Claddagh Irish Pub

The Claddagh Irish Pub in the Southside Works is a chain restaurant worth your time. Located at 407 Cinema Drive, this pub atmosphere is great for a couple's date or a drink with friends.  My husband and I have been to eat several times for lunch and dinner. Their lunch menu provides substantial portions and good prices. Dinners are large and nicely prepared. Food comes out quickly, but also lets you enjoy the surroundings.  Having spent significant time in the United Kingdom, I can say that the decorations and big TVs showing sporting events are pretty accurate.  I'm not transported, but it is nice and cosy without being too tacky. On our last trip we went with my mother in-law for lunch.  She and my husband had the soup and sandwich lunch special.  They both commented that the clam chowder was excellent and each also enjoyed their sandwich.  I had a fish and chips lunch and it was amazing.  The seasoned chips were perfectly done.  We also ordered an appetizer of onion rings that were liked by all.  The batter was crispy without being too heavy or greasy.  

Overall I would say that we have had enjoyable experiences there.  The drinks are little expensive, but no more than the rest of the city.  My husband is a fan of Guinness and they have it on tap; they also have Strongbow (for those of you who have never been to the UK, it's amazing hard cider). The service is not always perfect, but it has been busy most days.  We have never made reservations, but they do take them if you have a large group or it's a big game night. I recommend highly as a great place to bring friends to have a drink or a enjoy a rugby match. I did not even know it was a chain until I was looking up the address for this review.

8/10-Service

9.5/10-Food

9/10-Atmosphere

9/10-Value for Money

Total 9.2/10

Cappy's Cafe

Cappy's Cafe at 5431 Walnut St. in Shadyside is a cafe with a bar atmosphere. A group of us went for Sunday lunch which may have affected our experience.  Main courses are approximately $7-9 and they have a moderately sized bar. The dining area is small with space for barely twenty people.  My husband ordered off the specials menu, which was terribly disappointing. A hot sausage sandwich that was merely a bratwurst on a hoagie bun. The bun was so oversized it looked like they had extras from a previous special and wanted to get rid of them. I had a chicken sandwich with buffalo sauce and potato chips. In contrast, my bun was too small so it got soggy. The chips were just chips, which was a let down.  Our friend got 'the Godfather', which he said was very good. Our chili cheese fries were covered in real chili instead of saucy goo and were quite acceptable. Overall a 50/50 experience.

The service was not great. Food came out in spurts and drinks were refilled at her whim.  Although the menu states it clearly, we were upset that we could not get separate checks. It would be good as a quick lunch stop for soup and a sandwich, but as far as a nice meal out, I would avoid it.  Sandwiches, wraps and hoagies are not inventive as far as bar food goes, but if you're drunk enough, it might be an adequate experience.

6/10- Service

5/10- Food

4/10- Atmosphere

5/10- Value for Money

Total- 5/10

Blog Makeover

I realize that I have been using this blog as a diary and a general talk about me site. I'm not sure that this format is really good for me or at all entertaining for any of you. So I'm changing it. I'll keep my emotional breakdowns to my written journal and hopefully present something a little more worth reading. I've been in Pittsburgh now for three months and I'm finally beginning to appreciate everything this city has to offer. Growing up in a rural neighborhood with only corn and wheat as company made this transition difficult. But the food, stores and people are a wonder. The options for a person, even on a tight budget like myself, are endless if you want a good book or a bite to eat. And I hope to now use this blog to help to introduce you to these varied opportunities. If you are a resident of Pittsburgh with your own ideas and hot spots, please share. And I hope you enjoy and learning from my adventures as well.