According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the price of ground beef has risen by a whopping 15.3%. This information is presented not to exacerbate feelings of economic anxiety, but rather to underscore that if you are going to indulge in the most American of treats – a hamburger – you have got to Make. It. Count. TABLE contributor Dan Gigler suggests some spots that won’t leave you wanting.
Places to Grab a Burger in Pittsburgh From a Local
The Brinery
914 Main Street, Sharpsburg
If there’s a smashburger holy trinity in Pittsburgh, Moonlit & Burgh’ers are two-thirds of it. Joe & Madi Bardakos’s The Brinery completes the triad. The small Sharpsburg shop was born out of a Covid-era food truck that’s become a beloved family-run brick and mortar. They run a weekly special, but go for the 916, a classic smashed patty with American cheese, lettuce, onion, and a special sauce.
Hey Babe!
120 South Whitfield Street, East Liberty
After decades of toiling in other people’s restaurants, Pittsburgh service industry legends Danielle Cain and Rob Hirst finally hung their own shingle, and it is a total delight—the fun and funky Hey Babe! Stashed inside the Maverick Hotel, this spot boasts bangin’ cocktails and an eclectic food menu that includes a double smashburger with cheddar, a zippy horseradish-mustard aioli, crunchy shredded lettuce, and pickles on a lightly sweet potato bun.
Cafe Momentum
268 Forbes Avenue, Downtown
Set aside the laudable mission and vital work that Cafe Momentum does—providing paid internships with professional culinary training and mentorship for Pittsburgh kids who have had a previous encounter with the justice system—this is just straight up good food. Their namesake Momentum burger with short rib and bacon, herb sauce, white cheddar, caramelized onion, and shredded lettuce in a housebaked brioche bun is a foodcoma inducing belly buster. Only available at lunch.
Gaucho Parilla Argentina
146 6th Street, Downtown
Ground in-house daily from the same steaks they serve, then grilled over woodfire, the Steakburger on ciabatta with house chimichurri is note perfect. You can add some toppings, but they’re almost extraneous. Pair it with a big red from an interesting and unique list of South American wines.
Poor Richard’s Public House
10501 Perry Highway, Wexford
Surrounded by suburban strip mall sameness, Poor Richard’s stands alone as a genuinely laid-back neighborhood hang on the Wexford stretch of Perry Highway. An excellent tap list will provide the lubrication to wash down their Pub Burger, that’s leveled up with house-made pastrami, pickle, gruyere, and their pub sauce.
Carmella’s
1908 East Carson Street, South Side
If Parks & Recreation character Ron Swanson lived in Pittsburgh, he’d be a regular here. Carmella’s, easily among the best-looking bars in Pittsburgh, was hand built by co-owner Mike Alberter, and tastefully decorated with antiques that give it a classic, warm tavern feel. Add that to what is likely Pittsburgh’s single greatest collection of bourbon, scotch, tequila, and mezcal. Contemplate all these riches over their Wagyu Burger. Served with sharp Cheddar, Burgundy onions, steak sauce aioli, roasted tomato, and dill pickles, it’s an absolute classic. Ask for a scotch pairing!
Piper’s Pub
1828 East Carson Street, South Side
There are but two relatively simple and delicious burger options here: the Black Watch (sharp white cheddar, vindaloo bacon, mustard sauce, and a fried egg) or the Pub Burger (bacon, Danish bleu cheese, and dill mayo). The common thread is an excellent half pound patty laid between a Scottish-style bap – a sublime, soft, almost silken, buttery house-baked roll that’s the only one of its kind here in PIttsburgh. Get either burger, they’re both terrific, but it’s the rare place where the bread is the star.
Cold Friends Kitchen
South Side and Lawrenceville
The backstory and mission of Cold Friends – a band of chefs navigating sobriety while making meals for the homeless and food insecure – is reason enough to support them. But when they come up with fantastic madness like “The Jelly Belly” – a single or double smashburger, with Muenster cheese, crispy pork belly, jalapeño apricot jam, and peanut butter with a candied peanut crunch – you have got to check them out. Accomplish that mission either in their trailer outside of Velum Brewing on the South Side or indoors at New Amsterdam in Lawrenceville.
Looking for more burger spots? Check out Jess Iacullo’s burger picks from last year!
Story by Dan Gigler
Styling by Keith Recker
Photography by Dave Bryce
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