As 2025 comes to a close, we’re taking a delicious look back at a year packed with incredible food, creative cocktails, and unforgettable experiences across Pittsburgh. From food trucks to neighborhood favorites, our Best Bites tours are all about celebrating the local icons that make this city such a fun place to eat and drink.
Below, we’re highlighting the winners from each Best Bites event in 2025—plus the dishes and drinks that had attendees talking long after the last bite.
Best Bite: Cold Friends Kitchen
Winning Dish: Pork Belly Bites: Twice roasted pork belly tossed in bourbon BBQ glaze, topped with fire sauce, sesame, and scallions over local vegan kimchi
Cold Friends Kitchen is a Pittsburgh-based food truck known for globally inspired street food and big, bold flavors. Their pork belly bites delivered the perfect mix of crispy, saucy, sweet, and spicy earning them top honors and proving that some of the best bites in Pittsburgh come on four wheels.
Best Drink: Jackworth Ginger Beer
Winning Sips: Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer, Classic Non-Alcoholic Ginger Beer and Spicy Non-Alcoholic Ginger Beer
As Pennsylvania’s only ginger beer brewery, Jackworth Ginger Beer focuses on real ingredients and serious ginger flavor. With both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options, their refreshing lineup was a crowd favorite and an easy pairing with just about anything.
Best Tasting Experience: Cilantro & Ajo
Winning Tasting: Choice of empanada stuffed with chicken, ground beef or black beans and cheese, plus two tequeños with Venezuelan cheese, paired with signature cilantro and garlic sauce
Cilantro & Ajo brings Venezuelan comfort food to Pittsburgh with a modern, feel-good twist. Their crispy tequeños and empanadas made their tasting experience a warm and comforting one on a chilly day!
Best Bite: Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings (Pittsburgh)
Winning Dishes: Vegetable Spring Rolls, Red Bean Puffs and Pork and Vegetable Wontons in Spicy Peanut Sauce
Known nationwide for their soup dumplings, Nan Xiang’s new Pittsburgh location impressed with their Michelin-recommended cuisine. Their flavorful small plates were a standout on the SouthSide Works tour, offering a perfect balance of comfort and bold spice.
Best Drink: The Pittsburgh Pour
Winning Cocktails: The Point Breeze, Downtown Hibiscus Collins and Arnie’s Peach Whiskey Palmer
The Pittsburgh Pour is beloved for handcrafted cocktails made with fresh ingredients and local flair. Each cocktail brought bright, balanced flavors; ideal for sipping between stops on the tour.
Best Tasting Experience: Dive Bar & Grille
Winning Pairing: Short Rib Melt with caramelized onion, smoked cheddar and horseradish aioli, paired with an Unruly Sangria with Livingston Merlot, Stoli Raspberry, Stoli Blueberry, orange juice, wild berry simple syrup and oranges, lemons and limes
Dive Bar & Grille surprised guests with elevated bar food done right. The rich, melty short rib paired with house-made sangria created a fan-favorite, indulgent tasting.
Central Tour
Best Bite: Puttshack Pittsburgh
Winning Dish: Quesabirria with slow-braised shredded beef, Chihuahua cheese blend, chipotle aioli, flour tortillas, onion, cilantro and consomé dipping sauce
Located in the heart of the Strip District, Puttshack combines high-tech mini golf with a chef-driven menu. Their quesabirria (crispy, cheesy, and packed with flavor) proved they’re just as serious about food as they are about fun.
Best Drink: The Pittsburgh Pour
Winning Cocktails: Coconut and Mango Mojito, Downtown Hibiscus Collins and Arnie’s Peach Whiskey Palmer
With tropical notes and fruit-forward flavors, The Pittsburgh Pour once again delivered cocktails that felt fresh, fun, and perfectly suited for a lively Strip District crawl.
Best Tasting Experience: City Winery Pittsburgh
Winning Pairing: Dip Trio (salt baked beet dip, red pepper walnut dip and yogurt dip with pita) paired with your choice of sauvignon blanc or rosé
City Winery Pittsburgh offers an urban winery experience unlike anything else in the city. From live music and house-made dishes to award-winning wine, their tasting highlighted why this spot is a go-to for wine lovers and foodies alike.
Upper Tour
Best Bite and Best Tasting Experience: CADENCE+ Cellars Speakeasy
Winning Dish: Stuffed Manicotti and PDS cocktail
Tucked beneath the Strip District, CADENCE+ Cellars Speakeasy delivers an intimate 1920s dining experience focused on seasonal dishes and curated cocktails. They took home double wins for their manicotti, cocktail pairing and the overall memorable experience!
Best Drink: Kingfly Spirits
Winning Sip: Kingfly Signature Limoncello Slushie
A staple in Pittsburgh’s craft spirits scene, Kingfly Spirits is known for European-style liqueurs made locally. Their bright, citrusy limoncello slushie was refreshing, perfectly balanced, and a standout sip of the summer.
Best Bite: Mola
Winning Dishes: Tuna poke, salmon poke, assorted sushi rolls
Mola is a go-to destination in East Liberty for high-quality sushi and seafood. Their poke bowls and sushi rolls showcased fresh flavors and expert technique, making them a clear winner on this tour.
Best Drink: Lorelei
Winning Cocktail: Basset Hound cocktail with rye whiskey, Amaro Montenegro, damson plum, and coriander-lime cordial
An Alpine-inspired wine and cocktail bar, beer hall, and bottle shop, Lorelei is known well in East Liberty for thoughtful and delicious cocktails. The Basset Hound delivered depth and balance that wowed tour guests.
Best Tasting Experience: Alta Via Pizzeria
Winning Tasting: Fig & Brie Pizza made with figs, brie, fresh mozzarella, arugula and pistachios
Alta Via Pizzeria is a neighborhood favorite that brings warm Italian cooking and hospitality to Bakery Square. Their tasting experience highlighted their handmade Fig & Brie Pizza with seasonal ingredients.
Best Bite: Barcelona Wine Bar
Winning Dishes: Jamón and Manchego Croquetas, Manchego and Serrano Skewers, Paella Verduras
Barcelona Wine Bar is known for vibrant Spanish tapas designed for sharing. Bold flavors, beautiful presentation, and a lively atmosphere made their tasting one of the highlights of the Downtown tour.
Best Drink: The Commoner
Winning Cocktail: Commoner Old Fashioned with Elijah Craig bourbon, strawberry, fernet, and Ancho Reyes Barrica
Located inside Hotel Monaco, The Commoner blends classic cocktail technique with a modern edge. Their Old Fashioned was well balanced and undeniably memorable.
Best Sweet Treat: Prantl’s Bakery
Winning Sweet Treat: Prantl’s Walking Torte
For the first time in Best Bites history, we crowned the Best Sweet Treat! Prantl’s Bakery is famous for timeless desserts made from scratch. The on-the-go version of the classic Burnt Almond Torte was the perfect sweet finish and a nostalgic nod to one of the city’s most beloved bakeries.
Best Tasting Experience: Alta Via
Winning Tasting: Campanelle Carbonara with guanciale, black pepper, egg yolk and Pecorino Romano
Alta Via in Market Square rounded out the Downtown tour with exceptional hospitality and refined Italian cooking, an experience that left guests feeling welcomed and well-fed.
From food trucks to fine dining, the Best Bites of 2025 showcased just how deep Pittsburgh’s food and drink scene really is.
Want in on the next round? Be sure to join the Best Bites email list to get early access to tickets, special perks, and insider updates. Keep the eating going with our Pittsburgh Pizza Passport, a 10-week pizza adventure across the city. Trust us: your appetite is going to be busy in 2026.
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.
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