Hazelwood and Greenfield, adjacent historic neighborhoods founded as a result of the 1768 Treaty of Fort Stanwix between Great Britain and the Iroquois Confederacy, are defined by their residential charm.
Hazelwood, which takes its name from a strand of native hazelnut trees that once stood near a bend in the Monongahela River, was incorporated into the city of Pittsburgh in 1869. Its riverside location allowed it to thrive as one of Pittsburgh’s most booming neighborhoods throughout the era of railroads and industry, though it fell into decline due to population loss as deindustrialization decimated much of the region in the 1980s.
Today, it is a neighborhood in transition, balancing protecting the interests of long-term residents from gentrification with development. The 178-acre Hazelwood Green, a massive brownfield redevelopment project funded by several Pittsburgh-based foundations, is aimed at revitalizing the area with plans including Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Innovation Center and the University of Pittsburgh’s BioForge biomanufacturing facility.
You’ll find most of the neighborhood’s commercial endeavors on or just off its Second Avenue corridor. While Hazelwood has limited restaurant options, there are a few notable food businesses.
La Gourmandine Bakery, known for its French-style baked goods, has its headquarters in the neighborhood; Community Kitchen Pittsburgh hosts chef pop-ups and an in-house butcher shop, and is home to one of the best fish fries in the ’Burgh; 1.11 Juice Bar offers nutrition-packed cold-pressed juices, smoothies and yogurt bowls; Dylamato’s Market is a community-centered grocery store featuring locally sourced produce and prepared foods.
Two new brewery concepts — Hazel Grove Brewing and the triple-threat Hazelwood Brew House, with three breweries under one roof — offer gathering spots and event spaces for the neighborhood.
Greenfield has a similarly lengthy history, though it primarily served as a residential enclave for workers in the mills and factories of Hazelwood and other nearby localities rather than as a mix of manufacturing and housing. There are two small commercial corridors in the hilly neighborhood, one the lower part of Murray Avenue that feels like an extension of Squirrel Hill and another on a bend of Greenfield Avenue.
The Murray Avenue section doesn’t get as much attention as the road’s thriving Squirrel Hill business district, yet you’ll find some entrepreneurial immigrant restaurant owners at home on a stretch that also houses two longstanding Ukrainian-owned grocery stores, Kiev International Market and Nataliya European Food Market.
Greenfield also features a distinct sub-neighborhood called Four Mile Run, or simply “The Run” — so named for a stream four miles from the Point that once ran through the land. (It's now carried to the Monongahela in an underground pipe.) It's one of the most charming residential outposts in Pittsburgh, conveying a sense of living in a bygone era.
These six establishments capture the essence of eating and drinking in Hazelwood and Greenfield in 2025.
Hal B. Klein, IG @halbklein
It’s sad to say, but there are fewer and fewer honest-to-goodness neighborhood joints offering a menu of hearty dishes made with care and sold at affordable prices. That’s why Big Jim’s Restaurant, better known as Big Jim’s in the Run because of its location in the residential pocket of Greenfield known as the (Four Mile) Run, remains so essential to Pittsburgh.
In the face of rampant “fauxstalgic” spaces designed to capture clout in the social media age, Big Jim’s is the genuine article. It’s a working business — just like it has been for all of these years — and there are few spots better in Pittsburgh for a quality casual hang.
Jim “Big Jim” Bochicchio opened the restaurant in 1977; it was purchased by Gary Burdick, Blane Volovich and Vito Bochicchio (Big Jim’s nephew) after Jim passed away in 1991. They’ve more or less kept the same menu since when Big Jim ran the joint, just adding a few salads over the years.
You’ll feel time-warped to the late 1970s popping into the rectangular, wood-paneled bar room for a bite or a drink. The space has old-school glass block windows and walls adorned with Pittsburgh sports memorabilia and other nostalgic elements. The bar itself is irregularly shaped, so the staff might offer you a plank custom built by Don Algeri to stabilize your meal.
It’s just one of the small touches the friendly staff has to make you feel like you’re among the legion of longstanding Big Jim’s regulars. (There are many. So if you’re visiting for the first time, please respect that Big Jim’s is, at its core, a local spot.)
On the other side of the space is a small dining area with a low ceiling that Jim added in 1983. Burdick says the period-perfect decor could be replaced 10 times over with what they have in the back (there’s even a neon Zima sign somewhere), though they do throw a more contemporary nod to Guy Fieri, too. He visited for an episode of his “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” as part of a “Long Time Legends” episode in season 5.
The order: You can have Sunday lunch every day — the kind of meal where you feast until you’re about to explode, then go take a long walk or a nap.
