Brillobox

I'm now elderly and possibly too old for the famous dance parties. However the food here is awesome. It's a loud bar environment, very fun. Food is really excellent with a ton of vegetarian and vegan options

Brillo is a sweet, nostalgic place for the millennial soul. For those in this camp it remains the same ‘2000s cool’ aesthetic w lively, playful, artistic design - staffed largely w good folks. The crowd is mostly the same 2000s urban hipsters that went in the day - often wearing the same style they used to - but now they are 40. they still come here. I say this like it’s bad, but it’s not. It’s truly good vibes here, especially if that scene was your thing back in the day Other crowds do frequent here - everyday gen x ers or cooler gen z’ers or anyone really. And all are welcome. The early judgement of that world has left, as everyone has gotten older and just matured Food and I believe drinks here are solid and not much to say. They fit the bill. Coming here though is really about the larger experience and vibe If you want a cool place that is now a bit of a time capsule - Brillo remains a wonderful place. truly now a staple of the city and community. Its v appreciated, giving millennials a nostalgic and satisfying taste of what they once were

Stopped by after dinner for a few drinks with my wife. Loved the decor and cocktail selection. Staff friendly and quick to serve you. If I am in the area, I will be sure to stop by.

Dive bar. Love it or hate it it’s a perfect dive bar. The bartenders are super friendly and this was place had Halloween decorations up a few weeks after Halloween. It was great. Food was really good and they have vegan options.

Cute, hip spot for drinks with friends! The interior was nothing like I've seen before. Drinks were strong and tasty. 99% of the clientele looked like they were straight from Portlandia. Even though we're not hipsters, we still felt like we fit right in and had a great time!

Great chaotic decor and excellent selection of beer and cocktails. They also currently have trivia Wednesday nights at 8. Pictured here is Tröegs Hopora hazy IPA.

Amazing staff (lookin at you Kimberly). Great local beers. Different & delicious foods. Creatively beautiful atmosphere- i love this place!

Brillobox's Sunday vegetarian dinner has been on my list for awhile and I was finally able to make it a couple of weekends ago. They had just unveiled their spring cocktails menu that night as well as their spring decorations and I just couldn't get enough of how pretty their spring decor is! The huge bough of blossoms over the bar area is absolutely gorgeous and makes for an interesting contrast with the rest of the room. I ordered the guava margarita - ok, a tad on the sweeter side for me. I'dv preferred salt on the rim and kind of assumed it'd come that way but it didn't, so if you're like me and like salt-rimmed margaritas, remember to ask! They also didn't have a couple items on their drinks list that day which I found wierd because their social media post invited people to come check out their new spring drinks menu. For the food, I ordered the Seitan wings which were hard, chewy and I think overdone). Totally skip Seitan wings here. I also got their veggie dinner dish, which that day, was curry flavored rice with vegetable pakodas (which is batter fried fritters). The pakodas were excellent but the rice was quite flavorless and bland. I wish we could've just gotten another portion of just the pakodas!! I'm also not sure that the crispy pakodas and rice which is quite dry go together as a combination. The rice definitely needed a sauce or something that could offset its dryness. I get the feeling that their Sunday dinner can be hit or miss. But they only reveal the dish a couple of hours before they open and you're going to have to take that chance if you want to try it. Brillobox often also hosts a lot of music events which seem like a lot of fun and could perhaps make up for the food being so-so. I'm going to give Brillobox one more shot before I make up my mind.

So I finally made it here for dinner and it was just what I needed: a hardy sandwich, fries, and saucy cauliflower bites. The star of the show was the seitan rheuban--oh man was it good. The cauliflower bites were soggier than I remember. They used to be flash fried and lightly seasoned, but this time they had a thick batter and were saturated in a sweet and tangy sauce. I like the old recipe better. The downer for me was the fries, which were cold, even though the sandwich was super hot. The fries had been sitting awhile before they made it to the table. They still tasted ok but would have been better fresh out of the fryer. Brillobox still gets 4 stars, though, for their ambiance and plentiful vegan options!

Amazing bar and awesome Christmas decor!! Just the right size beer list and delish bar food. Will def be back.

Brillobox is one of my fav spots! Upstairs has a dance floor with a small bar and great events. Downstairs is a chill vibe with a bigger bar and great decor. We went on Wednesday for trivia and it was great!!! Not too crowded and the trivia host was easy to hear but not too loud. And the burger was great!!! Small menu but fast, even with bar service only

This place was amazing. I thought it was closed. We went here when we first went vegan and the food was wonderful and the drinks as well. I think I might be a bit older than the clientele now so I'd be less likely to go. I remember it being a bit noisy, but for young people with good ears, this place is great.

