Howl at the Moon

I’m used to the howl at the moon in Philadelphia. The music is loud, the sound is BALANCED, and the musicians have energy in there act. Came to howl at the moon in Pittsburgh with that expectation and was let down. Some of the musicians are great (specially the guy with the shaved head… Give him a raise please). The big downer had nothing to do with the musicians… It was with the sound. The low end didn’t exist. Either the sound guy was off or (s)he doesn’t have ears. Sound was incredible unbalanced. Sounded like the drummer was in the bar next door and they were trying to play along. I played in a touring act for several year so maybe I have a construed opinion. Again, I’m comparing to Philly. Night and day difference. I hope the next visit is an improvement… Hope to update this review with something more upbeat in the near future

I went for a happy hour party that a friend «won». Some $ 1 drink tickets and a happy hour buffet. The place was packed and loud but I was pleased to see that it was a very diverse crowd.
The drinks were good with a nice selection of beers and huge specialty drinks. It’s pricey but no more so than any bar in that area.
The buffet was nothing special BBQ pork sliders, potato salad, cheese tray, salad and chips. You can get outside food delivered if you want.
It was fun! So much fun. The dueling piano was awesome. They take request. The tip is wrap your request in a Buck if you want it played.
I will be back.

Howl at the moon is fun! The lively atmosphere and the dueling pianos roaring at the crowd all night is great. It’s fun to either just sit and watch or dance with the crowd. There is a cover charge to get in. They make fun specialty drinks in cups or buckets that you can even take home with you. The service is very prompt and fast and I’ve never really had to wait for a drink.

If you’re looking for a fun place to hear shitty versions of smash mouth and/​or hootie and the blowfish then look no further than howl at the moon!
They’ll play all your favorites from the likes of creed fuel and the goo goo dolls!
Trust me save your $ 5 at the door and take it to Charlie Murdochs or Sing Sing cause this place sucks ass!

Well, I had higher hopes for this place. But alas, it has absolutely ZERO character. As far as I can tell it’s a dueling piano bar that’s trying to be a dance club. What’s the deal with the rotating spotlights and disco lights?
And why are you charging a cover? The band was raking in tips, and it’s not like you had incredible drink prices. The band was decent, there was 5 – 6 piece with drums, bass, and lead guitar. Here’s the problem, it’s a dueling piano bar… Have some interaction with the audience.
They knew how to play all of the requests, but they all sound the same except for varying make or female vocals.
They must have a sign every five feet about «winning» a happy hour like every lame bar in the North Shore. Wise up folks, you don’t really win anything.
If you’re looking for a combination sports/​dance bar with pleasant background music — this is your place. If you want to have a fun time with a group I’d say stick to Sing Sing.

Great atmosphere. The place is full if energy and great adult cocktails. The staff was friendly and ready to pour your drinks. The band keep the music lively and entertaining.

Cool place. Drinks are not too expensive… But then again Im from nj/​ny so Im used to getting robbed ! Staff was attentive and cool. Drinks were always replenished in a timely manner. There wasn’t a drink that I didn’t enjoy. We sat right at the bar away from the draft of the door… good fun. There was a live band, three different people
Playing all good! Very talented. Place got busy really quick but didnt feel crammed. There is a bathroom attendant remember to tip them. Also the crowd was just super nice! We had random people come up to us and start up conversations… first time in Pittsburgh but I am in love with every aspect so far

I came here because a friend «won» a happy hour. I also entered the drawing and «won» a happy hour, so I don’t think winning is that hard. However, the happy hour is a great deal! You get two $ 1 drink tickets, which are good for a couple of beers on tap, a glass of wine, a simple mixed drink, or a glass of cider. The selection is limited, but hey, it’s one dollar! They also had a free buffet with veggies and dip, pulled pork sandwiches, and chips and dip. Nothing special, but again, I can’t complain because it’s free.
During the happy hour, we also had live music entertainment. Basically there are some very talented folks that play a variety of instruments and can play songs that audience members request. The music was typical bar music. For me, the music was a bit too loud. Makes me sound like a grandma, but I felt like I was yelling the whole time, in order to have conversations with people.
I wouldn’t necessarily go here if there wasn’t a happy hour, but it’s a great deal if you do go there during a happy hour! Good vibes, decent food/​drinks, and some musical entertainment!

