Let’s not tempt fate, but June has been unusually kind to Pittsburgh.
The temperatures have (mostly) behaved, the evenings have stretched long, and even the occasional rainstorm has felt welcome. Something about the smell of rain-soaked earth reminds me of my early 20s in Mumbai, when I’d spend entire afternoons watching monsoon clouds roll in from the window of my tiny, perpetually damp apartment, nursing a strong cup of coffee and ample time for contemplation.
The restaurant scene has felt a bit like that this month. The firehose of openings that marked much of the past year has slowed to more of a steady drizzle. That’s not a bad thing.
This month’s newcomers include a family-run Mexican restaurant years in the making, a Vietnamese concept showcasing regional dishes beyond pho, a new café and bakery location in Shadyside and a third outpost for a beloved local ice cream shop. And really, what better way to ease into the dog days of summer than with flavors like Tropical Chili Lime and Brown Bourbon Truffle?
The flip side? A growing list of closures serves as a reminder that opening a restaurant is only half the battle.
Here’s what opened, what closed and what deserves a spot on your summer dining agenda.
Openings
Photos courtesy of El Colibrí.
El Colibrí started with a folding table at Bloomfield First Fridays in 2022, where Jeimy Ibarra, her husband Pedro and her mother, Rocío Ruiz, sold Mexican food as a side hustle. One successful pop-up led to farmers markets, then a ghost kitchen, then years of customers asking, “When are you opening a real restaurant?”
Now they have. The family’s first brick-and-mortar restaurant in Garfield serves huaraches, gorditas, sopes, esquites and taquitos. Everything is gluten free, and nearly every dish can be made vegan, including customer favorites like oyster mushroom birria and plant-based versions of traditional fillings.
Many of those recipes are rooted in the family’s upbringing in Mexico. Raised in a low-income household, Ibarra says meals often centered on beans, corn and vegetables sourced from local markets rather than expensive cuts of meat.
“We didn’t want to be another business that said it was authentic Mexican food but was really Tex-Mex,” says Ibarra. “We asked ourselves, how do we incorporate that into our dishes but also stay true to ourselves?” she says.
The El Colibrí staff, friends and family celebrating. Photo courtesy of Jeimy Ibarra.
Ibarra says El Colibrí plans to introduce dishes such as chilaquiles, highlight seasonal ingredients such as squash blossoms and collaborate with fellow local businesses. Potential partnerships include events with Street Fries Kitchen and cross-cultural dinners with Soju that explore surprising similarities between Mexican and Korean food traditions.
“It’s a representation of hard work, sacrifice and a lot of community support,” says Ibarra. “We started with one folding table at a farmers market. Now people can come into our space and experience our culture.”
The Dirty Worm Sundae from Cookie’s Creamery. Photo courtesy of Cookie’s Creamery.
Cookie’s Creamery recently opened its third location, in Treesdale, bringing more than 140 ice cream flavors, over-the-top sundaes, milkshakes, dirty sodas and the shop’s increasingly popular “dirty popcorn” creations to Gibsonia.
Owner Josh Helfer named the business after his grandmother, Eleanor “Cookie” Rosenberg, whose love of ice cream and family vacations inspired the concept. “The memories are taking my grandmother on vacation with my four kids every year,” says Helfer. “My parents would tell us to eat our vegetables, and my grandmother would say, ‘You can eat your vegetables at home. Tonight we’re getting ice cream with Grandma.’”
That playful spirit shows up throughout the menu. Alongside classics, guests will find flavors like Tropical Chili Lime, Brown Bourbon Truffle, Coffee & Donuts, Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cheesecake and Toasted Coconut, plus customizable sundaes and popcorn topped with everything from gummy bears and white chocolate drizzle to ranch seasoning and buffalo spices.
A Combo Vermicelli bowl from BéLa Kitchen. Photo courtesy of BéLa Kitchen.
After more than a decade serving pho, bún and other Vietnamese staples at Tan Lac Vien, owner Minh Luong is opening BéLa in East Liberty to spotlight lesser-known regional dishes and home-style cooking from Vietnam, alongside a full bar program.
