One of the best parts of living in a city like Pittsburgh is the ENDLESS options for food and drinks. All over the city, you will find so many breweries, distilleries, cafes, lounges, and classic restaurants that it is nearly impossible to try everything! Thankfully for us yinzers, the seasonal event Best Bites helps us achieve a small part of that goal. Best Bites is an event run on a few occasions throughout the year in different Pittsburgh neighborhoods. Best Bites allows you to sample from the best of the best! The next Best Bites event is located in the Strip District neighborhood on Saturday, March 26th, and is FILLED with awesome restaurant and drink stops.
When you purchase tickets for a Best Bites event via EventBrite, you will be mailed a card and lanyard for the event before the date. On that card, there will be a corresponding number for each of the participating locations. You will also receive a note and map letting you know which location you are set to start at. The event organizers do this so there isn’t a huge wait at any one location. If everyone started at stop number 1, there would be overflowing capacity and food and drinks wouldn’t come out fast enough. This being said, always remember to check your starting assignment! The map that they supply is your guide to the locations of each participating business. This way, if you aren’t familiar with the area, you won’t have issues finding your way from place to place. On the map, you’ll also see parking suggestions. You are truly set up for success when you arrive on the day of the event.
When the day is here, don’t forget to bring your lanyard. It is your “entry ticket” for the event. The restaurants will also be open to the public, so to get the free bites and sips, you will have to present the ticket at each location. In addition, you will get each spot checked off as you visit each restaurant. This is a self-guided tour so feel free to walk to each location at your own pace. Do keep an eye on the time though. The event begins at 1 pm and concludes at 4 pm so you must arrive at the last location before the time slot ends. We recommend beginning right at 1 pm, so be sure you arrive in the Strip a little early if you’re planning to park.
As aforementioned, during this crawl, you will experience bites AND sips of the Strip District! On the sip side of things, you will get to taste different complimentary cocktails and craft beers along your trail. This next event will be full of tasty drinks because Pennsylvania Libations, Cinderlands Warehouse, Dreadnought Wines, Kingfly Spirits, and more are on the list of featured restaurants! There are a total of 16 locations this time around, so you will get to experience some variety. As you experience each restaurant, you are welcome to order additional items off of their normal menu at full price and trust us you will be tempted to after getting a little taste of what they have to offer. Just be sure to keep in mind that you have 16 stops on the tour and a 3-hour time limit to visit each stop. It goes by faster than you think!
As you journey through the hosting neighborhood, remember each destination and what you liked about it, because at the end, you will get to vote for your favorites! We recommend even jotting down a rating on your map so you remember at the end. The categories are Best Bite, Best Drink, and Best Tasting Experience. After the event, all of the submissions will be tallied up and you will get an email a couple of days later alerting you of the winners! We are super excited to get the word out about these awesome restaurants, as we are every time we produce this event! Hopefully, after experiencing them first-hand and trying some of their offerings, these small local businesses will get some Pittsburgh love and get worked into your rotation for an evening out with friends or for a date night!
The following restaurants will be participating in the Best Bites event on March 26th:
1700 Penn Ave
Pennsylvania Libations
Cafetano
Cioppino Restaurant
Cinderlands Warehouse
Pizzeria Davide
Dreadnought Wines
Insurrection AleWorks
Kingfly Spirits
Mullaney’s Harp & Fiddle
Osteria 2350
Penn Avenue Fish Company
The PA Market
The Tavern
Wholey’s Market
Wigle Whiskey
Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop
While the March 26th Best Bites event is sold out, keep an eye out for the next Best Bites event by following Made In PGH on social media! This event is truly the best way to sample multiple restaurants and check out their vibe while filling up on delicious food and drinks!
