Thought the season of absurdly large plates was over? Think again. Pittsburgh Restaurant Week’s 2026 winter edition officially kicks off Monday, Jan. 12, with some eateries opting to launch their special menus and pricing as early as Friday, Jan. 9.
This year, nearly 50 restaurants are putting signature prix fixe lunches or dinners on offer for reduced prices. Deals range between $20.26 and $55.26 across all participants. The Pittsburgh Restaurant Week website recommends mentioning Restaurant Week “to the waitstaff to ensure you are getting the correct menus and pricing.”
This year, six restaurants are participating for the first time: Bryant Street Tavern, Penn Avenue Fish Co., Golden Gai Izakaya, Let’s Sushi, täkō torta and Sophia’s Restaurant & Bar. Also, a host of others are taking advantage of the event to launch new dishes.
The full list of participating restaurants, menus and reservation information is available on Pittsburgh Restaurant Week’s website. Here are a handful we recommend:
Two words will sell you on Khalil’s Restaurant Week special: Blueberry Baklava. It’s made with buttered phyllo dough, filled with blueberries and topped with rosewater syrup.
The Middle Eastern restaurant’s three-course special is not on its regular menu, so it’s unclear if you can get your hands on that blueberry goodness any other time. The appetizer is Lubie Saimee, a “traditional Syrian sautéed green bean dish,” according to the menu. The main dish is “an ancient savory comfort stew mentioned in a 15th century Damascene cookbook,”: Shish Barak. All three courses come to $28.26 per person.
Hummus Fritters from EYV. Photo by Cristina Holtzer.
424 E. Ohio St., North Side
The North Side vegetarian-forward restaurant EYV, which stands for “Eat Your Veggies,” will make even meat lovers happy. Helmed by Chef Michael Godlewski, EYV has been on several best restaurant lists since it opened in 2022. The Winter Restaurant Week menu features three courses for the $45.26-per-person price tag: welcome snacks, salads/appetizers and mains. Each item is listed with a suggested wine pairing on the menu.
Here’s what we’re ordering from EYV’s Restaurant Week prix fixe menu: Hummus Fritters with harissa yogurt and za’atar, then a Curried Apple Pierogi with cauliflower yogurt, toasted almond and celery. For the main, go for the Cabbage Pastrami. Trust us, you won’t regret it.
Hofbräuhaus’ Wurstplatte: grilled bierwurst, bratwurst and mettwurst with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut. Photo courtesy of Hofbräuhaus.
A restaurant week alum, Hofbrauhaus is offering a three-course dinner that highlights some of the best parts of its menu.
First up is its soft pretzel appetizer with bier cheese which, in my books, is an automatic order on any day of the week. For the entree course, choose between the Jagerschnitzel (fried pork cutlet with a wine and mushroom sauce, German potato salad and fried cabbage), Wurstplatte (grilled bierwurst, bratwurst and mettwurst with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut) or a beet, apple and goat cheese salad with grilled chicken.
The German feast closes out with a Bavarian cream puff. You’ll want for nothing — except maybe a box for those leftovers.
Pittsburgh Steak Salad. Photo courtesy of Sophia’s Restaurant & Bar.
I’ll say it: Coraopolis is slept on. It’s not far from the city and has a handful of heavy hitters when it comes to eating and drinking out.
Sophia’s joins Restaurant Week for the first time with a continent-spanning three-course dinner.
For your starter, choose between Black & Blue Shrimp (shrimp tossed in a sriracha and bleu cheese sauce), snow roll (shrimp tempura, cucumber, crab, spicy mayo and tobiko), or fried Potato Croquettes.
Entrees on offer are Pan Seared Grouper with rice pilaf and vegetables, Orange Chicken with rice and broccoli, Burrata Vodka Ravioli Florentine or a Pittsburgh Steak Salad.
Finally, dessert comes with an impossible decision: Death by Chocolate Cake or New York Cheesecake. There’s no wrong choice, per se, but you most certainly will regret not choosing the other.