Bob's Sub

  A lot of competition out there recently, when it comes to Hoagies aka subs, grinders,etc. The latest to branch out into the Pittsburgh area is Bob's Sub. Bob's is an institution in the college towns of Slippery Rock and Clarion just North of Pittsburgh. A few years ago a couple of young guys bought the stores and started to expand south into the Pittsburgh area. So lets see how they stack up.

   Bob's subs come in three sizes. The largest being the senior which measures in at 13" at a modest $7.95. All the subs come on locally made Stagnos rolls, which are also nicely toasted.

 My wife tried the cotton candy shake which was surprisingly good. The pretzel stick adds some needed saltiness to the sweetness.

  The Roast Beef Sub was very good. Loaded with roast beef and fresh veggies. If you get the sub "Bob's Way" it comes with Italian dressing, mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion, and provolone cheese. Word of warning, they love to slather the mayo on their subs. While I love mayo, even I found the amount to be a tad excessive. So I recommend asking them to be light on the mayo. The crusty Stagnos bread is an excellent delivery vehicle for all the meat and veggies.

  Bob's Cheesesteak was just as good. You can customize your toppings, and my wife added pepper rings and mushrooms to her sandwich.

TOP VIEW

  Having been to Bob's twice now, I must say that I was impressed with both the value and quality. Why the hell anyone would even consider going to a Subway when you have places like Bob's , Dibellas, and Jersey Mikes, is beyond me.

 So give Bob's a try, its one of the best sandwich places going.

( The Bob's I went to, is brand new and located at Pittsburgh Mills in Tarentum)

 My friend and Pittsburgh DJ legend, AJ, brought to my attention that this is not owned by the original shop in Slippery Rock and that there is a lot of legal wrangling going on. An older article explaining the situation.     http://triblive.com/news/butler/3429820-74/shop-bob-sub#axzz3p26g0zaU


RATING     8/10 

Cheeburger Cheeburger (CLOSED)

 Cheeburger Cheeburger is a chain of restaurants specializing in you guessed it, hamburgers. They go for a 1950s diner vibe, with lots of neon and stainless steel. We went to the location in Cranberry which I believe is the only location in Western PA. Cheeburger Cheeburger is all about customizing your burger. First you choose the size of your beef patty (anything from 5.5 oz to a whopping 20oz). They also have salmon, turkey, and veggie burgers. Then you pick from a myriad of toppings. Check out their complete menu HERE

  My order consisted of the 1/2 pound burger with American cheese, lettuce, mayo, onion.  It was definitely a full 1/2 pound and was cooked a perfect medium. Everything tasted fresh. My only complaint being that I did not think the beef was as juicy and flavorful as I have had at other places (5 guys, BRGR, Burgatory).     

 We also shared a side of sweet potato fries which were sweet and crispy.

    Cheeburger Cheeburger also has a huge selection of hand made shakes, which are thick and indulgent. 

  All in all I thought Cheeburger Cheeburger was ok.. It has reasonable prices, and is a good place to take kids. However I am not sure that I would choose their burger over any of the competitions. Let me know what you think. 

 RATING: 6/10 

The Oven Pizza Company

   So after trying Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza the weekend before. My girlfriend and I went to check out The Oven in Wexford. She was excited because the owner had a pizza place previously that she had thought was very good on Banksville Rd. The Oven's claim to fame is that they cook their pizzas in a big ass wood fired oven, which puts out a lot of heat for a crispy crust. The wood also imports some flavor into the pizza as well..

 Ordering is a little confusing the first time you go to The Oven. You go up to the counter and tell them what you want . The menu is on a chalkboard above the counter. After that, you go and find a table and wait for them to call your name.They have a selection of bottled beers for your consumption as well.

My girlfriend and I shared half of a pizza. Half sausage, half Margarita topped with fresh mozzarella and basil.

 Just like Anthony's Coal Fired Oven Pizza, the star of the show is the crust. It is thin, with a perfectly crisp bottom. Not quite as dark/burnt as Anthony's. The toppings were all fresh and tasty. The sausage tasted homemade letting the porky goodness shine through. However, just like Anthony's the sauce was used just a tad too sparingly in my opinion.

All in all though, a very good pie. If you like a thin crispy crust, this is definitely a place you should stop and try.

Finally, The Oven is owned by a local Pittsburgh family, and you should all be behind supporting your locally owned businesses.


RATING: 8.5/10

Aladdin's Eatery

  For Lunch the other day, my girlfriend and I decided to try out Aladdin's. There are 6 around the Pittsburgh area, and word of mouth has been pretty positive. We settled on going to the Aladdin's on Mcknight Rd in the North Hills.

