Squirrel Hill Cafe

I’ve been coming here for a little over 10 years and I don’t know what happened with this place. It was favorite bar. Now it seems since the Pandemic ended, the service has gone downhill: the new folks have attitudes and the food is hit or miss. I love Tina, Ms. Jan, and the one guy who usually works during the week. Not the dude with the beard even though he’s great too lol

Went to this place for the second time. Love it the first time and thought it was really cool places. Although something has change for the second time. The service was awful. The lady with curly hair, short with the glasses was so awful. We have to keep getting her attention to order drinks every time we want to order something. And the facts that we sit at the bar and saw her back and front right beside us show that she doesn’t like us. As a gay person and my friend is black, we don’t feel comfortable in that space. Not saying she have to treated us anything different. Just wanted us to treated respectful and kind. She’s rude and her face look so angry every time she wall passed us. Love the place, but with a bartender that that, I will never go back. Best of luck to this mean lady.

People working over there are very friendly. The food is good with large portions. We tried hamburger and fried fish. Fries could have been better. Prices are reasonable. I recommend this place.

Extremely charming atmosphere and a sophisticated clientele during the day. Directly across from the library, and an excellent spot to read a book while having a pint or eating some of their amazing and affordable food. The bartender Jan felt like family from the moment I walked in. I hear that it becomes an exciting, upbeat spot at night. I'll need to stop by at night sometime to experience the vibe. No smoking/vaping inside, but chairs and tables out front with ashtrays, and you can bring your drink with you.

This was my first and last night at this establishment as I felt uncomfortable and unwelcome by the Old curly blond heavy set lady with glasses didn't give her name but side eyes and acted like we didn't exist in the background of doing everything around us. If she ever reads this review I want her to know that was extremely ignorant to go out of your way to ignore someone that's sitting right in front of your station of work, I understand that people get busy, I work service too however I know the difference when someone is busy and outright avoiding me whenever I ask for service in general. Crazy how one person can ruin revolving business that quickly. Thank you for your bare minimum, really felt appreciated👏👎 I just read the reviews past mine and they have a common theme going on about the bartender we met. Pink unicorn 🦄 shirt Friday night at 10:30pm 12/13/24 Also, You'll find no pride here from the ghetto trash bathroom to the mucky kitchen, people are getting sick in unclean environments such as this for the money we pay, we deserve better. Save yourself the time you'll better spend elsewhere.

Dive bar vibe - Dark & Vintage. They're hot cheese balls were pretty good. They were not the best cheese curds that I have ever had, but they were decent. If you like your cheese curds extra cheesy, these are for you. We also got 2 burgers were which were extremely large, & cooked well done which wasn't very good. The fries were subpar and the chips were just plain generic ruffle chips -not made in house or anything. I would have loved another option to not have a side. This place was not super expensive which was cool but probably wouldn't come here again.

Glad to see it’s still open. I used the frequent the SHC back in the 1980s. Thursdays were dollar imports and free peanuts. Lots of shells ended up on the floor. It was my home away from home. I had a t-shirt well into the 1990s. One of my fondest memories of Pittsburgh. Squirrel Hill was a great place to live.

Can’t believe I lived in Pittsburgh for 3 years without knowing how awesome this place is. Awesome pub vibe, friendly and super accommodating service, and easily in the running for best value food spot in Pittsburgh

My college bestie and I were in Pittsburgh for a weekend...random dinner on the first night here. Initial service was SLOW...understaffed but staff was SO nice! Food was reasonably priced...burger was hand pattied and huge...mushrooms were delicious! Kind of a local dive atmosphere but SO MUCH better than anticipated ...would recommend!!!!

This place is perfect. Is it the fanciest place? Certainly not. But it has character and amazing, cheap (!!!!!) food and drinks. Seriously- I think every item is under 10$. Service is laid back but always there when you need them. And the ambience... dark, beer signs everywhere, simple tables and booths. Also you may hear people refer to this as "the cage". Perfect place to catch up with friends over some drinks or get affordably buzzed with delicious food.

$25 for two amazing burgers and fries. Divey and laid back bar atmosphere, quick and friendly service. You know it's going to be good when they put a paper placemat down, right??

great small spot with great affordable food. Great place to have a drink and catch up with friends!

All the other reviews tell you what you need to know about beer and food and service, but a real plus is the pinball machine in the back. It's in great shape and it's fun to play. A great hang out.

Great burgers and fish sandwich. Been here a bunch of times. Food is always great at Extremely reasonable price.

