Bar Marco

We are from the east side of Pennsylvania and chose Bar Marco because they serve good food late at night. Our dinner here was a stop on our way to Ohio. This place was fantastic. Incredibly friendly service and wonderfully quaint atmosphere. Small plates were delicious, and our desserts were perfect. Huge dessert portions too. Good job.

Fantastic Brunch Spot.
Our group of 6 made a reservation this past Sunday and had a fantastic brunch. All of the dishes came out perfect.
Highlights:
— Cinnamon pull aparts are amazing. Almost like monkey bread.
— A.m. salad has greens with the perfect texture, bacon and egg on top
— My favorite was the burger with espressor/​tarragon aioli/​bacon. Perfect.
— Buttermilk pancakes with pear-​cherry jam/​bacon were fluffy and delicious.
— Make a reservation as this place is small
— Service is fantastic and parking is street parking. Free on Sundays.
— They do not accept gratuity. «Our kitchen and front of house teams are paid a salary. Our prices reflect this.»

Flavor. I couldn’t stop saying the word «flavor»…if I felt I could have done it without being noticed I would’ve licked every tiny plate.
We ordered bay scallops, roasted octopus, and steak frites…
I also got a bartenders choice cocktail… And he nailed it… It’s like a scene out of that movie about the chocolate shop where she knows what chocolate you want only this guy has alcohol and he knows what alcohol you want…

The no tipping policy, does not give the server the right to insult the guest, because he will still get paid. That being said we went on a Sunday morning for brunch. While the portions are small and the price expensive it did not meet up to my expectations.

My favorite part about Bar Marco was the «bartenders choice» of the drink list. They have a lot of great wine and cocktail options as it is, but there is so much fun and excitement in picking your spirit and flavors and seeing what the bartender comes up with just for you. If the drink he made me wasn’t so unique and custom, it would be my new go-​to at any bar. The bartender himself and our waitress were so knowledgable and friendly. The food is smaller plates, which they tell you ahead of time, but the prices are a little on the higher side – this may be okay because they don’t accept gratuity, and this is factored into the price of the food. The menu typical rotates, but the waitress said they make their pasta and bread all in-​house which is a nice touch. We did make a reservation as other previous reviewers had suggested, but there was plenty of space to sit on this Friday evening.

I’ve been here three times now, it’s a great place for a light meal and some drinks. The price reflects the service and value, actually I think the no tipping policy makes it a little cheaper than I would expect for this quality at other places.
Keep up the good work guys.

Started with a fantastic dirty martini… capers instead of olives.
Focaccia was delicious, my friends had Caesar salad to start.
For mains, I had steak frites. Meat was a bit tough (hence ****) but still delicious. One friend had bucatini with mussels.excellent. The others had salmon, also delicious.
The room is small and cozy. The service wonderful.
Highly recommend

So good!!!
First, the Somm was on point and suggested the best Sicilian Rose. The burger may just be the one of the best I’ve had in the city. The ramp and arugula pesto is among the best pasta I’ve ever had. Period. The lobster bucatini with mint: amazing.
Honestly, the best brunch I’ve had in sooooo long. And, the strip is such a nice setting.

My husband and I came here last Saturday for dinner at 5 pm. I thought we would be the first people in, but there were actually several other groups arriving at the same time. By the time, we left, it was packed — and with good reason.
This was a spectacular meal all the way around. The service was informative and attentive — but not hovering. The drinks — one where you could pick the spirit (vodka), bubbly, berry, herb and simple syrup and one with rum, aperol and some other fruity stuff — were perfection.
Since this is a tapas place — despite sometimes reading like it’s not — we decided to split everything. We started with the bay scallops which arrived with a pea smear. The scallops were plump, perfectly cooked and just a hint of salt. Next came the bucatini with lobster, chili, mint and butter. The combo was delicious and simple. Next we split the steak and frites and pork and fingerlings/​carrots. I couldn’t have been more pleased with the presentation, sauces and flavor.
We didn’t stay for dessert, but I am sure we would have been equally as pleased.
We came here originally because everyone is on salary — no tips allowed. More businesses should follow their lead. But left happy about the business and the food!