The calzones and stromboli are massive and amazing, appearing as if someone took an extra large pizza and turned it over itself. They’re many, many pounds and serve an entire family for less than $20. The first thing that hits you with the stromboli is the aroma of the garlic and oil. Then, you cut into the crispy crust, revealing a world of seasoned sausage, peppers and cheese, with a bit of stuffed crust action at the end. Enjoy the epic cheese pull from the plate to your mouth as you take the first few bites.
If you thought the stromboli was giant, wait until you order some of the hoagies. From crispy chicken Parm and tender meatballs to the meat-and-veggie stuffed Italian, the “small” versions are as large as a regular sandwich elsewhere and the large versions could replace the Parkway East bridge that spans the valley of The Run.
The open-faced turkey sandwich reminds me of classic old-school diners, the ones that have faded into the sunset. The bread isn't artisan in the new bakery wave (very much for the good), but it isn't lazy either. It's fluffy and textured, and sops up the gravy. The turkey breast is juicy and a little salty, just how you want it.
201 Saline St.; bigjimsrestaurant.com
What if someone were to tell you there is a historic pub in Pittsburgh with roots that go back to the earliest days of the United States? Say, a tavern created in 1786 by “the finest purveyor of spirits and vittles west of the Alleghenies”?
The space was a hit for its first seven years, according to its modern-day manager, Bill Burke. Then, Jeremiah Gough allowed the troops that came west to quell the Whiskey Rebellion to make the tavern their hangout, pushing the locals out. The troops start running tabs, then failed to pay their bills when they left after the rebellion, taking Gough's booze with them. The locals blamed Mr. J. Gough for the loss of their favorite watering hole. He was tarred and feathered, and died penniless.
The legacy of the once-great space in Greenfield went unremembered until his descendants decided to reopen the tavern in 2016.
Wow!
Now say the name of the establishment again, slowly, with a brief pause between the “J.” and the “Gough.”
“He was the original jagoff,” says Burke.
The real history is the Burke family has deep roots in Greenfield going back generations. The bar is owned by Bill Burke’s uncle, Denis Burke, who started kicking around ideas, including the lore of J. Gough, at a massive extended family beach vacation (Burke is the third of 11 siblings).
“My uncle said he wanted a place to sit around and hear and tell the same stupid stories a hundred times,” Burke says.
The family created a space (that really did open in 2016) that captures a bygone-era vibe with a nod to modernity including a few discreet TVs to catch important games, occasional live music and a massive wall of whiskey rivaling any bar in Pittsburgh. It’s also one of the friendliest neighborhood watering holes around.
The order: J. Gough’s menu is akin to what you might serve at a nice picnic or backyard cookout — limited but with enough choices to make just about everyone happy. With prices topping out at $14.50, and most dishes under $10, it’s also one of the best value spots in town.
That “expensive” menu item is for a half-dozen smoked wings. They’re a rare offering of whole wings, so that really translates into 12 typical bar wings. The juicy wings have a gorgeous kiss of smoke with a crisp to the skin. It’s a commendable feat for smoked wings achieved by a second heating in the establishment’s TurboChef rapid-cook oven.
The sandwich menu features some old-school hits such as ham barbecue in a classic Islay’s sauce and a lusty pulled pork number that benefits from the tanginess of pickles cutting through the richness.
Potato salad is picnic-perfect, with contrasting textures from the al dente potato slices, soft slivers of hard-boiled egg and crunchy red onions, all with a pleasing mayo-mustard combination dressing. And the macaroni and cheese still hits on all levels; it’s the kind of bowl that you'll keep causally dragging your fork through even if you're full.
J. Gough’s whiskey menu is ridiculously impressive. There are more than 300 on the list, including some very hard-to-find selections of Scotch whisky. Beer choices run the gamut from pub favorites Guinness and Smithwick’s, Yinzer favorites like Iron City and local craft brews.
4213 Murray Ave.; jgoughs.com
When he was 17, Sohrab Bakhshi walked from his native Kabul to northeastern Afghanistan to join Operation Enduring Freedom. It was November 2001, in the earliest stages of the global collaboration meant to liberate Afghanistan from Taliban rule.
“There weren't even boots on the ground yet. I was on the front line working for the change that was going to happen in my country,” he says.
Bakhshi joined a construction contracting unit for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, then worked the next 20 years supporting the United States and NATO as a contractor and logistics specialist until evacuating Kabul on an Air Force C-17 in August 2021.
He spent six months at Fort Dix in New Jersey helping situate more than 16,000 Afghan evacuees as part of Operation Allies Welcome before joining his wife and children in Pittsburgh.
