If you crave Texas-style barbecue or a huge selection of local and craft beers, Pork & Beans is the place for you! Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is no stranger to foodie-approved restaurants and Pork & Beans is one of the more popular dining options. A culinary creation of the Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group, Pork & Beans is one of four local restaurants in the group’s impressive portfolio. Others include Butcher and the Rye, Meat & Potatoes, and täkō, a name I heard mentioned by many locals around town.
Location: 136 6th Street, in the Golden Triangle area of [amazon_textlink asin=’0967410304′ text=’Pittsburgh’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’theyums-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’86b8dfb9-f579-11e7-98c2-1de9cff44aab’]
Menu: At Pork & Beans, enjoy locally-sourced comfort food dishes with delectable ingredients and combinations in a rustic roadhouse setting. Happy hour takes place from 5 to 7 PM daily in the beer garden. Each of the DeShantz eateries focuses on a different spirit; Pork & Beans pays particular attention to a wide array of beer. Its selection includes Yuengling, Grist House, and Rheingeist, and many more. Pork and Beans also hosts a “Meat Your Maker” series where they bring in brewmasters to talk about their beers.
Thoughts: I perused all of the restaurant group’s menus before choosing to dine at Pork & Beans. The sound of the side items and appetizers wooed me and man, did they ever live up to the hype! My favorite starter dishes included:
- Truckstop Poutine (tater tots, red-eye gravy, cheese curds)
- Pimento Cheese (with scallions, jalapenos, and green tomato mostarda)
- Jalapeno Corn Fritters (Green Goddess dressing and honey-lard butter)
- Catfish Sliders (jalapeno tartar, sweet & spicy apple slaw)
The pimento cheese was epic, and being from the South, that is really saying something. Paired with it, the heavily-seasoned house-made dill potato chips were perfect for dipping. I appreciated that the cheese held together tightly, unlike some that I’ve had in restaurants that fall apart easily, making it hard to eat. I’m glad I chose the Pimento Cheese appetizer but you have no idea how hard it was to say no to the Deviled Eggs of the Day trio. Good gracious they looked amazing!
Dinner options at Pork & Beans are hearty and huge. I read the term “pork-centric smokehouse” on the internet to describe Pork & Beans and that definitely caught my attention. I’ll have to admit that I wasn’t expecting quality barbeque like this at a Northern destination, but it delivered. My eyes may have been bigger than my belly when I ordered. My waitress warned me that I would not be able to hold all of the food I chose and she was right. Luckily, she bagged what I didn’t eat up for me and I had leftovers for the next day. Dinner entrées that caught my eye were the house-smoked meats including:
- Beef Brisket
- Pork Barbeque
- Kielbasa
- Ribs
Thoughts: Pork & Beans has a friendly vibe and organic warmth in its simple, unpretentious setting. There are intimate booths, a communal table, bar high-tops, and traditional seating groups to choose from in the dining room. The bar, showcasing the impressive liquor selection and beer taps, was packed. I could tell that the patrons were going to happily be there for awhile. Weathered Maxwell House coffee cans sat atop the tables holding silverware while napkin rolls hung on the wall inside our booth. The restaurant decor is certainly eye-catching and festive.
For dinner, I went with the Jalapeno Cheddar Kielbasa, a honkin’ big sandwich on billowy bread, heaped high with a sausage, pulled pork, and dotted with chevre cheese. The mouth-watering sandwich included caramelized onions, fried shallots, and BBQ sauce, too, putting it over the top in the flavor category! I had to eat this bad-boy with a knife and fork. Each bite was just the right combination of juicy meat and bread. Bright purple cabbage and hand-cut chips came with the dish but I was too full to even touch them.
Side dishes are always my preference and the choices at Pork & Beans thrilled me. How does creamed corn, mac and cheese, collard greens, broccoli salad, loaded potato salad, and burnt end beans sound to you? I would have been just as happy with a sampler platter of all of these tasty items. The creamed corn was amazing!
Though I am not a vegetarian, I appreciated that Pork & Beans had a few options for those non-meat eaters such as Vegan Falafel Wrap, a handful of salads, and side dishes.
From interesting culinary creations to signature cocktails and dozens of craft beer offerings, the experience at Pork & Beans is certainly noteworthy.
Price Range: $9-14
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Melody resides in both Vero Beach, Florida, and Boquete, Panama with Eddie, her husband of 25 years. They are parents to 2 wonderful daughters, a fantastic son-in-law, sweet pound cat Harlow, and love of their lives dog, Priscilla. When she isn’t blogging or taking press trips, Melody loves cruising, Broadway, Disney, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and cooking for her friends. Her immediate goal is to visit all 50 states (12 more to go!) and as many countries as she is years old (1 more to go!) She recently owned and operated a successful catering business and several restaurants. Favorite foods: Eggs Benedict, curries, Shrimp in any way, shape, or form, and Cheese Fondue
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