Sometimes you just don’t plan it, but the food is so good and the place so cool that you just have to… Nadine’s on the Southside is one of those places. I was set to have coffee with a friend of mine today at 11. About an hour before, I got a text asking if I’d like to meet for food… he had a “hankering for breakfast food”… so, how about Nadine’s? What…? Isn’t that a bar? I had no idea. I’ve driven by the place hundreds of times travelling through the southside. At my age I just don’t frequent the bars that much any more, so I never really paid any attention. So… this was a twist. Why not?
What a pleasant surprise. Walking into Nadine’s was nothing unusual. A Pittsburgh bar in a Pittsburgh neighborhood with Pittsburghers all around. But… the smell. Breakfast. Like home. I immediately noticed that the place was almost full. At 11 AM. But it’s a bar, right? Well… yeah. But it’s also a pretty darn good breakfast joint. My friend was already bellied up and had a fresh cup of coffee along with a breakfast sandwich… that he inhaled. He had quite a hankering after all… because he ordered a second.
I asked the bartender to recommend their best breakfast dish and I was directed to the Mixed Grille, which is, according to Nadine’s Menu, “eggs, sausage, cheese, home fries, plus whatever Nadine feels like mixing up and grilling.” Oh boy… I love an adventure.
And what a tasty adventure it was. I still can’t figure out the “whatever Nadine feels like mixing up and grilling” part… but added to all the other stuff… it was the perfect mix of breakfast on a plate served with 2 pieces of thick toast. You don’t have to figure how to construct a bite… your fork does the work for you. I like Franks Red Hot, so I topped it with a couple shakes of “you can put that s–t on everything” and away I went. Along with the Mixed Grille, my coffee was fresh, hot and deeply delicious.
The atmosphere at Nadine’s was talkative and friendly, and the griddle right behind the bar seemed to be producing a wealth of great breakfast dishes. I think I saw the biggest pancake ever made. That’s for next time. I had such a great time and such a great unplanned meal that I snapped the pictures in this post and came right back to my office to write this review of Nadine’s on the Southside. We’ll be adding it to our list of places for breakfast in Pittsburgh, and I’ll be sure to stop back to sample lunch and dinner fare… with friends, and another write up. Definitely a Pittsburgh gem.
You can also find all kinds of great restaurants in Pittsburgh in our guide to the best Pittsburgh restaurants.
