Pamelas Restaurant

My visit to Pittsburgh was not complete without a visit to Pamela's. When I lived here I frequented the one in Oakland, but we visited the Shadyside location on this trip. The major bummer was the wait. We arrived late on Sunday so we caught the church crowd, arriving around 1PM. (Yes, quite a late breakfast I know.) We were told a wait of 25 minutes, but the wait turned out to be twice that. I don't appreciate that practice. The manager knew it would take longer than that but lied so we wouldn't walk away. Even after the excruciating wait, and the waitress neglecting our cream when the coffee was delivered, the hotcakes were pure bliss. Not the really fluffy kind, but a little more crepe-like in their thinness. Buttery and slightly crisp and indescribably good. Partly this may be attributed to not eating a thing until 2PM. I am unsure. But I am craving more of those delightful cakes at this moment so that says something. My husband's homemade corned beef hash was also very good. Sausage was standard but at least fresh, not dried out like you often see. Bacon consisted of thick slices. Home fries, which I had remembered as particularly good, didn't hold up to my memory of them, but were still better than the average home fry- slightly creamy somehow, with softened onions and not browned or crispy but with a hint of flavor. This place is worth the trip, but aim to get there earlier. And take the wait estimate with a grain of salt. more

Coffee Tree is another one of those “Pittsburgh places” that tends to attract both locals and outsiders. The coffee is excellent, and the service is great too. I really like it because they always have a few tables set up outside on the sidewalk, this really reminds me of the small European café’s that do the same thing. more

Pamela's is the perfect place to nurse a hangover (or just a guilty habit) with a plate-full of greasy eggs, sausage (or bacon - pick your poison), and pancakes. The pancakes bear special mention (even without a hangover) for their thin, almost crepe-like quality, and buttery sweet flavor. I further recommend the "enhanced" versions with strawberries, blueberries, or bananas, and sour cream and cinnamon. Fortunately (or unfortunately?) the curious quality a Pamela's breakfast has of sitting like a rock in your stomach, reminding you exactly what your arteries feel like on a smaller scale, makes it an indulgence only to be enjoyed on an infrequent basis (depending on the frequency of your indulgence). more