Roman Bistro

We had the wolf fish cioppino special. Loaded with clams, mussels, shrimp, fish and fish over fusili. It was cooked to perfection!

Drive past here a lot. Always wondered what it was like. Stopped today for a late lunch after looking for houses in the area. Quite impressed. Really good selections on the menu, lots of Italian options. Tasty meal, nice ambience, and good service. Will definitely go back.

I’ve had their breakfast buffet a number of times — it’s A+ for the price!
I finally had dinner (take out) from them last night. I got chicken parmigiana and my fiancée got the Pasta Romano. Both were quite tasty!
I will note that they did forget the vegetables with the pasta; when I called them about it, they apologized and had my vegetables ready when I came back, along with a coupon for a free appetizer. That was nice!
Portion sizes were reasonable (except the vegetables, ironically), and the $ 3 up-​charge for salad with my meal was actually worth it! The salad came with real mixed greens (NOT iceberg lettuce!), and some tasty accouterments.
Overall, the staff is very nice, prices are reasonable, and it’s by far one of the better dining establishments on the east side of Pittsburgh.

We have gone in for drinks four times. Each time was worse than the last. Bartenders surly and rude every time. Customers should not have to try to engage the help — it should be the help making customers feel welcome. Asked for the beer glass to be full on one occasion and was told «that’s how we pour». That’s okay, we get it. Other establishments want our business. Sad that yours doesn’t.

Me and my family went here on a Sunday evening after thanksgiving. My wife and I split a shrimp Alfredo pasta dish. It was excellent. My two children ate a cheeseburger and chicken tenders. For our appetizer we had the fried zucchini.
The food was excellent and so was the service. They had a huge craft brew draft list (I had two). My wife had a sangria. I feel the price did in fact meet the quality of the food. Three drinks, two sprites, one appetizer and three meals came to $ 71.00. We will be back for sure.

We went to the Roman Bistro for the first time for their Sunday Brunch. To be honest, both my wife and I were disappointed. The food offering, in terms of selection, was nice. But the food itself was just ‘OK’. Even the omelettes, which I was really looking forward to, were mediocre. Now I wouldn’t have been too upset had the price have been around $ 12 a person. But it’s $ 18. And that does NOT include beverages! So if you want a juice and coffee, add another $ 4 ($ 2 per beverage) So that comes out to be a whopping $ 22 a person! The service was also just average (was never even asked about refills on drinks). So, all in all, definitely not worth the money.

Food was fine but a little overpriced. Save your visit for a special occasion, I.e. Mother’s Day, Anniversary, etc

It’s Classy-n’nat!
Love this place — great people work here and I even like the owner! I was in town to visit family and it is so nice to have a good place to go close by without driving too far. It’s a safe area — a nice parking lot fully lit and has great ambience!
Outside seating is available and it’s done well.
I came by with my brother several times during the 2 weeks I was there. I like good beer and the local bars are mostly big brand beers like Bud and Coors types. This place must have 35 beer taps of really outstanding brews. The wine list is decent. Great bartenders — there’s one guy Mr. Jacob that was well educated in all of the ales and food preparations they carry and delivered it with style. It worked out that we knew his parents — small world. I went to Catholic school with his mother — awesome family.
Later that week my whole family ate there for my Dad’s 80^th birthday. Everyone enjoyed their food, service was excellent and the wine we chose was delicious and was reasonably priced.
This is where the big wigs of Forest Hills go like Hal C. — the big deals are being made at the bar, the wheelers and dealers.
This is a true neighborhood gem that is well respected in Forest Hills!

What they said re service! I was actually so angry from waiting for service from a surly bartender who insisted on correcting our nomenclature on our drink order that I almost walked out. My Mother had wanted to bring me here so I took a deep breath and TRIED to order. Meatball sandwich in Pittsburgh should be pretty safe, right??? Me, «Can I have a small salad instead of fries?» Surly bartender, «No.» REALLY???
Food arrives quickly ergo one star.
Food was absolutely horrible! My mother had the blackened prime rib sandwich. I had the meatball hoagie without salad. Both were bland and tasteless.
The manager asked us how it was and I told her. She credited us for the meals which was appreciated but doesn’t save the poor service and bad food.

