Between the pandemic-driven changes in the dining landscape and the broader shift in dining patterns, it feels like finding a kitchen that’s open close to midnight is tough. However! Hungry Jess is here to highlight the spots that celebrate the art of later dining, from late-night happy hour to no-frills options. If you’re out after 10 p.m., keep this article in your back pocket.

Pittsburgh Restaurants That Stay Open Late

The Parlor Dim Sum

4401 Butler Street, Lawrenceville

Full disclosure: The Parlor is a client, but they’re one of the few spots I know of that dedicates a specific menu to late-night adventures. Every Friday and Saturday after 10:30 p.m., you can score an array of their house-made dim sum options for $5 each, available in the bar only. To kick it up a notch, they also have DJs every Saturday night to set the vibe even more. Paired with a Lucky Buddha and close friends, you’re set to have a great end (or start) to your night.

The Warren

245 7th Street, Downtown

A heavy contender for top of the list status, The Warren is a watering hole for everyone from those catching a show downtown to those craving a nightcap. Their menu includes everything you could possibly crave: chicken wings, beer cheese fries, burgers, and wraps, but you can also find a wide variety of flatbreads, a chicken katsu sandwich, and potstickers. Be sure to save room for dessert, too.

Little Corner Grill House

301 N Craig Street, Oakland

This is one of my personal favorite spots to go for late-night food because they’re open until 2 a.m. every single day, which is the true definition of a late-night eatery. Go for the hotpot, stay for the endless menu options. Each table has a tablet on it, so it’s very easy to keep ordering meat, fish, and vegetables for your hotpot journey. I also love that you can build your own sauce to go with your creations. The ideal order for me: start with half bone broth, half spicy butter broth, bok choy, enoki mushrooms, spicy beef, noodles, and then see where your cravings take you.

The Library

2302 East Carson Street, South Side

This is one of my go-to spots on the South Side for many things: brunch, their Caesar wrap, and the fact that their kitchen is open until midnight on weekends. Also known for their wings and burgers, this is the kind of place you can add to your bar crawl list for much-needed fuel. Or you can enjoy yourself for a night with their book-inspired cocktail list. Don’t sleep on their pizza, especially the Honey Pig: mozzarella, hot honey, capicola.

Ruggers Pub

40 S 22nd Street, South Side

A contender on my Best Burger list last year, Ruggers is back on the map as their newly renovated kitchen is open until midnight every night. I haven’t had the chance to try their rotating crunchwrap, but the burger is still one of my favorites, along with their wings. Note: the seitan wings are a crowd favorite. Owned and operated by the Pittsburgh Rugby Club since 2000, this is a great place to bring your friends and family to eat and drink. And if you really need a dish to help sober you up, the Grilled Cheeseburgh’er is a great option.

Cold Friends Kitchen

South Side & Lawrenceville

Cold Friends quickly gained popularity and traction for their delicious eats. Specifically, they were put on my radar for the Pork Belly Bites and Blacked Gold Mac and Cheese: Beer Mac, loaded with habanero and ghost pepper cheese, BBQ pork belly, scallion, chive, and a dippy egg. And I can confirm it’s worth the hype. They have two locations, one in the South Side and one inside New Amsterdam in Lawrenceville, plus a location on the way at Jackworth Ginger Beer. They also tend to be open even later in the warmer months (April through November), so be sure to keep an eye out for those plans once announced for the season.

Bigham Tavern

321 Bigham Street, Mount Washington

You can most likely find me here on Tuesdays for music bingo and $4.75 Modelo’s. But the important details are that their kitchen is open until 11 p.m. weeknights and 1 a.m. on weekends. Everyone knows Bigham for their wings, more specifically for their extensive wing sauce list. As I’ve explored most of them during bingo, my favorite discovery is that you can order the gooey, cheesy Hot Cheese Bites coated in your favorite sauce. Not that anyone asked, but that just might be the key to my heart.

Umami

202 38th Street, Lawrenceville

Another client of mine, but you cannot argue that they do late night exceptionally well. While they already have a DJ every Friday and Saturday until 11 p.m., they also roll out late-night happy hour specials for food and drink. The secret is out on their Miso Torched Salmon Nigiri, mostly because I tell everyone about it. Nonetheless, this is one of the hardest spots to get a table on the weekends, but it’s an ideal option for when the night creeps in and the red lights are in full effect.

Cambod-Ican Kitchen

4415 Fifth Avenue, Ste 120, South Side

You really cannot discuss late-night eats in this city without mentioning Cambod-Ican. Open until 2 a.m. every day of the week except Monday, this is the pioneer in late-night Pittsburgh dining. It’s a place of South Side history, with no frills. I recommend stir-fried noodles, fried rice, fried wontons, even chicken on a stick (which is what they’re known for), and now, I’m craving a night out just so I can end with my Cambod-Ican favorites.

Squirrel Hill Cafe

5802 Forbes Avenue, Squirrel Hill

While they seem to exist in their own digital-less era (no official website), they really don’t need to be plugged in. More widely regarded as the “Squirrel Cage,” you can expect a bar full of locals, a lively stream of Touch Tunes, cheap drinks, and hot food until 2 a.m. every night. It’s the definition of if you know, you know. And if you don’t know… well, now you do.

Story by Jess Iacullo (@hungryjessbigcity)
Photography by Dave Bryce

Subscribe to TABLE Magazine’s print edition.