Wheelfish

Well, been here twice now and I’m giving this place a 5 star review because I appreciate the effort. North Hills needs places like this BAD. Anyway, The food is Excellent, the beer selection is decent but could be way better. Def a nice cozy atmosphere. However there are some downsides… The hours are horrendous all around, service could be a little better, and it would be neat to see the place hard wire their Mac machine into the Internet instead of having to ask the bartender to plug it into the phone lines when you need to get money out– that’s ghetto. Fix that shit WHEELFISH! Xo

I stopped by Wheelfish for the first time in later November, just to check it out. I didn’t know it was there until I drove past one day. My boyfriend and I had some beers at the bar and just observed the whole place. I jokingly, but also honestly, have described Wheelfish as «Pinterest: The Bar». The décor is just so pretty, that sort of country chic. It is absolutely not a dive. It’s a great little neighborhood bar where you could take your family. You can tell they are still working on the remodel/​decorating process, but seeing as they’ve only been open for a couple months and the place already looks SO nice, I don’t mind. The bartenders were very friendly and prompt. The craft beer selection is great. If you are only familiar with local favorites, such as Yuengling, you need to stop by Wheelfish and expand your palette! My only request regarding beer selection would be if they added Dogfish Head Namaste or Acacia. I’d be in there atleast once a week if they did.
Yesterday we returned, this time with my parents, to try some of the food. We all ordered the beef brisket with different sides. The portions are perfect, just enough food. You don’t have to worry about not finishing it all. I find it refreshing it go to a restaurant and get served a normal amount of food, rather than a platter big enough for 2 or 3 people. ⁴⁄₄ loved the brisket! The variety of barbeque sauces was great. They all definitely have their own taste but none of them are over the top, perfect for us folks who are not hardcore BBQ aficionados. I also got the mac ‘n’ cheese, which was delicious. It is clearly made from scratch with real cheese and crunchy bread crumbs on top. I also sampled some of my boyfriend’s sweet potato fries and they were excellent. They also look to be made from scratch. They were the perfect thickness and perfectly cooked to be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. No sad, floppy fries there! The ranch dip they came with was delicious.
Wheelfish shows a ton of promise and has already thoroughly impressed me. I hope this level of quality is maintained as their popularity grows. This is going to be one of those little hidden gems in the neighborhood, which is great because we really don’t have anything else like Wheelfish in the area.

This place is an awesome addition to the neighborhood! It has a really nice low-​key feel and the crowd is a good mix. Haven’t been there yet when they have bands playing, but I know they do so frequently. The salmon and Mac and cheese were both great, as was the special for the day, pulled pork nachos. They have predominantly local beers on tap and huge list of whiskeys, and the staff is super friendly. Definitely recommend it!

Excellent food and service. We had the Brisket with Mac n Cheese and Salmon with Sweet Potato Fries. The fries were some of the best I’ve ever had. The meat is a dry BBQ and sauces are served on the side. We tried the sweet and original. Both were very tasty. We even liked the music, a very nice mix. Run don’t walk to this local gem!!!’

This was our first time to Wheelfish. We had previously been there when it was Frank N Steins and could see all the work they did outside & inside to renovate the property. It has a cool rustic feel. There is a bar area, separate restaurant area & little stage for live music. They are only open over the weekend.
Everything is a la carte. My husband and I shared the chicken (moist & delicious with the skin), smoked beef brisket (delicious, brought to you dry & they have multiple sauces they bring to you that you can put on — I didn’t care for the sauces, but my husband did like the Cowboy), delicious sweet potato fries & the corn muffin (my husband loved it. I thought it had a weird taste). It was definitely enough food for both of us. You don’t get a lot of brisket (small portion), but do get a lot of chicken (small portion).
When the chicken first came it was not cooked enough. My husband sent it back & they were very nice about it. The owner brought it out, apologized & gave it to us for free because she wanted us to have a good first experience. The waitress was also very nice. They know good customer service & could teach a few local restaurants a thing or two.
They have a cooler that you could get mix & match 6 packs to go. They have a great craft beer selection & good imports. The only bad thing was they thought Blue Moon was domestic.
Great place! You definitely need to check it out. We’ll be back & are happy to have a great local place.

Wheelfish is a cool bar with good drinks and a great vibe. The food is pretty awesome as well. Cool vibe for live music good food and some beers.
Kinda has a hip modern barn feel to it.

Wheelfish is the best new suburb bar in Pittsburgh. The location is just off McKnight or Babcock, only several miles from downtown. The aesthetics are awesome. It’s a fresh new rustic look done right. The BBQ is incredible. Expecting their menu to expand but hopefully not too much! A bar that serves a limited menu is great because you know they are doing it right. Hands down the best whiskey selection outside of any downtown/​Lawrenceville bar. I mean this — coming from a huge bourbon and rye fan. Live music is also a key ingredient in this place. Plenty of parking, room to stretch out and bourbon & beer to drink. Do yourself a favor and check this place out over the holiday season!

I visited Wheelfish after thanksgiving and I cannot wait to go back. I am not from the area, but was visiting friends and I am glad we chose to go there for dinner and drinks. Loved the aesthetic of the bar, so nicely decorated. The live music was an added touch to the dining experience; loud enough that you could enjoy it, but quiet enough so that you could easily enjoy conversation with friends.
They have a good food selection which is different than your normal bar food. Good smoked meats and a nice selection of side dishes. I had the sweat potato fries (the dipping sauce was amazing!), the bbq pulled pork sandwich and the slaw; all were great!
The girls working were friendly and accommodating.
There is a wide variety of drink selections available for someone who enjoys craft beer. I was with a friend who loves bourbon and he was in heaven. My favorite drink was their take on a Mexican mule; made with vodka but with an added jalapeño. It was the best mule I’ve ever had and I haven’t been able to find one as good.
I’m going to be back to the area soon and cannot wait to visit again!

Wheelfish is a great local bar/​restaurant with top of the line food and drink. As another reviewer mentioned, the food is not your typical bar fare, but delicious smoked meats and home cooked sides. I personally got the smoked chicken and sweet potato fries. Although it is true, these items are separate, I think my meal was only around $ 15, which is what you would pay if these items were sold together. Both were piping hot, chicken was super juicy, and fries crisped to perfection.
Even better than the food was a specialty drink called «Make my Mule Mexican.» At first I thought this was tequila based, but to my delight it was not. It was a delicious vodka mule with a dash of jalapeño, to cut the sweetness of the mule. They have lots of craft beer for the beer snobs, but also reasonably priced American drafts for the traditionalists.
When I visited Wheelfish, it was right after the opening, and although there were only two girls working, they ran their butts off, we stayed hydrated and had a great time listening to some live music. I was happy to hear that they do plan on expanding the menu to inculde more share-​ables as they get some kinks worked out.
I loved visiting this neighborhood bar, with such an eclectic feel.

The food is insane. A super fun addition to the neighborhood. Really close to Ross Park Mall. They don’t serve greasy bar food — they sell generous portions of smoked meats, real Mac n cheese and corn bread muffins. Best salmon I’ve ever had. Great place to see a live band, watch a game or just hang out. Love this place.