On the way to a wedding in August, some friends and I are stopping in Pittsburgh to take in a Pirates game. We're staying just one night at the Westin Convention Center.

I've read that the nightlife scene is called the Strip. Looking for a couple good bars with character and a good jukebox. Not into trendy bars or clubs. Just a good place to grab a Bud or a Dewars while listening to some good tunes.

Also, any suggestions for a quick dinner before the game would be welcome.

Thanks for your help.

Not been there personally, but I hear the Babylon is great.

Hi there -

Though I don't really do the bar scene here in Pittsburgh, you should be able to find somewhere in the Strip - though I think I'd categorize most of them as more trendy - and more clubish. You may want to check out the South Side - which really isn't too far or hard to get to from downtown if you are driving. Check with the locals or the hotel for directions - and tips on how to avoid our constant construction!

As far as a quick dinner before the game, there are a handful of places around the stadium and even in the stadium. If you really want to Pittsburgh "feel," go to Permanti Brothers (shamefully, I may be a bit off in my spelling though.) There is one downdown in Market Square or one in the Strip. It's not anything classy - but it tends to be a 'Burg thing . . .

Thanks for the replies.

Kari, I believe you are taling about Primanti Brothers. It looks like a good place to stop. Thanks for the suggestion.

I wonder if the ultra violet shuttle goes from the strip to south side...
(in Pittsburgh we have a bus specially dedicated to nightlife !)
If it does, you can try both areas!

I like banana joe's in the strip, and Rolland's has a pretty good (huge) selection of beers (it also has an outside balcony)



Celine

Paul, you ARE kidding, right? That "Babylon" bar is a figment of some nut-job producer confusing Pittsburgh with South Beach. That kind of scene is so NOT working-class, provincial Pittsburgh in nature it's positively psychotic.

The strip district is cool, but I personally like the southside. There are a lot more bars rather than clubs. I recommend Brewski's for a dive bar. You can make your way up the main drag (East Carson Street)hitting various other bars and stop by Primanti's after 2am for a sandwhich. You should be able to catch a cab from your hotel.

Have a good trip and Go Bucs!!!

Puddy, It seems to me that the South Side is for you as opposed to The Strip. There are a few bars with jukeboxes in the Strip, but it is mostly Dance Clubs and DJ'. On the South Side, Try Jacks's at 12th and East Carson. Good jukebox, reasonable, good people. Dee's on East Carson has an internet jukebox which plays whatever your heart desires. There is a lot of people with piercings and tatoos, but there also is a nice variety. Smokin' Joe's is also a nice bar on East Carson with a decent jukebox. There are also plenty of places to eat here for dinner and late night. Try a Mike and Tony's Gyro at 3 AM.

RJW, I think that the Babylon reference was a big joke...

Thanks Dan, I knew only a select few would get it...

ditto on Jack's...also try Margaritaville on the South Side and Mario's...by PNC Park(baseball stadium on the North Side) is Firewater,Hightopps',and Castellanos'(oozing character)...others in the Park(Outback,etc.)...also is German food/Max's Allegheny Tavern and the Penn Pilsner Brewery on the North Side..also James St Cafe..

Oh, I "got it", Dan and Paul-- I just wanted to make an oblique comment that Pittsburgh isn't exactly on the cutting edge of the nightclub scene in the US. Frankly, I don't know any dive bars in the ol' 'burgh that would welcome anyone from out of town....

puddy:

I'd say Jack's Bar, around 10 or 11th Street on Carson in South Side comes to mind, actually the whole South Side comes to mind. It's a trendy area for college kids (Duquesne University and University of Pittsburgh close by) but it has blue collar roots where the steelworkers would come and have a beer or two or three that still are hanging on and obviously doing well.

Had a lot of fun in a bar in Pittsburgh once. All I remember is that I think it was a basement establishment. Wish I could remember the name.

{BTW - I think Pittsburgh is a terrific city!}

Granted, Pittsburgh's "night club" scene is not South Beach or NYC. Of course, most cities are guilty of such shortcomings. There are enough nightclubs and dance clubs here if that is what one is intersted in. Pittsburgh is better known for it's neighborhood bars. When I say "neighborhood", that is only in tradition. Virtually any bar you go into, you will fell welcome, if you stick to the South Side, Shadyside, Oakland, or Strip. This is not some town in the the boonies where everybody knows each other. This is a major city, with three world class universities, that is used to catering to visitors from around the nation and the world. Is Pittsburgh Miami? No. Is it NYC? No. But it is a very nice city that has enough to make most people happy. I detect a few cheap shots at Pittsburgh here. They are subtle, but still there. Pittsburgh is what it is, which is not too bad.

Yeah, Pittsburgh is what it is. I grew up there. I never felt welcome there-- and it's NOT big-city snobbery, I'm from a small city in Louisiana. And I was never allowed to forget that I was from Somewhere Else, Not the Blessed City of Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh's a lovely city in the summer, with lots of history, some great restaurants and good cultural outlets, and a lot of people really love it. But it's not for me.