The Bloomfield Sandwich Shop

«I think if you’re going to be in Pittsburgh, use Heinz ketchup (catsup)» when I asked about alternative ketchup options (for reasons based on principal, quality concerns and questionable concerns regarding «too big to fail» companies that lobby for relatively concerning things impacting our lives in smallest and subtlest of ways).
Nonetheless, I am saddened that The Sandwich Shop is now closed. =/​The food was otherwise delicious.

The mushroom swiss burger taste will make you swear your mother made it with lots of cheesy fungi love at home!

I have walked past the Bloomfield Sandwich Shop a million times, but I never tried it. I assumed it was a greasy and dive-​y sandwich place, which is typically not my scene.
After talking to Laura M., I decided to come here for breakfast with my family. I was shocked at the low prices and even more shocked by the beyond friendly owners. Customer service here is clearly a top priority, and these owners should be applauded for their awesome attitudes. On top of that, the store has a very wide-​range of hours.
I ordered a bacon, egg, and cheese bagel, but I was quickly jealous when my dad’s sandwich came out on homemade Italian bread! All of the meals were cheap and good.
The only caveat is that on a hot day, the inside of the Shop is stifling hot. We enjoyed the outdoor seating, though. I will definitley be back!

Small independent diner run by a hardworking couple. Good diner food and a great friendly, welcoming atmosphere. The owners really appreciate their customers and strive to please them.

AMAZING food. A cute mom and pop ambience. And bottomless coffee and tea! College student affordable and better tasting than any fancy coffee shop sandwich

This is a little gem in Bloomfield for sure. Great food with fresh ingredients and very reasonable prices. My boyfriend and I come here for breakfast at least twice a month and every time we always enjoy our meal and the service.
Home fries are out of this world– not greasy and full of flavor!
I would recommend the hobo sandwich– two eggs with your choice of cheese or breakfast meat between two buttermilk pancakes.

I stopped by yesterday for brunch with CM around 1pm. I’d passed the Bloomfield Sandwich Shop countless times on my bike, and had often wondered about the food and the clientele. When a friend cancelled alternate brunch plans with my on Fri., but I was still craving breakfast food, the idea occurred to me to finally check this place out. I’m very glad that I finally did, given the sandwich shop provided me with one of the most memorable brunches I’ve had in PGH.
This place is the definition of a hole-​in-​the-​wall – it’s very small inside, so expect to get cozy with the owners and other customers during your visit. In true diner style, CM and I opted to sit at the counter. Indeed, space was at such a premium that at a couple points, one of the owners placed dirty plates on the counter a bit closer than I’d like for a minute or two before proceeding to clean them. As for the décor, the best way to describe it is flower child kitsch, with a dash of sports (indeed, surprisingly, the paper placemats contained sports trivia). You really do feel as though you’re in the owners’ kitchen when you’re here. CM described it as organized chaos, which I thought was quite apt.
As for the food, as far as I can tell, the sandwich shop offers the most inexpensive breakfast in PGH (aside from McD’s, etc.) – everything on the menu is $ 5 or less, and the portions are generous. Despite this, as others have mentioned, the quality of the food is quite good – on par with, if not better than, Pamela’s, and leaps and bounds above EnP. CM ordered a hobo cake, a breakfast sandwich consisting of eggs and cheese between two pancakes ($ 4.50), with bacon (+ $ 1.25), and I ordered the short stack of pancakes ($ 4.25) with Nutter Butter cookies and chocolate chips (+ $ 1.00). Both entrees were delicious, and very satisfying, not to mention filling. (In fact, CM fell into a carb coma shortly after going back to his place.)
Although the food and prices are great, what really makes eating at the sandwich shop a real experience is the owners, Mike and Mama Ros. Mike, who waited on us, has a great sense of humor, joking with us and making us feel like family from the time we walked in the door to the time we left – and even afterward (he greeted us again when he and Mama Ros were taking a break at the outside tables as we walked past on our way back to the car after taking a short walk). From talking to him, we learned that he and Mama Ros have run the sandwich shop for 15 years (impressive!), and that he lived in San Jose, CA prior to moving to PGH. We didn’t get to talk to Mama Ros much, because she was working the grill at the time we were there and it was quite busy, but they both seem like great people.
Needless to say, we had an awesome first experience at the Bloomfield Sandwich Shop, and look forward to returning for more. While I’m tempted to award 5 stars, there were a few minor shortcomings on the food front (use of boxed pancake mix, lack of maple syrup), and the chaotic atmosphere may not be for everyone. Having said that, if you’re looking for cheap and plentiful portions of basic diner fare done well served up by friendly owners, check out this neighborhood institution – it won’t let you down! 4.5 stars.

