By evening, the inclines on Mount Washington are carrying people up from stations near Station Square, and the skyline across the rivers is lit for the night. Down along the South Side, the strip of E Carson St. between 7th and 29th Sts. fills with people moving between bars, while Downtown's Cultural District empties theaters into the streets after performances.
Pittsburgh is a city serious about its drinking, and the local tradition is largely "a shot and a beer town." Trendy and pretentious bars are scarcer than elsewhere, but almost any taste in bars and clubs can be found, and almost every neighborhood has a fair concentration of bars. The night suits drinkers who prefer unpretentious rooms, live music fans, and anyone who wants a skyline view or a theater performance worked into the evening.
Where to go out in Pittsburgh
1. South Side Flats
The South Side Flats has the most popular and diverse bar scene in the city, said to have more bars per block or per capita than almost anywhere else in the U.S. Most of them line a mile-long strip of E Carson St. between 7th and 29th Sts.
This suits a long, varied night of bar-hopping. The Hofbräuhaus Pittsburgh on the South Side is modeled after the Hofbräuhaus in Munich, and the neighborhood is also where the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC play.
2. The Strip District
The Strip District holds some more posh nightclubs along with other bars. It is also the center of Pittsburgh's gay culture, with several gay-owned businesses, bars and clubs lining Liberty Avenue; a semi-fictionalized account of Liberty Avenue's gay culture appears in the television program Queer as Folk.
It suits a night that mixes club dancing with a specific, well-established scene. The Strip District also has three coffee roasters, notably La Prima Espresso, and is home to the Attack Theater.
3. Downtown and the Cultural District
Downtown's Cultural District is home to several theaters and institutions including the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, the Pittsburgh Opera and the Pittsburgh Symphony, as well as a number of art galleries. The Pittsburgh Penguins play Downtown at PPG Paints Arena.
This suits an evening built around a performance or a game, with gallery browsing before or after. Nicholas Coffee is Downtown if you want coffee rather than a drink.
4. North Side
The North Side is where the Steelers play at Acrisure Stadium, renamed from Heinz Field in 2022, though most locals still use the old name; PNC Park, home of the Pirates, is also in the North Side. Penn Brewery, a popular German beer hall and restaurant in a historic old brewery building, hosts an annual Oktoberfest.
It suits a game night or a beer-focused evening. Kayak Pittsburgh, on the North Shore next to PNC Park, rents kayaks and offers lessons, and there are long stretches of riverfront trail on the North Shore.
5. East Liberty
East Liberty is home to the Quantum Theater and the Pittsburgh Glass Center, a nonprofit glass studio and gallery that holds one of the top glass art facilities in the country.
It suits a quieter evening of theater or art rather than a bar crawl.
6. Oakland
Oakland is the university district, with the Pittsburgh Playhouse and the University of Pittsburgh Repertory Theatre, plus the Petersen Events Center on the Pitt campus, where the Panthers basketball teams play. The Carnegie Mellon Tartans also play in Oakland.
It suits a college-sports or small-theater night. The neighborhood is also where the Carnegie Museums and Phipps Conservatory are found.
7. Shadyside and Squirrel Hill
These neighborhoods are useful for a calmer evening: Coffee Tree has locations in both Squirrel Hill and Shadyside, and Walnut Street in Shadyside hosts the vintage car show during the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix in July.
They suit a low-key night of coffee and strolling rather than late bars.
8. Highland Park
Highland Park is home to Tazza D'Oro and to one of the city's four large parks, alongside Frick, Schenley and Riverview.
It suits an early, quiet evening that ends with a walk rather than a bar.
How a night out unfolds
The sources describe Pittsburgh's drinking culture and its venues but do not give set dining or going-out hours. What they do show is a seasonal rhythm: the city's popular arts and cultural festivals run in the summertime, ranging from huge city-wide events to neighborhood festivals, parades, studio tours and food tastings, alongside many ethnic festivals. The biggest, the Three Rivers Arts Festival and the Three Rivers Regatta, are both held Downtown, with the Arts Festival in early June and the Regatta on Fourth of July weekend, the latter ending with a large fireworks show. The free Pittsburgh City Paper events calendar is described as an excellent resource for planning around what is on.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Three Rivers Arts Festival, Downtown, early June: a mix of art and music with free outdoor concerts and a large artist market.
- Three Rivers Regatta, Downtown, Fourth of July weekend: food, concerts, stunt shows and boat races, ending with a fireworks show.
- Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, July: a vintage car show along Walnut Street in Shadyside and a race through Schenley Park.
- Little Italy Days, September: a celebration of Bloomfield's Italian heritage.
- Oktoberfest at Penn Brewery, North Side: an annual event at the German beer hall.
- Summer ethnic festivals: events highlighting the local Greek, Italian, Irish, Scottish, German, Bulgarian and Russian communities.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the biggest concentration of bars?
The South Side Flats, along a mile-long strip of E Carson St. between 7th and 29th Sts. It is described as having the most popular and diverse bar scene, with more bars per block or per capita than almost anywhere else in the U.S.
What is the local drinking style?
A Slavic drinking culture has made Pittsburgh largely "a shot and a beer town." Trendy and pretentious bars are scarcer than elsewhere, but almost any taste in bars and clubs can be found.
Where can I find clubs and the gay scene?
The Strip District has some more posh nightclubs and other bars, and is the center of Pittsburgh's gay culture, with gay-owned businesses, bars and clubs lining Liberty Avenue.
What if I want a night without drinking?
Take an incline railway to the top of Mount Washington near the South Side for the skyline view; the Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines rise nearly 400 feet over the city from stations near Station Square. River tours run from Station Square, and the Cultural District offers theaters, the ballet, the opera and the symphony.
Decide whether your evening is a bar strip, a ballgame or a show, then build the night around it.