cheap Food
Live music:	Sometimes	Riley Factor:	$9.00
ATM:	No	Cash Only	No
TVs:	2	Size:	Normal

James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy

What a mouthful. James Street Tavern is now James Street Gastropub AND Speakeasy. However, we did not really see either of those things. We were able to walk right in without a secret word and while their menu is interesting aesthetically, it seemed to be pretty standard fare plus one or two interesting items.

 It really is a beautiful space. Sadly, our pictures do not do it justice. (A totally dropped the ball. A looks sadly at the floor.) It has a nice long comfortable bar which was very well tended. There is a section of raised seating with booths for two people, perfect for a date night. Behind these, there is a dining room with enough seating to accommodate a larger party and then there is the basement.

We were there on a Friday night and the upstairs bar where we were hanging out was very lightly populated, but when we stuck our heads downstairs, it was bursting at the seams. The basement jazz club was really hopping and for good reason: the band was actually pretty good. They pump it through the whole place so you can hear it and even though neither of us cares that much about jazz, we thought it was enjoyable.

Overall, the space was a bit brighter than we would have liked and we would probably not go out of our way for the food or to hang out there for a night, but if you are looking for a unique thing to do some night, get there early and watch some great jazz. James Street might not be much of a gastropub or much of a speakeasy, but it is a beautiful bar with a kick-ass jazz club in the basement.

Address:	422 Foreland St, 15212 http://jamesstreetgastropub.com/	Games:	None
Façade:	Not Scary	Scene:	Jazz
Parking:	Easy	Patio/Outdoor:	No
Kitchen:	Bar Food	Cleanliness:	Normal
Smoking:	None	Jukebox:	None
Hours:	Sun-Thurs 11am-11pm Fri-Sat 11am-1am	Cig Machine:	No
Drink Prices:	Richie Rich	# taps:	9
Bathrooms:	Sit	Specials:	Happy Hour
Live music:	Sometimes	Riley Factor:	$12.00
ATM:	No	Cash Only	No
TVs:	2	Size:	Normal

Howlers

We like Howlers. It is a good dive bar on the left side: smoky, dark and dirty. On the right side, it is one of the better small performance spaces in the city. There is a large stage in a big room with lots of high-tops. If you were an aspiring Pittsburgh band and you filled this place up, you are probably doing pretty well for yourself. Plus, it is non-smoking on the performance side. So, that is nice.

This is one of those bars that we should go to more, but we never think about going to unless there is a show. Not sure why, although it has been suggested that their drinks are a bit pricey and on the weak side. Also, the previous owners had a giant Confederate flag hanging in there for years, so maybe we still have some subconscious resistance to the place. Mostly, it is a pretty solid bar now. Go there.

Address:	4509 Liberty Ave, 15224 http://howlerscoyotecafe.com/	Games:	Darts
Façade:	Not Scary	Scene:	Local Dive with Music
Parking:	Easy	Patio/Outdoor:	No
Kitchen:	None	Cleanliness:	Normal
Smoking:	Some	Jukebox:	Internet Crap
Hours:	Mon-Fri 4pm-2am Sat-Sun 6pm-2am	Cig Machine:	No
Drink Prices:	Average	# taps:	12
Bathrooms:	Sit	Specials:	Daily plus $12 12packs of PBR to go
Live music:	Sometimes	Riley Factor:	$9.00
ATM:	Yes	Cash Only	Yes
TVs:	4	Size:	Normal

Thunderbird Cafe

Truthfully, Thunderbird is mostly a music venue. There are shows most nights of the week. So, if you're just looking for a place to grab a drink, it's worth checking their calendar first. But if you're looking to catch a band, it's a nice small venue for a show.

The space is broken up into four segments: front bar, pool table, stage,  and balcony. The front bar is long, narrow and metal. That is metal the material, not the music. There is a metal motif at Thunderbird's front bar. The stools have diamond patterned sheet metal backs, the ceiling is tin and all parts of the bar are metal...it's very rock n roll. The back wall is left as exposed brick, but maybe that's why it still feels like a warm and comfortable space, despite all of the metal. They've got a really good beer selection in front, specializing in micros. The prices are a little on the high end, but not outrageous. It's just getting harder and harder to find a good beer under $5 anywhere, not just here.

The second segment houses the pool table and sits in between the front bar and the stairs up to the performance space. It is a small area, but good for a random game of pool on a Tuesday night. The third segment is the performance space. It's small and not ideal for crowded shows because the stage is so low that it can be hard to see. However, if you get there early and you make your way up to the fourth and final segment of this now seemingly endless bar, there is a loft overlooking the stage with its own smaller bar.  This is a great place to watch your favorite semi-local act. (RIP Uncle Scratch's Gospel Revival.)

All in all, it is a nicely done space. They have a good drink selection and a variety of local and touring bands playing there. What's not to like?

Address:	4023 Butler St, 15201  http://www.thunderbirdcafe.net/	Games:	Pool, Video Poker, Pinball
Façade:	Not Scary	Scene:	Rock n Roll
Parking:	Decent	Patio/Outdoor:	No
Kitchen:	Bar food	Cleanliness:	Nice
Smoking:	Some	Jukebox:	Internet Crap
Hours:	-2am	Cig Machine:	No
Drink Prices:	Average	# taps:	20
Bathrooms:	Sit	Specials:	Nothing
Live music:	5 nights a week	Riley Factor:	$9.25
ATM:	Yes	Cash Only	No
TVs:	2	Size:	Friggin' Huge