Ordinary Joe’s

Just browsing through restaurants nearby… and wanted to add my take on Ordinary Joe’s. I live in Aspinwall (for a little over a year now). The prices are high at Ordinary Joe’s because it’s close to Fox Chapel and lots of residents in and around Aspinwall/​Fox Chapel think they are high class folk with extra change to spare. That said, if you order the wings… you will not be sad with the price or the taste. Whole wings, fried to order, come piping hot with a few different flavors to pick from. I’ve ordered at least 2 – 3 varieties and have been happy with each. The blue cheese dressing though… I literally crave it. I have no idea if it’s homemade but it sure does taste like it. It’s devine. Ordinary Joe’s is a nice, not overly decorated, bar with lots of TVs, that is willing to put a non-​Pittsburgh sports game on (even when the Penguins are playing!). Delicious whole wings, fantastic blue cheese dressing, and out of state courtesy. Much more than I can say about the other bar down the street. I will return to Ordinary Joe’s again and again :)

Wife said «We’re goin out for dinner tonight, so where we goin’?» Despite the initial Unilocal I saw, it was off to Ordinary Joe’s we go.
Walking in we were greeted with a pleasant upscale décor for a «Sports Bar». Patrons were a mix of business types and a couple of blue collar guys having a drink at the bar.
Bartender was attentive and genuine. Short but nice selection of craft drafts.
I had a mushroom Swiss burger, she had a steak salad, and we shared the onion rings to start.
Prices were appropriate for what you get, portions good, and we both really enjoyed the grub!
When I think of «Sports bar», I think of of overpriced Coors Light in plastic cups and too much noise. That’s not this place at all.
If your looking for a Sports Bar a notch above, try Joe’s!

Ordinary Joe’s is the newest bar/​restaurant option in Aspinwall. They claim to be the only sports bar in the area, and while I’m not sure if that’s technically true, they do have a ton of TVs, so it would be a great place to catch a game (if you can afford to stay here for 2 – 3 hours and drink… more on that in a sec).
The restaurant itself is open, clean and bright (but not too bright), and the décor is modern and sleek (love the metal Pittsburgh sports logo art adorning the walls). They did a really nice job updating the dark and noir feeling of the space’s previous tenant (Marisqueira).
The menu is pretty standard bar fare (burgers, wings, sandwiches), with some more substantial dinner options thrown in (pastas, fish entrees). They did a good job not overlapping their menu options too much with the bar a few doors down (Sam’s Tavern). The beer selection is not particularly impressive or expansive for a bar, but it’ll probably suit most people just fine. On our recent visit here, I opted for some good ol’ chicken fingers and fries, while my husband got the Italian Stallion burger. The food was good, but nothing noteworthy. The chicken tenders were the exact same generic frozen-​from-​a-​bag variety that I’ve gotten other places a million times before. I did really enjoy the fries… they seemed to be fresh cut and were very well seasoned. My husband liked his burger, but again, thought it was «just a burger.» Good, but not great. And that’s exactly what I would expect at a sports bar, so I really can’t complain about the food. Service was fast and friendly, so I also can’t complain about the service.
The problem is the prices. I have no idea why a lot of places in Aspinwall seem to be overpriced. I don’t know if it is its proximity to Fox Chapel, which makes business owners think patrons will be willing to pay more. I don’t know if it’s the fact that Aspinwall is not a huge neighborhood, and thus lower volume necessitates higher pricing. But at Ordinary Joe’s, I felt like everything was priced about 20% too high for what you got. I mean, my chicken tenders and fries were $ 10. I don’t even know if they even charge that much for chicken tenders at PNC Park, haha. My husband’s burger was $ 11 (and he can get a better burger at Burgatory for that same price). And $ 4 for a bottle of Labatt’s? During a Pens game, no less? I mean, if you call yourself a sports bar, I think you should probably have drink specials during the games… that’s a pretty standard move for most sports bars. Because otherwise, at $ 4 a bottle for a fairly crappy beer, there is no way I’m hanging around for 2 – 3 hours and drinking there while I watch a game.
I may give Ordinary Joe’s another try sometime, particularly if they decide to start offering drink specials during games, but I’m not going to be rushing back there. 3.5 stars.

TV’s are great. Beer selection is not good. On a slow night our food took FOREVER! Our fries were cold, burger burnt, and bacon on the burger not cooked. This was our 3^rd time here and the experience has been the same every time. Very sad because we were so hopeful.

We have visited here twice now. One time to eat and one time for drinks. I must say we do prefer the drinking here more than eating. Aspinwall was in dyer need of a bar like this! It’s a laid back sports bar that’s a notch higher than a dive. It’s clear they are still working out some kinks, but that’s to be expected to a brand new place. The service has always been very welcoming and the drinks are a fair price. The food is pretty standard bar food nothing out of the ordinary, but it’s perfect for when you’re drinking a beer and watching the game on one of their 12 tvs! The four stars is for the residents of Aspinwall, not to make the trip in to town for. I hope they develop drink specials and some entertainment in the future.