This is a review for the wine room. Went here for my boyfriend’s birthday. The wine room serves a prix fixe 5 to 6 course menu every Saturday for a three hour dinner with two seatings, one at 5pm and one at 8pm. Limited strays are available so it’s best to reserve in advance.
The good:
–Each dish was very tasty and beautifully plated
-$ 130ish per person includes wine pairings with every dish and unlimited refills. also no tip needed
–new menu each week so you could do it multiple times. Also, guest chefs prepare the meal sometimes
–you can tell them any dietary restrictions ahead of time and they will accommodate
–wonderful service
The bad:
–the room is a wine cellar, so it’s cold. Nicely decorated but you are still in a basement.
–it was one long table with 4 couples seated together. This kind of killed the romantic/​intimate vibe, although we got to meet some nice folks
–I walked away hungry! The plates, including our duck breast main dish, were too small. Perhaps it’s because we had a guest chef, this might not be the case every week
–the wines were ok, not great. They source organic wines so that might limit their selection. Some were way too sweet
–they asked if we wanted cocktails to begin our meals when we were first seated. I should have realized they weren’t part of the price, but for some reason I thought they were. So an additional $ 22 for two drinks to my bill at the end hurt…
Overall the food was good and the atmosphere was nice, but for the price I think Isabella’s and Altius provided better meals.

Brunch at Bar Marco is delicious but the atmosphere and service leave you wanting more. The burger was beautifully seasoned and delicious. The pork was exceptional and the lavender & lemon sticky buns were great! The homemade coffee was also top notch
Drawbacks: Seating was cramped. Service was slow. Not a lot of personality.
So expect an amazing meal, but leave ample time to enjoy it.

We came to bar Marco for our anniversary/Valentine’s Day. We were really excited to experience the «unique» wine room and tasting menu with wine pairings. I really wish I would have know what this entailed.
We were 5 minutes past our reservation time. We were brought down to the wine room in the basement of the restaurant and arrives to a small table already filled with 4 other couples. My husband and I had no idea it was communal dining and were immediately disappointed. We had to squeeze in the middle of the table and converse with couples that we had nothing in common with. Bad bad bad idea.
The food was not great. The portions were small and we left hungry. The wine was all organic and was average at best. We actually had one wine that was not drinkable. It was disgusting.
For what we got this place was over priced and I was not impressed at all. We will not be returning. And the establishment should be clear about the seating in the wine room. We never would have gone had we known it was communal seating.

I have been wanting to hit up the brunch at Bar Marco for quite some time now, so I was thrilled when I finally got a chance to try out their dinner menu at happy hour a couple days ago.
My boyfriend and I were extremely impressed with the atmosphere. Bar Marco is housed in a large old firehouse, and they preserved a lot of the original architecture of the building such as the white subway tiles on the walls. The area where the garage doors used to be has been replaced by a couple of beautiful large windows. This space feels extremely hip and upscale. It’s also just the right size; there are not too many tables, so it feels exclusive but not in a pretentious way. Bar Marco has an upstairs that is used for private parties and events. I’m already thinking about trying to convince my office to host their next holiday party at this location!
We started with cocktails, which are only $ 6 during happy hour (awesome!). Bar Marco does not have a cocktail menu; you simply share a few things that you like with your waiter, and the bartender whips up his own concoction for you. I absolutely LOVED our cocktail experience. I can see how some people may not like the fact that they can’t examine a cocktail menu, but as a personally adventurous eater/​drinker, I had so much fun with the «surprise» aspect of this. My boyfriend mentioned that he was into Moscow Mules, so he received Bar Marco’s own version (the «Marco Mule») which was extremely refreshing and delicious. I asked for a drink made with white rum and mentioned that I like fruit juices. My cocktail was to die for! It included white rum, a muddled lime juice made in-​house, and a dark blackberry nectar also made in-​house. It was phenomenal and I’m still thinking about it!
We shared a couple of different dishes for dinner. The entire dinner menu is half-​price during happy hour, which is a huge bonus. I would say that the dishes here are a bit small for the price, but if you come during happy hour I think it’s worth it. To start, we ordered the house-​made focaccia bread and the pork belly bites. The bread was absolutely delicious. You could really taste the rosemary infused into the bread, and the olive oil it came with was great as well. The pork belly bites were in a sweet and tangy sauce, and were totally addictive. The one negative to the pork belly bites is that they did seem to have a lot of fat on them, and we would have preferred a little more meat since the plate was already so small to begin with. Nevertheless, we still gobbled them up. Finally, we shared the rigatoni, which comes on a bed of beef shank. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, and the flavors were wonderful. We were worried that we wouldn’t have enough food, but we were actually quite full at the end of our meal.
Bar Marco is definitely a must-​try in the Strip, and I can’t wait to come back and try the brunch that I’ve been hearing so much about. Yes, it is pricey, but I don’t mind paying a little more for food that I know is delicious and high quality. Additionally, the fact that the staff is on salary is awesome and I really appreciate the business model. Great work, Bar Marco!

