Sweet Pretzels and Pork in Pittsburgh

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The Most Fun Food in Pittsburgh

By Kate Oczypok

As a native Pittsburgher, I have grown to appreciate the city’s food more now that I’m not living there. If you have the chance to visit the city, it’s a foodie haven steeped in rich history. Here are 14 items to try: some seasonal, some year-round. Happy eating!

New Year’s Pretzels: These are not traditional savory pretzels. These sweet bad boys are covered in icing, sometimes sprinkles and occasionally nuts. They are indeed pretzel shaped and are eaten around New Year’s for good luck. They taste extremely delicious with a steaming cup of coffee.

Primanti Brothers Sandwiches: No Pittsburgh eating guide is complete without mentioning these heaping sandwiches full of melty cheese, coleslaw, tomato, grilled meat, and of course fries, all between slices of Italian-esque bread. The original Primanti’s is in the Strip District. 

Heinz Tomato Ketchup on everything: If an out-of-towner dare take out a brand of ketchup beside Heinz, they will be excommunicated from Pittsburgh. Okay, it might not be that serious, but Pittsburgh is very proud of its hometown condiment hero. H.J. Heinz started in the mid-1800s, and ketchup was introduced in 1875. Unfortunately, production of Heinz Ketchup is no longer in Pittsburgh, but the history is still a huge part of the city.

Thumbprint cookies – Sure, most cities have thumbprint cookies. Pittsburgh has incredible ones, like the former Kaufmann’s Arcade Bakery’s piled high with icing. Pittsburghers missed those cookies so much that Prantl’s Bakery recreated them. They now often show up at Pittsburgh wedding cookie tables…

Wedding cookie tables: If you haven’t been to a Pittsburgh-area wedding, you’re in for a real treat. It’s customary to have a dozen cookies per guest, a tradition many say was brought to the ‘burgh by European immigrants. Some say the cookie table practice was part of Depression-era money-saving on weddings.

Prantl’s Burnt Almond Torte: Speaking of Prantl’s, its also worth getting a burnt almond torte. The tasty treats are a staple of Pittsburgh weddings, graduations, showers, you name it. They come in raspberry and chocolate varieties.

Smiley Cookies: Take anyone to any Eat N’ Park franchise around town and get a smiley cookie to go. In addition to the usual friendly smiles, the cookies come in bunny shapes for Easter, trees for the Christmas, and monster shapes for Halloween.

Isaly’s Chipped Chopped Ham: Visit any deli around the country and ask for chipped ham and you might get a puzzled look. Ask for it in Pittsburgh and you’ll be met with a “How much yinz want?” There’s just something tastier to Pittsburghers about chipped ham versus sliced.                                                                                      

Pepperoni rolls: The best kind of pepperoni rolls are sold at high school football games on chilly October nights. Interestingly enough, the rolls first gained popularity as easy-to-pack coal miner’s lunches. Looking to find the best homemade versions in the city? This post has some delicious options.

Pierogis: Ah, the infamous pierogi in Pittsburgh. It’s often served at fish fries (more about that later) and local Eastern European restaurants, and our very own Pittsburgh Pirates have pierogi mascots.

Kennywood’s Potato Patch Fries: Visit the amusement park celebrating 125 years this year and stop by The Potato Patch stand. The iconic fries (with toppings like cheddar, bacon, vinegar, brown gravy, and seasoning salts) are as acclaimed as Kennywood’s wooden coasters.

Sarris Chocolate Factory and Ice Cream Parlour: This local area candy shop is like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory come to life. For over 50 years, the spot that takes up an entire city block has satisfied sweet teeth.

Pork, sauerkraut, and kielbasa on New Year’s Day: In Pittsburgh, it’s good luck to eat that meal on that day. The tradition comes from the Pennsylvania Dutch, who brought the history over from Germany. It coincided with winter hog-butchering season, and cabbage was harvested in the winter. Read more about the tradition here.

Fish fries – Moving to the Washington, D.C. area for college, one of the food-related differences that struck me the most was that churches and fire halls around here did not hold fish fries leading up to Easter. Heaping fried fish sandwiches during Lent are just something unique to the area. They’re so distinctive to the region that many local news outlets publish Fish Fry Guides. 🍴

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This newsletter is edited by Katherine Spiers, host of the podcast Smart Mouth.

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