We came here for a DJ set on a Friday night. We started in the downstairs part of Brillobox. I liked the old school booths and eccentric decor in this area. It was pretty crowded but we were able to get drinks pretty easily. We found a booth to slip into to enjoy our drinks! The air flow is great downstairs. The issue now is with the upstairs area. It's just an empty space with a stage in the front and a bar and bathrooms in the back. But there was no air at all. Not even a fan up there. It was super hot and the air was thick up there. It's unfortunate because the DJs we're doing a great job but it was entirely too hot to dance for a length of time. I think I would only go to the downstairs part if I came back here in the future!

Yay they're open again! But more so, I should have updated this long ago. Service improved by leaps and bounds since my initial review. It's a great neighborhood spot and you can't go wrong with Prosecco on tap!

On a scale of romance novels to documentaries, Brillobox is a legend. I've never been to the Brillobox in the "before times," but I loved experiencing it for the first time a week or so ago. It's clear that this is a beloved establishment because it was absolutely packed out. The bartenders were whirling dervishes of drink creators, and the kitchen staff rolled out the food rapidly. What I adored most was the whimsical decor of the space with a giant shark suspended on one wall while cherry blossoms sprouted above the bar top. If you love to dine or drink in the midst of gorgeousness, Brillobox should be your haunt. Parking can be a headache, but the side roads offer random, available spaces. Just come prepared to loop around the side streets a bit.

So many vegan options. The drinks are good but come for a mound of fries and really nice booth seats.

Super hipster vibe, pretty good vegetarian food! We stopped in on a Sunday evening, and I was surprised at how busy it is. We were lucky to snag two seats at the bar. The space is very limited so I would find it hard to picture a band, or live music here. The beer was a little overpriced, but I felt as though the menu selection was priced very fairly. We ended up getting the bahn mi (tofu) and it was surprisingly good. The french fries that came with it were also cooked perfectly - I would really look to come back here if I were in the neighborhood. Great for vegetarians!

I just went to this place to because it said there's " vegan options" and I appreciate any food spot trying to accommodate us. I got the vegan seitan wingz, and the were over cooked, burnt and hard to chew, wasted my time & money. It was my first & last time.

I've been here often enough by now that this place definitely warrants a review. Like many Pittsburgh bars, Brillobox - named after the soap pads immortalized by locally-born artist Andy Warhol - follows the "mullet" approach. What do I mean by the "mullet" approach? Business in the front, party, party, p-p-partayyyy!!!! in the back. And by the back, I mean the bar's upstairs section. Let's start the review with the front part of the bar. This is an intentionally quirky bar that gets packed very quickly very early on and is frequented and staffed by people who are somewhere along the journey of the punk rocker-to-hipster pipeline. As in somewhere in that transitional stage between being a PBR-guzzling, three-chord playing, cuffed jeans type who loves a good scrap, and being a bicycle-owning straight-edge vegan with a tasteful tattoo sleeve committed to a lifestyle of yoga and meditation. As mentioned earlier, this part of the bar is usually crowded up and it is sometimes next to impossible to find a decent seat without being incredibly clever about it. That said when you do there is a more than decent albeit somewhat spendy menu that includes kimchi fries, a Mediterranean Platter, and other edible goodies. The front bar can be a little underwhelming depending on what you're looking for and if you and/or the group you're with can't find table space you might sigh and say "you know what, let's go to Tina's, it has the same vibe, right?" Which brings me to the back bar. This is the difference between a three-star and four-star review. The back bar is a divey, genuinely artsy venue for performers and DJs with a small, checkerboard-floor pattern overseen by a photo of (of course) Andy Warhol and some of his buddies from back in the 20th century. There is one bar counter staffed by a lone drink-slinger serving up cheap beers and quick cocktails, and if you are at all like me *this* part of the bar is exactly what you are looking for. Brillo's upstairs/back bar is an excellent intimate, small venue for live shows by touring bands and artists, including up-and-coming locals and moderately-well-known names. I also have to recommend the Goth/Industrial/Alternative Synthpop night Second Skin (DJ'd by the masterful Erica Scary, a locally renowned champion of all that is dark and alternative), which tends to focus on a mix of the classics and the new, with a through-line of the more punk-y and less pop-adjacent sides of those genres: I am happy to say this is one of the nights in town where you are most likely to hear back to back Cold Cave, Gary Numan, High Functioning Flesh, etc. and I am definitely there for it. Whether you are more about the longer or shorter side of the mullet, Brillobox likely has something going on that you will appreciate.

I've heard of a Pittsburgh salad and found a cool looking place to finally try it! I was not disappointed!

