Hungry?
You’re in luck! Pittsburgh’s food and restaurant scene is blowing up.
But your options aren’t limited to sit-down dining spots. The hype and high quality eats have spilled over into the streets. That’s right, street eats are becoming a staple in the Steel City.
Despite some pretty archaic and asinine laws, mobile food vendors have amassed a loyal following, whose fandom leads them to seek out these trucks and carts all over the city. Now the only problem is keeping tabs on all of the trucks and carts.
Problem solved! Here’s your guide to the best street eats in Pittsburgh.
BRGR
BRGR is doing killer burgers and speciality milkshakes, roadside. The only thing lacking from this experience is the liquor for the spiked shakes.
PGH Taco Truck
One of the best tacos in town, from one of the best food trucks around. Translation: be prepared to wait in line. But know that it’s totally worth it. @pghtacotruck
Gyros N’at
This mobile vendor offers a Mediterranean-inspired menu featuring the best street-side lamb sammies in town.
Berlin Street Food
This mobile cart is bringing German street food to Downtown. Staples include brats, Das Lamb sandwich and a meatloaf-esque burgher, known as the bulete.
Oh My Grill
You can’t go wrong with grilled cheese. That’s especially true of the upgraded, creative, cheesy goodness served up by Oh My Grill.
Franktuary
Offering inventive hot dogs, all-beef style or grass-fed, and even vegan friendly franks, this truck takes the traditional dog to all new heights.
PGH Pierogi Truck
Pittsburgh just wouldn’t be Pittsburgh without a pierogi truck. Fill up on some delicious dough stuffed with potato and cheese, cabbage or haluski. Don’t forget to add bacon and sour cream.
Street Food
Picture a food trailer meets mobile catering service. Got it? That’s Street Foods. It’s a collaboration of two long time friends and culinary school grads who cook up killer street eats and custom menus for catered parties.
Mac and Gold
Eat here and you can expect mac and cheese with a twist. Make that a lot of unique twists. Think rotating menu, add ons and speciality toppings – like the bacon and brussel sprout topped mac.
Gus & YiaYia’s
If you find yourself on the North Side make it your mission to track down this orange cart, with a rainbow umbrella serving Pittsburgh’s best hand shaved, icey balls – flavored to your liking.
The Shady Dog
Get your dog done any way you like it from the Shady Dog. Known to frequent Bloomfield, Shadyside and the East End, John offers all beef franks, kielbasa, hot sausage and vegan friendly franks.
Saucy Mamas
This food truck is truly a family affair, started by a mother-daughter team. Of course that’s is to be expected from an Italian-inspired, meatball slinging, panini-pressing, mobile vendor.
South Side BBQ Company
Carnivores rejoice! The crew at South Side BBQ Co. is on a mission to deliver delicious ribs, sammies and sides to Pittsburgh. Their pulled pork and pepper jack mac and cheese are worth scouring social media and the streets to find.
Reid’s Fresh Express
This truck is known for a few things, including signature sandwiches, salad, soup and sides all made with the freshest ingredients around.
Tartan Express
Carnegie Mellon University rolled out their own food truck to serve students in a hurry. The Tartan express offers up globally inspired Asian fare right in the heart of Oakland.
The Pop Stop
Here’s your chance to score fresh, flavorful ice pops that are all-natural and made with local fruits and herbs. Plus word on the street is there’s even boozy pops, spiked with Wigle Whiskey.
PGH Crepes
These light, feather like crepes are made to order right in front of your face. Savory options like the turkey crepe sound great, until you see the strawberry, banana crepe with Nutella. Dessert crepe it is!
Miss Meatballs
Get your “bare” balls here. Miss Meatballs serves ’em up two for $4 or sammich-style for $7. Choose from beef or chicken and top with classic tomato, mushroom ragout and Asiago béchamel sauces.
Blow Fish BBQ
All the meat! That’s what Justin “Hootie” Blakey cooks on his his 84-inch BBQ smoker. That includes pork shoulder, ribs, brisket and chicken. Whatever fits on the grill is smoked for up to 16 hours over cherry wood and hickory.
Leona’s Ice Cream
Take some delicious, small batch, low-lactose ice cream. Now smash it between two original recipe cookies. And what do you get? Perfection, that’s what. In the form of Leona’s perfect ice cream sandwiches.
Pizza Boat
First things, first. The boat, in this case, is not made out of pizza. There no actual boat. But that’s okay because there is a wood-fired over attached to a trailer, used to crank out ultra-thin, Neapolitan style pizzas.
The Burgh Bites Cart
Chef and owner Ricci Minella transformed a food cart (“the little cart that could”), into a real life food truck (the Burgh Bites Mobile Bistro) serving sandwiches and hot dogs, as well as fully loaded torts and tots.
The Steer and Wheel
From the food to the truck itself, this mobile vendor is upgrading the street eat experience. Their burgers are all-natural, free from hormones and antibiotics The artisanal bread is fresh from Mediterra Bakehouse. The fries are made with zero trans fats. And every single burger on the menu is the best burger on the menu.
[join]What do you think about these vendors? Did we miss any? Let us know with a comment here on facebook. [button text=”Click Here to Leave a Comment” link=”https://www.facebook.com/madepgh/posts/868263643247246″ target=”blank” width=”full” color=”black” size=”small”][/join] This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.
