The best of the British Isles served up well-done at Pittsburgh’s Piper’s Pub

I know…it’s another pub.  But pubs are interesting, shady places and the atmosphere that you find inside them is as addicting as the drinks they pour.  What is it about a crowded little dive that smells of booze, is loud, and at times full of soccer fans and rugby fans that continues to bring me back?

Pub grub.  The food.

Healthy…more than likely not.  But no one goes to a pub expecting low-calorie, low-fat goodness.  You go to a pub to eat.  Seriously eat.  And sample a draft (or two or three or four) while you are there.  And if you’re fortunate with your timing, you catch a match on the television and bond over who will win and lose with the other patrons and regulars.

Yes…pubs are their own little world and these imports from the Isles continue to lure me inside their doors, seat me at their dark tables, and serve me their food.

Piper’s Pub was a gem of a find.  Ranked in the top 20 out of over 1000 restaurants on Trip Adviser, while in Pittsburgh for the U2 show, my roommate and I stopped in to get our last decent meal in before we endured the endless day of standing in the general admission line starting before most people would crawl out of their slumber.  A good meal the night before makes that task a little easier.

Located among a row of various shops and restaurants, Piper’s Pub stands out simply with its black awnings and dark wood façade.  It looks like a genuine pub, so right there, you already know what you’re getting into.  You enter through the bar.  The entire building is a narrow corridor, with a bar to your left, packed with people, as you enter.  However, if you are looking to dine, continue past the bar to the hostess stand in middle, just as you reach a mass of tables and booths.  The ambiance is pub-like…dimly lit and buzzing with chatter and the sound of drink glasses against the wood of the bar and tables.  We were seated quickly and given time to peruse the menu.

As with every pub, my roommate ordered up her usual fish and chips, but wet her appetite with a cup of the Gaelic Four Onion Soup.  While there are quite a few different vegetarian options on the menu, I found one that was entirely gluten-free so nothing would have to be done to change it up.  I started off with a House Salad, no croutons, with a raspberry vinaigrette and for my meal…I got the Vegetable Curry and went with it seasoned hot instead of medium.  With the orders in, we took a moment to take in the actual surroundings and chat.

Our starters arrived soon after.  The salad was beautiful.  Everything had such bright and vibrant colors in it.  And this salad had a bit of a twist: capers.  You read that right.  And I am not even a fan of capers, but the flavor blended so perfectly with the tomato, sweet cherry pepper, cucumber, red onion the bed of greens all of that topped.  The raspberry vinaigrette was the right level of tart and tangy.  Perfect for a vinaigrette.  The produce was fresh.  The greens had that crisp snap when you bit into them.  The red onion offered up the perfect bite.  And all the rest just made up a delicious salad that I really enjoyed working my way through.

After our starters were done, the entrees were brought out.  I was quite interested in how a pub specializing in British, Scottish and Irish food would do with a curry.  It looked absolutely fantastic.  It was a balance of eggplant, portabella mushroom and zucchini, cooked in their spicy Vindaloo curry sauce and served over half-mashed redskin potatoes.  When it was set down in front of me, I could smell the heat from the curry.  I knew this was going to be amazing.

First bite…I wanted all the flavors…the vegetables and the potato with the curry.  Scooping it up on my fork, I took a bite and was treated to a spicy burst of flavor.  It was the perfect level of curry hotness.  Enough to spark the fire without burning the lining of my stomach.  And the vegetables were cooked to perfection.  They weren’t underdone and spilling wet juice everywhere.  And they weren’t overcooked and rock hard.  They were soft, easy to cut through with a fork, and paired so well with the redskin potato mash that each bite tasted even more fantastic.  And it was just as satisfying if I only gathered up one of the vegetables or a bit of potato, as it was when everything mingled on the fork.  One of my favorite things I’ve ever eaten at a pub…hands down.

I was quite pleased with the experience at Piper’s Pub while I was in Pittsburgh.  I wouldn’t hesitate to stop in again.  Nor would I hesitate to order that Vegetable Curry from their menu again.  When flavors and textures mix and mingle in perfect harmony not only on the plate but in my mouth, I’m forever in love.  This meal was fantastic and I think I might be hard-pressed to find another pub that does up a vegetarian and gluten-free plate to this standard.

Trust the reviews…and trust me.  Piper’s Pub may seem like a small little dive in the center of town, but in Pittsburgh, it’s top of my list and reviewer’s lists on places to go to eat.  Give it a try.  And go off the beaten path…try something you normally wouldn’t.  I did.  And now I just want more!