I visited this place this weekend for the first time. The vibe is excellent, classical American-style dive bar. I loved the overhanging cherry tree and all the little Andy Warhol details in the decor. The fact it is open till 2 am is a plus, especially in Pittsburgh. I'd give the bar a higher score, but the cocktails were so and so---my daiquiri was passable, and the frozen lime margarita was more fun than tasty. There are shows in the upstairs area, but I did not attend the one that was playing when I went there. I'll have to come back to check it out again. Overall, definitely try it out when out late and see how you like the atmosphere!

The food and ambiance are unmatched. Also if you're vegan/veg there are so many options. The bartenders are great. It's one of my favorite places in Pittsburgh and anytime a friend is in town I bring them here!

Brillobox is a great neighborhood bar with a quirky aesthetic, a good place to meet with a friend or several for a drink and loud conversation. I enjoyed my rose wine, but my companions observed that their apple cider tasted like cherry Robitussin and that their IPA was too dark to be an IPA. I hear people like to come here for trivia too, so I think it's worth more than one visit before making a final assessment.

Stopped by for a bite to eat after seeing that they had so many vegetarian and vegan things on the menu! The atmosphere is basically a really interestingly decorated bar with some booths and a huge cherry blossom tree hanging overhead. First, we ordered some fried cauliflower. I liked it and liked the sauce, but wished the cauliflower was cooked just a teeny bit longer to make it softer. Huge portion. It might have been almost a whole head of cauliflower, or definitely at least half a head! I had the veggie burger which was made of kale, black beans and quinoa. I opted for the vegan version. $2 upcharge for fries. The burger was thick and a bit crumbly, but good. It can be hard to make a vegan burger. I loved the avocado on top. The fries tasted waaaayyy better than they look. They were not hard or crispy, although they look brown. Not overly salted, which I liked. Overall, a good meal.

Awful service. Will never come back. Save your money. Plenty of other Pittsburgh restaurants with better food and a more welcoming environment!

My friends and I ate at Noodlehead in Shadyside and started walking westbound down Penn towards Lawrenceville. One friend was sore from running a half marathon earlier that day and would not stop complaining. We saw several people enjoying themselves in this bar and decided to stop in for a couple drinks. I liked the tree behind the bar and the red, circular vinyl booths. There were some intriguing women inside which only added to my appreciation of the place. The bartender was a really friendly guy and the beer selection was good. Those booths captured my attention more than the beautiful women sitting in them. Tom Waits lyrics have been stuck in my head since. "Warm Beer And Cold Women" One of those nights. It's warm beer, cold women, no I just don't fit in. 'Cause every joint I stumbled into tonight is just how it's been. All these double knit strangers with gin and vermouth. And recycled stories in the Naugahyde booths. And the platinum blonds, tobacco brunettes. I'll be drinkin' to forget you, I'll light another cigarette. And the band's playin' something by Tammy Wynette And the drinks are on me tonight. All my conversations now I'll just be talkin' about you babe. Borin' some sailor as I try to get through. I just want him to listen now, I said that's all you have to do. He said, "I'm better off without you" until I showed him my tattoo. And now the moon's rising ain't no time to lose. Time to get down to drinking tell the band to play the blues. And the drinks are on me, I'll back up a round. At the last ditch attempt saloon. Warm beer, cold women, no I just don't fit in. Every joint I stumbled into tonight that's just how it's been. All these double knit strangers with gin and Vermouth. Receeding hairlines in the Naugahyde booths. With the platinum blonds, tobacco brunettes. I'll just be drinking to forget you baby, I'll light a menthol cigarette. And the band's playing somethin' by Johnnie Barnett And the last ditch attempt saloon.

One star review for the "new" bahnmi sandwitch - so sad to write this! Brillobox has been a favorite since we moved to Pittsburgh 7 years ago - and the Tofu Bahnmi is my staple. I crave this sandwich and get it every time!!! I got it tonight and I disappointed for the first time ever!!! It was raw tofu! No special sause! Bread soggy! I am so shocked and disappointed!!! The bartenders are still super amazing and super understanding. Please bring back the old tofu bahn mi!!! It was the best in Pittsburgh!

