Alexander’s Italian Bistro

I’ve biked past this place enough times, but finally made it in to eat. We were able to sit outside, which was nice. And our server was quite friendly. But the food…
Our server suggested his favorite dish, which was an angel hair dish with spinach, chicken, and white wine sauce. What I received reminded me of Mrs Grass soup. The stuff that is a dried packet and you just add hot water to it.

I used to dine here every few years, but the last two times were a disappointment. The overall quality of the food seems to have gone downhill, with less emphasis on traditional Italian cooking. Some of our pasta was underdone (not al dente), and the seasonings were on the bland side. An exception is the turkey Devonshire, which isn’t exactly Italian, but is a Pittsburgh original.
I wouldn’t go back for Italian entrees, but it was the overpriced and underwhelming salad that was so bad I had to write about it.
After ordering our entrees, the waiter asked if we would like soup or salad. I chose a Caesar salad, assuming that this was included in the price of the entrée, as it is at most restaurants. I don’t mind paying $ 7 for a salad, but I like to know that I’m paying for it, and this Caesar salad was not worth $ 7. It wasn’t even a Caesar salad. It was a small side salad of iceberg lettuce and croutons with Italian dressing. If I had known I would be charged for it, I would have asked for Parmesan cheese and maybe some anchovies.

My favorite restaurant in Pittsburgh. Incredible Italian meals and desserts. Very friendly staff and lots of gluten-​free options! I love the create-​your-​own pasta. I usually get the gluten-​free pasta with peas, hot Italian sausage and the gorgonzola (I think) cream sauce. The walnut ball for dessert is incredible too.

Great Italian food. We enjoyed the pastabilities and choosing our own sauce and pasta. We sat outside which was nice on a warm evening.
Service was very attentive and we never had to wait. Food may have come a little too quickly, as we were still enjoying our salads.

I was really in the mood for some classic Italian — which rarely happens. This place came as a recommendation from a friend’s grandfather who grew up in Lawrenceville. While not like some of the other places we frequent in our neighborhood, the change was great.
Old school Italian, friendly staff, regulars around the bar… all made for a pleasant experience. The food was really good, desserts were great. We got four desserts and had a long debate over which was best… really, they were all delicious.
To top it off, they get fresh bread daily and had some extra loaves. We left with leftovers and a fresh loaf in hand.
We were a party of four and everyone was pleased that we went for a more classic place versus some of the more «trendy» places we usually frequent.

A neighborhood gem. Arrived without a reservation on a Saturday night and no tables were available, so we were offered seats at the bar. Very good classic Italian-​American food served in huge portions. It’s a casual place, with patrons next to us enthusiastically watching football. Alexander is clearly a hands-​on owner; we noticed him staying on top of the staff throughout the night, and kindly helping someone who seemed to be an elderly regular patron navigate their way out the front door after their meal. Alexander chatted with us after we ate, asking if everything was satisfactory. When we asked if desserts were made on site (specifically, were the canolis pre-​filled, which they are not), he offered us two, on the house! I’ll return next time I’m in Pittsburgh.

Very very very good! I have a tendency to judge an Italian restaurant by their meatballs. Not the sauce, no restaurant made sauce will ever compare to Grandma’s. But the meatballs here are awesome! 2 thumbs up! For an entrée I got a tortellini dish and my husband got ummm… AHHHHH I don’t know but it was very tasty. Something with angel hair pasta. Then we ordered dessert which at the end of the meal our waitress told us was on her because we came out in such bad weather (it’s pretty ugly outside tonight). In our leftover bag our waitress put in there an entire loaf of bread for free… talk about wonderful customer service!

This afternoon I went to Alexanders for lunch with some friends. We forgot that most small businesses are closed on Mondays and that’s how we ended up here. I’m glad it was open. It was a nice lunch but nothing to rave about. I had a meatball hoagie, which was very tasty. My son had buttered noodles and it was a great size for a kid. He got a kids milk served in a to go soup cup with a kid. I’m having bad luck finding a place with a proper kids cup. Kind of annoying. My friends both enjoyed their meals of the Gorgonzola burger with bacon and the Gorgonzola pasta. Unfortunately, we were seated right next to the bathroom. I hate when places do that if there are spots closer to the front. I guess that’s what happens when a kid is with you, I don’t know. I probably won’t go again, but it was decent for one meal.

My family discovered Alexander’s while trying to find a simple-​yet-​classy Italian restaurant that was open on Sundays. I didn’t know what to expect but was very impressed. We loved the atmosphere– the dining area has a very cozy feel to it. The area is small, so the tables are close together. The only drawback of this was that we couldn’t help but overhear the conversations at neighboring tables.
I liked the menu, they had many classic dishes and also a make-​to-​order pasta section. My parents have simple tastes, so this suited us very well. All choices were reasonably priced. I ordered penne pasta with «marfredo» sauce– a blend of marinara and alfredo. It was delicious, and came in a very large portion. My mother ordered the chicken parm and she claims it was the best she’s ever had. All in all it was a good dining experience and I’m happy that we found this place.

Today we had a meal that was so expertly crafted and served that was nothing short of exceptional! My sister had the Abby Alexander’s angel hair .The dish had the juiciest chicken dressed in a white wine sauce with fresh spinach and tomatoes. We both KNOW that the homemade wedding soup is the best we have tasted in the city!!! The beans and greens do not lack flavor. Sooooooo good.Lastly, the hot peppers and sausage will knock your socks off! They are so delicious eaten with their famous Italian bread. To end the evening we ordered the tiramisu and a canoli
OH SO DELICIOUS. Looking forward to bringing more friends here for dinner. What a great treasure.

Being Italian I have this eating Italian down to a science, so with that said I ordered the carbonara its was more on the seafood side not the traditions carbonara but a little twist so with that said you don’t always get what you want.

