Every time I am asked to recommend a place to get a drink in Pittsburgh, The Warren Bar & Burrow is always my first answer. The Warren is located downtown, next door to the Benedum Center, and it is a frequent stop for people looking for a drink after work, before a show at one of the theaters, or late at night. Opening in 2017, The Warren serves as downtown’s neighborhood bar. It’s a place where you can meet your friends or potentially find a new one. It is also a favorite among people working in the restaurant industry and one of the few bars downtown that stays open until 2 AM.
I first started visiting The Warren not long after it opened in 2017 and it quickly became one of my favorites. I worked across the street from The Warren for many years. Back then, it was also open for lunch, and I would often go for lunch. Over the years, I was there for many early work happy hour gatherings, leaving the office at 3 PM to enjoy the afternoon there. These days, it opens at 5 PM on weekdays, and I have been there many times after work for drinks.
The cocktails are definitely the main reason to visit The Warren. The signature cocktail is Fred’s Old Fashioned. It was recently written up in the Wall Street Journal as the #1 old fashioned in the country. The addition of clove, allspice, and winter spices to the cocktail gives it an enhanced flavor and warmer body. This is my go-to cocktail order if I want a comforting and consistent drink. However, I recommend looking at the cocktail menu to see what new drinks the bartenders have created. Most cocktails are rather affordable for a big city, starting at $11, and it is a reason it stands out from other fancier cocktail bars. The cocktail menu changes frequently because the bartenders are encouraged to come up with new items that may be seasonal, related to an event, or just trying something new. The cocktail menu will always have short descriptions of key ingredients and flavor profiles. If there isn’t something on the menu that you fancy, they can always make something based on what you like. It is also worth noting, The Warren has an extensive Whiskey list. The bar has a few of its own barrel picks bottled exclusively for The Warren. They have a long list of bourbon, rye, scotch and other. They also have many other spirits like tequila, rum, and liqueurs.
I also like going to The Warren for cocktails because of the people working there. There are several great bartenders on staff who I know will make a great cocktail. I have spent hours sitting at the bar talking with them, sharing stories of food, drinks, and travel. Many have been working there for years. Some will leave and return as life changes.
The Warren also has a fantastic elevated bar food menu. There are many things served there that you won’t see at most neighborhood bars. They have fries, wings and burgers and they are great. They also have a lot of Southern and Asian influenced foods on the menu. There are potstickers, crab Rangoon dip, and catfish nuggets. My favorite order is their Chicken Katsu sandwich, which is a panko fried chicken breast with a sunny side up egg and Korean BBQ sauce. The Warren also has a lot of flatbreads on the menu, which are great for sharing. One thing that makes The Warren stand out from most neighborhood bars is that it has a full sushi menu. Previously, the space next door was a second location for a local fish market serving only prepared food and sushi. The space next door changed, more on that below, and The Warren retained the sushi menu.
Two more things that make The Warren stand out are its bars outside the main space of The Warren. The first thing is that the proprietors of The Warren have organized Miracle Holiday Popup bars in Pittsburgh every holiday season for a decade now. Even though Miracle is a holiday bar franchise, they do it slightly differently here. Each year, they make sure the cocktails are the best they can be by tweaking the recipes as necessary. Each year, they also donate the proceeds from the bar to different charities. They are the only popup bar in Pittsburgh to do this. They added a second popup bar, Sippin’ Santa, a few years ago to do the same. The second thing is the ETA Bar space next door to The Warren. This space was renovated to a Japanese-style tachinomiya, or standing bar. This limited space, when open, will feature Japanese inspired cocktails, small bites, and Japanese Whiskeys not available in The Warren. The third and last thing is their secret Cease & Desist bar. Originally intended to be a private bar, it is used for many private events. The name is a callback to how The Warren received a cease & desist letter for their original name before opening. This is a cool lounge style space with art and memorabilia on the walls. I used this space for my birthday last year, and it worked out great.
As I’m writing this, I realized it has been over a month since I last stopped in at The Warren, and that is a long time for me. The cocktails (especially Fred’s Old Fashioned), the whiskey, the people, and the food are my main reasons why The Warren Bar & Burrow has become one of my favorite places in Pittsburgh, and a great place to visit if you are looking for a new place to drink or eat in the city.
The Warren Bar & Burrow is located in Downtown Pittsburgh at 245 7th St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.
Discover more from Alex Eats Too Much
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
