Clark Bar & Grill

Great lunch at the Clark Bar & Grill! The Marietta Burger was amazing and made my taste buds sing. Its definitely unique. I love the fresh cut fries!!! They are cut thick and were cooked just right. I am totally digging the menu too. something for everyone. The soft pretzel bites were good — at a glance they look like hard pretzels but are soft and oh so tasty.
Thanks Clark Bar & Grill. …this yinzer is looking forward to her next visit.

Horrible food, horrible service. I’m really not sure how this place manages to stay in business.

Got tickets to the ZoSo concert at Stage AE and decided to switch up my pre-​lube location from something other than the Tilted Kilt, River Towne or Bettis Grill. I decided on the Clark Bar.
I’ve only been to the Clark Bar once before for lunch about three years ago. I remember being impressed with the Boomer Burger and even tweeted the following about it: «Just had a Boomer Burger at the Clark Bar for #lunch. Half pound of deliciousness discovered on the N. Shore of #pgh» (the accompanying pic that I took that day is uploaded here). So I came back to drink a few beers and have some dinner with my lady before the show.
Speaking of beers, there’s a limited selection of craft beers here. As of this writing, on tap they’ve got Penn Marzen, Dogfish Head 60 min and Sam Adams Cold Snap. In bottles there’s Bells Two Hearted IPA and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (they also listed Blue Moon and IC Light as craft beers but I’m sorry, I don’t think so).
I walked in the door at around 5:30 and I noticed that it wasn’t too crowded; possibly due to the weather. There were four guys at the bar and a couple of tables were occupied but nothing like I’ve experienced at the establishments on the other side of the parking lot.
While waiting for my date to join me, I started with a Sam Adam’s Cold Snap as a tribute to the day’s February, single digit, temps before moving on to the Marzen. Both were decent beers, very drinkable, but nothing all that special.
It was pushing close to 7:00 when we decided to order dinner. By that time we were the only people left in the bar. We asked the bartender about the crowd they get and if this is normal for a Friday night. He said that lunchtime is normally their busiest time and he gets a few regulars that work in the building after 5:00 for a bite and a few drinks. Other than those times, it’s before and after the ball games that draws the most business (as you would expect).
The menu is pretty simple offering a few appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches and the «House Specialty» Fish and Chips. There were also specials listed on a chalk board at the entrance announcing drink specials, wings and a Cajun burger. I decided I would go Cajun tonight. My girlfriend settled on a turkey burger.
My Cajun burger was spicy good delicious; perfectly grilled with a slice of pepper jack cheese and hot pepper rings balanced with a tomato slice and lettuce. I also got a sample slice of my lady’s turkey burger (yeah, we do that) and it was juicy goodness as well topped with cheddar cheese, onion, lettuce and tomato. Her burger came with slaw and mine with fries.
Overall this is a casual, easy bar. They obviously recognize their Pittsburgh roots and being nestled between the two stadiums they cater to the Pittsburgh sports fan. Photos of past local sports teams and legends adorn the walls in a relatively tasteful manner. But what’s really cool is all of the autographed baseballs, bats and footballs in the hallway behind the bar.
I’d recommend this place to any out-​of-​towner or anyone going to see a ball game or show on the North Shore. I give it a solid 4 stars for ambiance, service and delicious burgers. If the beer selection was better I would have up it to five stars.

Amazing food — hands down, my favorite place to eat in the city. The manager, Tom, is wonderfully attentive and friendly. The whole place is clean and holds a very proud pittsburgh feel to it… just a lovely and affordable place.

I’ve had lunch at the Clark bar and Grill about 10 times. Consistently good service and food. There are a few restaurants on the north shore to eat lunch, this place gets you served in a reasonable time if you have less than an hour.

If you love Pittsburgh sports & classic Pittsburgh food /​beer, you will love this place! First, the atmosphere is great because you’re surrounded by Pittsburgh sports memorabilia. The food is excellent. I’ve gone here for lunch many times & have always loved my meal. Today I had the special: clam-​chowder soup, tuna fish sandwich, & tater-​tots. Yum!
Friendly service & reasonable prices!

My review is limited to the restroom. I was in town for a Steelers/​Jets game and the portable toilet line was very long. So I walked over here and for $ 5 the allowed me to use the restroom for the rest of the day (they stamped my hand). I was told that it would be donated to a charity (I believe he said ALS). Great idea if it is true. The restroom is not very large (men’s room had 2 urinals and 2 toilets) but it is much better than the options out in the parking lot.
As far as the rest of the place, it was packed with fans prior to game time. Lots of food, drinks and tv. Might be a better hang out spot if the weather is crummy. But I prefer to tailgate. It’d be a good spot to watch the game if you did not have a ticket and tailgated with your friends.