My daughter and I were trying to decide where to eat dinner last night. She went to the Pittsburgh Magazine website and looked at their list. She picked out a couple places that we wanted to try. We chose a restaurant in the Strip, since we were first going to Lawrenceville. As we drove past our first choice, we saw the line out the door and down the street. Waiting was not an option for our stomachs on this night. We pulled off so she could make another choice. She said Bar Marco, but it’s pricier. OK, we’ll splurge. We backtracked up the street and found it. It was about 5 PM, and the place was empty except for a couple people at the bar and one table of patrons. We did not have a reservation but were seated. We sat one table away from steps going to the 2^nd floor. The menu was small which can be helpful in making selections. Too much choice can be overwhelming. We decided to start with arancini and the focaccia. The arancini was delicious with a tasty sauce. The focaccia was also quite good, although the dipping olive oil was strong for my taste. For the entrée, my daughter ordered the pork loin with brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes. She told me I could have the brussels sprouts. What I got was one small taste. She said they didn’t taste cabbagey, and ate them all. She told the server she was now a fan of their brussels sprouts. I ordered the rigatoni with beef shank. It was cooked perfectly ‘al dente’ with the sauce of that beef shank. I would have liked just a bit more juice in the sauce. My daughter insisted I try a bite of her sweet potatoes before they were gone. They were just the right sweetness and flavor to meld with the pork loin. We actually did not share meals at all, just a taste. The portions for entrees are much smaller than we may be accustomed to, but they really are just the right size. They fill but do not overfill. We just get used to equating bigger size with greater value. Even though I had some leftovers to take home (trying to make that trip to the gym earlier in the day mean something), we ordered dessert. Again, the dessert menu was short. My daughter and I decided to share a dessert, so we went with her first choice-​the pistachio cake with a cup of Commonplace coffee. I joked with our server that years ago I made a pistacihio cake with a cake mix and box of pistachio pudding. She laughed and replied that it would be just like that. It was delivered by another server who explained each element of the presentation. Despite its small appearance, again it was just enough for the two of us after our meal. We ate each bite with a piece of other plate elements (pear gelee, florentine cookie, dot of raspberry sauce, the cream and pistachios). We were not disappointed in any of the food we ordered here. If I could change something on the menu, it would be to offer a couple ‘normal’ drinks. My daughter wanted a soda, but they had only handcrafted sodas. I asked about iced tea, but that also was not an offering. I ordered a handcrafted lemon drink which was a bit too gingery. The server did take it back to sweeten a bit. She was very accommodating and helpful.
We struck up a conversation with a couple who came in after us and were seated at the table at the bottom of the long staircase leading to the second floor. The stairs offered a mysterious air to the space. What’s up there? It was this couple’s first time also at Bar Marco. They ordered the osso buco and the bucatini & lobster. They told us they were both happy with their choices. We were a step ahead of them, so they saw our dessert arrive. They watched our reaction to that first taste, and then asked about it. We assured them it was delicious and the other choices were probably good too. For them watching us gave more evidence of the experience of fellow diners.
The space here is small and not fancy. I noticed our fellow diner look at the chips on the pasta bowl, and then realized my bowl was also chipped. Earlier I noticed the glasses at the table beside us did not match. I assume these things are deliberate in the presentation. The ceiling is high and the door opens from the street to the dining area. The entrance is encased by heavy curtains hanging on steel pipe. There is just enough opening in those curtains to enter the main dining area. This rigging helps to protect diners from that cold air burst as the front door opens. Still I felt a draft and sat with my coat around my shoulders during the meal. The diners at that table next to the steps mentioned a draft from that staircase also.
My daughter and I enjoyed every bite of our meals, and we plan to return again on a splurge. Perhaps next trip it will be for brunch..

I was disappointed for two reasons. 1. I ordered the a.m. salad which is supposed to come with a poached egg but came with a boiled egg. Does the chef not know their own menu? 2. Way too overpriced for the portion and quality.