Beers during a break in the UAA conference meet at Carnegie Mellon. Hole in the wall, dive bar w great service and cold beer. Limited food menu.

Great food and service. We have been in a few times I. The last couple of months and always have a good experience. Highly recommend!

I have been coming to the Cage since 2017 and have made so many fond memories here. Whether it's just a delicious draft beer and burger after work or celebrating a birthday with friends it's always a fun time. It's a dive bar and I do have to say I miss the days when smoking inside was okay, but if you are sensitive to smoke it is now smoke free. The service is excellent and the food is affordable.

Cheap beer, good food, but they have horrible service. I tried to pay for my beer with my card and they told me there's a $10 minimum. There are no signs to indicate this and I was not informed upfront about this policy. Also, the older woman working the bar took my friend's ID and my other friends passport into the back and left the establishment 3 times to verify they weren't fake (we are all 24). Someone's valuable personal information should ever leave the building.

Best burgers in Pittsburgh!! Great bar selection. Parking lot across street. A local institution.

We stopped in for a quick lunch while shopping. The BLT and onion rings were delicious, but the star was Jan the server. She sat down with us and chatted while we waited for our food. We will definitely go back and try a burger and catch up with Jan!

The service was awful. The food was mediocre. I ordered a cocoa cola that had no sweetness. The waitress said that was the way their coke tastes. My husband ordered soup. After waiting at least 45 minutes, it was literally thrown down at him. It was only a little more than half full and tasted terrible. That was sent back, along with the coke. The burgers finally came almost an hour after we got there. The fries were cold. The burgers were large, cooked well, but pretty tasteless. We will never return to this establishment.

Tina is a very nice and caring bartender. Taco Mondays are Excellent!! Old school charm

The world is a better place, because the squirrel cage exists with all the heart and soul of the neighborhood watering spot that we so badly need And yes they have gotten ride of smoking but kept the great late night food with an old school jukebox and video games This is a place which has been much revered by pitt and cmu graduate students and professors who blend in with just a myriad of great pittsburgh characters That means leave any pretense at the door Like many businesses this place was affected by Covid But please do everything you can to support this institution And by the way the best burger in town and never had a bad thing off the menu Go alone bring friends or just stop in to appreciate that a place like this still exists

I've been coming here for the past few months. The dude behind the bar is dope, but the beers and especially the food is a really good price! If I'm knowing I'm gonna get hungry while I'm drinking, I'm always heading here. Great spot.

Great spot with good food, beers, and people. Billy is an awesome guy and you can tell he cares for his customers and business. Definitely worth the try if you've never had it

One of the true squirrel hill neighborhood - divey in a good way bars left a n squirrel hill. Friendly service , cheap beee and good cheap food.

Good late night food place ..fish sandwich was on point ..to be 11pm at night u can't beat this place

Very dark, smoky atmosphere (not from Pittsburgh so didn't know you could still smoke in bars) This place had some amazing homemade burgers! The fries were crispy and fresh

It gives me no pleasure to write this. The last time I was at the cage, I was with two friends after playing some rec basketball at the JCC. We sat at the bar, and the room was almost entirely empty. We sat right where the bartender was; he had his back turned toward us, was an older guy. We said hi, everything seemed cordial enough. Then we waited as the bartender served the other tables. And then we waited as the bartender stood close by us. We even asked if we could order something, and the bartender pretended not hear us, looked around us, and refused to engage with us. We left after 20 minutes. We couldn't get served. My friends are both black, and they said to me (I'm white), "now you know what it's like." It was extremely depressing. We went down to the Murray Avenue Grill and were served immediately. I never had trouble getting served there before and I had enjoyed that particular establishment. But, all the charm of the place has been lost to me and I won't give it another chance. This was about 4 years ago.

Cheap drinks. Love Tina. It's a really good place. I like it a lot. I get drinks there

We hit the Squirrel Cage last night for something different. While we normally don't go to bars to eat and drink, this was a good change and I'm glad we did. Not only is everyone friendly that works there, they have a great selection of beers and a perfect line up of bar food. We tried a little bit of everything because we'd not been there before. Hot pepper cheese balls with marinara(marinara is must with them), a few garlic wings which were some of the crispest and hottest(temperature) wings we'd ever eaten. Of course we had to try a basket of fries too. They were hot and fresh. Ah, but the star of the show, the burgers! She had a cheeseburger with grilled mushrooms and onions with cheddar cheese and loved it. I myself had a cheeseburger with pepper jack and all the fixin's. Service was good, folks were friendly but most of all the food was top notch!

