Station Brake Cafe

Doesn't Recommend

J J T.

Joined 2 years ago

Not impressed. We had heard good things from friends who had dined here - so we gave it a try tonight. Service was very slow but the food was tasty - just overpriced. At least they didn't charge us extra for all the fruit flies at our table.

Recommends

potscatton

Joined 5 years ago

A "unique" place for a special and enjoyable dining experience. It was the Saturday before St. Pat's day and we were supposed to join friends at a local Irish pub for live music and a buffet of traditional Irish cuisine and, of course, Guinness. But we arrived to find that THIS year there would be no buffet and no live entertainment, so while we pondered (and drank a Guinness) a friend suggested that we go instead to a nearby place he had been to several years before and recalled, "It doesn't look like much but the food and service are first-class."

He was speaking of the Station Brake Cafe, so a phone call was made and a reservation for a table for 6 was available at 5 pm so off we went to nearby Wilmerding.

I can't tell you how GOOD this sudden change in plans turned-out.

The place didn't LOOK anything "special" from the outside- nor from the inside for that matter, but it was certainly "OK"; You might even say "interesting". We were seated immediately. The table setting was formal- very nice with cloth napkins and white linens and 6-piece place settings of flatware. Oddly, but interestingly, the china was an eclectic mix of old (antique?), delicate patterns. The wait staff was friendly but not pushy, and prompt but not rushed. Very courteous. Our coffee cups and drink glasses were regularly topped-off. The extensive menu offered a wide variety from salads to pastas, to red-meat, white meat, and seafood choices- something to please everyone.

And when the meal arrived- maybe 20 minutes?- It was absolutely wonderful. The food was both plentiful and delicious. Desserts were fantastic.

This is not a "quick-food" type of establishment. Dinner here was meant to be savored, so it is best , I'd say, to be with good friends and to have every intent of an unhurried, casual, "social" dining event. We were there for nearly 2 1/2 hours and the time did not drag.

We couldn't have enjoyed the evening more.

I am looking forward to sharing this place again with special guests/friends when the circumstances deserve a special place.

Recommends

frazierk

Joined 6 years ago

Unattentive, Uninterested Service by Waitress.. Tonight we experienced a very unsatisfactory, disappointing experience at the Station Brake Cafe in Wilmerding, PA. We had 6 p.m. dinner reservations for 8 people to celebrate birthdays of three family members. We arrived at 5:55 p.m. to discover that a table was not ready for our party - yet. After a short wait, we got seated. Other than water and menus we were ignored for about 15 to 20 minutes. A table of 4 and several tables of 2 were taken care of before a waitress approached our table and that was after my husband inquired as the whereabouts of our waitress. The woman who finally approached us was not the least bit pleasant, failed to make an effort to explain why we were waiting so long for service - didn't share any of the specials with us - the specials were written on a board in the corner of the room, but being that some of us had our backs to the board it would have been nice to have the waitress tell us the specials and maybe something about how they were prepared. We got nothing. We even had to question her about the soups that were offered. One GOOD thing was that the food was good and plentiful but once the bill came, 2-1/2 hours later and because we had a party of 8 the 18% gratuity was automatically added. If it was up to us to "reward" the waitress for her services she would have gotten nothing. We are convinced the poor service was due to the fact that the waitress knew she was getting a tip no matter how poor the service. We are sure the restaurant will not miss our patronage or the patronage of those that we will share this experience with, but we will not make an effort to spend any money at Station Brake Cafe and will tell family and friends to stay away. Those who read these reviews - beware!!!

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stephan_broadus

Joined 11 years ago

A Best Kept Secret. One of Pittsburgh's best kept dining secrets. The food, service and atmosphere are excellent. in addition to the standard menu which features steaks, chops, chicken, pasta, seafood, the staff specializes in presenting new and different dishes, including wild game. Good service, friendly staff and a great meal at a reasonable price.