I love heading over for breakfast, don’t get me wrong the sandwiches are good too! There is just something about a fluffy stack of pancakes and the most perfect bacon to start of the day! Love love love!

I’ve experienced better sums it up.
The sign says it, the looks of this place are not the best. The finishes, the countertops, and it extends to the attire of the staff. Little attention was paid to any of those things or to the atmosphere created. The place has potential to be cute and quirky. Instead what I remember most are the recycled store bought tubs on the shelves, such as large Parkay butter tubs — to hold the prep through the day in the refrigerator. Meh.
The food was good. I’ve had better. I’ve had much worse. It was clean in here, a clean grill, clean plates, and a clean work surface. But I have had better and expect more than cleanly prepared food.
The price was very reasonable — inexpensive and affordable.
I don’t think I’ll be back as I’d rather try some other place and take my chances than to just have okay food again here.

I am beyond happy to finally review this sandwich shop.
I’ve been here only once and it’s beyond memorable: It was a late night saturday around 2am and my two friends and I were on a search for late night foods. Matt suggested the Sandwich Shop with a description of a «quiet, low key, good food atmosphere» which was much preferable of any other options at that early hour. So naturally, we are hungry after escaping the hipsters of Remedy we are down for some regular chill.
We seat ourselves outside to wait out some of the crowd and drink the remainder of our 6 pack of PBR cans [remember we had just come from hipster/​lawrenceville] when out of nowhere our simple pleasurable time is disturbed with the outbreak of a 10 person fight! [we got lucky because this is apparently unusual] — there was even astonishment from the participants [“REALLY? We are having a fight at the Sandwiche Shoppe???” — yup pronounced that way]
Anyways, there was much scramble to break up the fight and not stub out eyes with cigarette buds and the chefs did quite a job at driving the trouble makers away. Surprisingly, no cops came checking anything out just drove along liberty ave.
Needless to say this delayed our now greatly awaited sandwiches which we received for free in the process. [we tipped very well that night] The guy making our food brought us our food and engaged us in a friendly chat for about 15 minutes [much needed to restore his nerves]. Also surprising, we were lucky enough not to be involved in this altercation.
All together this was a great late night adventure, with dinner AND a show!!! Can’t wait for the next visit.

This has become another Bloomfield Institution. It’s a great place to get breakfast and they do serve lunch. The hours are odd, so it’s usually a breakfast or a late night weekend place. The environment is very charming and warm. It’s a place you will run into your neighbors and other Bloomfielders and some interesting characters.
The food is made with love and it shows. The owners and staff are good people. You can’t go wrong. The prices are very reasonable.

Need a cheap breakfast served to you by people that treat you like family as soon as you come in the door? This is your spot.
The food is solid dinner food. You will get a good meal at an excellent price, and probably a hug. The place is small, so if they are busy be prepared to stand and wait
It is what it is. A quirky place to grab a meal run by a really nice couple.
I would be remiss to review this place and not mention the free Thanksgiving meal the Sandwich Shop does for those that have no place to go, can’t afford it, or are shut in.

I was looking for a quick bite after an early morning work out and took a chance based on the Unilocal reviews. This place is a gem. «Mom» is a typical short order chef with years of experience under her belt. The food was hot, fresh and simple and the coffee was surprisingly good. Even though it is clearly a locals place (four people came and went whose food came without ordering it), the owner couple were welcoming and chatty. I heard all about their thanksgiving. They were closed Thursday and Friday to serve or deliver 300 meals to the needy in their community. 130 deliveries and others picked up. The community supports them financially but they cooked for nearly two weeks to make it happen. 100% gratuity well deserved. Keep it up mom!

