From Oakland to the Strip District to Cranberry Township, January brought a wide spread of new restaurants across Pittsburgh and its suburbs. Thank goodness for that, because the endless stretch of January is exactly when a new takeout spot can change your mood, and a good dinner reservation can rescue your week.
This month’s openings reveal a food scene in motion, especially when it comes to rethinking what “nightlife” looks like. A nonalcoholic pop-up in Oakland tests what going out can mean without booze. A Korean bakery café finally fills a long-empty Shadyside storefront. Smashburgers, sushi-tacos, poke and Mediterranean bowls fill daily routines, while a late-night supper club and a Strip District lounge push dining back into after-hours territory.
Openings
Inside SAD BAR. Photo courtesy of Cody Baker, Creatives Drink.
SAD BAR is not a sobriety sermon. It’s a winter hangout spot, created to give Pittsburghers somewhere warm, colorful and social to be during the coldest stretch of the year.
The idea grew out of planning for Oakland Winter Lights, a season-long neighborhood festival aimed at brightening “some of the city’s darkest months.” Bethany Paola, marketing and storytelling lead with the Pittsburgh Innovation District, says the team wanted to “add a new third space to the mix while giving people a place to sip on something tasty, build community and soak in some vitamin D.”
SAD BAR is backed by the Pittsburgh Innovation District and the Oakland Business Improvement District, and the location is strategic. Paola points to Oakland’s nearly 70,000 students, noting that they are “increasingly looking for nonalcohol third spaces,” making the pop-up both a social experiment and a response to shifting nightlife habits.
The fully nonalcoholic drinks program takes that mission seriously. SAD BAR partners with BERO as its nonalcoholic beer anchor — co-founded by Pittsburgh native John Herman and actor Tom Holland — alongside a rotating lineup of canned mocktails, including an aperitif spritz, espresso martini and margarita. The goal, Paola says, is flexibility: “giving guests an opportunity to try something new every time they come in,” with brand takeovers and zero-proof events planned throughout the run.
Photo courtesy of Okane Sushi Bar and Omakase.
Tucked into an alley near the Market Square ice rink, the restaurant signals its presence with electric orange signage.
A third layer is already in the works. “The third floor will become a rooftop bar, designed for cocktails, Japanese whisky, sake and late-night gatherings,” Qian adds, completing Okane’s evolution into a multilevel Japanese dining and nightlife destination.
Photo courtesy of Paris Baguette.
While the name suggests Parisian pâtisserie, Paris Baguette is actually a Korean bakery chain.
First announced in early 2024 for the long-vacant Williams-Sonoma space in Shadyside, the bakery café took nearly two years of planning and build-out before doors finally swung open in mid-December 2025.
Inside, the café leans into Paris Baguette’s global bakery roster. Think glossy croissants, fruit-topped pastries, artisan loaves, towering cakes and a full espresso bar serving everything from lattes to iced brews. Shadyside finally has a casual, all-day bakery café where an afternoon latte can easily become a croissant, a sandwich and one more look at the dessert case on the way out.
Photo courtesy of Moonlit Burgers.
Moonlit Burgers’ Garfield opening marks the East End arrival of one of Pittsburgh’s most successful homegrown brands. What began as a pandemic-era pop-up in 2020 became a brick-and-mortar in Dormont in 2021, followed by steady expansion; Garfield is now the fourth Moonlit location.
The new outpost takes over the former Primanti Bros. space on Penn Avenue, planting Moonlit firmly in one of the East End’s fastest-evolving food corridors.
The core formula remains unchanged and effective: thin patties smashed hard on a screaming-hot griddle until the edges go shatter-crisp, layered with American cheese, griddled onions, kosher dill pickles and the house “Moon sauce” on a Martin’s potato roll. That more-ish sauce, a sweet-savory, spicy blend that famously includes gochujang alongside mayo and mustard, gives the burgers their distinctive personality.
The menu stretches comfortably beyond classic smashburgers into maximalist bar-snack domain, including Smash Fries piled with patties and cheese sauce, a smashburger queso dip and a pickle-brined fried chicken sandwich finished with hot sauce and slaw. The Garfield location also runs draft beer, cocktails and boozy shakes, making it more sit-and-stay than grab-and-go.