Ate dinner at Brillobox last Tuesday and was extremely pleased with my overall dining experience. This summer (2015) they released a new menu with tons of great additions-new apps, salads and sandwiches, most of which are vegetarian/vegan and all are very different so options are endless. My boyfriend and I sat at the bar and for 9:00 PM on a Tuesday the place was very lively. Ambiance: unique eclectic décor inside. Several different paintings, artwork, and lights strung around the restaurant. Retractable side wall opens up entirely on warmer days to the fresh air. Aside from the bar and tables around the restaurant they have a few couches & comfortable chairs in front of the retractable wall as well. Very cozy spot. Staff: friendly staff. Not only was our particular waiter so welcoming but the rest of the staff was eager to offer refills or ask if we needed anything. Our waiter was very knowledgeable of the different menu items and the beers on draft, offering us his honest opinion of the food as well as beer samples. Food: Delicious! For an appetizer we had the creole cauliflower - flash fried exactly as the description reads, with the perfect amount of spice and a delicious tangy maple mustard dipping sauce. I ordered the veggie burger and it was actually a burger with substance and flavor that didn't crumble upon biting into it. Served on a very fresh Kaiser bun with fresh topping and a side salad -one of the best veggie burgers I've had in Pittsburgh! I will definitely be back to order that again. My boyfriend ordered the "b.r.b." roast beef sandwich on baguette - he too loved his meal. It was packed with flavor and tons of toppings. Overall food was delicious, ingredients were exotic, everything was so fresh, portions were large, and the large draft menu topped it off. We will certainly be back for more and to try the new menu items soon.

This place is pretty bad. Kick us out during the day because we had kids. The manager said they don't serve families. Literally told us to leave. Most bizarre experience.

Brillobox was such a great place to eat! The atmosphere is unique and casual and the food and drinks were not only vegan friendly but also extremely tasty! We got fries, hummus, and seitan wings (mild) for the table and the group had the bbq tofu sandwich and veggie burgers! Starting with the apps, we could have skipped the humus and pita as there was not really anything special about it. The fries were AMAZING and come with ketchup, vegan shallot aioli, and maple mustard (this mustard is perfect, blew our minds!). I really liked the seitan wings, they are not breaded and have a great texture and flavor. We go mild sauce since we has some wussies at the table and they said they felt it was still spicy. So if you don't like spicy at all opt for bbq. We got vegan ranch with ours as a dipping sauce. The only reason I give a 4 on this review is because we were brought out a non vegan sauce instead of this ranch at first and someone did eat some before we figured it out. To me that is a pretty serious thing. The burger and sandwich were both great and the burger comes with a chipotle aioli instead of the shallot, again if you don't like spicy food ask to replace with shallot! We hung around a little and drank watermelon margs before heading out and really enjoyed the place. I will for sure be back here and recommend giving Brillobox a visit!

great energy from everyone except the one bartender with the grown out bleach out. she accused our group of not tipping although we had all tipped accordingly, made us very uncomfortable because she vocally and aggressively accused of not tipping. very rude considering we did tip, it made us feel unwelcome. we had a nice time otherwise but she made us feel bad and prob won't come back because it made us feel quite uncomfortable :-(

Went here for the Wednesday night trivia game. Had a watermelon margarita for $7. Very tasty and fresh. Had the tater-tots to munch on. They were huge!

I visited Brillobox with a friend the Fri. before last. Given that we were both looking for somewhere where we could get some HH food and grub, and that I had a City Dining Card, it seemed like a good opportunity to hit up Brillobox, so we did. We started out by taking advantage of the HH special of $3 cocktails. These cocktails consisted of frozen drinks, so I went with a cranberry margarita, and my friend had a frozen bourbon cider. They weren't particularly strong, but at $3, I can't complain too much. For food, we took advantage of the HH special for half price selected apps by ordering the fried and breaded cauliflower, which came with a maple mustard dipping sauce ($3.50). While the concept seemed interesting, the seasoning didn't strike me as very Cajun, and the dip was just okay. In addition, I ordered the shells and cheese with chicken ($12 + $2 upcharge), and my friend ordered the Brilloburger ($12). The cheese sauce with the shells was nice and creamy, and the dish was topped with bread crumbs to add some crunch, both of which I appreciated. However, the portion of chicken was meager, and the dish wasn't particularly flavorful. While I can't speak directly about the burger, I suspect my friend felt similarly about it. During our visit to Brillobox, we sat at one of the tables in the back corner of the first floor. The decorations above the bar were quite interesting and festive, and made for a cool ambiance. As others have mentioned, this bar definitely attracts a hipster crowd due to its location, so consider yourself forewarned if this is a turn-off. Overall, while our visit to the Brillobox wasn't particularly remarkable, it served the purpose of a HH hangout nicely. Between the HH and City Dining Card discounts, which they let me combine, the price was pretty reasonable. While I wouldn't go out of my way to return, I certainly wouldn't be opposed to spending another Fri. HH here, by any means. 3.5 stars.

