The Unvegan

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10 Years of Unvegan
A Quick Bite at Burrito Express
Serendipity at Northern Waters Smokehaus
Twerks and Burritos at Casa Amigos

‘Bar Food’

2/18/2014 Pittsburgh

A Better Sequel at Stack’d II (REBRANDED)

They said it couldn't be done.
They said it couldn’t be done.

EDIT: Stack’d II quickly became The Ave which quickly became the Tipsy Cow. Gone are the sandwiches, but you can read about the Tipsy Cow here.

While the list of great sequels is quite short, a few stand out. And joining the ranks of X-Men 2 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Secret of the Ooze is Stack’d II (hopefully someday they’ll update their site to include this). As you may recall, I once paid a visit to Stack’d in Shadyside, a build-your-own burger concept that found success on sales of beer, keeping their burgers cheap and not by the quality of burgers being pumped out. In fact, this was so successful that they made a sequel that swapped burgers for cheesesteaks.

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2/13/2014 Pittsburgh

Going Blue at Blue Line Grille (CLOSED)

Hungover on victory.
Hungover on victory.

EDIT: The place has been bought out and is going to be converted to a Southern Restaurant called Buford’s. Hopefully it still appreciates its Michigan folk.

We Michigan people are everywhere. And I mean everywhere. So it stands to reason that my brethren can be found in Pittsburgh, which is just a few short hours on the turnpike from America’s High Five. Owned by a fellow Michigander, Blue Line Grille sits across the street from Consol Arena and has decided to play host to Michigan games. As you might expect, this place was already a winner in my heart, but I still had to try the food to ensure I would be coming back for meals or just drink specials.

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1/21/2014 Pittsburgh

A Sharp Edge Beer Emporium Burger

No sharp edges on this one.
No sharp edges on this one.

Not too long ago I was encouraged to pay a visit to Sharp Edge Beer Emporium in Friendship for a a burger. Which burger I was never told, and led to some confusion when I found myself staring at menu with such exotics as elk, buffalo and lamb. But I ordered myself a beer (after all, it is an emporium), relaxed and decided to go with my gut.

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1/20/2014 Brooklyn

Winged Out at Black Swan

That's a pretty picture.
That’s a pretty picture.

While gastropubs may not be a growing industry in Pittsburgh, a quick trip to Brooklyn showed me that they are still alive and kicking. Take, for example, Black Swan, a semi-divey bar that serves a brunch that brought me in. With standard gastropub fare, I made a rare move to not go with the burger that seemed overloaded with vegetables and instead went with wings. And not swan wings like you may expect from a place with such a name.

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12/31/2013 East Lansing

Just as Expected at Dublin Square

Oh, Irish bacon...
Oh, Irish bacon…

East Lansing, Michigan isn’t exactly known as a bastion of culture. Harboring the state’s foremost safety school is basically the city’s only claim to fame. Well, that and the fact that students of the school are known to riot whether their teams win or lose. Nonetheless, I found myself in that small agricultural village in need of food after a rough football game. This led me to Dublin Square, an Irish Pub with a sizable food menu.

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12/30/2013 Seattle

Another DeLuxe Burger

So sorry about the flash.
So sorry about the flash.

For my last meal in Seattle, I met up with a buddy of mine at a place called DeLuxe Bar & Grill in Capitol Hill. This is not to be confused with Delux in Phoenix, a place known to make subpar burgers. DeLuxe in Seattle has been around since 1962 and serves up some great beers and a variety of bar food to join those drinks. Per usual, my eyes darted to the burgers (all grass-fed on account of being in Seattle) and there was quite a variety to choose from.

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11/20/2013 Pittsburgh

A Bite and a Brew at Bites and Brews

Here comes the bite.
Here comes the bite.

With a name like Bites and Brews, you kind of know what to expect when walking into the place. And let me tell you right here: the place does not disappoint. If all you are seeking is something to eat and something to drink, Bites and Brews has you covered. With a beer menu including about 30 brews starting at $3 and a food menu ranging from bar staples to hoagies, the name of the place is certainly apt.

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10/30/2013 Minneapolis

Fulfilled by Matt’s Bar

It's what's on the inside that counts.
It’s what’s on the inside that counts.

There are few regional food items that become so popular that they take on a life of their own outside of said region. And I’m not talking about Mexican food leaving Mexico or pizza making its way into the US from Italy. No, I’m talking Buffalo Wings, New England Clam Chowder and Chicago-Style Deep Dish. Now, there’s a new one that seems poised to join that elite club: the Jucy Lucy. This creation has gone as far to inspire a restaurant dedicated to the Jucy Lucy in LA called Juicy Lucy (note the different spelling) and Jucy Lucy’s can be found on restaurant menus all around the nation. So it may be surprising that the Jucy Lucy, a cheese-stuffed burger, came from a little dive bar called Matt’s in Minneapolis.

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10/29/2013 Pittsburgh

Winging it at Buffalo Blues (CLOSED)

So shiny.
So shiny.

While Walnut Street in Shadyside is the typical haunt of my fellow students, Highland is another street in Shadyside that has a lot to offer. One of those offerings is Buffalo Blues, a sports bar with a fair amount of food options that you might expect at such a place. Wings dominate the menu, but there are also burgers, sandwiches and a few other things for those not so inclined towards the wings.

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10/28/2013 Pittsburgh

Too Much Tomato at Steel Cactus

Oh come on lettuce.
Oh come on lettuce.

Steel Cactus in Shadyside is a place more typically known for drinks than food, yet, I found myself there hungry and waiting for drinks. The cactus thing in their name is somehow connected to the fact that they serve Mexican food and I was skeptical not only because it was primarily a drinking place, but also because Pittsburgh isn’t quite known as a bastion of Mexican food.

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