Bar Botanico x Leyton Calling
4325 Butler St., Lawrenceville. barbotanico.com

Need a break from the cold? Bar Botanico in Lawrenceville partnered with Leyton Calling, a tropical-themed cocktail bar in London, to host a one-night tiki takeover on Sat., Nov. 22, from 2 p.m.-12 a.m. Follow the Botanico’s Instagram page for updates.

Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh Thanksgiving Distribution Credit: Courtesy of Urban League of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Thanksgiving Food Distributions 2025

This Thanksgiving, Pittsburgh-area organizations are offering free meals, including a turkey giveaway, drive-thru distribution, and volunteer-run meal delivery for those in need.

Greater Valley Community Services hosts a Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway on Sat., Nov. 22, from 10 a.m.-12 p.m., through which folks can receive a free turkey and other fixings at the organization’s building in Braddock, while supplies last. The event is co-hosted by the Borough of Braddock and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh continues a 17-year tradition with the return of its annual Thanksgiving turkey distribution at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. On Sat., Nov. 22, the day-long distribution and health fair will provide holiday meals, resources, and services to more than 900 households in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

Holiday Meals Pittsburgh, a volunteer-run nonprofit, returns to bring cheer and free Thanksgiving meals. Anyone in the Pittsburgh area can fill out a form to request a single-serving Thanksgiving meal that includes turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pie. Family-sized meals can be accommodated by request. Order by Sun., Nov. 23 at 5 p.m. to receive contactless delivery on Thanksgiving Day (Thu., Nov. 27) between 8 a.m.-12 p.m. The organization is also seeking cash donations and volunteers to make meal deliveries and create cards for recipients.

The Pirates, Steelers, and Penguins team up with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and Giant Eagle to host the fifth #BurghProud Thanksgiving meal distribution. Pittsburgh-area families are invited to attend the drive-thru event on Tue., Nov. 25, from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at PNC Park. A total of 300 families will receive a turkey, “festive” produce, apple pie, and a $15 Giant Eagle gift card, along with team merch. The distribution line will form along North Shore Drive at the corner of Mazeroski Way, with meals distributed on a first-come, first-served basis (limit two per vehicle; no registration required).

CoStar Brewing
323 Butler St., Etna. costarbrewing.com

CoStar Brewing throws down the gauntlet with its First Annual Chili Cook-off. On Sun., Nov. 23 from 1-5 p.m., the brewery invites Pittsburghers to bring their best chili for a people’s choice tasting competition during the Steelers vs. Bears game. Chili tasters can sample all entries for $10. Chili chefs receive free entry, a drink ticket, and a chance to win a first-, second-, or third-place prize, along with an award for the most creative recipe.

Penn/Fairmount Rye by Wigle Whiskey and the Pittsburgh Glass Center Credit: Courtesy of Wigle Whiskey

Wigle Whiskey x Pittsburgh Glass Center
2401 Smallman St., Strip District and 1000 Ross Park Mall Dr., Ross Township. wiglewhiskey.com

Wigle Whiskey and Pittsburgh Glass Center partnered on a holiday whiskey. Penn/Fairmount Rye, a new Wigley whiskey finished with white ash wood, will be sold in an “artist-altered” bottle designed by glass artist Jason Forck, highlighting the region’s “enduring” history of both whiskey and glass production. Bottles are sculpted to appear “wiggled” and are finished with a gold-stamped “W” in molten glass.

Matching Penn/Fairmount glassware and a handcrafted bottle stopper will also be sold as part of a limited-edition collection. The Wigle Whiskey Penn/Fairmount Rye and glassware will be available online and in-store starting Sun., Nov. 23.

The distillery also released its Holiday 2025 Wigle Bottle Line-up, featuring three themed bottles of Aprés Ski Chocolate Turtle Whiskey, Frageelay Spiced Bourbon, and Sugar Shack Maple Liqueur, available now.

Starbucks Workers United
Multiple locations. sbworkersunited.org

Starbucks workers at more than a dozen unionized stores across Western Pennsylvania joined a nationwide strike on Nov. 13, disrupting the company’s promotional Red Cup Day. According to Starbucks Workers United (the union representing 264 stores), the “open-ended strike” comes after six months of unsuccessful bargaining for higher pay, consistent scheduling, and resolution of more than 100 unfair labor practice charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board.

Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) issued a statement of support for Starbucks Workers United. Workers have established a National Strike Fund and have asked supporters to sign a “No Contract, No Coffee” pledge. The strike follows the sudden closure of three Pittsburgh Starbucks locations in September.

Pita My Shawarma x Lavender Acres Winery
3716 Butler St., Lawrenceville. pitamyshawarma.com

Pita My Shawarma now has a wine bar. The Lebanese street food restaurant — which recently celebrated its fifth anniversary in Lawrenceville — added a satellite location of Lavender Acres Winery. In the evenings, the new wine and mezze bar offers 18 varieties of red, white, sweet, and sparkling wines from Lavender Acres’ vineyard in York, Pa., along with light bites including hummus, baba ganoush, labneh kefir cheese dip, and mixed nuts, according to Pittsburgh Magazine.

Pita My Shawarma’s Wine and Mezze soft opening hours run Tue.-Wed. from 5-9 p.m., Thu.-Fri. from 5-10 p.m., and Sat. from 12-10 p.m. A grand opening celebration with Lavender Acres Winery owner Bill Hewitt is planned for Fri., Dec. 5- Sat., Dec. 6.

Our snack haul at Vendor Bender Credit: CP Photo: Stacy Rounds

Vendor Bender x The Maverick
120 S. Whitfield St., East Liberty. instagram.com/vendorbenderstore

Vendor Bender brings its round-the-clock snacks to The Maverick. The 24-hour vending machine store in Squirrel Hill announced a “mini-expansion” to the lower lobby of The Maverick hotel (formerly Ace Hotel) in East Liberty, also home to Hey Babe. The new Vendor Bender location will stock a rotating selection of 200 international snacks and drinks. The space is now open daily from 4-11 p.m., with 24-hour access available to hotel guests.

Pre Amp Coffee Studio
5840 Forbes Ave., Squirrel Hill. preampcoffeestudio.com

Squirrel Hill gained another coffee shop. Pre Amp Coffee Studio, the latest Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group concept, celebrated its grand opening on Nov. 11, which included an appearance by Pittsburgh Mayor-elect Corey O’Connor. The specialty coffee shop takes over the neighborhood’s former Coffee Tree Roasters.

Pre Amp Coffee Studio will feature the “hum” of spinning vinyl records alongside an espresso and coffee menu and a full bar program, according to its website. The Pittsburgh Business Times reports Pre Amp will also offer a non-alcoholic bar menu with zero-proof espresso martinis, negronis, and more, as well as quarterly revolving kitchen concepts beginning with Mortadella. The current kitchen concept will serve Italian sandwiches, salads, and sides through February 2026.

Harvest on Main Community Market
808 Main St., Sharpsburg. secondharvestthrift.com

Sharpsburg will soon have a new fresh-food market. Second Harvest announced the upcoming opening of Harvest on Main Community Market in the former Brother Tom’s Bakery. The nonprofit, which also runs Second Harvest Community Thrift Store, wrote that the market is “designed to nourish our community and bring healthy, affordable food options back to Sharpsburg,” long considered a food desert.

The new Harvest on Main will be a full-service, small-scale, nonprofit grocery store with a deli, bakery, grab-and-go, and chef-prepared foods sections. The store will price food below market and plans to accept EBT/SNAP and Food Bucks benefits. The Fox Chapel Herald reported the lineup will include homemade soups and pierogies made from a Brother Tom’s recipe.

Harvest on Main is slated to open in early 2026.

Eat’n Park
7671 McKnight Rd., Ross Township. eatnpark.com

Ross Township will soon lose one of the landmark Eat’n Park locations. The Eat’n Park on southbound McKnight Road will close on Mon., Dec. 1, after 46 years in business.

“We are grateful to our loyal team members for their dedication to our many regular guests,” the company said in a statement. Affected workers have been offered positions at other Eat’n Park locations.

Another 69-year-old Eat’n Park location, less than a mile away on northbound 7370 McKnight Rd., will remain open.

This article appears in Nov. 12-18, 2025.

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