I've been coming to Brillobox for years, it's one of my staples in the East End. The food is always awesome and there are a ton of options I really enjoy. My go-to, though, has always been the nachos as they are seriously the best nachos in the city (and I do not say that lightly.. I've searched far and wide for excellent nachos and Brillo's were the real deal!) I was pretty devastated when I just learned that their new menu (while still awesome) does not include nachos!!! Often times, I come here exclusively for the nachos (as I had today), so I sadly can only offer four stars. Brillo, if you read this, pleaseeeee bring back the nachos.

It's been years since I've sat down and eaten at Brillobox. So I did it this past sunday. The staff was friendly and accommodating. The food was delish. Our table ordered some tap beers and: Fried cauliflower Hot Seitan "wings" Tofu burrito bowl Regular wings with dry rub The cubano The bahn mi with pork. Everyone loved their food immensely. My seitan was spicy as all hell and it was AWESOME. It was the best idea post Bloomfield Pool on a sunday. I will definitely try to make it a point to go back to brillo. I used to go there a lot when they first opened and it was all cigarette smoke and debauchery. I stopped going because it got too crowded for my tastes/age. I guess it's a decent option when we're looking for bar food thats good and drinks that are cold.

If you need punk in your life and, a little Rock and Roll. I must say, I don't like to boast. I just appreciate everything Brillobox provides! Thanks, to the 2nd floor for a good show, thanks to the 1st floor for my snack. I have vague memories of fun times. 10/10.

We were in town for the Steelers/Jags game. I am vegan and my boyfriend is not. This place catered to both of us equally. It was refreshing to find a place that has an equal number of vegan options as meat eating options. And not just "you can make it vegan by taking everything off it" options. I'm talking vegan toppings, sauces, etc. The creole cauliflower was AMAZING, and the cucumber salad side was delicious too. Definitely would go back.

I've always loved this place - used to go every Friday after work, since it's around the corner. Great place to enjoy a few beers with friends - they have a great rotating selection. This place really shines on their 'bar food' though. Their menu is great - I recommend their pommes frites and their brilloburger, but pretty much everything I've ever had there was awesome - hummus, nachos, banh mi, etc! I'm not sure if they still play the 'Dallas" re-runs on the projection TV, but the ambience is great, especially when they can open up the garage door in the front of the place and let the outside in. Hmmmm... maybe it's time to re-institute the weekly tradition with friends from work!

This review is strictly for the French fry cone! 10/10 So good, you are seriously messing up if you aren't ordering this. Fries, great! Dipping sauces, great! Order it

Wow wow wow. I had brunch here just now and it's delicious. Great vegan selections. I had the tofu scramble (usually I don't like them because they have the weird nutritional yeast flavor overpowering, but this one was perfection egg substitute), the most amazing thick slices of sourdough bread smothered in vegan butter, salted and peppered fresh hash browns. I wasn't a fan of the sausage they had with it but the other things were dynamite. My friend ordered the cardamon blueberry pancakes and I dipped my sourdough in that sauce and it was tasty! Service here was perfect. Right balance between checking up on us and giving us space to eat and talk. Good temperature. Music wasn't too loud. Definitely coming here again!

Dined w/ a few friends early one Sat night so the place got progressively packed as the hours went past. While I hadn't heard much about Brillobox's food, I have to say their spicy black bean nachos, generous portioned house salad, and thick well-seasoned burger w/ local cheddar were all very, very tasty. Food was served quickly and hot. Draft beer selection is ample and includes local favs from Church Brew Works, East End Brewing, and occasional Full Pint selections as well as Breckenridge, Anchor Steam, Victory, and Guinness offerings to name a few. I may have to go back soon just to try a freshly muddled Old Fashioned w/ cherries and oranges and raw turbine sugar. It really looked delish and as soon as patrons observed the preparation, everyone had to try one. I was already full-on beer committed and not willing to test the old "beer before liquor" adage or I would have stepped in line for one of those whiskey heavens. But the real delight about Brillobox is the outstanding service from all staff. The bartenders also act as wait staff and do a super job of making sure glasses are full and customers are happy. Table service does end at 9pm. The upstairs area also offers an intimate (read: small) space for live shows from some local and national indy acts. Listings are in the City Paper. Ladies room was small but neat and well stocked.