  The dining area is small and well kept. It's decorated in a modern Mediterranean fashion. We were quickly seated and attended to.

 The menu is obviously heavily influenced by Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Check it out HERE. Lite and healthy is also a theme.

Tropical Storm Smoothie

 We started off with some Tropical Storm Smoothies which are blended mango,guava, pineapple,yogurt, and honey.  It was blended to order and was quite refreshing. Could have used some rum in it, but lets not be petty.

                                                                         Kibbie

  Three lean beef and wheat shells, stuffed with spiced ground beef, onions, and pine nuts, then deep fried. Served with yogurt and Lebanese salata.
  The Kibbie was like eating a spiced meatloaf with a crunchy shell. The taste of cinnamon and other spices permeated the Kibbie. The little salad was flavorful, with tomatoes, cucumbers, and green pepper, tossed with mint leaves, vinegar and oil.

                                                                  Rolled Pita

  For our main course we decided on getting rolled pitas.

                                                            Shish Kabob Rolled

   Char-grilled tenderloin, feta cheese, greens,tomato, and onion, with Aladdins sauce rolled in a pita. My girlfriend ordered this and it was quite good. The steak was flavorful and tender enough that you could bite right through it. The feta and sauce added some nice zing.

Beef Kafta Rolled

      Ground beef mixed with onions,parsley, herbs, and spices. Chargrilled with tomato, onion, and tahini yogurt dressing. Like a middle eastern hamburger, the beef had just enough spice to make it interesting. Also the beef was quite lean with barely any grease. The other toppings accompanied the beef nicely . A good change of pace from your typical american style burger.

 Aladdins is a great little restaurant. Almost everything on their menu is under 10 dollars, so the price is right. Lots of healthy choices are to be found if you are watching your waist line. It is a great change of pace from your typical American restaurant. You wont find fries with cheese and bacon, or mozzarella sticks. you will find original dishes at a good price, with a Mediterranean influence.

 From what I can gather there are 6 Aaddins throughout the Pittsburgh area. Go and check them out.

Aladdin's Eatery
Rating:  8/10 

Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh

 For my Birthday, my hot girlfriend and Mother took me to the Hofbrauhaus on the South Side of Pittsburgh. We went there at my request. See, when I was in the Army, I was stationed in Germany defending the frontiers of freedom against the Russian hordes. While there, I had gone to the actual Hofbrauhaus in Munich. So I thought this would bring back fond memories of eating schnitzel and drinking good German beer.

  We were quickly seated at one of the big wooden tables in the beer hall. Some guy was playing German tunes on an organ. At another table, a group of young men were yelling out swear words like they had tourettes, being obviously a little intoxicated.

 So for starters we ordered some beers and an appetizer sampler platter.

Heffe Weizen

 Heffe is a wheat beer, and was my go-to beer in Germany. Light with taste notes of fruit and spice.

Hofbrau Dunkel

   Dunkel is a darker beer being rich and spicy, yet still very drinkable.

The Works Sampler $13.99

  The Works Sampler had an assortment of appetizers including fried pickles, sauerkraut balls, soft pretzels, and potato pancakes. Also included were some dipping sauces and bier cheese for the pretzels. The bier cheese was the star, giving the pretzels an excellent boost of flavor.

Bauern Schnitzel $15.99

  The Bauern Schnitzel was your typical breaded and fried pork cutlet topped with ham, bier cheese, and swiss cheese. Very good, the schnitzle was cooked perfectly and was fork tender. The accompanying German potato salad was warm and had bits of cabbage and bacon. Nothing like its American mayo based cousin. The potato dumpling was bland, doughy, and the only flavor came from the accompanying gravy.

Bavarian Jager Schnitzel $15.99

  Personally Jager style is my favorite rendition of Schnitzel. Jager means hunter in German. This has your breaded pork cutlets covered with bacon and a rich burgundy mushroom sauce. Very rich, savory, and tasty.

Bayerischer Schweinbraten $15.49

  Slow roasted pork served with sauerkraut and covered in gravy. The pork was perfect. Tender and full of flavor. The sauerkraut was mild and not all that sour, it was flavored with apples and caraway.

 So my birthday dinner was a great success. Excellent stick to your ribs German food. A good buzz from the beer, and an excellent environment to take it all in. You can also sit outside with a scenic view of the Monongahela River when the weather is nice. Make sure you're in the right frame of mind when you go here. It's loud inside and not at all intimate. It's built for partying, not whispering. The Hofbrauhaus lived up to my expectations and I will definitely be back.

