17th Street Cafe

10/13/08

AVOID AT ALL COSTS

by LEFTY72135 at Citysearch

I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED AFTER EATING HERE. ALTHOUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT WAS CUTE AND COZY, THE STAFF WAS UPTIGHT AND NOT VERY FRIENDLY. I ALSO WAS VERY DISAPOINTED IN THE FOOD, I ORDERED VEAL AND IT WAS VERY BLAND AND TOUGH, ALTHOUGH MY HUSBAND'S DISH WAS OK. I WAS INTERRUPTED BY THE CHEF IN THE MIDDLE OF MY MEAL WHICH WAS QUITE BOTHERSOME. IF YOU WANT A PRIVATE SETTING THIS IS NOT THE PLACE.

• Pros: CUTE SETTING, GOOD LOCATION
• Cons: TOO SMALL, I FELT SQUEEZED IN, LOW QUALITY FOOD, NO PARKING

10/11/09

Phenomenal

by skedge76 at Citysearch

I have been to this restaurant a million times and it keeps on getting better. The menu has something for everyone and every item is delicious. The owners are so friendly and always come over to each table wanting feedback. I just stopped in last week and they had guess the weight of the pumpkin. Every member of the staff is accommodating. This is my favorite restaurant in Pittsburgh by far!

• Pros: amazing food, friendly staff, great location
• Cons: none

08/23/09

1st and last time

by jwm123 at Citysearch

This was my first and definately last visit to this extremely over-rated restaurant. While the food was decent (although i've definately had much better in the pittsburgh area), the service was terrible. It took forever to get my drink refill. We asked for more bread and they did not bring it until after we finished our meal. We asked the waitress for 2 separate checks and she told us that they don't have a machine to do it and she "doesn't have time to do it" for us. The customer service at this so-called "fine establishment" cannot even compete with a fast food restaurant.

• Pros: average food
• Cons: awful service

07/25/09

Wonderful!!

by purplenave at Citysearch

First time here last night and will not be the last. Great food, great service (C.B.), and great atmosphere! The chicken pasquale and mushroom ravioli were terrific-not to mention the georgia peach cocktails! YUM

• Cons: None

05/01/09

I'm confused. What is the fuss about?

by bdal at Citysearch

I'm confused. This place consistently gets rave online reviews (city search, trip advisor) but I just don't get it. $20+ pasta dishes are really small, left me hungry. The server (on my last visit) brought my first cocktail with lipstick on the glass, and took 10 minutes to bring the correction. this is all while the restaurant was half empty, and the bar was 10 steps from our table.

How does 17th st get best burger in Pittsburgh on city search, and I've been there three times and asked all three times if i could get one of these fabled hamburgers, and they say "not for dinner, sorry".

I suspect someone is stuffing the online ballot box, because I'm not seeing this place being the best romantic spot, best burger (what burger? I've yet to see one), best Italian food.

These awesome things are just not there. This isn't my opinion, this is just plain fact.

Please avoid. (or in the very least, don't have the high expectations I had)

• Pros: food was good
• Cons: service was really slow

11/09/08

Our little place in this WOLRD

by Militaryofficer at Citysearch

This little cafe offers a wonderful setting for you and your family, or you and your special someone! My wife and I have been going to 17th St for years, and it has always been our special little place! The food is amazing, the people who work there have always been so nice and the food has Never Once Disappointed! The wine list is extensive, and the atmosphere is the best part. The seating area is not to expansive so you never feel crowed in!

Only advice I have is to take advantage of the valet parking they offer. Parking on the south side of Pittsburgh is almost impossible on the weekend! Besides that, enjoy, it really is a wonderful place!

• Pros: People
• Cons: Parking

10/29/08

Not Impressed

by rr6789 at Citysearch

This is a very cute restaurant, but it is not worth the wait. My friends and I waited for ever to get into this place and when we finally got seated we felt as if we were rushed out the door! I mean, i enjoy quick service but I wasn't the only one who could tell that our server was in a big hurry to get us out. We ended up spending more time waiting than eating. I had heard great things about this restaurant, but I was not impressed with my food. I knew it was going to be pricey to eat here and I don't mind paying the price for a good meal, but I feel as though I paid for a good meal but only got a meal that was less than average. Needless to say, I felt very ripped off after leaving this place. I think there are plenty of places on Carson Street where I could have gotten a better meal.

10/14/08

Pleasantly surprised!

by slc862 at Citysearch

When I would pass this restaurant in the past, I always thought it was bar food, greasy and fried. But a friend suggested we go there one night and I am sooo glad we did. The place was quaint, a great place for a date with someone special. The food was delicious and the presentation was very classy. The service was friendly and just the right amount of quickness. Didn't make you feel rushed, but you weren't waiting for your food forever. I highly recommend this restaurant, its a must try.

• Pros: Great food, Great Service
• Cons: Because its soo good, there is a wait time, but its well worth it.

08/07/08

Eat here if you love tasty Food!

by FunResearcher at Citysearch

Yum Yum!

I love this restaurant. I live in Vancouver Canada and this is always my first stop in Pittsburgh. The stuffed banana peppers are really outstanding. Great food, great staff and cool room. Try it - you will love it. Gourmet food at a totally reasonable price!

06/30/08

Good food, nice date spot

by tyee17 at Citysearch

I took my girlfriend to the 17th street cafe on a satruday night around 9:30. Parking was difficult to find so we used the valet parking across the street ($5). We were promptly seated in the small backroom and were greated by the chef. We ordered drinks, which were tasty and reasonably priced.

We started the meal with the crab and artichoke dip, served with warm pita bread. This appetizer was delicious and very good. Both of our meals were accompanied with a salad and bread. The salad was spinach with carrots, onions, and garbonzo beans. We did not get any bread that came with our meals.but we didn't notice since we had eaten plenty of pita bread from our appetizer.

I ordered the Crispy Salmon, served on a slaw of onions, cherry tomatoes, and asparagus. A few drops of a tomatoe or pepper sauce was drizzled on the plate. The skin of the salmon was crispy as expected and the fish was cooked perfectly. The dish was plated very nicely. I thought the fish itself was a bit bland and plain tasting. However, the onions, tomatoes and asparagus adding nice flavoring when combined with the fish. I had a choice of 3 side dishes and choose the sour cream mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes were good.

My girlfriend ordered the Scoglio, which is your choice of pasta served with clams, shrimp, and scallops in a white wine or red wine sauce. This was an excellent dish. I highly reccommend it in the white wine sauce. The sauce was perfectly balanced and did not overpower any of the seafood.

We had a very nice dinner at the 17th street cafe. The waiters and waitresses were very attentive and made sure that the salad was not served while we were eating our appetizer and also that our entrees were not served while we were eating our salads. We will visit again!