Let us talk about the food and drink at this place. Everyone seems to have covered the aesthetic aspect of this place, so I really shouldn't even waste any time on that in this review. I was hungry, I mean really hungry and just decided to check my Yelp app for nearby places and Brillo popped up. Scanned their menu and decided this was were I was going to satisfy that hunger in me. The menu is short but they seem to cover a fair amount of area when it comes to quick bites. I was going back and forth between the gourmet grilled cheese and the Brilloburger. Of course, being the burger fan I am I opted for the Brilloburger. I was quite excited because you got to pick the cheese you wanted on it (at no extra cost). You also get the option to have either potato chips or a mixed green salad, I opted for the mixed green salad. When the burger came out, my jaw dropped. Good thing it did, because is was huge. So huge it was necessary to cut it in half to devour it. I swear they make their own buns there, if not they get them locally and fresh daily. They lightly toast the bun before loading it with that amazing patty of beef. The burger had to have been a half pounder, juicy and thick (cooked to order). Lettuce, tomato and red onions top it. I opted for the smoked Gouda cheese which gave it that extra flavor of goodness. Thank god for the extra napkins supplied, they were definitely needed. I'm sure I wasn't a pretty sight eating this monster, but it tasted so good that afterward I swear I should have taken a shower. The mixed green salad was an amazing side. Carrot shavings and an amazing balsamic dressing made in house. Now, for the drinks, they have an amazing mix of drafts and big bottled beer (read that as higher alcohol content). What I really appreciate about this place is rather than describe to you what the flavor of a beer is they have on draft, they give you a sample and you can make that decision by yourself. I selected the Brooklyn pale ale and after a nice sample, proceeded to order two more drafts. Now, the staff were amazing. A nice compliment to such an awesome place. They were attentive to our every need. Checked on us frequently. And the best part was that it didn't matter who started our order, whenever someone came around, they made sure we were taken care of. Definitely a return visit in the near future from me.

Fairly overpriced drinks and cover... we paid $8 EACH to get in to a small overpacked room. This was recommended to us, but won't be suggesting this to others ‍

Brillobox is an interesting food joint. We tried the mcbrillo burger and to my surprise it didn't come with fries. Fries are extra. $6 extra. Your side choices are broccoli, chips and salsa or something else that I normally wouldn't have as a side with a burger. I chose chips and salsa. Not even good chips and salsa. The burger itself was good, tasted really fresh but nothing special. Nothing really stood out to me. I don't know if they didn't put enough sauce on it or what but I wouldn't pay $12 for it again. I was thrown off by the poor seating. There's bar seating, the booths are great for groups, but theres a few TINY round tables for two people, they're so small and in the most awkward place, it just feels like everyone walking by is on top of you. Even the waiter kept having to move out of the way for people walking by while he was taking our order. I wanted to ask if we could move to a booth that just cleared up but didn't want to be rude if a group walked in. Basically this place is crowded in my opinion. That brings me to the service... they kinda just float around. They aren't really attentive. I had to flag them down. Not sure if I would return.

Such a cozy Bar. Great food, great service, & an awesome selection of drinks. Before you die, try their Bahn Mi. (Pork is my preference with this sabdwhich).

I came this weekend with two cousins to see a comedy-improv show. Brillobox has a pretty awesome two-level setup: the ground floor is a small but beautiful bar with booth seating; a long, old fashioned wooden, curved bar; a huge plasma tv; amazing (whimsical!) decorations; and cool, mellow lighting with set up over a sweet sound system. The upper level is like a black box theater with a the addition of a small stage, a killer sound system, and a bar at the back! We got some Moscow mules ok the lower level from our awesome bartender (who just so happened to be the owner as well!) and took them to the second floor for the show. The second floor has limited drinks, but they DO allow you to take drinks up and down, so that's no problem. In any case, the drinks were strong and reasonably priced, so I was more than content. The comedy show was also really fun. They do a lot of different events up there from comedy to music to dancing, so you're never bored! Love this place!

Great place on a weekday night, as weekends are too crowded for my liking. Hosts/ed great Pgh bands like Girl Talk and Black Moth Super Rainbow before they made it big. Good veg fare as well, try the veg reuben. http://www.brillobox.net/

THIS WOULD REALISTICALLY BE A 3.5 STAR RATING. Brillobox is just fine. It has solid bar-esque food, and is vegetarian friendly. I have been here a few times and have never been disgusted, nor blown away. I don't know what it says, but I couldn't tell you anything I've eaten there...and it's not like I've been intoxicated while eating. It's just forgettable. I do remember them having pretty good french fries though. It is trying a little hard to be hip, but it doesn't feel phony, so I let it slide. Maybe I'm just too old and don't "get it" anymore, as I used to really enjoy it more (for the bar, which used to make a mean bloody mary). If you are in your 20s, you might enjoy it a lot more (as long as you're not rocking Trump swag, which I suspect could earn you a side of cook-saliva with your food order). IF THIS RESTAURANT WERE A MUSICIAN/BAND: Bright Eyes: Worshipped by a few (at least 10 years ago), but if you're over the age of 27, you probably won't get much out of it.