When you walk in the space is perfect! It’s a small and intimate setting, exactly what you would imagine when you eat this remarkable food. We went for brunch and when we first ordered the bloody Mary’s when it arrived, the drink didn’t have all of the ‘ornaments’ that you’re used to seeing, so you think quickly to yourself ‘maybe that’s not gonna taste so good’ but then you take a sip and you realize all those ornaments are just for fun and this is the real deal! I love the menu is small to me that means they are all going to excellent choices and you simply cannot go wrong. I was right! The crossaint as are baked in house and who can say no to that!
I cannot wait to go for dinner, and the only downside is that I had not been here sooner. Someone really should have pushed me into go ages ago!
Kudos to this restaurant for really doing Pittsburgh right!

I used to love this place. Now I just like it. I want them to succeed, so I hope they take this review as constructive criticism. I will likely return.
The food is very good. The entrée portion sizes are too small. Or they need an additional timbale, or serving of purée, or something. We shared the skate, and it was meager. Tasty, but meager. And on a plate that was of a size more appropriate for an appetizer.
The other things we ordered were delicious. The octopus, arancini, and brussels sprouts were excellent. The desserts are genius.
The service was disappointing. Dishes were not cleared (I had to ask). We were not escorted to our table (until I asked him to take us there), we were going to be seated at an unappealing table near the stairs (though there were lots of open tables), and it took 15 minutes for a cocktail to appear (despite not being busy). Come on, guys.
I’m very glad they pay their staff a decent wage (they don’t accept gratuities). But that needs to translate to good service for the customers. I did not feel that I received very good service. Not terrible, but it was noticeable and annoying.

I visited Bar Marco a few Sundays ago for brunch. It was an unplanned visit, but a phenomenal visit. For a Steelers home game Sunday, the strip district and Bar Marco were relatively quiet.
My Friend and I were seated at the bar and had some great interaction with one of the wait staff.
I, honestly, can’t say enough good things about Bar Marco. The food (polenta, meatball and fried egg with sauce) was hands down one of the best brunch items i have eaten in Pittsburgh. The donuts were amazing. The drinks were amazing.
If you haven’t been. Go. now. I can’t wait to check it out for dinner!

I was very hesitant going into this spot for two reasons, 1) cost, as I had heard that the staff is salaried and thus you don’t tip; I figured the cost of the food would reflect that, and 2) an acquaintance had terrible service there before, according to him.
We met there for dinner with a couple. I tried to call to make a reservation for 7 but j was informed they could take us at 8. I wasn’t sure it would work for our friends so I promised to call back. I tried to call back to confirm but it went to voicemail; I left a really awkward voicemail. In the meantime I found out my husband has already made reservations. I called back and left a 2^nd awkward voicemail. I received a call back and took the opportunity to say nevermind and apologize for my excessive awkwardness in 2 voicemails, ha! The caller, who we found out was the manager, was incredibly sweet and patient. We joked about poor husband/​wife communication and how we both were recently married… 2 weeks prior.
When we arrived, they gave us complimentary champagne to say congrats. Even though other tables were there, they made us feel like we were the only guests. They were so nice, so attentive, and had great suggestions.
The venue is small and has really quirky decorations and the best mood lighting.
The food was pricey but not anymore than any of the other restaurants we like to frequent. The food was very tasty! The only thing is that portions are exponentially smaller, but not too small. I actually prefer smaller portions, as I hate the feeling of being stuffed.
During dessert my husband asked for Porto which they did not have. Instead they brought a few aperitifs and digestives for us to sample and we got to make conversation with the staff as we sample different bitters.
Truly a great experience!

I want to love this restaurant. I really do. Unfortunately it’s lost it’s ability to be consistent. Meals and service might be exceptional, or you may leave feeling disappointed.
Reservations are a must. The concept and atmosphere are wonderful. The drink menu and bar staff are phenomenal. One has to really focus on the drink menu to get past the food options becoming lackluster.
Portion sizes are nothing great. Think– tapa sized entrée roulette. It’s hard to order if one has any sort of food restrictions or allergies. The menu tries to be foodie-​centric but seems to have lost its way. One should expect to order at least 3 courses and for at least one to be «eh, I can’t believe I just spent $ 20 on that» and another to be «wow, I can’t believe I only spent $ 20 on that!»
The location seems to be prematurely showing its age. It seems attention to detail has fallen to the wayside as reputation has grown. Attitude from staff has emerged. Sadly, food selections are starting to be more «eh» than «wow». For the price range, one can find many other options that aren’t a gamble.