Like others on Unilocal,I attended a happy hour that was «won» by a friend. That means a free (limited) buffet and dollar drinks (for specific drinks). The live music was fun, and it was a pretty good deal… and everything was okay.
Something’s a little off… not sure if I can put my finger on it. But this is a good place to go with your friends, not sure if I would go back on my own.

A few friends and I met up here for a birthday get together. The place was fun and interesting and I would go back to give it another try. We went on a Saturday night and the place was packed! There was a $ 5 cover charge which I thought was a bit unnecessary, but considering the location, I’m not surprised. They had a live band playing covers and they kept switching out singers, drummers, piano players, it really kept it fresh. Sometimes all the music blends together, but with the changing from female to male singers, it was easy to distinguish between the music. Unfortunately, after being there for a few hours, some of my friends noticed they were playing some of the songs over again. I mean, I’m not that mad, it’s live music.
The crowd was a nice mix of early 30 somethings and older. There weren’t a lot of young, «new to drinking», babies. Which is a nice change of pace. There is a nice dance floor and 2 bar areas. If you are hanging out at the top bar, I recommend not leaning or standing near the railing because the wait staff goes through there to get their customer’s drinks and I got stepped on a few times, and beer spilled on my freshly dyed hair. It was annoying and a bit unorganized but the staff were apologetic to all of us.
They have drinks which I referred to as a «Death bucket» they are huge drinks with so much liquor that once you drink it all, you get to keep the bucket for the car ride home, to throw up in. They also have yard drinks, you know the Kennywood style slushy cups… my friend had a Fruit Roll Up flavored one but it was a little too sweet for my taste. I stuck with beer and they had a nice selection on tap!

The tale of two nights.
I love live music. I don’t care if it is Karaōke, Cover, or Original music. The first time was on a Friday Night after a baseball game. The place was packed. The band — yes they have upgraded from the dueling piano (it is still there) to a full band. The dance floor was packed — it was a great time.
The next time was a Wednesday. There was not a soul in the bar. There was no baseball game or sporting event. The door man mentioned that if we go to the bar, the band will start playing. The musicians went to the stage and started playing (Dueling Pianos and Drums). They were good but lacked energy.
I am not sure if I will go back during the week. The doorman mentioned that 45+ people walked in /​out because the band was not playing. I hope they survive because when they are on — they are really cool. When they are not on… well it is a different story.
Both nights the bartenders were awesome.

Someone with my company won a happy hour here, so a bunch of us headed over for some drinks last Friday night. The happy hour included two drinks for $ 1 each, which is a pretty good deal. It included a couple of beer options and some basic mixed drinks.
I can’t say I’ve ever been to a «dueling piano bar» before so this was an interesting experience. I don’t know that «dueling» is really the right term, as it seemed like they were playing together for most of the time. There was a huge range of music played and the musicians were definitely very talented. But it was also very loud and hard to hold a conversation.
The space was just really odd to me. There is some seating up front, and then a giant bar right in the middle of the place, and a small stage in the corner that seemed almost like an afterthought. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it seems like it would make more sense to have the stage in a more central location than the back corner.
My group was standing near some high top tables around the bar, assuming we would be taken care of by the bar staff. Someone did come over to take our drink orders (and she returned several more times when our group needed another round). When I went to close my tab, I was informed that only person who took the orders could close it. This was kind of inconvenient because I had to wander around the bar until I found the girl who had helped us. It’s nothing against her – she was nice and provided really quick service, I just found this system to be odd and annoying.
The happy hour was a good deal (because of my coworker), but I don’t know if I would come back here on my own choice. Maybe it’s just not my thing, but it was a very mediocre experience.

I had been to Howl at the Moon in Charlotte and was so excited to learn that they were opening in Pittsburgh! Friends won a happy hour here several weeks ago, and we just had to attend. I had a great time. The entertainers are fantastic and very talented. The drinks were good, and one of the bartenders even created a drink for me (that I loved) based on what we told her that I liked. However, I was disappointed that more people weren’t hanging out here on a Thursday night. I hope that they quickly get the word out and build up their clientele!

I have been to other Howl at the Moons, and when I went to this one, it just wasn’t what I expected. It wasn’t a dueling piano bar? I had a great time nevertheless ! But if that’s what you’re looking for, keep that in mind. It was more like live music.
The other thing that I thought was strange was their food situation. They have an appetizer buffet from 6 – 8, and that’s it. You can’t order anything off of a menu. Personally, I’m not a fan of buffets, especially when there are a bunch of drunk people around them… So my group ended up leaving to have something to eat.
If you know what to expect, and arrive after you eat, you should have a great time !