This place has the worst french fries I have ever tasted. They were literally BLACK. All I tasted was burnt oil. My photo is the zucchini planks and that lump of blackness are the French fries that I was sent home with. I could not even eat one! I also ordered the zucchini planks and a grilled cheese on rye with bacon. The grilled cheese was incredibly dry and the cook put the bread together upside down, like it did not match up… One piece of bread was the opposite way than the other. Also the sandwich did not stick together like a melted sandwich should. Ugh. The zucchini planks were delicious. 1 out of 3 is not great. My sister raved about this place. I am so disappointed. Disgusting. DO NOT EAT HERE. I spent $ 30 for only one edible thing worth $ 4. So pissed!

If you’re into diner food and unpretentious plates, then this is the place for you. (And me, and everyone alike.)
The Sandwich Shop doesn’t look like that much from the outside but the warmth and atmosphere that Mama Ros and Mike put into it, is something amazing.
Just had some coffee, and a modest plate of over-​easy eggs with rye bread – but the eggs were cooked perfectly and the coffee great. If I remember correctly, you can customize your pancakes etc… Yes. A million times yes.
I’ll be sure to pay Mama Ros a second visit if I’m ever in Bloomsfield again. So should you.

Its a tiny, greasy hole in the wall and I love it. I went for breakfast when my band was on tour, and the prices are small touring band-​friendly! Breakfast isn’t really hard to do, but I hadn’t had anything that resembled home cooking in a while and I needed this place. This is now a must for anytime I’m in town.

Lovely people! Great coffee! I mean great!
Down to earth, marvelous food. Pancakes are f*€king awesome! As big as your plate.

This place has more heart than a cardiac surgeon’s office, and more personality than the Meyers Briggs Test. Ba dum dum.
But in all seriousness, that’s what makes this a five star review rather than a four. Mama Ros runs the shop along with her life love Mike, and she and he will treat you as one of their own kids (but, you know, in like a warm, life-​affirming way rather than creepy).
Saying that they’re not in it for the money would be an understatement. The food is great diner breakfast/​lunch fare at extremely reasonable prices (and by «extremely reasonable», I mean that it’s freaking cheap). Mama Ros and Mike really just want to feed you. They give food to the homeless, and every Thanksgiving they host a huge donation-​based Thanksgiving dinner for all those who can’t afford throwing a feast themselves or who can’t be with their families during the holiday (or who would rather avoid being with their families in favor of the awesome Thanksgiving party that is Mama Ros’s turkey dinner).
Great food, a business that’s truly for the community, and a home away from home experience. Place puts a smile on my face every time.

One Saturday afternoon after a night filled with alcohol and a terrible nauseous feeling, i decided to walk to Bloomfield to head to the pool. i was so hungry and was looking for a pizza shop, but noticed Ma Roz’s first.
I was so excited to have some breakfast even though it was going on 2pm! It was delicious and all the greasiness it needed to be.
While waiting, I chatted with one of the cooks and another person next to me. Everyone was super friendly. I’m glad I noticed that they are open late-​night on the weekends. gonna have to check it out!

How on earth haven’t I reviewed this place before? It’s really good. The coffee is always fresh and promptly served, and the owner, Ma Roz, is great about remembering you after a visit or two. It’s a very family-​type place, both in that lots of families go there to eat, and also that there’s a familiarity that builds up very quickly. After I had my wisdom teeth out, this was the first place I went to eat once I could chew solid food again.
It’s a dive diner, sure — but it’s genuine, unpretentious (*cough* Taste of Dahntahn *cough*), and they serve some seriously good comfort food. The homefries are yummy as hell, and the breakfast sandwich is ridiculously cheap for the amount of food you get in it.
And definitely, I recommend eating at the counter. The people who work there are great to talk to. As others have mentioned, though, don’t forget your cash.