 Rating
Hofbruahaus Pittsburgh:  8/10 

Fiori's Pizza

 We are back. After 3 years of writing Pittsburgh Eats, it was time for a short break. In the meantime I have been scouting out new places to review around Pittsburgh and hopefully you will enjoy some of the upcoming locations I will be reviewing.

 As long as I have lived in Pittsburgh, it seems the debate between who has the best pizza has come down to two places. Mineo's in Squirrel Hill, or Fiori's in the South Hills. A while ago I ate at Mineo's and was not all that impressed. So I thought it was about time I tried Fiori's and see what all the fuss was about. My friends in the South Hills seem to absolutely love the place. Being from the North Hills I have not found a whole lot to like about the South Hills. Its overly crowded, traffic is a nightmare, and you have to slowly creep through a tunnel to get into Pittsburgh. Maybe Fiori's could let me see the good of the South Hills.

 We called in our order on Saturday evening for carryout. They said it would be about an hour.  It actually wound up being around an hour and twenty minutes. It was not a surprise. Fiori's is known for its long waits, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Half Italian Hoagie $5.00

Italian Hoagie

  The Italian hoagie was typical of that found throughout Western Pennsylvania. Ham, Capicola, Salami,provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, baked on Italian bread. It was dressed with Italian seasoning, oil and vinegar.  All around a solid hoagie. It had a good amount of meat, and was well balanced with the crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside bread.

Half Steak Hoagie $5.30

  The steak hoagie was a little different than others I have tried. First off it had a good portion of chopped sirloin and fried onions with your typical fixings on top, provolone, lettuce, and tomato. What I found unique was the red sauce that Fiori's put on it. It was kind of sweet and tangy, and added a little kick to the savoriness of the steak. Its almost like a Russian or French style dressing. My eating partner and I were both impressed with the taste.

Large Sausage Pizza $15.30

Sausage Pizza

    But we are here for the pizza aren't we?  The pizza had an extremely thin crust. Very much like a New York style slice. It was slightly crisp and the outside crust had a nice chew to it. The thing was loaded with cheese which was cooked perfectly, being slightly browned and bubbly. The sausage was not typical of the type a lot of pizza shops use. It was chunky with a very mild Italian spice flavor. Not overly seasoned with fennel like a lot of places sausage is. The sauce I really enjoyed. It was sweet and not overly applied. So is this one of the best pizzas in the Burgh? Yes it is. This is one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten period. Despite being loaded with cheese and toppings, it was not overly greasy. Just a total delight to eat. Its not often that when I go and try something, that it actually lives up to the hype.

 So do yourself a favor and head over to Fiori's one night. Its worth the ride and the long wait time to give it a try.

Fioris's Pizza 
RATING:   9/10
 

 

The Steer & Wheel

 Another competitor in the burgeoning Pittsburgh food truck scene. The Steer & Wheel specializes in gourmet hamburgers and I was looking forward to trying it out.

 The Steer & Wheel was with the Pittsburgh Taco Truck in the parking lot of the Coffee Buddha on RT 19 in the North Hills. After placing my order, it took about 8 minutes to receive the food.

The Fat Tuesday Burger $7.00

 You will notice I put a Mcdonalds Double Cheeseburger in my picture for size comparison purposes. There is nothing I wont do for the reader of Pittsburgh Eats. For the visually and mentally challenged Pittsburgh Eats readers, the Mcdonalds burger is on the left.

 The Fat Tuesday Burger was about a 1/3 pound locally raised, organinc, no antibiotic, no hormone, beef patty, with pepper jack cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, and remoulade sauce. All on a brioche bun baked at Mediterra bakery. The burger itself was also cooked with blackened seasoning to give it an even more pronounced cajun flavor. The burger had good flavor and the toppings were all super fresh. The remoulade and pepper jack added some spice. The brioche bun held up well to all the ingredients. A pretty tasty burger.

The French Lieutenant's Burger $8.00

   The French Lieutenant came with sauteed cremini mushrooms, brie cheese, bacon, and whole grain mustard.

 An excellent combination of ingredients with a French flair. The bacon was perfectly cooked, being both crispy and chewy. The cremini mushrooms added a pleasant savory flavor. The whole grain mustard balanced the burger with its bitterness.

    The burgers at Steer & Wheel are of the highest quality, being comparable to some of the high end burger joints in the area such as BRGR and Burgatory.  My only complaint is that the price point of the burgers is slightly high for their size. If you see the Steer & Wheel in your neighborhood, make sure you stop by and let me know what you think.

 RATING
The Steer & Wheel:   7.5 / 10