Review Carl's Tavern - Pittsburgh

Wow. What a hidden gem! I’ve driven past Carl’s 100 times and never thought to stop in…until I read the reviews. The menu is extraordinary! So many creative takes on favorites AND a broad variety of unique dishes only found at Carl’s. Service was excellent. We never waited for our server, she (they) offered recommendations and seemed to give us extra care since we were first timers. If you’re looking for neighborhood bar atmosphere and prices, combined with a sophisticated contemporary take on sandwiches and salads, this is the place for you. Oh. And. Outdoor seating and big parking lot for gorgeous summer days!

I thought this was a great bite to get when you're really hungry and need something to quickly fill you up. I went to Carl's on a hankering for me and one other person and ordered ›› My Order ›› a 1 lb Fish Sandwich with Tartar Sauce and Coleslaw (10/10) Shrimp Scampi with Garlic Bread and a Salad (7/10) Fries (7/10) The Garlic bread is fantastic. Look at the pics. Shrimp Scampi tasted pretty good - I got this as a takeout order and seasoned with salt and pepper when I got home. There were close to a dozen shrimp in the order, and the shrimp was really fresh. The fries were cooked really well. Not overdone, not done in old oil. I think foodies say something here like it has a toothsome bite. You can usually tell the quality of a place by how well they do their fries. If they give them TLC, they'll generally do well by everything else. The Fish Sandwich I want to say is my current all-time Lent favorite. In order, my current picks for a Fish Sandwich are: Carl's Tavern Applebee's (when it's not crazy busy) Kuhn's Gateway Grill $ ›› Fish 12.25 x 2 Shrimp Scampi 11.95 Fries 4.00 (I want to say) Order Total: $44 Sandy took my order. Great folks here. If this is your first time, there's a bar entrance on the left side, and a sliding door entrance to the dining area next to a smoker's area. Seating ›› There's a dining room area for parties of 4, and a booth area too. Would I eat here again? ›› I think this place is a good bet for when those ravenous hunger pangs kick in. How to get here ›› If you're pulling into this place from opposing traffic, safest way is to take the scenic tour and drive up to the light at the intersection of 22 and Nottingham Drive / Rodi Road, pull a U-turn and as opposed to coming across the opposing lanes of traffic because the merge spot across from Hawthorne drive is a little dicey, and honestly you're playing with fire. When you're pulling out of the parking lot ›› The exit closest to the tavern entrance, is used by folks to pull in. Just be a little mindful / careful of eager drivers. Btw, I gave this place a 3 on atmosphere because bars are not my thing. I think they've done a great job accomodating kitchen orders along with their beverage business. If you got this far, I recently passed 60K photo reviews on google, so I would like to thank whomever glanced at this, and the pics. If you like a photo, please tap that like button. It ups my rating points and gives me more motivation to do what I like to do, help others find good food. Ok that's it for now. Have a wonderful day and let's catch up soon. //Abe

Good food. Maybe too big of a sandwich though. Turkey club way too much. Side fries and a beer $20. Affordable. Server Brittany friendly and quick even though it was late. They serve food til midnight!!!

Excellent dinner. Huge portions. Famous fish sandwich platter is plenty big enough to share with one other. Lots of brews on draft. April was a great server. Hidden gem in Pittsburgh.

The food is so good! The waitress we had however, is not a good waitress! Thank goodness they all come check on you, and by the grace of whomever is in charge they spit tips or she'd never make any money! 1 waitress with black hair and glasses was phenomenal, and another with Platinum blonde hair was also amazing! The 3rd waitress was the first one we had, she is the one that needs work. Like I said thank goodness for the other 2.

Great food and service. i wasn't sure why i ordered a pasta at a tavern instead of the sandwich or ribs but it was tasty.

