Hunan Bar

Food is good and affordable. Back when I was in graduate school, my co-​worker and I came here all the time for lunch. Service highly depends on the server. The English-​speaking servers are nice and fast and it seems like they are in charge here. I haven’t been here for a year so I don’t know if the staff has changed. There is an older Chinese lady who can barely speak English but is very sweet. She kept trying to speak Mandarin to me (I can’t speak Mandarin, unfortunately) and ordering was almost impossible… I can point at the item I want to order on the menu but how am I supposed to get the idea «I want it not spicy» across through body language? Haha. I feel a bit torn about this because as a server she is really not up to par but she needs a job (who doesn’t?). A lot of patrons here actually speak Mandarin so she can do her job… just not for me.
Another problem is that one of the younger servers was a bit impatient with my Indian co-​worker. My friend doesn’t like soy sauce (he claims to have an allergic to soy sauce… of course you can ask if he’s allergic to soy sauce how come he goes to a Chinese restaurant? haha). Anyway, he put the order in and specifically asked no soy sauce be added to his dish. The dish came back with soy sauce mixed in so my friend asked that the order be made correctly again. The waitstaff said «well we are very busy we can’t serve you anymore.» My friend was mad and he ended up talking to the English-​speaking server (the manager?). The dish with no soy sauce was finally served. I don’t know — perhaps the restaurant was really busy at that time and thus the server did not want to deal with soy sauce issue.
Overall, service is hit or miss, just like many Chinese restaurants. Other than that, food is pretty good and inexpensive. Good for students on a budget.

We came here mostly because of the appetizing photos of the Chairman Mao’s pork belly on Unilocal.So that’s what we got, along with water spinach and crispy tofu. We noticed that the dishes were pricier than usual, but realized when we got our food that it’s because their portions are fairly large in comparison to other Chinese restaurants. Definitely way too much food for two and more appropriate for four (or even five) people. The pork belly was very good (fatty, of course, and therefore delicious) and came with bok choy. Honestly, this one dish should’ve been enough for the two of us for dinner (hungry but not starving), but it was our first time here so we didn’t know portions would be large. The crispy tofu was alright; probably shouldn’t have ordered it. The water spinach was a little different in color than usual but taste was standard. Warning: Some of the items on the menu that don’t have the spicy sign (such as the crispy tofu) can still be a little spicy, as expected at a Szechuanese restaurant.
There were rolls of paper towels (instead of napkins?) placed on each table which I found a bit strange. They could also work on their interior more; it seems like all they did was put some photos on the walls and forgot about the rest of the restaurant.
The two ladies who served us were very friendly and the food is generous in portions and apparently authentic, so I can see how it has some pretty loyal customers.
Taste | 3.5
Atmosphere | 2
Presentation | 3
Service | 3.5
OVERALL | 3

Mapo tofu is one of the best in Pittsburgh. Stair fried pork belly with leeks is also very good. More than half of the entries on menu are spicy but there are also not spicily food. It is not on the menu but on white board, Steamed fish (清蒸魚) was also very good.
I uploaded photos of menus so we can order pick up by phone.

They have pretty good food and treat the clientele different based on whether you are Chinese or not. There was a sign on the counter written in Chinese that if you pay cash, you get 5% off your bill. We paid cash but they didn’t give us the discount.
We come here for their hotpot bowls most of the time. These bowls are huge and filling. Personally, it’s too flavorful for me and it ends up hurting my throat half way through. I also try not drinking the water that they serve because I’m not sure if they filter it or not and they serve it at room temperature (I guess that I’m used to cold water). I had their other dishes such as the sweet and sour spare ribs and I did enjoy that.
Overall, it’s an okay restaurant and you need an acquired taste for their food which I like but wouldn’t be able to eat it too often. But I would come back!

I LOVE HERE！！！
It’s real Chinese food. Tofu is great, Ma La Tang also great, just like them in Sichuan or in many places in China. A little expensive, but dishes are always huge, so well deserved.
Will come back many times！

Great Chinese restaurant! Definitely be back again! Nice environment. Great Chinese restaurant! Definitely be back again! Nice environment.

Ok folks. This is it. Until further notice this is THE BEST Chinese restaurant in Pittsburgh.
Yes the prices are a little more than places like Rose Tea or similar. But that’s because this is REAL food. My mom teaches Chinese cooking. She grew up in Nanjing and Taipei. I’ve had the fortune of being treated to lots of good Chinese food through my whole life.
I was able to order beef stomach, pork tongue, and pork intestines ALL FROM ONCE PLACE. And it all tasted fantastic. Incredible!
The food here tastes just as good as you would expect in ChongChing, Beijing, Flushing, Chicago, or LA. I have moved in all those cities and eaten around. No compromise because it is Pittsburgh. But also the serving sizes are definitely generous. They give rice without charge. The food comes fast. They don’t accept American Express. This is legitimate GREAT tasting Chinese food.
I cannot recommend this restaurant enough. It is not so pretty. No gimmicks. Bare bones bathrooms. But that’s authentic Chinese at its best.
So come here for wonderful Chinese food. Go somewhere else for alcohol.