Photo courtesy of Sea Monkey.
Modern lounge energy meets globally inspired small plates at Sea Monkey, the latest Strip District opening from Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group. The menu takes a tapas-style approach, drawing from Asian and Mediterranean flavors with an emphasis on seafood and shareable dishes.
Expect plates like salmon maki, an XO scallop roll, beef tartare, mezze-style dips with pita and vegetable-forward offerings such as salt-roasted beets, all designed to be ordered in waves and shared across the table. Dinner service runs early in the evening before the space transitions into a late-night destination, complete with DJs on Fridays and Saturdays and a strong cocktail program.
Photo courtesy of CAVA.
151 Shady Ave., East Liberty
Mediterranean fast-casual chain CAVA opened its East Liberty location inside The Meridian development. It’s the brand’s second Pittsburgh outpost, following Oakland.
The menu sticks to CAVA’s familiar build-your-own format — bowls, salads and pitas with bases like saffron basmati rice or greens, proteins including grilled chicken, lamb meatballs, falafel and heavy-hitting spreads like harissa, tzatziki and red pepper hummus.
As part of its opening, CAVA hosted a Community Day fundraiser benefiting the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, matching donations up to $1,000.
Roaming Bean is officially parking itself in the Strip District, soft-opening a café in a full-circle moment for a brand Pittsburgh already knows on wheels (pun intended).
Owner and co-founder Penny Folino says the shift came directly from the community. “The Roaming Bean began as a mobile concept, which allowed us to grow organically through events, pop-ups and direct community engagement. Over time, the demand for a permanent space became clear — a place where guests could experience the brand every day.” The brick-and-mortar, she says, is a natural next step that still honors their mobile roots.
Folino calls the Strip District location “energetic, historic and deeply rooted in Pittsburgh culture, a place where locals and visitors naturally come together,” adding that the café is meant to feel like “a welcoming, community-driven space that feels vibrant yet comfortable.”
The menu centers high-quality espresso drinks, rotating seasonal features and grab-and-go food, with a playful edge that goes beyond standard lattes. Signature drinks like the Dubai Latte, Tiramisu Latte, Cookie Butter Latte, Fluffernutter and Flamed Crème Brûlée Latte are delightfully over-the-top, dessert-adjacent creations that helped build the brand’s following in the first place.
If you’ve been craving a fast, fresh, no-fuss poke fix on the East End, Poke Bowl Express delivers. Just off Garfield on Murray Avenue, this casual counter spot specializes in customizable poke bowls piled with salmon, tuna, avocado, seaweed salad and all the crunchy, saucy extras. Bonus: The menu stretches beyond poke into sushi rolls, dumplings and lo mein, making it a reliable crowd-pleaser when no one can agree on one cuisine.
It is a strip-mall miracle! From the outside, you’d never guess this is one of the more ambitious new restaurants in the northern suburbs. Inside, it’s a real-deal modern supper club serving hamachi crudo, wagyu crispy rice, filet tartare and oysters Rockefeller, followed by cacio e pepe, tagliatelle bolognese, branzino and proper steaks.
It stays open until 1 a.m., which makes it less of a “nice dinner” place and more of a “let’s actually make a night of this” place. Come for dates, celebrations or whenever you want to feel slightly glamorous without committing to Downtown parking.
Closings
After more than 40 years as an Oakland institution, Hemingway’s Café has announced it will close this May. Since opening in 1983, the bar has been a second living room for University of Pittsburgh students, alumni and longtime locals. The owners say the final months are meant for celebrating memories, reconnecting and raising a last drink before the doors close for good.
Georgie’s Corner Bakery & Cafe has closed after nearly four years in Shadyside. The owners announced the closure in January, thanking customers for their support and marking the end of a short but well-loved run on Walnut Street.
The Robinson Township location of Smokey Bones closed permanently in mid-January. The national barbecue chain, known for ribs, pulled pork, smoked wings and casual family-friendly dining, announced the closure with a sign on the door thanking guests for their years of business.
Bitty & Beau’s Coffee closed its Strip District location just before the holidays, citing unsustainable financial losses. The national chain, known for employing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, has hinted at a future return to Pittsburgh in a different format.