Oh, Brillo. How the mighty have fallen. I remember a time - and not all that long ago, actually - when the question 'where do you want to go tonight?' would often be answered with an enthusiastic, 'BRILLO!' And now... it's just like... the thing we want to see is being hosted here; let's hope we don't have to use the bathroom all night. Do not despair - I will tell you, in time, why it is still worth it to come out to this relic of our yester-Lville. I haven't eaten there in a good while, and last I did, the food was yummy. We haven't seemed to make it during kitchen hours lately, but I do remember the food fondly. The drinks? Eh, not so much. I would say, stick to wine or beer if you're drinking here. Single-spirit mixed drinks - like a vodka-soda, etc - are a pretty safe bet as well. But anything past that? Not impressed. Now, on to the *real* reason you want to come here: DANCE NIGHTS. Title Town has moved here after the closing of the Shadow Lounge (::tears::). This is hosted the second Saturday of every month, and is $3 before 10pm, $6 after, but worth every penny, no matter what time you arrive. The DJs are fantastic (J Malls & Gordy & maybe another guest DJ or two), the music is all old funk, soul, & R&B, and you will dance until you fall over. The second, also fantastic dance night is Second Skin, which is generally hosted every other month, although the days of the week appear to change. (Your best bet here is to like Second Skin on Facebook so you can get notifications of when the dance nights are.) Second Skin is a gothy dancefest. You don't have to be goth to love it; believe me, there are plenty of hipsters out there shaking it on the dance floor as well. But it's all really, REALLY well-curated goth dance music. Post-punk, new wave, little bits of industrial. Basically, if you could dance to it dressed in all black, you will hear it from the wonderful Erica Scary & crew. Now that Eclipse has closed and we've lost our other goth night in the city, this is the event to look out for every other month. The negatives of Brillo: the upstairs bathroom. A bathroom so heinous that the Trainspotting bathroom told it to maybe clean its act up. The floor will be wet (it's real slippy, yinz watch aht!). There will probably not be any toilet paper. Someone may have used paper towels in place of the toilet paper, so you may have a scary situation. Be warned. Hold it as best you can, or make your way downstairs to the less-nightmare-inducing bathrooms. On the subject of wet floors: the dance floor at Brillo ALWAYS seems to be wet. Spilled drinks I guess? Or sweaty humans? Perhaps some combination of the two? Regardless, just be careful when you are dancing your brains out that you don't slip, bump your head, and actually knock some brains out. And it *will* be crowded. Always. It will always be crowded at some point of the evening. Be ready for it. And try your hardest to watch that your elbows don't go into someone else's dancing real estate (looking at you, my flaily hipster friends). We can all get along in this smelly, sticky, slippery space. And all the negatives will be worth it, because you will dance so hard you forget they all exist.

Love the vibe and upstairs stage! They change their funky decor seasonally and this time I went they had a huge cherry blossom-like tree with dangling lights hanging over the large bar. There are a 4-5 retro, red-laminated booths and a couple tables in the back, and they open up the garage door front on nice days! Went there on a Friday night and the service was quite slow - but they were busy so we just ordered from the bar even though we were in one of the booths. We ordered nachos and fries and the portions were big and tasty! Highly recommend for bringing friends, dates, exes you get along with, and just about anyone you want to show a good time!

I really like this place. Went here in the middle of the week to check out a band I discovered while I was living in Austin. Loved the hipster vibe. There is a small stage above the bar which is where I went on my first visit. The place was pretty cool, the bartenders quick and there were small built in tables on the side to rest your beer while enjoying the show. Def a great place for an intimate concert. On my second visit, I checked out their bar. Loved the decor, there are tvs and some random movie was playing on their larger TV. They have a decent selection of beer, which I enjoyed. There are a variety of high tops and also some really nice comfy booths. Definetely plan on returning. Love the hipster vibe this joint has and apparently they have some good happy hour deals.

My boyfriend and I went to Brillobox for dinner and drink on a Friday night around 6:30, it was his first time there (I've been there before). The service was great in the beginning but towards the end of our meal it was pretty slow even though it wasn't very busy. The beer selection was on point as usual, the Unibroue Strawberry & Rhubarb Ephemere was really good! We started with the Creole Cauliflower which was great as always, the maple mustard is the best! I had the Tofu Melt vegan and he has the McBrillo, I know some people complain about it but I love that the sandwiches come with a small salad on the side instead of fries. The dressing is fantastic and the greens are fresh. The Tofu Melt was really really well done. I was a little bit skeptical because making it vegan would remove the cheese and mayo with out substitutions but man! It was yummy, I would definitely order again. One note - when they made it vegan I think they used oil instead of butter to crisp up the bread which made the bread just a little bit greasy. Apparently the McBrillo was great (I didn't try it so I can say first hand) and it was a huge sandwich! I also have to say the fact that their happy hour goes until $7 on Friday is awesome! The Cauliflower is only $5 and draft beers are $1 off (there are a bunch of other specials too - $5 margaritas anyone?!).