I relocated from NYC last year and my family from NYC came to visit and we were craving authentic Italian food. I heard some reviews from ppl and decided to come to Roman Bistro. My family consist of a group of 10 ppl and everyone ordered and said they enjoyed every bit. I ordered the Rigatoni with al la vodka sauce and pancetta. It was so good. This will be my go to restaurant for Italian food. I’m going to try to visit on Wednesdays to create your own pasta but the dishes on the menu are really tasty.

Excellent experience for lunch. Would love to come for dinner.
A must if coming from Granview Gold Club, Kenny wood or just out and about. I highly recommend this restaurant.

I visited Roman Bistro with a couple of good friends this past Sat. evening at around 6:30. I normally don’t get out this way too often, but my friends’ house is nearby and they’re frequent customers, so they invited me to dinner with them here. Given that they enjoy Roman Bistro, I was keen to check out one of their favorite haunts, so I took them up on their offer.
Our visit got off to a bit of a rocky start when no waitstaff came to greet us for 10 min. after being seated, so one of my friends went to inform the hostess. At that point, a waitress came to greet us within a couple of minutes, accompanied by a manager who offered us comped appetizers. We took the manager up on this offer and got two orders of the bada bing shrimp ($ 13 each), which turned out to be delicious, with just the right amount of spice and a nice crunch. We also ordered drinks, with one of my friends ordering a beer, and my other friend and I ordering their specialty martinis (chocolate and strawberry blond, respectively; $ 8, -$ 1 with Unilocal check-​in discount). When my martini was served, I took a sip and then noticed something that turned out to be a fruit fly in my drink, so the waitress apologetically got me another one. Be forewarned that this drink must be a major fruit fly attractor, since my second drink was served without any fruit flies, but one got into it as I sipped on it throughout the meal (this time, I fished it out without complaint).
For our entrees, I ordered the chicken artichoke piccata ($ 21), one friend ordered the flatiron steak ($ 23), and the other ordered the pumpkin ravioli special ($ 24). Additionally, each of us ordered a side of soup or salad with our meal ($ 4 each). I ordered the New England Clam Chowder, which was thick and had a decent amount of clam, but was rather salty. My chicken piccata, which consisted of grilled chicken breasts over linguine with capers and artichokes in a lemon butter sauce, was quite delicious, and was a big enough portion for two meals (I ate half there and the other half for dinner the next night). Because I don’t eat beef, I didn’t try the steak, but my friend who ordered it seemed quite satisfied with it. The star of the show, though, was the pumpkin ravioli that my other friend ordered, which she generously let me sample. The filling consisted of pumpkin and mascarpone cheese, and was rich yet seemed light and airy, and was dressed with an allspice cream sauce. If you see this seasonal item on the menu and you enjoy pumpkin, be sure to order it – you won’t be disappointed!
Before heading back to my friends’ house, all of us ordered dessert to go. One friend and I ordered the death by chocolate ($ 7), a huge slice of chocolate cake with chocolate icing and shavings drizzled with chocolate sauce. Needless to say, if you’re a chocoholic, this is the dessert for you! My other friend ordered a slice of the NY cheesecake topped with raspberry sauce ($ 7), which I didn’t try but looked delicious.
Despite the rocky start, my friends and I were quite satisfied with the service from our waitress, Lori Anne, throughout the meal. While I ordered more than I usually do when dining out, and I thought the price point was a tad steep, I can’t complain too much, given the comped apps and drink and the slight drink discount. Based on the crowd and clientele and the casual atmosphere, it’s clear that that Roman Bistro is a favorite haunt of the locals, and I can see why.

