To my readers who have been following Burgh Bites for the last two semesters, thank you for following along in my journey to become both a better writer and reviewer. On the other hand, to those of you who are just beginning to read Burgh Bites for the first time, welcome to my Spring 2024 semester recap! Here I will share the best and worst restaurants I have reviewed over the last two semesters and will be correcting myself on some of the opinions I shared which now have changed.

My first category is for the best places to eat based on money and all-around taste.

At the number one spot, I would like to apologize for complaining about how much meat was on the sandwiches at DiBella’s old-fashioned Submarines in Market Square. The price of $8.29 for a seven-inch sub can’t be beat, especially when the bread is made in-house and has the texture of a pretzel.

Number two for taste and a decent price is ChinaTown Inn on Grant Street and Third Ave. Although the food isn’t going to be as cheap or convenient as Mei Mei’s Mandarin Gourmet, it was certainly tastier. When I was there, the Tso’s Chicken was $16 and egg rolls were $3 which, let me remind you, were massive. After reviewing the place I have since gone back just to get a single chicken vegetable egg roll for lunch and would 100% recommend sitting in for a meal just to try the black tea. 

Ranked lower than the first two, Chaykhana on Smithfield had some of the most juicy and delicious meat I’ve ever had. The two meals I got there were $15 and $13 which won’t break the bank.

Unfortunately, no other restaurants made the cut for this category as they all had their faults in certain areas.

Both So Fresh and Alta Via were delicious places to visit but more on the pricey side. 

Since writing about So Fresh I have returned just for the strawberry banana smoothie. Even though it is $8.49 it really is the best smoothie from any establishment you will ever have. The food at Alta Via was so expensive that we reviewed just the desserts. The only thing that has not stopped Erin and I from returning just to try the $7 tiramisu, which was very moist and creamy, is the fact that a reservation is necessary for that kind of restaurant and we would feel awkward showing up with the two of us to order one dessert.  

In no particular order, here are the places that I thought were the best bang for your buck:

Dibella’s deserves to be in this category for food quantity versus what they charge. The second place that had a massive quantity of food for price was Simple Greek. The kids’ meal there, which is large enough to be considered an adult meal, is $7.49 for a bowl and drink. Next is Moe’s for their $4.55 kids quesadilla which comes with a drink, free chips and a cookie.

When ordering this, it’s important to note to ask for half and half rice and literally whatever other toppings you want on it so that thing has as much food in it as possible. 

Last on the affordable list is Noodles and Company. Since writing the review, people have told me that my opinion was wrong, that the amount of sodium and lack of sauce on my chicken parm was not the problem, but I was the problem. It isn’t the best place for taste, but price-wise the meals here range from $7-$10.

Here is the list of the most expensive places I visited this semester: Alta Via, Fogo de chāo (the best meal you will have of your life for a mere $65), and surprisingly Hello Bistro. 

For a drink, side salad and turkey burger it costs $18.99 at Hello Bistro. That doesn’t seem bad but I don’t think that the food there is worth the price. Although the turkey burger was tender, juicy and delicious, the salad was average and the drink was bad. This money is better spent elsewhere.

Alta Via and Fogo de chāo are two of the most pricy and tasty places to eat in the Burgh, which I 100% recommend if you have extra money sitting around just to waste. 

On the other hand, the places absolutely not worth throwing your money at were: Subway, Chicken Guy and Noodles and Company all ranked simply for taste. Yuzu Kitchen is also on this list more for its high prices than poor taste.

Last but not least, here are some greasy honorable mentions that aren’t ranked for taste or price, but for comfort: Wenie World, Genoa Pizza and Arepittas.

I also ate at The Yard, Einstein Bros, Taco Town, PGH Crepes and Emilianos in the South Side this and last semester, but they did not make the list.

Thank you for reading Burgh Bites, I hope you all enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them. It’s been a true pleasure to have been given the opportunity to try so many new foods and share the experiences with you all.