So apparently I have this habit, at least last week, of visiting a bar/​restaurant during its most dead time. In this case, it was somewhat understandable for Clark Bar & Grill because it was a very uneventful sports week. Regardless, I wanted to check out this place, housed in the old manufacturing warehouse of the historic Clark Bar Candy Co. (RIP) just north of PNC Park.
I wasn’t overly impressed with either the menu or beer selections. In fact, there were only five beers on tap and one had just kicked. I ordered the special, a Reuben sandwich with tater tots, which were both decent. I washed it down with a Penn Pilsner (local brew) and then left to go check out another place on the North Side.
This may be a good spot to hit up before/​after a Pirates or Steelers game because of its proximity to both stadiums, but I’m not sure I’d venture back otherwise.

I went here for lunch and got the grilled cajun chicken sandwich and salad, both of which were fine. The service was really good. Overall, not a bad place, but nothing spectacular.

I have ate here on two occasions, for lunch.
This is a nice neighborhood type bar with a pretty limited menu. The food is good, and the prices are reasonable.
It is located behind one of the main parking garages on the North Shore… and it is just a short walk from PNC Park and Heinz Field. This makes it a great place for a before or after game meal.
During the weekdays, you can park right in front on the limited access street… no problems at all.
Service is pretty quick, and the waitresses do a good job.

Note #1: This is housed in the historic D.L. Clark Building, a place where the crunchy, peanut-​buttery, chocolate-​coated confection known as The Clark Bar was once mass-​produced. An old Clark sign can still be seen nearby. Offices and a cigar lounge also occupy the building.
Note #2: The Clark Bar & Grill is open on Saturdays for stadium events and has extended hours for such occasions.
For something that is supposedly a 20 year-​old Pittsburgh institution, it’s a surprise that it has gone unYelped for so long. Even more suprising is the fact that it never even comes up in conversations.
Alice Cooper was in town to horrify rockers at Stage AE, and Kay needed some grub before the show, so here we came.
CB&G is certainly looking over its shoulder due to its location. A sports fan will be impressed with all the memorabilia that decorates the walls. An autographed and framed Barry Bonds photo hung to the left of Kay’s pretty little head.
Sandwiches and burgers dominate the simple American menu. A septet of salads, a daily soup, various appetizers, and a handful of entrees ranging from Southern fried chicken and gnocchi to broiled salmon round out their roster.
Oh, you know I got a burger, despite almost getting the fried chicken. Clark Bar & Grill offers 8 different kinds, but I went for the Boomer Burger, which they allege to be their «classic» burger.
Lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayonnaise (my standard build) fixed up this sturdy juicer of a patty with an even sturdier bun holding it all.
It had the most elegant and beautiful melt I’ve ever seen or eaten on a burger. Whoever grilled this must have use the cover-​and-​steam method like a Zen master for the golden American cheese caparisoned the luscious beef croquette like an evening gown would a baroness. CB&G has other more adventurous burgers on their menu, but who needs bleu cheese, black raspberry BBQ sauce, garlic, or Thousand Island Dressing when this kind of brilliant economy is just as satisfying?
Also exquisite was the toasty pile of unpeeled french fries; hot oil-​plunged perfection.
If you went into a 5 star restaurant, were allowed to order whatever your palate desired, and chose a diner burger/​fries combo, this is what you’d get.
Kay will likely do her own review, but Kay’s Broiled Fish (cod with either Cajun or lemon pepper seasoning) didn’t seem to excite her a heckuva lot. The common brownie a la mode was CB&G’s sole dessert that day. Upon asking our proficient and kindly waitress Jill about the brownie’s origins, she sheepishly admitted that it was frozen and then reheated. Hurm.
I have a feeling Kay’s gonna give them a 3, but based on what I ordered, CB&G deserves a solid 4 stars. Skip the Tilted Kilt and try The Clark Bar & Grill for something sane, affordable, and respectable if a pre-​event meal on the North Shore is what you need.
P. S. I am a little befuddled that the restaurant doesn’t offer a dessert involving Clark Bars. Can they be deep fried? They can at least be incorporated into homemade vanilla ice cream, no?
P. P. S. I don’t know how busy this place gets during Pirates or Steelers games since nothing was going on when we visited yesterday evening aside from the concert.