Went on a double date here for brunch today. We were seated within two minutes outdoors as requested since there was a nice breeze out (despite the 90 °F weather). We did the $ 17/​person brunch buffet which ends at 2pm. Their variety is good; you can find pretty much every brunch food staple and more. I had eggs, sausage, potato latkes, pancakes, cheesy potatoes, and a blueberry waffle. I wanted to try a lot more but sadly was too full after one plate and half a waffle. They also have salmon, veggies, and sweets (cupcakes, donuts, cookies, jello, cake pops, etc.) and an omelette and waffle bar where a friendly man will make you whatever you like. Mixed opinion on the food. I really enjoyed the potato latkes and my blueberry waffle, but the sausage was too fatty, the eggs tasted old, the pancake was stale, and the potatoes were way too cheesy. If I come back, I’ll probably only get the potato latkes, a waffle, try an omelette, and skip most of the other food.
Taste | 3
Atmosphere | 3.5
Presentation | 3
Service | 3
OVERALL | 3

On a less than busy, post lunch rush stop, we were less than thrilled with our visit.
There were two issues with getting our order right, and there wasn’t anything special about the orders… Sides and salad dressings were messed up. Simply the kitchen not reading tickets on a leisurely afternoon.
One meal was fine, the other dry and with the tell tale signs of being under the lights in the window for too long.
The server was attentive when flagged down but slow and scattered on her own.
All of the mistakes combined mean not only will we not return, but we will be sure to discourage friends looking for a bite in Forest Hills from visiting.

Just moved out of the city recently and into my new digs. Roman Bistro is one of the nicer establishments around this area and quite possibly the go-​to restaurant for a fancy meal.
I’ve been here twice; once for dinner and the other for lunch. What caught my eye, besides the beautiful white piano, was how inexpensive the wine menu is. $ 6 for a glass of wine, I’ll take it! Or 2! The selection of wine changes regularly. We were great and seated by a friendly gentleman who really took great care of us. Customer service was outstanding!
For dinner, we were served complementary bread and «tapenade» with oil, herbs, olives, roasted red peppers, and sundried tomatoes. The Caesar salad was so refreshing and if you don’t like anchovies, just let them know. For my entrée, I ordered the chicken artichoke picatta. I was quite surprised with the portion size as well as the presentation. The flavored all married together swimming in a buttery lemon sauce.
For lunch, we ordered apps: stuffed banana peppers with sausage and bruschetta. You get three medium peppers stuffed with spicy and deliciousness. I’d get these again! I was told by a friend to try the bruschetta because it is the best. However the crostini wasn’t good and was very stale. And in my opinion, although it was a beautiful presentation, I wouldn’t call that bruschetta. My husband and I split the chicken Parmesan served with gnocchi and red sauce.
If I had to summarize my experience I’d say great service with fancy food in a casual environment. I look forward to coming back!
1. Customer service — 5
2. Food — 4
3. Ambience — 3
4. Menu — 4
5. Food service — 4

Great Sunday brunch. A really good value for the selection offered. Be causious of the after church croud around 1230. They fill the place up and are generally really slow in the buffet line. The staff are really friendly and I have yet to have a bad meal here.

I’ve been to Roman Bistro several times for Happy Hour. They have a wonderful craft beer list and their appetizers have been pretty tasty. Never have I stopped in for dinner. After our experience, I may just stick to Happy Hours.
We had two separate servers asking us the same questions… at different times. Weird. Since it seemed busy, we ordered calamari. I’ve had this in the past and thought it was decent. Tonight it was absolutely flavorless. The only flavor was in the dipping sauce. No tossing in lemon or even salt. Simply dry and dead.
Our entrées were the prime rib special and chicken artichoke picatta. For $ 26 I expected more out of the prime rib. Ordered medium/​rare, it was overcooked and it just seemed lack luster. My chicken artichoke dish comprised of overcooked pasta, bland chicken, and the inedible parts of artichoke. Not worth the $ 20 ticket. I would not recommend this dish.
When receiving our $ 86 bill, my jaw dropped a bit. This meal was worth $ 40 – 50, not $ 86.
I give Roman’s a 3 because I truly enjoy the bar and happy hour. It just seems like it has a bit of an identity crisis — great beer, tvs, and bar atmosphere mixed with an overpriced, hoity toity back room. It has Italian on the menu along with bbq ribs, a Cuban sandwich, and coconut shrimp… those aren’t even close to Italian. It just doesn’t work.
«Do as the Roman’s do» is not the correct slogan for this venue. Instead I’ll grab a pint and leave with a smile.