Brillobox's Sunday vegetarian dinner has been on my list for awhile and I was finally able to make it a couple of weekends ago. They had just unveiled their spring cocktails menu that night as well as their spring decorations and I just couldn't get enough of how pretty their spring decor is! The huge bough of blossoms over the bar area is absolutely gorgeous and makes for an interesting contrast with the rest of the room. I ordered the guava margarita - ok, a tad on the sweeter side for me. I'dv preferred salt on the rim and kind of assumed it'd come that way but it didn't, so if you're like me and like salt-rimmed margaritas, remember to ask! They also didn't have a couple items on their drinks list that day which I found wierd because their social media post invited people to come check out their new spring drinks menu. For the food, I ordered the Seitan wings which were hard, chewy and I think overdone). Totally skip Seitan wings here. I also got their veggie dinner dish, which that day, was curry flavored rice with vegetable pakodas (which is batter fried fritters). The pakodas were excellent but the rice was quite flavorless and bland. I wish we could've just gotten another portion of just the pakodas!! I'm also not sure that the crispy pakodas and rice which is quite dry go together as a combination. The rice definitely needed a sauce or something that could offset its dryness. I get the feeling that their Sunday dinner can be hit or miss. But they only reveal the dish a couple of hours before they open and you're going to have to take that chance if you want to try it. Brillobox often also hosts a lot of music events which seem like a lot of fun and could perhaps make up for the food being so-so. I'm going to give Brillobox one more shot before I make up my mind.

Brillo is a nearly weekly occurrence for me and I absolutely love it. A pro tip: go early --between 5 and 7--to get a table (and don't go on Monday, because you will be sad that they are closed). Otherwise resign yourself to the bar; people tend to park it in the relatively small number of tables. Brillo is cozy, has fun decor and a great draft list, and the food is pretty insanely tasty. I like the Sunday Night Veg dinners, which rotate every week and vary in quality from Meh to Delicious, but for $7, it is a deal. They removed a few favorites from the menu (bring back the seitan French dip pleeeeze!), but the banh mi, the fried cauliflower, seitan wing appetizer, the veggie "meatball" sandwich, and the frites with a variety of dipping sauces are all the jam. My only picayune complaint is that they could be even better by offering a discounted draft or other beer special from time to time. Your bar tab will likely rack up quickly. The wait staff is always friendly, approachable, and attentive-- never had a bad experience. I also avoid going when they are slammed after 9 pm like the plague, which may have something to do with it.

So this place is an absolute gem as long as you're not hungry. The service is mediocre and the food is also. My partner and I got the McBrillo burgers which seemed very delicious but they were SUPER DUPER SALTY!!! the fries with the three dipping sauces was the best part, the fries are totally worth it..I hear their vegan food is pretty good as well...my only concerns is being that their burgers are super salty how is the vegan food being prepared?..anywho check it out! I heard they have really good shows there from time to time

I've been to Brillo dozens of times and love it every time. Drinks are good and affordable, ambiance is super unique, and I always run into an old friend. The second floor is a good bonus and most of their dance nights are low key but fun. Stopped by for improv last night and it was hilarious. Won't be stopping my patronage any time soon!

The many reasons I like brillobox (despite its hipness), in no particular order: - I always, and I do mean always, meet interesting quality people there. My group of friends consists mostly of smart, funny, and all-around rad people that I've shared a booth with at brillobox. - They make a brilliant martini (sorry for the weird Britishism, but drinking their martinis somehow really does make me feel a little smarter and sassier) and at $5.50 they're a steal. - The bartenders are friendly no matter how busy it gets. Go in there on a Friday or Saturday night and you won't find harder working drink slingers anywhere in the city. There's usually only two people manning the bar, but considering how packed it gets sometimes, the wait is pretty short. - Their frites ($6) are shoestring style and awesome; they come with curry ketchup, garlic aioli and chipotle mayo. - The rest of their menu is well-priced pub-grub and the kitchen serves until 11. - The upstairs dance floor and adjoining bar sometimes have a cover for live bands or djs, but it's generally reasonable and on occasion their dance party themes are pure magic (Sweet Lovely Death: A 1970's punk dj dance party, I'm lookin' at you). - The atmosphere is relaxed. There are a handful of giant gawdy paintings that are truly ugly, but they're balanced out by bright-red wallpaper and cute dim lamps that create a mellow ambiance and make it look sort of like someone's fashionable Godmother died and left them all her stuff. - Their beer selection is humongous. So, I guess when I die I'll have to haunt brillobox, but there are worse ways to spend eternity.