The only reason I have never gone to Hello Bistro before is for the price. It may be a convenient location to eat, but I’m a very cheap person and would much rather pay nothing to eat in the office than pay $13 eating out every day. I recall going inside once to check out their options and, after seeing the prices, was diverted away. So under normal circumstances I would never eat at Hello Bistro, even though it’s convenient and close to campus.
After covering the one-year anniversary of the Post Gazette Strike with Erin, I stopped in to satiate my hunger before interviewing more people. For once, I took advantage of its close proximity and went inside.
After looking over the menu, I saw there were many opportunities to try something new. They had several different types of burger options like a turkey burger, Beyond Burger, smashed beef burger, patty melt, avocado burger and more. The environment was pleasant, but the way the design tries to be trendy has never sat right with me. It’s advertised as a very vegan and vegetarian friendly place that still sells meat to satisfy all demographics.
On a massive digital kiosk, I ordered a turkey burger with a brioche bun, american cheese, bacon and mayo, a small side salad and a strawberry boba tea, which came out to $18.99. The boba was only $2 and, for some reason, I had high hopes that it would taste good. After paying, I inputted a number for a little buzzer and waited for it to go off to tell me that my order was done. The kiosk confused me with all the options and I wondered, with all the vegetables I saw, if I could have customized my side salad if I ordered it from a human.
The food came out on a metal tray and the presentation was basic. The burger was half-wrapped in foil and, because I was starving, it looked really good. With the first bite I could tell that the burger had some quality. It reminded me of something that I could have ordered from The Burgatory, and that’s saying a lot because I personally think The Burgatory has a good selection. The patty warmed the mayonnaise spread underneath the bun and the bacon added a different flavor and texture. It was a good sandwich, although I wish I ordered the beef so that I could more fairly compare it to the burgers I’ve had at other restaurants.
They say that hunger is the best spice. While I was eating this, I was very hungry. The turkey was very juicy and the bun was pretty average. The salad was not as good as the burger, but it was adequate enough.
It came on the metal tray inside of a little clear plastic container and there was some made-in-house ranch dressing on the side. I poured the dressing into the container, closed the lid and shook it up. The lid was very difficult to open and close; it fit on the plastic bin like a glove.
The taste of the salad was nothing too bad, although I still prefer a salad from Primanti’s. The lettuce had average flavor and the ranch dressing was sweet but also average overall. I think that, without the cheese inside, the salad would have been too basic and would not have tasted as nearly as adequate.
For the price, I wouldn’t go to Hello Bistro again, simply because I do not have the money to go there. There are far more restaurants that I would be willing to travel to for a quality salad or a quality burger. But because this place is so close to campus, if you’re craving some meat, I say come visit here and give it a try. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, at least there’s a close, accessible place for sustenance, regardless if the food tastes good or not.
