Level 7 - AC Hotel Pittsburgh

Level 7

Hotel bars have an indescribable je ne sais quoi:

The lonely patrons drinking in silence. The pretty girls outrageously overdressed for a Thursday afternoon, raising implications left unsaid. The sad businessmen pretending that another glass of cabaret will fix their broken marriage. The sulking bartenders who seem almost interchangeable - totally devoid of emotion or personality, masters of small talk.

Level 7 presented all of these overused troupes during our visit in September. The highlight of the establishment is the very nice deck that overlooks the convention center and provides a unique view of downtown Pittsburgh.

The food was rather good. I enjoyed my Greek meatballs which were served with generous portions of homemade tzatziki sauce. I love tzatziki sauce.  The meat plate was just OK, but seemed reasonably priced for $7. (All small plates and a number of drinks are priced at $7 for happy hour.)
If I went on business trips or had a wife to cheat on, this would be my top prospect. Otherwise, I think you can find more personality at a number of hotel bars throughout our fine city.

Forbes Tavern

The brand new Forbes Tavern sits in the location of the very old Courthouse Tavern on Forbes Avenue. The Courthouse Tavern had a certain undeniable charm. It was a great place for casual day drinking, the food was cheap and the entire bar smelled of sewage.

I'm delighted to say that the new owner of Forbes Tavern has done a wonderful job with the renovations! The new space has a very clean and modern feel. When I asked about the smell of the previous establishment the new owner, Chris, mentioned that he had spent countless hours personally scrubbing the basement in order to remedy the issue. How quaint.

In addition to some marvelous renovations, all of the food we tried was remarkable. The happy hour options were very well priced and the smoked chicken wings I tried were quite good. A lovely crisp texture with great flavor and a generous amount of smoke. The flank steak, pictured below, was also very well prepared. (Served with chimichurri, corn salad and some grilled veggies.)

Specials run from 4:00 to 6:00 pm with appetizers priced from $5 to $9.

We had great food and some very good service at Forbes Tavern, our only complaint is that as the bar reached capacity it was a little loud, but the owner told us he was working to find a solution.