The Vandal - Strip District

This is the best food in Pittsburgh. Joey builds complex flavors and textures in all of his dishes with intention to create a cohesive dining experience including deserts and cocktails!

This is a tough one. Went for a special occasion and the meal was just not very good. The service and space was nice, but the food was disappointing. This is a well reviewed place that has been around awhile, so perhaps I caught it on a bad night. As an example, the duck was likely the worst cooked duck I have had. The fat wasn't rendered and was this gooey layer of mushy skin and fat that was still attached to the duck breast. You couldn't cut it with the knife, the layer of unrendered fat was completely stuck to the breast so you had to essentially carve it out. It tasted like a pork tenderloin. I understand that there are off nights and mistakes happen, but it was surprising given the high-end menu. Halfway through the meal a group of four people came into the bar, but none of them sat. They hovered near our table while standing at the bar and took photographs of each other, talking loudly. Not iPhone photos, I'm talking a full SLR photoshoot. No one asked them to sit, or to stop snapping pictures. It seemed like it was encouraged or they knew someone there. It didn't help the experience, already eating a really bad piece of duck. They replied to say it was a nonprofit, i looked it up and it was a foodie organization 501c3 doing promo shots. Ok, I truly wish them the best, I was just describing the experience. Sorry. It might have been an off night, but I can't imagine ever going again. I hate being so harsh on a review and I feel about this, and edited it a few times, but it was disappointing for a rather high priced dining experience.

A beautiful meal! The space is small but special, the menu really celebrates the ingredients. Looking forward to returning.

We had our June 2022 wedding rehearsal dinner at The Vandal a no brainer for us as its one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants to enjoy seasonal food and great wine. We had the whole restaurant to ourselves for about 30 guests, and it was intimate, relaxed and truly lovely. We worked with Evan to create a hand selected seasonal menu and also had input on the cocktail and wine offerings, but they surprised us (in the best way) on the day of and had our picks plus many more cocktail, beer and wine options. Everyone raved about the food, drinks, wonderful hospitality and intimate atmosphere. Thank you to the whole team at the Vandal for kicking off our wedding weekend in the best way!

I have dined at The Vandal close to 15 times and can confidently say, it is one of my favorite restaurants in Pittsburgh. The menu rotates frequently, with new dishes hitting every few weeks, so even as a somewhat regular, there’s always something new and intriguing to try. The oysters are always fresh, the steak tartare is always executed perfectly, and the flavors, ingredients and complexity of every other menu item is always superb. I love that they feature thoughtful non-alcoholic cocktails to round out their alcoholic counterparts. I love the natural lighting and minimalistic vibe. The service is always welcoming, kind, thoughtful and knowledgeable. I do suggest making a reservation.