Had to give this place a try as it was recommended by our neighbors. This bar and restaurant is conveniently located right off of the Parkway (I-376) on Business Route 22. We chose to have lunch on the patio. April was our server and took very good care of us which we appreciated. I ordered the Turkey Club, and with the fresh actual turkey breast meat and 2 strips of crispy bacon as part of the ingredients it was amazingly good! I also ordered potato chips, which were made from scratch and deep fried to a golden crisp right before they were served. Delicious. The person I was with ordered a meatloaf sandwich w gravy on the side. He said he should have ordered Swiss cheese on the sammy because it was bland. And he said the gravy had a chemical taste to it. I couldn’t taste any chem taste but his sense of taste may be better than mine. I thought the gravy was good, lol! Anyway, we’d definitely go back to check out more of the menu!

Haven't had a bad meal yet. The beer is cold and the service is great, everyone helps each other out so it's like you have 3 or more servers. Great place!

Really nice neighborhood tavern that we stopped by while visiting a friend in the area. Automatically gets a pass from being within walking / stumbling distance from our friend's place (mind the highway though) but would still go back otherwise. Really friendly service, a nice patio and pretty good grub. The curly fries are a safe bet to be devoured in no time and I was really impressed with the veggie sandwich. There wasn't any sort of protein in it so I was a bit skeptical but it was really super tasty! Seems like a fun place to hang out on Friday or Saturday (or Wednesday) night and on the off chance I'm in the area again, I'll gladly stop by again.

Love this local hangout. Casual w/a great menu and great staff! Also very accommodating w/larger parties! A must try!

We love the sampling, the delicious beer on draft, and our food was perfect! Great service too!

This may be just a biased opinion, but I've always enjoyed Carl's. It was a nice summer day, so we sat outside. Had a couple of cold mixed drinks and some wonderful sandwiches. It was perfect.

One of my favorite places. Good food and drinks and a great vibe.

Carl’s was kind enough to open Sunday for four hours to accommodate the Allegheny Region of the Porsche Club of America. I believe that all present, some fifty car loads were all pleased with the friendliness of the servers as well as the food and refreshments that were served. I had a simple burger and some ice tea but others had the ribs and bbq platters which looked wonderful. Carl’s has been here for a few generations and has it all down pat, no surprises. Great stop!

Me and my coworkers go there for lunch often and the menu is probably the best in Pittsburgh. The service is ALWAYS great there, the cooks, bartenders, waitresses, everyone are always amazing. One of my favorite places to go and will recommend to anyone!

ordered a fish sandwich for lunch with a co worker... did not receive tar tar sauce and fish was flat ,dry, and nasty! never gain!!!! dry !!

Cod Sandwich. Fresh fish hand breaded. It was very good.

Tried Carl's for the first time this week. The fish sandwich is very good and huge. Clam strip basket was very good also, with the clams fried perfectly - still tender and not overcooked. We'll be back to check out more on the menu.

No Thank You. Food is hit or miss. You can find better bar food most places. Drinks are weak and over priced. Watch your tab if you go on a weekend, count your drinks. I have found a few surprise drinks on my tab that I never ordered. No thanks .

Nothing bad to say. My lobster bique and gyro were very good. My wifes cod was fresh. Food was fresh and good. Value was very good.

One of Our Local Spots. Carl's is like a security blanket for me and my boyfriend. Have a good day? Go to Carl's. Have a bad day? Go to Carl's. Don't feel like cooking? Go to Carl's. You get my drift!<br/><br/>The staff is warm and friendly. The atmosphere is great. My boyfriend has spent many quarters in the pin ball machine there while waiting for food! They have a great draft selection that rotates. Their food is great also. Some of my favorites are the Meatball Sandwich, Turkey Sandwich, and the burgers of course. I need to try the nachos... they always look and smell amazing when someone around us orders them!<br/><br/>They have a really nice deck area that we utilize sometimes in the warm months. <br/><br/>All in all, we love this place. We will probably be in soon!

I love Carl's Tavern! I've never had a bad meal there-awesome burgers and clam strip baskets! Lots of beer choices as well, even Framboise on draft :)