Amazing neighborhood bar with intimate booth seating. This is the perfect place to unwind with friends and a pitcher. We usually eat dinner when we come here. Their food is quite good and I love their veggie burger. French fries are not the best, they usually are a little burnt, but there a lot of other delicious app options. I also like that this bar isn't overwhelmed by TV and sports. There are a few TVs, but they aren't that big and it seems like most of the crowd is there to talk and drink - not just watch a football game. TVs are usually playing old movies or cartoons as well. This place gets very smoky, so sensitive lungs might want to avoid peak times.

I stopped in for a stiff glass of whiskey, and I got the classic Pittsburgh dive bar experience. Dim light, strange stains and loose women. Gotta love it!

One of the best kitchens in town. Not the healthiest, but it's a bar with a wonderful crowd full of chain smokers. Old school style. Friendliest staff youre gonna get. All about the cheese balls, fried mushrooms, and wings that are cooked to so much perfection it's hard not to go full monster and not eat them behind a curtain in the dark. The longevity is well earned and its one of the friendliest places in the Burgh. Post visit dry cleaning/superwash required for non smokers.

Had a late lunch yesterday - fabulous! I had grilled chicken sandwich - one of the best I've had. My wife had cheeseburger and was thrilled with its moistness. And "Hell or high watermelon" beer that she raved about. Classic, old style neighborhood pub. Our server Tina was terrific - friendly, efficient, with info for these two Buffalonians on our first time there. We will definitely be back! Don and Lucinda I, Buffalo, NY

SMOKING IS ALLOWED! Whether that is a good thing or bad thing for you, it's important to know because this place can get smokey and smelly. When I left the place, my clothes and hair all smelled of smoke. As far as food, their burgers are good but nothing I can really remember and the cheese balls are really good. Drinks are decently priced. Service was a bit slow and even though our waitress was nice, she forgot to give one of our credit cards back until we had to remind her.

It was my first time visiting, and I fell in love! This place is like the dive bar in Squirrel Hill, that will make you yearn to return and become a regular.The waitress was truly like a waitress from Cheers, even though she didn't know my name. But I enjoyed her so much. Unfortunately I did not get her name. She is a beautiful brown skin girl with curly fluffy hair, and comedic sass! LOVED IT! She was so attentive and pleasant. Honestly, she's has got to be one of the best waitresses that I have ever encountered with her vibrant personality and she is so hospitable. I have not gone into a bar in a while where it felt so at home. The prices are very reasonable and the food is delicious. I had the spinach artichoke dip and it was good for bar food. My friends were in love with the burgers. I cannot wait to get back there and try out more from the menu. WARNING: There is smoking, so if you are intolerant, then it might not be the spot for you., but I don't think it was that bad. Other than that....CHEERS

What can I say about The Cage that others haven't already said, based on my lone visit last night at 6? I don't know, but for the sake of brevity, I'll sum up my visit with a pro-con list. Pros: 1. Cheap, decent food. My BLT ($4.25) was delightful, with crispy, juicy bacon and crisp, fresh lettuce--only the hothouse tomatoes disappointed. Get the fries--they're hand-cut and delicious! I tried some from a companion, and regretted not upgrading to a platter to get them. 2. I can't comment on the drinks myself, since I'm not drinking at present, but everyone says they're good--and they're cheap, too. I got a club soda ($1.25). 3. Interesting people watching opportunities. I wasn't able to take advantage of them due to concentrating on group discussion with my table mates, but the bits and pieces that I saw and overheard were amusing. Cons: 1. Smoky. If you're sensitive to cigarette smoke, don't come here! When I first entered, I thought I might be okay with it, but then the table next to ours started smoking. I could smell smoke on myself for the rest of the night until I changed and showered. 2. Slow service. Our waitress wasn't the swiftest or the most friendly, and it took 20 min. to get my BLT. Getting change took way too long, too. 3. $10 credit card minimum. I suspected this would be the case, so I hit the ATM next door before coming. Plan accordingly. Quite honestly, though I enjoyed the food and company, I doubt I'll be back here soon due to the smoke. Increasing my risk for lung cancer and reeking of eau de cigarette isn't my idea of a fun, relaxing night out. If you don't mind that and the slow service, though, then by all means, stop by for some inexpensive, delicious food and drinks and take advantage of the interesting people watching opportunities.