The waiters there are not polite at all. Usually i don’t mind if the waiter is not nice sonce I think its a hard job to keep up with all the different attitudes that people have. But, here the restaurant was almost empty when I walked in and they took me to a table I didn’t like since it was too dark and I was trying to read somethig. I asked for a different table but the server aaid that is at least two. However, when I was leaving most of their tables where occupied by individuals as well as the same table I asked for.

Had hot pot, dishes and Ma La Tang (a spicy bowl of meat of selection with veggies and rice noodle) here. Tried most stuff on the menu. A wide selection of food. Spicy dishes are good in general. Veggies and some plain meat dishes can be a little too plain. Normal dishes deserve a 4 star. Fish, chicken, Gan Guo (Dry pot) are my favorites.
Their hot pot has a huge portion. I mean it is all-​you-​can-​eat. But the starting portion is most likely enough for a person. They also have a wide selection of raw material, which is mostly very fresh. Recommended for large groups if budget is not a problem. Hot pot deserves a five.
Food here is a little over priced, but you can get special dishes generally not available in other restaurants in town. As its name indicates, they are specialized in Hunan cuisine, which is in many ways similar to the spicy Sichuan cuisine. But a wider selection of poultry, different ways of cooking fish and several special dishes makes it a unique place in Pitt. Can be a little crowded during weekends.

I was about to get a free swipe into market when a friend called me and told me that they needed a third person to eat all you can eat hot pot.
All you can eat hot pot.
For $ 20 a person, with a minimum of three people at a table, you can have all you can eat hot pot (on the weekdays – I was told that it’s $ 30 on weekends. Also you can eat 2 people at a table, but you’ll be charged for the 3-​person price… I was told by my friends). We ordered a split of half spicy and half plain broth. They set up the single gas burner and came bearing a giant tray (at least 3 feet across), stacked with dishes for us to cook. (Which is how hot pot should work – eaters cook it themselves).
Among the dishes stacked on top of each other were: sliced beef, sliced lamb, tilapia fillets, shrimp with heads, napa cabbage, bok choy, tripe, 3 different kinds of fish balls, beef meatballs, fried tofu, bean thread, spam, cellophane noodles, mushroom sprouts, daikon, lotus root, and fake crab. All those were AYCE, except for the 10 shrimp.
Especially the lotus root, the ingredients were so uncommon it was a pleasant surprise that they served it. Also the beef and lamb were too fatty for me, but I liked the fish (which was probably frozen). All the vegetables looked and tasted fresh.
The spicy broth was delicious and not too spicy. On the side of the room, there was a small table with 5 different colorful sauces for customers to self serve. I liked the garlic oil sauce.
There were many waitresses, and around us were larger crowds of 12 people at each round table.
We were there for 2 hours. I’d come back again.

One of the better places for Chinese food in the area, in my opinion! Definitely more authentic than a lot of similar places around the Oakland area. Got the chili chicken pot and it had a lot of chicken chunks with a bunch of veggies in a tasty sauce. You can also ask for extra spiciness if feeling adventurous!
I do miss the Cuban food though. I’m not sure exactly when they have it, but last time I was there, we were told that weekend lunch times do not offer the Cuban menu.

I was pleasantly surprised. The food is here is at least as good, and a nice change, from what we get over in Squirrel Hill. My favorites were eggplant and fish casserole, and beggar’s chicken (chicken dry fried in red peppers and sichuan peppercorns). The cumin beef was also solid.
They have a liquor license which is also a nice change in Pittsburgh.
As a bonus they had a table next to a fish tank which kept my daughter entertained for nearly 30 minutes.
We will definitely be back — we are dying to try the Cuban food.

This place does both Cuban and Chinese food. Weird, yes I know, but the Cuban is really good. On this occasion I asked the waitress about her favorite dish on the menu. It was the crispy fried tofu with basil mushrooms and something else. The way that she went on and on raving about it I was like ok! Count me in on this dish. When I got it, disgusting. It was not crispy and just loaded with a salty sauce that was overwhelming. I was not thrilled. I didn’t even eat the entire dish! And if anyone knows me, that is a pretty big deal. I know that they are trying to get away from Cuban, but I would suggest everyone to stay with that menu not the other one.

Bubble tea here is pretty decent. However, it was the waitresses that justify this rating. Although it was amusing for me to watch, they usually ended up confusing up the orders and us when we asked for suggestions. Also the Chinese cuisine was pretty eh. I’ve had better Chinese fare and noodles at other places. They do have a Cuban menu if people are interested in that, although I can’t really comment on how good the fare from that menu is.