We live in the neighborhood, so we are happy to see that a restaurant has sustained business for so long in this location and has very good food. We’ve always been a fan, but the last couple of times have been quite disappointing. The first time I noticed the service was not the same was a couple of months ago. I asked the server about an offer on Unilocal,she said she would find out, and never came up with an answer. She mixed up several things we ordered and was not as knowledgable on the menu as one would expect. At first she seemed very annoyed with us, but toward the end for some reason she changed her tune and was pleasant.
The most recent time we were disappointed actually upset a whole group of our friends.
A smaller group met first for dinner, then later another handful of friends met everyone for drinks and to watch a basketball game. I asked what a specific drink was on the menu and neither of the bartenders knew what the drink was or what the ingredients were to it. So instead of making them flustered, I just ordered something else.
What really set us off was this. My husband ordered a beer and when the bartender opened it she said to him «it’s warm» and handed it to him. He said that since she already opened it he was going to drink it. A man came over to him and said not to worry that he wouldn’t be charged for the next one. When my husband ordered another beer, the man charged him for it and when my husband asked about it the man replied «well you drank the first one». Understand, but he said said we weren’t going to be charged for the next.
Also, throughout the night there were about 20 – 25 people with our group. I would think that an establishment would be happy that many people were bringing money in. The bartenders seemed to be very irritated with us the whole night. Very cold, not attentive, and at some times quite rude.
We really like the food here, but if the service continues to be this way when we go, we will find elsewhere to spend our money.

The desserts are delicious — it’s hard to name the desserts on the Brunch bar because it’s a decadent display of so many treats. Labels would be helpful on the lesser known desserts.
From petit pettifors in chocolate, to cannoli, chocolate and rice puddings, apple pie, and even a good old fashioned dirt dish complete with candy worms. The presentation is great (whoever sets it up has an eye for creating appetites)!
If my husband leaves it up to me, I’m choosing Roman Bistro every time!!!

SUCCULENT
Moist and tasty: TOOTHSOME
A friend of mine was recently in town due to the passing of his father. As with a lot of situations in life, sharing a good meal with friends and loved ones can help carry us away from our own personal grief filled moments. Our visit to Roman Bistro was one of those moments where we could set aside the reason for the return home and build new memories to cherish in the future.
There are several dining spaces at the Roman Bistro and a main entry with a white baby grand piano. Comfortable, cozy and welcoming all the way around. We were quickly seated and our server could not have been more pleasant. Additionally, throughout our meal the restaurant manager and server checked to make sure that we were content and not in need of anything.
During the fall and winter months, I enjoy warm and comforting food. Thick stews, hearty soups and roasted meats. Stick to your rib fare, for sure, but also food that feels like a warm hug. I ordered the pork osso bucco served with garlic polenta and sautéed broccoli with roasted tomatoes. My friend ordered the chicken artichoke piccata with linguini and my daughter Muff ordered the white bruschetta pizza. Each meal was different yet the same with its comforting aspects.
The osso bucco, usually made from veal shanks but in this case with a pork shank, was tender and succulent. I don’t know how they achieved the somewhat crispy roasted outside and moist inside… Truly, all I had to do was nudge the meat with my fork and it came away from the bone. The demi-​glacé sauce and side dishes were also impeccable.
I usually don’t order any type of piccata dishes in restaurants simply because the chefs seem to go overboard with the tart aspects of this style of dish. This dish was well executed with just the right amount of acidulousness from the lemon and capers and balanced with the right amount of butter. My daughter’s white bruschetta pizza was brightened with a porcini glaze that cut through the richness of the pizza.
We each sampled food from one another’s plates and thoroughly enjoyed the nourishment for our bodies and souls during the time that we spent with one another. Roman Bistro invites these types of moments through their food, impeccable service and ambiance. If you’re in the area or just need a food hug, fare una visita al Roman Bistro.