If you are sensitive to the smell of smoke, I would steer clear of here. I'm not sure if smoking is allowed during all hours, but when I went on a Saturday night, I left smelling like an ashtray. I did sit at the bar so I can't say how it would be if you were sitting at a table further away, but the restaurant is pretty small so I think it's safe to say you smell it everywhere. We ordered nachos and cheese with jalapenos. It wasn't fancy, just basically tostito chips and nacho cheese, but for around $2.99 I wasn't really complaining. If there could be a change with the smoking policies, I think I would be willing to come back because I've heard the burgers are great, but for now the smoke isn't worth it.

Such a cute and intimate place to just grab some food/drinks and chillax. Prices are extremely reasonable and service is efficient. Great for group hangouts! I'm not much of a drinker so I don't really know about their drink specials, but I am a devoted consumer of food so I'll just get straight to the point! Sandwiches here are amazing and really satisfy that burning hunger. I highly recommend their burgers and load it with mushrooms for an additional quarter. When you get a burger...you get a REAL burger. I don't mean those fake factory patties...I'm talking about a thick chunk of juicy beef sandwiched between soft fluffy buns. Their spinach artichoke dip is quite tasty as well. The one thing I don't really like here is their fries...way way way too greasy to the point where it doesn't even taste like potatoes anymore.

I think I figured out why this place is called The Cage. There's no concrete evidence that what I observed here is true. You walk in and you see a mix of people that would represent different classifications of people you'd see throughout Pittsburgh. Each booth and table is a different subset of the population. Every booth and table is an exhibit or cage at a zoo, there for you to observe how each group interacts with one another. Err, what am I saying? Maybe I just enjoyed myself so much here that I started spacing out. I mean you do get to see a wide mix of the human race interacting in here, but who cares, they are all there for one thing, to have a good time. Whether you are sitting at the bar or pick a booth along the wall, the staff are there to make sure you have a libation nearby. Always able to make a suggestion if you want to try something new. The music touch has a nice mix of music to fulfill anyone's need to hear tunes. But who needs tunes when you can just sit there and chat the whole night? I'm still skeptical about going up to the loft area. It looks so small from down below. Such a nice intimate place to go and grab a beer with friends. It's a great place to sit and blow off some steam. Beer selection is pretty good. They have their fair share of seasonal blends, as well as

I will always have a soft spot for the Cage. I don't like smoke one bit. However, for the Cage I'll put up with it. The burger is one of the most underrated in the city. Tastes like one you might make at home. The beer prices are the best in the area and they always have a solid selection. Taps selection is small but bottles and cans are plentiful. Bill the barkeep is a Pittsburgh legend too.

My brother and I stopped in here for the first time on Saturday for dinner. I can't think of another place in all of Pittsburgh with such reasonably priced food that isn't plain terrible. While they do allow smoking, the food was great and it's a very classic hometown bar atmosphere. There's definitely lots of character (and real-life characters) making the whole experience. I would recommend the Cajun chicken sandwich and fries. It was surprisingly well-seasoned and only $8 for a huge plate!

I have to admit I haven't been to The Cage in ages but I'm still compelled to write. I started coming to The Cage at 19 years old and I'm now 64. I used to joke back then if you could reach the bar your money was good enough to spend there. Though I haven't lived in Da Burgh for 35 years it's still my home and The Cage still has many fond memories. I can't begin to count how many times I would meet friends here for a few social beers and talk. I took my girl friend here as an after date place, she's now my wife of 31 years. All things change. But my fond memories of the Squirrel Hill Cafe will stay with me forever.

It's a smoking bar, and I'm not a smoker... but this place is worth the possible lung cancer. I don't come too often because of the smoke, but it's a great place to just chill and talk to some locals around the area. Bartenders are nice, people are friendly, and most importantly drinks and food are good and CHEAP.

Great corner pub, smoking allowed. Grab a Budweiser bottle, break out the Marlboro reds. Dive drinks, crowded but in a relevant way.

The fries were adequate...but everything else sucked including the service and the food.

HI QYPE, LEARN HOW TO SPELL PITTSBURGH! What an awesome neighborhood joint. As an out of towner I was lucky to get taken here! No frills food, drinks and company. Great jukebox with a wide selection and lovely waitresses that don't ask if you want another drinkthey ask if you want another pitcher. It's set on the main strip in the neighborhood and has a great feel. Even my first time here I felt super comfortable, nice dive bar feel without being superdivey. Make sure and tag the chalkboard in the womens bathroom, much mor civilized than a sharpie!

