Gus And Yiayia’s

One of Pittsburgh’s best traditions. Don’t miss it!

I recently moved to the North Side. Today I found this wonderful oasis while on my bike. I stopped to buy a bag of popcorn, only to discover that my wallet was at home. To make a long story short — I a total stranger, left with my popcorn and an IOU. My day has been MA DE! The popcorn was good too.

I’m so glad I got to finally try out this Pittsburgh landmark! (I grew up in the South Hills so going all the way to the North Side for a snack was unheard of!) I think the cart is in its 79^th year! When we stopped by Gus served us our ice balls straight from a big block of ice! I got the cherry flavor and loved it. And at $ 1 per ice ball who can beat that??! I plan to go back with my family many times this summer!

A Pittsburgh landmark! I’ve been going to Gus & Yiayia’s since i was in diapers and nothing has changed. Delicious hand shaved ice served at rock bottom prices. A great spot to visit after a Pirates game or a trip to the Aviary!

I stopped by here this past Thursday with my fiancé near dusk for an ice-​ball. It has been many years since I last stopped at Gus and Yiayia’s and it was nice to see that everything is still exactly the same. It even appears that Gus is still working although he is no longer shaving the ice himself. If you have never been to Gus and Yiayias, it’s a mobile food stand near the tennis courts of the Allegheny Commons park and they have been in that same location for as long as I have been alive. The stand serves both popcorn and ice-​balls but their ice-​balls are what they are known for. You see they have a big block of ice on the cart and a hand shaving tool and shave it for you whenever you order and then top it with one or a combination of their many flavors. This last time I decided to go with a lemon-​lime mixture while my fiancé went with the cherry. The ice was nice and refreshing especially against the evening heat and I enjoyed the taste of my syrups as you got a lot of the flavors but they weren’t too sweet. My fiances’ cherry ice ball was quite different though as it was a bit over the top sweet for me. Who can begrudge an ice ball for being too sweet though as I am that’s exactly the way that most of the kids prefer it.
The bottom line for me is that I would definitely come here again in the future. Personally its like a walk down memory lane for me and I really enjoyed it. The ice balls are good and they are reasonable priced so why not stop by an enjoy one?

Pittsburghers love their local traditions, and for many of us, there’s nothing better than a trip to Gus and Yiayia’s on a hot summer day. Gus Kalaris and his wife, Stella have been selling hand-​shaved ice for decades, and the stand dates back to 1934 when it was operated by Gus’ father, George. Don’t delay, make this part of your family tradition, it’s one of life’s simple pleasures, and a connection to Pittsburgh’s past. The prices are more than reasonable and the product is as authentic as it gets.

I love stopping at Gus’s tiny orange cart after taking the kiddies to the playground or coming back from the Aviary or Children’s Museum.
It’s a pretty traditional icey ball, that’s what we call them, or «shaved Ice» I suppose you can refer to it that way too.
The icey ball is pretty standard, they shave the ice down put it in a cup and then pour flavored syrup over top, you get the deal.
May I suggest you get the popcorn, it’s buttery and fresh and salty. Yumm-​o now that’s where the flavor is in the popcorn. I think its 2 dollars for a large. They also sale roasted peanuts too.
My mom’s been taking me to Gus and now I take my little brother and sister to Gus and I am sure they’ll still be around for even newer generations to enjoy.

Gus and Yiaiya’s is a great place for kids, for fun, for all! It is a stand on the street.
There’s a cute old man who scraps ice with this little thing and scoops it in a cup. It’s a WHOLE BLOCK OF ICE! They have ALL kinds of flavors you can add and there’s popcorn and peanuts if you want too.
Small cup — $ 1
I don’t know the prices of anything else.
I wish they would have a sign though for all the flavors they have so I can choose better. But a nice place for kids to get something fresh off a cart.