This little café in the Troy Hill area of Pittsburgh makes the best breakfast sammy in town. But it doesn’t stop there, Pear and the Pickle just recently had a long-awaited burger night, a seemingly random Thursday night where the breakfast shop serves burgers. These burgers are produced by the café’s amazing chef, Bobby (Ultimate Sammy Creator). Because burger nights are few and far between, the small supply of burgers is capable of producing a line out the door and around the corner. You might be thinking, “Who in the world would wait in a line like that for a burger?” Don’t get me wrong, we are not line people, and typically avoid ginormous crowds but these burgers are on another level and you can guarantee that we would be there rain or shine. They consist of a large, freshly made local beef patty stuffed into a soft, butter-coated bun (Mancini’s of course) and are topped with the expected cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, etc. The Burger Night menu includes a couple of choices, a burger “your way” which allows you to select your toppings, a special burger, and an Impossible burger (veggie option). We tend to lean toward the special burger. Most recently, the night’s special was The Irish Hello. It included aged Irish cheddar, bacon, lettuce, tomato, sautéed onions, and Dijon mustard. Whichever option you choose, you can be sure that these burgers will make you question your ability to wield a spatula. How can a burger taste so good without straying from the American classic of bun-toppings-cheese-meat-bun? And how did you just stuff the entire thing into your face in less than five minutes? I have some ideas.
Pear and the Pickle’s regular menu is far from extravagant, their craziest sandwich may be the Meat Loaf (my personal favorite that I just needed to highlight, you’ll love it). They take typical deli sandwiches like grilled cheese, turkey and Swiss, sausage egg and cheese, and tuna melts and do something amazing. Bobby makes a sandwich better than any chef in Pittsburgh. It’s a magic (They actually have a magician too @jontaimagic) that brings ample crowds of people to the café every day. Well… that and the fact that the coffee they serve is caffeinated to a level that makes you feel truly alive traveling back down Rialto Street. But truthfully, it’s a combination of the restaurant’s dedication to fresh, local, seasonal ingredients, and sustainability along with the incredible ability to make you feel like a regular as soon as you walk through the door.
Pear and the Pickle has a strong neighborhood feel during the week. You’ll often see Bobby greeting locals and customers by name as they grab their coffee and stopping by tables to check-in and catch up. Rarely does someone not stand up to greet their friend who just arrived. People in the café have real and deep conversations, many days I’ve walked through the whole restaurant and realized that not a single person was on their phone. In a world that moves fast, Pear and the Pickle tends to be a refuge for the art of communication and calmness during the week. When Saturday hits, this small café turns into a bustling market of breakfast, brunch, and lunch.During the weekend, the place is filled with families, friends, and locals. Saturday’s and Sunday’s are the only time working people can get their mid-morning egg sammy fix. The staff pumps out breakfast and lunch sandwiches at a pace comparable to a restaurant three times the size. I appreciate both atmospheres, if you want calm, cool, and collected, hit the café on a weekday, but if you want to see some masterful production and many other walks of life hit it on the weekend.
Overall, this place has a special place in my heart. It has fed me through many different situations and challenges. The food is amazing and the people who work there make you feel as though you are at home, unlike anywhere else in the city. If you haven’t tried Pear and the Pickle add it to your list and you wont be disappointed.