It’s been a while since I’ve updated this, but Hunan Bar remains one of the only solid places for Chinese food in Oakland, especially after the demise of Taiwan Café. I’ve tried several items that I haven’t before, including the hot pot. That is an item worth mentioning, as it is perfect for a wintertime warmup. While a bit pricey, it can easily feed two, and the spiciness and broth will leave you feeling both full and hot.
In the summer, I enjoy coming here during the lunch hours for their smaller lunch items. While this menu is only a subset of their regular one, there are still way too many to choose from. We’ve taken a liking to some of the tofu dishes, such as with bean sauce or fish, as well as the pork belly. Very good deal for some of those, as they make them pretty authentic.

This place used to be a Korean restaurant, I loved that one. Now it became this two in one restaurant (Chinese+Cuban) I am Chinese so I will only focus on the Chinese part.
They claim they can make authentic Hunan cuisine. This is not true, it is really some Americanized Sichuan cuisine. The Mao braised pork is the signature dish for Hunan cuisine, it should be tender, the spice should mitigate the grease from pork. But their version is over cooked and very greasy.
They also make Malatang which is another signature food for Hunan cuisine. It should let you pick what you want from a list of vegetables and meats, and they cook them in a chili broth for you, like Hot Pot. But here they just make it as a noodle bowl. You can’t choose, and it’s just spicy.

I’m here on business so that means I’m here sans wife and kids. This is definitely not a place we’d have looked at twice if I had the family in tow.
Firstly, their sign says «Chinese and Cuban Food» which usually isn’t something that I’m going to even give a second glance. Stick to one cuisine — generally speaking when people try to dabble in different cuisines none of them are done extremely well.
Truth be told I was out on a quest for Mexican food I found on Unilocal.But, both restaurants closed at 7pm and I was out looking at a few minutes after 7 so this place caught my eye.
I can’t tell you how the cuban food tastes; but, I had something called the «Hunan Fried Rice» which is house special of sorts.
It was amazing. It had eggs and bacon in it along with quite a bit of other flavors. A bit of a language barrier — I asked for no mushrooms and the waitress thought I was asking for no hot sauce.
But, they brought some on the side and just a little bit of it did the trick. It was very very hot.
Point is I loved the place and glad I stopped in. It was within my budget also.

This restaurant/​bar is situated on Atwood, close to Forbes. It is a combination Cuban and Chinese food restaurant. I had been there before for the Cuban food, which is very good, if you like Cuban please see the reviews for Black Bean.
Walking into the establishment, you wouldn’t think you were going to get an authentic gourmet meal. It is on the second floor of a building that reminds you of a shoddy college apartment interior. The carpet is of the indoor/​outdoor variety. The tables and chairs are the kind you would find in a cafeteria. The flat screen TV blares the news or a game show and the lighting is fluorescent.
However, it is also packed with people speaking Mandarin (good sign). In fact the waitstaff mostly speak Mandarin as well (another good sign). There are Chinese food and Cuban food menus. On the Chinese food menus, you will find classic Sichuan dishes such as Ma Pow tofu and Chong Ching Chicken. There are also dishes that come from other types of Chinese cooking, such as normal Cantonese dishes (broccoli shrimp, cashew chicken) My wife and I had recently been to the Sichuan province (Cheng Du) and deeply enjoyed the food we had there. Usually «Spicy» at chinese restaurants just means a subtle kick, but anything labelled «Spicy» on the menu here is a SEA of fresh toasted red chilli peppers and sweet firey happiness.
A seafood hot pot (prepared in the kitchen) was ordered, it came out in a large bowl absolutely stuffed with vegetables and seafood, made in the non spicy fashion. The broth was homemade and did not taste as though it came from a packet, the seafood was fresh and well prepared. My wife ordered the Ma Pow Tofu. It came out in a pie dish floating in chili oil with freshly grated peppercorns, firm tofu, and mountains of ground pork. The staff didn’t speak great English, but we didn’t have trouble communicating and the service was fast and friendly.
We’ve been to many Sichuan restaurants in the states and this was the most delicious and authentic Sichuan food we’ve had since visiting Sichuan. Close your eyes and let your taste buds transport you to the best in asian cuisine. I can’t give it a 5 because once you open your eyes, you’ll see that you’re still in a run down undecorated dive, but atmosphere aside, the food is as good as you’re going to find this side of the Atlantic.

I’m usually more of a Taiwanese noodles and dumplings type of chinese restaurant-​goer, but we had a pretty good experience with this place on our first visit.
All of their dishes seemed pretty authentic for szechuan and hunan food and they have a very large selection of items to choose from. We were only able to try a few dishes this time, since the portions are really big. But, we’re definitely going to go back and try other things.
Favorite dish so far was: Spicy Eggplant — good balance of sweet and spicy and the Seafood tofu

Haven’t tried every single Chinese restaurant in Pittsburgh, but I dare say this is among the top ones. The food here is authentic Chinese style and even better than some restaurants in China.
I love the fish here sooooo much! And you should gather more four people for dinner so that you can share several kinds of dishes at the same time.
The price is about 15 bucks for a meal on average and that’s a little bit expensive for a student without income. So I usually come here when I have something to celebrate or I want to eat fish so badly.