One of many favorite places for cheap eats in squirrel hill. The hamburgers and fish sandwiches are of a quality (and size) that I have not yet seen for such a low price! While the food is fantastic however, they are often understaffed during busy hours so there may be a bit of a wait, and you will always come out smelling like cigarettes, but the food and excellent drink selection makes it all worthwhile.

Ordered their chef salad for my lunch takeout and MAN when i tell you this salad was the freshest salad I've had in this area i mean it! I work a few blocks up on Forbes and it's hard finding a restaurant to give you GOOD food. This one is definitely it! I will for sure be going back to this place for lunch!

I come here often, usually around happy hour, and occasionally late night. Most of the time, the food is really good. I especially like the grilled chicken salad (good deal), the jumbo fish (battered, as opposed to the breaded "extra large" they offer, and so infinitely better), and Cage club (capicola, turkey, cheese, delicious). However, the prices have risen from unfathomably dirt cheap to only pretty cheap. Be aware that you will pay extra for fries instead of chips, and that the fries are sometimes so overcooked that any potato inside has turned to dust. Wings are real good, but only the most basic sauces. Every once in a while, your food will just not be that good. Can't find a rhyme or reason to it, but it's good often enough that I keep coming back, and never so bad that it's awful. Just not as good as normal. As far as drinks go, the Yuengling pitcher is an economical and delicious choice. I can never remember when or what the specials are, but they often have out-of-season seasonals in the bottle case for real, real cheap. It's worth asking. And once it's late and your drunk, there is nothing like their Long Island to take you to new and undiscovered levels of intoxication.

Don't smoke-never have. But, if I want to go out smoking is something that has to be dealt with at some bars. If it gets too bad, I just leave. With that said, it's never gotten too terrible for me. Oh how I love the food. There's nothing basic about the taste of this bar food at all. Quite a good selection of beers at this Pittsburgh institution.

If it weren't for the smoke, this would probably be my favorite dive bar of all time. The food is both cheap and delicious - home cooked is how they aptly describe it. I love the fries and the fried mushrooms. The cheese balls didn't stand the test, but that's probably just because I'm from Wisconsin. The drinks are cheap and well made. I've enjoyed everything I've ordered there and they have a pretty good beer selection. The atmosphere is nice. It's comfortable, a bit dark, and it's loud, but not overly so. You can still have a conversation at your table. I'll be back - but only on nights when I have time to take a shower before bed.

Billy was very friendly and knew what he was talking him about when it came to the beer and food menus. The locals knew him by name and he knew theirs, which was great to see a friendly atmosphere. He was extremely busy and service was slow, but not due to his fault at all. It was a good friendly place to get a pretty great burger! The burgers are a meal alone, let alone anything else. Large portion for a great price. Definitely smoky so be ready for that, but great for those who do smoke since most places aren't smoking establishments anymore. I would probably stop there again sometime in the future when I visit Pittsburgh again.

I smoke when I drink but don't necessarily love being in a super smoky bar. I've been to some smoking dives with noooo type of filter and it's awful. At least this places has a vent/fan type thing but yea, it's still pretty smoky. Somehow we snagged a booth on a Saturday night... the double vodka/sodas and Stellas flowed seamlessly for the rest of the evening and our bill was only $40 bucks! The kitchen closed right when we decided we wanted food, so that sucked. But I'm glad I didn't read the reviews about how good the food is prior to or we'd have been really bummed. But then again, I watched the cook chain smoke cigs all night long so... gross. I read someone describe the atmosphere as jovial and that it was. Every table was laughing and having a great time, as was I. Out waitress was super pleasant and funny as well! This is definitely my kind of dive bar. Although, I greatly dislike single restrooms... but I got lucky in that the line was never too long.

If the Squirrel Cage was a human woman, my god, the things I would do......She might be a smoked out slouch with a voice like an alcoholic midget, but she's still beautiful to me. My fondness of this place is rooted in more than a few sinful nights (accompanied by local Squirrel Hillian Marni K) spurred on and exponentiated by the cheapness the strength and the quality of their booze, the quality and friendliness of the patrons and staff, and a jukebox that has a selection that'll make any music lovers wallet a barren wasteland. Everything I've ever taken from this place I've given back to Pittsburgh, usually on a friends bathroom floor near but not in the toilet. I don't care to get into details about this place, you'll either love it or you won't. It's an old gem of a place that is pretty much my first stop in the city every single time I go.

There's no place like it, burgers r the absolute best. Service is. Gr8. Try it you'll like it.