![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PXL_20250329_1620122252.jpg\")
A slew of chocolate-covered and candy-coated pretzels in a display case at Grandpa Joe\u2019s. Photo by Roman Hladio.<\/p>\nHigh-schooler, college student, young professional \u2014 whoever you are, I know you\u2019re a little strapped for cash right now. And let\u2019s face it: A romantic evening out often comes at a high cost. While I can\u2019t help you score a date with the lucky person you\u2019re pining after, I\u2019m full of suggestions for your night ahn the tahn, especially if you want to keep things frugal.<\/p>\n
Hit the Strip<\/p>\n
Call it stereotypical, but there\u2019s no place in Pittsburgh quite like the Strip District. It\u2019s home to some of the city\u2019s oldest businesses, easy to access by almost any mode of transportation and very walkable. Soaking in the lingering smells of street food, pastries and coffee beans with the looming backdrop of Downtown is a worthwhile trip in its own right, so let\u2019s build around it.<\/p>\n
For this date, skip the weekends and shoot for a weeknight evening. The sidewalks \u2014 and streets \u2014 will be mostly clear, leaving plentiful space to walk side by side and open air for conversation to freely flow. If you drive, most street parking on Penn Avenue is free after 6 p.m., so you can start without making a dent in your budget.<\/p>\n
First Stop: The Original Primanti Bros.<\/p>\n
If it was cheap and filling enough for a steelworker, it\u2019s good enough for you and your boo. Sandwiches at the original Primanti\u2019s are just better: The bread is softer with a chewier crust, the fries are actually salted and the toppings are piled so high that you won\u2019t be able to fit the darn thing in your mouth. For that reason, you can skip a side. Plus, some of the spot\u2019s best sandwiches \u2014 I\u2019m looking at you, capicola and pastrami \u2014 are on the cheaper end at $9.99 a pop.<\/p>\n
Sit at the bar nearest to the entrance for added ambience as chefs sling deli meats and slaw on the griddle right in front of you.<\/p>\n
Two sandwiches plus a 20% tip: $25.38<\/p>\n
Once you\u2019ve wrapped up your meal \u2014 or tapped out after the first half \u2014 take a leisurely stroll a few blocks northbound on Penn Avenue until you reach \u2026<\/p>\n
A slew of chocolate-covered and candy-coated pretzels in a display case at Grandpa Joe\u2019s. Photo by Roman Hladio.<\/p>\n
Second Stop: Grandpa Joe\u2019s Candy Shop<\/a><\/p>\n Be as picky as you want about your sweet after-dinner treat \u2014 Grandpa Joe\u2019s has something for everyone. Grab a final ice cream cone of the season, a bag of jelly beans (sold by the pound), prepackaged domestic candy or sweets from around the world.<\/p>\n We opted for a smattering of chocolates from the store\u2019s confectionary display cabinet. While some items are priced per unit, many sell by the pound. Try a bunch of different offerings or go all-in on a few.<\/p>\n A box of chocolates: $9.10<\/p>\n But don\u2019t dig in just yet. Our final destination is a short walk away.<\/p>\n Settle in on the Terminal\u2019s colorful front steps to chow down on your treats, catch the sunset glinting off Downtown or just people watch. Just because the Strip isn\u2019t all that busy on a weeknight doesn\u2019t mean you won\u2019t see interesting yinzers.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re running a little late and the sun\u2019s already tucked itself away for the evening, don\u2019t fret! City lights are a different kind of good.<\/p>\n Save this date for a summer night or fall market season and you\u2019ll be able to add free sidewalk games like Connect 4 and Jenga to your night out as well.<\/p>\n A scenic Pittsburgh sunset: $0<\/p>\n Grand total: $34.48<\/p>\n Add that last $5 and change up to your bus fare or drop it in your savings account and thank me later. And, uh, if your date ends in heartbreak, I recuse myself of the matter.<\/p>\n Looking to spend a little more?<\/p>\n Add some extra activity to your evening with tech-infused minigolf spot Puttshack\u2019s<\/a> ongoing 9 After 9 promotion, which reduces the cost of a 9-hole game after 9 p.m. from $14 to $9. Use promo code 9AFTER9 when booking online until Nov. 14. If a nightcap\u2019s your vibe, stay near the Terminal and grab a glass at City Winery or a pint at Aslin Beer Co. Or, head toward 17th Street for a drink at Helltown Brewing\u2019s Taproom, which is expected to close at some point in the future<\/a> as developers seek to build condos on the site.<\/p>\n Got an idea for a date night under $40 that you think Pittsburghers need to know about? Shoot me an email at roman@nextpittsburgh.com. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"High-schooler, college student, young professional \u2014 whoever you are, I know you\u2019re a little strapped for cash right…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1471,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[1473,73,75,74,1474,1475,1476,1477],"class_list":["post-1470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pittsburgh","tag-date-night-ideas-in-pittsburgh","tag-pittsburgh","tag-pittsburgh-headlines","tag-pittsburgh-news","tag-pittsburgh-restaurants","tag-primanti-brothers","tag-the-terminal","tag-things-to-do-in-pittsburgh"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1470"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1470\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PXL_20251008_225828379_exported_1316.jpg\")
A view of Downtown during sunset from the Strip District\u2019s Terminal. Photo by Roman Hladio.
\nThird Stop: The Terminal<\/p>\n