Park Place Pub

I stopped at Park Place Pub twice, both before eating at Park Bruges. The first time there I thought the bartender was nice. She got us a couple of beers and we caught some of the hockey game while waiting for our table to open up next door. Averaged prices for craft beers. The last time there was this past Sunday. We stopped in, not because of a wait next door since it was mid-​afternoon, but because we wanted to catch the end of the Bucco game. The waitress was a little less pleasant than the first one, but still not bad. We only stayed for two, as the game went into extra innings, and left. I would return primarily just for drinks. The bar and place are cute and it does have that small town pub feel. I was really digging some of their décor, especially the Beer steins, since I happen to be an avid collector.

This is a nice looking bar and adjoining burger company. Mostly a local bar and a good stop for a drink or to watch the game. Nothing particularly notable though.

Park Place Pub finally got it right.
I live a half mile away, and this place has struggled to get the food right. They decided to lease out the kitchen to an independent chef called Applewood Smoke Burger Company about a year ago. The combination of the two makes a really nice casual pub. Not pretentious but really nice. I had the Chicken Club with onion rings and it was really good. They are technically two separate businesses under the same roof in the same room so you pay one bill for the food and one for the drinks. But it really functions as one pub with good pub grub. The food counter is ten feet away from the bar. You order your food at the food counter and pay for it, then you sit at the bar or a table and they bring the food to where you are sitting and having drinks. Has burgers that people rave about on Unilocal plus chicken sandwiches and salads and wings and a veggie burger or grilled cheese for non meat eaters. Service was friendly and it’s an older building with a tin ceiling, wooden floors, nice looking bar and two T.V.s over the bar. One had on the news and the other had a basketball game. Nice looking. Not fancy but a good choice when your in the mood for good but not fancy.

Really? This is the second time I’ve been to a neighboring establishment to have brunch outside and been disturbed by leaf blowing. If this is your way of making a point then it’s not working. I am disinclined to stop in for a beer or try the burger after having my brunch ruined by gas exhaust fumes. This is bad for business and makes Bryant St look bad. It makes you look bad. The leaf blowing can wait until Monday. Really. Be a good neighbor and reap the reward. Behave like this and you will get what you deserve!

Typical neighborhood bar. A couple TVs that have the local sports on. There is a new outdoor patio, which isn’t fancy, but it is a nice place to hang out. Has some of the best burgers in Pittsburgh.

Only stopped in here for drinks after eating dinner at Park Bruges.
It’s a bar with about 6 tables. The bar smelled smoky. I can only speak for the drinks and have no idea about the food. We sat at the only open table which would seat 6. It happened to be dirty. We sat there for about 20 minutes with our drinks we got from the bar before anyone came to clean the table. If you want food it looks like you order it at the counter.
Saw the bartender go stand outside for a smoke break and then return to work without washing her hands.
I would not come back even if someone told me the food is awesome.

Park Place Pub is a neighborhood dive bar that contains an incredible burger place called Applewood Smoke Burger Company. The combination of these two businesses under the same roof creates an interesting symbiotic relationship.
In all honesty, I come here for the burgers first and the drinks second, but the pub has a nice dive-​y charm, a juke box that’s usually on point (I recall standing outside the front door of the pub with «Don’t Look Back in Anger» spilling out onto the street), and a decent selection on tap.
If you don’t feel like sitting at home to watch the game, just go over to Park Place Pub, order yourself a ridiculous burger (I’m talking better than BRGR, Burgatory, Stack’d, etc.), grab a beer and enjoy.
Yours Truly,
A Highland Park resident

Fantastic place for a good pint. Nicely located by E2 and the Park Bruge.
Their kitchen is run by the Applewood Burger company and it’s outstanding (like really amazing food).
Good selection on tap, 6 packs available, plenty of on-​street parking.

This is a neighborhood bar with a pay-​when-​order gourmet burger kitchen attached. Good service. Locally sourced everything. The blue burger was perfect. The fries were great. The separate food and alcohol services is not inconvenient at all.

I live a couple blocks from here and never went in because it was always empty but times have changed! This place is becoming a totally cool neighborhood hangout with some fine bartenders, namely Caleb, and a kick ass burger joint that leases in the back. Chef James rocks it! Great juke box, lots of laughs, you will feel right at home. Alone or with friends, this is a highland park «cheers». Also open on holidays if you need a place to get away from family! Been there xmas eve and it was much needed.