The best Italian in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield area! I love the fact that they make their own pastas to order and my fav is Calamari over choice pasta! Delish fresh calamari not frozen hand breaded and sauce is superb! Like MAMA’s! Last time I had restaurant Italian was in Brooklyn NY! This place reminded me of there! My fav desert is Cannoli but didn’t see it on menu! I had small Italian coffee w shot of Annisette made whole dinner since it was cold outside! It took me 45 min to get their from SHills by access van but I used to live in Shadyside and would walk to Alexander’s in the cold snow for Their pasta! You can make it yourself go buy all ingredients slave over stove but won’t be same! Wish we in SHills had this other than Olive Garden which Id never will eat that phony food!

One of the last great Italian institutions in the city. The best part is that the food is awesome these days and they make an effort to keep the décor and the menu fresh. There are very good reasons why Del’s is gone and Alexander’s is still here.
The pesto and the bread (both made fresh every day) are my favorite parts and are definitely crave-​worthy. The grilled asparagus is also quite impressive given how simple it is, but I’d agree with Pepin in saying that the best food is ordinary things prepared extraordinarily well. I’m an epicurean 23 year old with Italian grandmothers so I think I have an idea of what’s good.
Alexander’s is good for dates, family dinners with just the right amount of class, and people who like good bread.
Alexander’s is not good for sea urchin crunching, small-​batch moonshine sipping, mise-​en-​place modernists. There are nice places like Lawrenceville and Umi for you.

Went out to lunch with my coworkers and this is where they suggested. I had never been– so I was pretty excited to check it out. Alexander’s is a small and charming building, with a nice patio area outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. We really enjoyed sitting outside– although it was a little noisy (being on Liberty Avenue and all).
Before our meal, we were given bread. It was thick cut, fluffy white bread. Although it was good, it wasn’t anything special. It was served with butter packets– pretty tacky if you ask me. I would have much rather preferred some house made oil.
I ordered the Abby Alexandra’s Angel Hair– grilled chicken, spinach and tomatoes with angel hair pasta and a very light white wine sauce. It was delicious. The meal itself felt rather light, making it easy for me to practically finish the entire large portion. I was able to stop myself to save a little for leftovers, though. My one complaint is that the server did not offer additional parmesan for the meal. I have never been to an Italian restaurant that didn’t offer freshly grated cheese on top of your meal and was honestly shocked that they didn’t. The pasta would have been much better with some freshly grated cheese– although it was still quite good.
Otherwise, the service was good, the food was good and we had a nice time.

Don’t expect fresh food. We have taken ravioli and tortelini. It was fast, that’s perhaps because of microwave. Never more.

Nice ½ off wines by the glass on Mondays. My boyfriend and I did the pick your own pasta, sauce, toppings. We both chose the agli oilio which needed roasted garlic for more flavor. I had the matalda pasta which was new for me and it was excellent with sun dried tomatoes.
Service was ok and was short staffed in our opinion. We sat on the patio but next time will opt for the dining room. We thought the value was good for what we got. I’ll go back next time I’m in the area.

You won’t find a better meal or better people outside of Italy. Cavatelli and Tiramisu is to kill for! If you want a taste of Italy, this is the place!

This restaurant is a gem!
Parking was easy to find on a side street next to the restaurant.
We were greeting as soon as we walked in and the host say is immediately-​impressive for 6:30 on a Friday evening.
We ordered the fried zucchini, which came with marinara sauce. Absolutely amazing! Best marinara I’ve ever eaten.
There is a page in the menu of mix-​and-​match pastas with sauces. I got the tortellini with pesto and my mother got the gnocchi with red pepper sauce. The pesto was more like an Alfredo sauce with pesto in it. Although not what I expected, it was amazing. The red pepper sauce was sweet and tangy, a little different but still very enjoyable.
All of the courses came out quickly– we were there for less than an hour. Our waiter was very nice and frequently refilled our waters.
Overall, amazing experience and I will be returning next time I am in Pittsburgh.

The wait staff is so friendly. The Menu has a lot to choose from.
Sometimes they run of things — but they always have great replacement options and work really hard to accommodate you.
There are wine specials a few times a week, and always plenty of parking.
I love it here, it’s my go to for me and hubby’s date night.

My husband and I had one of our first dates in Pittsburgh at Alexander’s, so it has a special place in my heart. I knew he was a keeper when we ordered the asparagus/​goat cheese appetizer and I loved it so much that he let me eat all but one piece on my own.
There is a bar areas out front that has a more casual feel and dining room in the back. The dining room is small and intimate offering several booths along the sides of the restaurant and several tables in the middle and towards the front of the dining room. The décor has a homey feel with nice colors and a fun chandelier.
The menu is much more extensive then a typical Italian restaurant. There are several appetizer choices in addition to the previously mentioned grilled asparagus. There are also several salads and two soup options, the soup of the day and wedding soup.
The first time I was there I tried the veal diablo which was veal with hot peppers and mushrooms and a Marsala sauce. It was delicious. It had a nice kick but wasn’t too hot that you didn’t enjoy it. On my second visit I enjoyed the «pastabilities» create your own pasta. With 10+ sauce choices plus 10+ pasta the combinations seem endless! I enjoyed the angel hair with the Marsala wine and red pepper sauce. My husband had the Bolognese and was equally happy. The pasta seemed to be in an endless bowl. I felt like I was eating forever and there was still two meals worth of pasta left in my take out container. The build your own pasta is quite a value for the price (although it does not come with a soup or salad like the other entrees do).
We were stuffed, but after seeing several desserts go by, I decided I wanted to order the Napoleon. It was stuffed with strawberries and blueberries and the cream was delectable.
Overall a great dining experience. We will be back.