Rum runner was delicious. The place was a little dead, but I suspect it’s because it’s a new location. The band was great and the girls’ vocal skills were amazing. My friend was celebrating her Birthday and enjoyed a drink bucket.

Good music but very weak drinks. Suggest you get a good buzz before going so you can actually howl at the moon.

It was okay. That about sums Howl at the Moon up. My friend won a «happy hour» here, however, for something that is meant to get people in the door, and woo them to want to come back, it left me wanting.
For one, the happy hour consisted of two drink tickets, but you still had to pay $ 1 for drinks. Considering that the only drinks that you could purchase with the tickets were Miller Light, Coors Light or Angry Orchard, that kind of left a sour taste in my mouth. Even outside of the «free» drinks their on tap list was pretty limited. I’m fine paying for nicer stuff, but charging for what amounts to beer pong beer at a promotional event seems out of place.
The piano play was okay. Again, nothing that blew me away; it was mostly just loud. I did like that the pianist/​singer took request, and to their credit performed a Nicky Minaj song on the fly.

Fun times. Great atmosphere and some talented musicians. Everyone seems to have a great time here. Only suggestion is there is one pianist that has a very high voice and isn’t the best singer (the balding guy). Some songs he does well in, but most of the songs he sings, it makes me want to leave just because it hurts my ears. I recommend for sure! Very different than anything else in Pittsburg.

I’m updating my review as I’ve had time to ‘digest’ the whole night (and also read the other reviews)…
First off– I think this bar is in the perfect location to capitalize on the younger at heart theatre going crowd that isn’t into the soft & quiet bars & restaurants of the theatre district. Sure– must of the ‘show going’ crowd are looking for something soothing & calming but the shows my wife & I like to go to have energy & excitement and knowing that Howl is right down the block– we’ll be leaving the theatre on an ‘up-​beat’ instead of a down.
Yes– it’s set up as a dueling piano’s bar but the opening night featured a band that played pretty much everything and even if you go on a ‘piano night’ you’re going to have fun. We especially liked the front bar that sat up a little higher than the other bar & dance floor so we could watch the crowd. The bartenders were ultra friendly and offered to refill drinks as soon as they were empty.
The crowd for the soft opening night was more subdued in the beginning but as friends told us that stayed all night– it really heated up closer to midnight.
Thank you Howl for giving us an excellent option for when we want to break away from our regular places and ‘hit the town’!!!

I was really excited to hear that a new Piano bar was coming to PIttsburgh, so me and my Happy Hour group of people were very happy to have been invited to attend their soft opening this past Thursday.
Let me start out to say the space automatically send out a pleasant and inviting vibe, the space is open with two separate bar areas: the first facing the street and the second in the main space of the bar.
The stage has room for two Pianos and and a band, with talented artists playing music from Sweet Home Caroline and Piano Man to «Get Low — by Flo Rida». I appreciate the concept of allowing local artists to perform as well, my friend’s neighbor Annie was delightful with her spectacular singing voice. I love places that encourage local talent and impromptu performances. When the groove start going, you are welcome to jump out on the dance floor and if you’re lucky you can shake it up on stage. I look forward to some rowdy and wonderful nights in the future.
At the Bar, they have a good selection of mixed drinks, all very fruity and summery; in multiple different sizes depending on your party. You range from your individual drink to a bucket, something that I forgot was a thing until Howl at the Moon reminded me that Pittsburgher’s like to get drunk in hordes. My favorite drink of the Night was called the «X-​boyfriend» appropriate for me, as I had to deal my ever lasting pain in the neck on this evening. [Sheesh] On the upside, the drink is beyond yummy. The bartender are quick and efficient as they dealt with the hordes of people slurping up the free drinks, I can’t wait to see how efficient they are when they are paid.
For food, they had delightful spread of skewers floating around, my favorite being the caprese skewers quickly followed by the satays and the stuffed portabella mushrooms! How I do love my shroom caps!
All in all I had no complaints of anything in night, save the bathroom attendants who should assume the responsibility of stopping my pest of the night [and the other patrons] from overdowsing themselves in cologne. I believe that is what finally pushed me out the door.
Bravo to a great soft opening I look forward to more great nights downtown!!!