The new proprietors of the kitchen have successfully created the most delicious burger I’ve ever tasted. The burgers consist of different hand ground cuts of free range, hormone free beef. The French fries are double blanched and double fried that guarantees a crisp, yummy fry. The onion rings are cut to order, the tempura batter light and the homemade dipping sauce is perfect. Stop in ask for James (he’s one of the new owners of kitchen and the head chef)…

I used to eat here before the remodeling and enjoyed some of the BEST chicken wings I’ve ever had. Sadly, the wings are no longer available leaving this place a poor option for dinner.
My lady friend and I sat at the bar and were given menus made of printer paper (they used to have real menus) and were informed that our bartender and our waitress would be two different people (??? Who does that?). Upon learning that wings were no longer available I decided on a gourmet burger. Placed my order, paused a bit at the end and said «aren’t you gonna ask me how I want it cooked?». Waitress says «oh they’re cooked medium well or something». Canceled my order for a burger. Not gonna pay 11 bucks for a burger from a place that doesn’t know how to cook meat. Ordered bacon «cheese» fries. Disgusting vegetable oil type «cheese» on rather average fries. My lady friend ordered slider burgers, they weren’t bad for a place that doesn’t know how to cook meat.
And despite all this, I would still come back if I could get those fantastic wings! :(
If you want a burger, go to BRGR. Want wings? Go to Capri. Want a menu that isn’t a sheet of printer paper? Go anywhere.

A pleasant, little neighborhood pub. It’s a decent place to pick up a 6 pack in a pinch. It’s also a fair place to spend some time waiting to eat at one of the acclaimed restaurants down the road.

Honestly nothing I have eaten here could even be considered average. The service is always solid, but the average beer selection and below average food make this place forgettable. I now spend my time at the Bulldog Pub instead which has better food, beer selection, and atmosphere.

I went to Park Place Pub and ordered the fish and chips appetizer. I just wanted a small bite to eat and didn’t want to spend too much so I chose this place over Park Bruge. It was also my first time in the Bryant Street area. If I had read these reviews first, I definitely would’ve skipped it. I’m giving it two stars because the bartender/​waitress was really nice. Otherwise, I would be giving it one star for the food and experience.
I got a generous serving of fries, but the fish was gross. When I pulled it apart the fish was barely discernible. Not even a hint of flaky white meat. Instead I found was a super flat and grey filet. Basically I was paying for batter and fries. I told the waitress that the fish didn’t look right and I didn’t want it. She couldn’t even say anything. She took it away. I briefly entertained the thought of ordering something else off the menu but decided against it. I won’t be back.

I use this pub as a place to watch games when I don’t want to drive – it’s a couple of blocks away, and I don’t have cable.
Beer selection is minimum, but their on-​tap selection usually has quite a few selections compared to other places, and always a few seasonals.
The waitresses/​bartenders are ⁹⁄₁₀ unfriendly, but the chef makes up for it. Especially with the 9ers play, he comes out and hangs out in between cooking up orders. And he can cook! I love their pizzas – who knew a bar would have artisan pizzas?
All in all, a good neighborhood bar. Not something I would drive across the city for, but if you’re within walking distance, check it out. But then again, I wouldn’t drive for Park Bruges either.

Like a handful of the other reviewers to date, I consider Park Place Pub to be the only no-​fuss bar in Highland Park (I think Park Bruges is the only other contender, though). Even though East Liberty and Shadyside are within walking distance on a fair day, it’s nice to have a place to get a beer in the neighborhood. Bryant Street has an odd vibe – it’s a mix of public housing (or at least I’ve been told that is what occupies the building across the street from Park Place) and several upscale restaurants, with a bakery and a small grocery store mixed in. It’s strange to see glossy middle-​aged couples in cardigans on the patio at Park Bruges or E2 while less-​than-​polished-​looking individuals chain smoke on the sidewalk across the street. That being said, I’m glad that the businesses are there and appear to be doing well, and I hope the street continues to develop (with more independent, not commercial, businesses, of course).
Park Place itself looks really nice, I think. It’s comparable to the other businesses on Bryant – new and clean. I agree with other reviewers who have commented the atmosphere would be more cozy if the two flat screen TVs mounted high above the bar weren’t such a focal point, but if that’s what the regulars want, sure, whatever. For being a pretty quiet bar most of the time, there does seem to be a steady stream of regulars; I’ve gotten the feeling that their presence is part of the reason why I don’t always get the most attentive service when I’m there. While each of the few bartenders (I’ve maybe had three) has always been friendly, I definitely agree with some other reviewers’ concerns that there needs to be a better sense of customer service there. I’ve walked in when no one seems to be around at all, or have been waiting for another beer or a tab when the bartender is nowhere to be seen (in which case she is usually outside on the phone or smoking). I get that it must be boring when business is slow, but it’s simply unprofessional to wander off frequently and/​or for long periods of time.
The beer selection is pretty bland, and the most adventurous six-​pack options are Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Bell’s Two Hearted Ale (which go for about $ 16, if I recall correctly). I’ve only had their food twice. The Hungry Man Burger (sautéed mushrooms, blue cheese, avocado, $ 8.95 for ½ lb.) was huge, delicious, and came with a heaping (I don’t understand why people have substituted «healthy» for «huge» in other reviews… uh, opposite of healthy!) pile of fries, which were also very good. I’ve also had their chili cheese & sour cream fries ($ 6.50), which I thought were overpriced for their mediocrity – the cheese was fake and the chili was not that great (although I had tasted someone else’s chili on a different visit, and it wasn’t too bad then), although the portion was generous.
I’ll keep coming back for the low-​key vibe, to eavesdrop on colorful conversations, and to support a local business. I’d just like to see a better beer selection and more enthusiasm from the bartender (s)!

