🍽️ Restaurant: Maiku
📍 Location: 1611 Penn Ave., Strip District
⏱️ Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Wed-Sun | Closed Mon-Tues
🌐 Links: maikuvietnamesepho.com
❤️ Best $15ish meal(s): Bánh mì or pho with your choice of protein
Why go?
Don’t blink or you might miss this hidden gem on Penn Avenue in the Strip District, right near the 16th Street Bridge. Maiku is a cozy, no-frills restaurant that serves Vietnamese comfort food like hearty bánh mì sandwiches, nourishing bowls of pho noodle soup and flavor-packed cold vermicelli noodles, all with your choice of protein like meatballs, pork roll and lemongrass tofu. Everything on the menu is under $20, which means you may have room in the budget to get one of their bubble teas!
What to order
Keep it cheap with a $11 bánh mì sandwich. Pick from proteins like grilled chicken, pork meatball, lemongrass tofu, and pate and ham. Pair it with a Vietnamese iced coffee, Thai tea or fruity bubble tea.
Maiku’s $11 bánh mì. (Photo by Francesca Dabecco/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)
As soon as the weather turns cold, you’ll want to sink into a bowl of their pho. Go traditional with the beef eye round steak. Not a meat eater? Get the vegetarian pho packed with broccoli, cauliflower, carrot and tofu.
Appetizers can be a meal, too! Order a spring roll and grilled pork meatballs for a small-plate feast.
Good to know before you go
Primarily a counter-service, takeout-friendly spot, though there is limited seating.
If you call ahead, they typically have your order ready in 20 minutes.
Take your food to-go and head just a few blocks away to the Strip District Terminal. You’ll find some outdoor tables where you can enjoy your meal and take in the bustle of Smallman Street.
Know a Pittsburgh-area restaurant with a great meal around $15? Email us at social@publicsource.org.