While the well-loved pho has a place on the menu, Luong is especially excited to introduce dishes that many diners may not have encountered before, including bò né, a Vietnamese breakfast featuring sizzling beef, fried eggs and crusty bread served in a hot cast-iron skillet. Fresh herbs, family recipes and dishes inspired by meals cooked at home in Vietnam will play a central role.
“Vietnamese food is about sitting together and taking your time,” says Luong.
Commonplace Coffee is now open in the former Georgie’s location in Shadyside. Photo courtesy of Commonplace Coffee.
Commonplace Coffee has opened a café and bakery in the former Georgie’s Corner Cafe space, bringing its locally roasted coffee, house-made pastries and grab-and-go fare to Walnut Street. The café marks the company’s ninth location, but the bigger news for pastry lovers is that part of Commonplace’s bakery operation has moved into the city, promising a steady supply of fresh-baked goods alongside your morning cappuccino. The shop soft-opened June 22, with a grand opening celebration slated for mid-July.
If a beach bar, a burger joint and a neighborhood watering hole had a very Pittsburgh baby, it might look something like Twin Boro Bar & Grill. Opened in early June by local restaurateur John Keefe, the restaurant transforms the former Blondie’s Bar & Grill into a playful neighborhood hangout inspired by classic diners and vacation-town bars.
The menu features smashburgers, pizza, sandwiches, seafood dishes and customizable hand-spun milkshakes, alongside boozy slushies, wine slushies and pony bottles of beer. Guests can also shoot pool, play darts or relax on an outdoor patio designed to evoke a getaway vibe. The name is a nod to the close ties between neighboring Oakmont and Verona, where Keefe now owns eight restaurants.
The rapidly expanding chicken chain Wings Over officially opened its Green Tree location on June 24, adding a third Pittsburgh-area restaurant. Known for cooked-to-order wings, hand-breaded tenders and more than a dozen sauces and dry rubs, the Massachusetts-born brand has built a loyal following around flavors ranging from Garlic Parm and Honey Hot to Cajun Voodoo and the aptly named Afterburner.
A new addition to Murray Avenue, Teriyaki Express specializes in teriyaki plates featuring chicken, beef, shrimp and salmon, along with bento boxes, sushi rolls and fried rice. The fast-casual restaurant has taken over the former Viet Nom Nom space in the heart of Squirrel Hill.
Closings
Photo courtesy of Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group.
214 Sixth St., Downtown
After a decade in business, Täkō will temporarily close June 27 for renovations and a concept refresh. The Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group says the popular Japanese-Mexican restaurant will return with updates to both the space and menu following the overhaul.
Goodlander Cocktail Brewery closed its Larimer taproom in early June after nearly five years in business. Known for its draft cocktails, bottled drinks and low-waste approach to beverage production, the company said the closure is “not goodbye” and hinted that a new iteration of the business could emerge in the future.
Wei Lai Dim Sum has closed after more than two years in McIntyre Square. The restaurant was one of the North Hills’ few dedicated dim sum destinations, known for its soup dumplings, bao buns, shumai and Cantonese small plates.
After 18 years at Piatt Place, McCormick & Schmick’s has closed its Downtown Pittsburgh location. The upscale seafood-and-steak restaurant was known for oysters, fresh fish, steaks and business lunches, and was the last remaining Pittsburgh location of the national chain.
Photo courtesy of the Pittsburgh Sandwich Society.
Pittsburgh Sandwich Society will close its location inside Strange Roots Brewing on June 27 after five years. The popular sandwich shop, known for its burgers, sandwiches and rotating specials, will continue operating through its food truck, catering business and the newly opened, Winston’s Grilled Eats & Frozen Treats.
Coffee Tree Roasters has closed its longtime Mt. Lebanon café after nearly three decades on Beverly Road. The neighborhood staple was one of the company’s oldest locations, though other Coffee Tree Roasters cafés remain open across the region.