Well folks, I’ll start with the bottom line… it’s a neighborhood bar, in a neighborhood with not much else to offer that isn’t pretentious, uppity and overpriced.
A friend was treating me to lunch yesterday, and I live in Morningside, which locally means either Rite Aid or the yinzer pizza shop. We were on foot, and didn’t want to wait questionable hours for the bus, so we set out for the closest ‘walkable’ eateries, which in my area means first Highland Park or East Liberty. So we opted to explore the closer of the two.
After checking out the options — Smiling Banana Leaf, good but expensive. Some other Asian place, closed. Park Brugge, second mortgage for food anyone? Enrico’s 2, coffee and dry biscuits overpriced — we decided on the one place that looked like a normal, affordable place to eat, and took a seat at the Park Place Pub.
When we went in, there were two customers at the bar, the bartender/​waitress and the cook behind the line. Two TVs were blaring some soccer game, but otherwise, it was very quiet. At one point one of the TV channels was changed to give us some ‘variety’ and we got to watch Patrick Stewart talk about giant alligators, with some visuals of the gator attacking and nearly swallowing a wild boar whole.
The waitress came and took our drink order, two iced teas since they have only Pepsi products, and brought them promptly, and during the course of the meal, kept them filled.
We each ordered the fish sandwich, and small talked for the 20 minutes or so it took for the food to arrive.
The rest of the menu items are pretty standard bar fare. Burgers (a couple of their own creations actually looked pretty good), pizzas (which I just have grown to accept as delivery fare — not something I ever consider eating in a restaurant), a collection of salads, a variety of wings, and some appetizers. A few items were edging toward a little too pricey for such a venue, and since my friend was treating, I opted for the more reasonable fish (not to mention, craving another location for a good fish sandwich).
I have to say, it was a VERY good fish sandwich, with a healthy side of fries. It was a very nice fresh good sized piece of fish, beer battered, topped with your choice of cheese, lettuce, tomato, tartar sauce and onion (which I opted out of), on a pretty decent white bread roll that wasn’t too much or too little. The fries were real potato, and were good enough — better than fake fries — although as they chilled they did get kind of soft and mushy.
A few other customers dropped in while we were there, all of whom seemed very ‘local’. And it’s certainly a very ‘mixed’ local crowd, which, for da burgh, is actually kind of nice to see outside of Squirrel Hill or Oakland. One was covered with construction dust, one looked like the neighborhood bubba drunk who needed his quick lunchtime fix, one was a student geek who set up with his computer at the bar. Nothing threatening, nothing pretentious… pleasant enough.
The sandwiches were basically $ 10 each, were filling (it was quite a labored walk back home), the atmosphere was basic and pleasant enough, and the food was actually very good. It’s not 5 star bistroid fare, but as I’ve mentioned in other reviews, I’m not a ‘foodie’, I like ‘food’. I’m glad to know that they’re there, reasonably close, decent food and reasonable.
I don’t think I’d go out of my way to eat there… but I’m glad they’re IN my way.

I’m sitting at the bar now: I would never in my life tell a server that my plate tastes like dog food. Buy if I ever had the nerve to it would be at the Park place pub. Ordered a yuengling and a chili and had 2 bites and almost yakked. These people are theifs. Go to Giant Eagle and get a $ 1 can of soup you’d have a better meal.

I was walking around the neighborhood and decided to stop in for some lunch. It was about 3pm and there was no one in the place. The cook was sitting on a lawn chair outside and the bartender was on her cell phone. Jen, the bartender, preceded to take my order, (while still on the phone), and then left to sit outside. I watched as the cook came back in and prepared my food. The bartender came back in to wait on another customer. She hung up for him and preceded to tell the man how she was wasted and almost got arrested the night before. It seemed like every other word was included the «F» boom.
My food arrived, steak nachos, served in a paper boat — standard pub fare. Liquid cheese from a can and a bland piece of steak cut into cubes. The only delightful part about the meal was the fresh salsa on top.
I waited for 30 minutes after I finished for the bartender to give me the check. I only ordered a soda. She didn’t check on me while I was eating. Since I had to leave, I got up to find her tanning herself outside. She gave me the check and walked away. The guy fixing the ice machine, watching the experience, said I should have just walked out.
I have never had such bad service. The food was boring and bland. The place has the potential for being a great neighborhood pub, but they need to get their act together first.