Bakhshi had resettled his family here in 2018, choosing Pittsburgh because much of his extended family lived in Toronto and “this was the closest and best city where you could drive there easily.”
With his stint of service over, Bakhshi felt a little lost. He and his wife considered how they could build a self-sustaining, independent business. “How could we simplify delicious food? How can we make it fast and convenient? A way for people to experience an entry into our cuisine.”
The solution was a component-based menu of stewed dishes, with a serving of rice, salad and dessert, they called Rice ‘n Stew Co. It opened in Greenfield in June. While the operation is geared primarily toward takeaway, there are several tables in the bright, welcoming space.
Adamo says that providing a welcoming and open atmosphere has always been at the heart of the restaurant. The kitchen, significantly upgraded in 2019, is staffed with refugees from Iraq and Syria, family members and elders who are like family to Adamo. The friendly front-of-house is largely of Syrian heritage.
The order: The name says it all; you’re here for rice and stew. There are six varieties: red beans, chicken with split peas, beef with red beans, lamb with lentils, meatballs with split peas, and red beans with vegetables. You can choose from aromatic white rice or hearty brown rice, and each meal comes with a small salad and firni, a warmly spiced milk pudding dessert with pistachios.
Each stew begins with the same base of tomatoes, garlic, onions, salt, pepper and oil; the meats are rubbed with a similar mix 24 hours prior to cooking.
“That’s it. There’s nothing special and nothing secret,” Bakhshi says.
While the recipe itself might sound a little basic, individual flavors in each stew — boosted by their specific combination of meat and legume (or just legume) — allow every combo to shine in its own way.
Whichever of the stews you decide to get, they all have one thing in common: Your meal is going to be nourishing and delicious.
4371 Murray Ave., ricenstewco.com
Jason Gan was born in southeastern China, but his passion for Chinese food was fueled as much by his experience working at Panda Express as by his father’s longstanding career as a chef.
“I worked there for years. I’m inspired by their success with American-Chinese food,” Gan says. “So we combined my concept with what my dad can bring to our business.”
Dongliang Gan most recently cooked at PF BBQ House in Oakland, preparing Sichuan hot pots and Northeastern Chinese barbecue. Before that, he worked at restaurants in State College (where Jason attended university), cooking at a variety of Asian spots, including those serving Thai and Japanese food.
In October, the father-son duo opened Gold Ladle in Greenfield with a menu shaped by their combined experiences.
“I don't think people should call American-Chinese food fake. It connects to our roots in southeastern China. It comes from the authenticity of our region combined with our time in the United States,” says Jason Gan.
“We are going to keep the specialty spicy Hunan food as the most important part of the menu. But we will also add some specific dishes from other parts of China,” says general manager Zhilin Gon.
The brightly lit dining room is bare bones in decor, but the service is welcoming and warm. Jason Gan says his primary goal with new customers is to get a sense of what will make them eager to return to the restaurant. Although it’s just a few months old, the family restaurant already does robust business in takeout and delivery too.
The order: There are two menus at Gold Ladle: a large fusion list that includes everything from classic Chinese-American dishes to Thai staples, and a smaller one that highlights regional Chinese cuisine with a focus on Sichuan offerings.
Dongliang Gan’s Sichuan cooking is among the best in Pittsburgh. His gorgeously tender cumin beef features a nice mala heat that builds over the course of the meal, as does his mapo tofu. The slippery, savory Chongqing noodles are a perfect fit for any dinner (they also hold up well for a cold salad the next day), and vegetable dishes such as tinfoil potatoes and sauteed green beans are always a welcome treat.
The Gan family enthusiasm for American-Chinese cooking is evident in popular dishes such as a nostalgic take on fried rice and top-notch versions of greatest hits like beef (or chicken) and broccoli and cashew chicken. The Thai dishes offered are quite good too.
Jason Gan has some solid advice for first-timers trying to figure out what they want to order: “It's never wrong to get orange chicken.”
4219 Murray Ave.; goldladlepittsburgh.com
The Woods House, a British-style pub, is named for the original owners of the 1792 wood-and-stone structure: George Woods, a Revolutionary War colonel and the surveyor who laid out Downtown’s Golden Triangle, and his son, John, a lawyer.
The home remained with the Woods family for generations but was eventually abandoned and fell into disrepair. It might have been demolished had a community effort not placed it on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.
Still, it took nearly 30 years for life to return to the building.
“It was all boarded up. Two of the walls are collapsing. Everything was overgrown,” says co-owner Krish Pandya.
Pandya and his partners purchased the space, located in a residential section of Hazelwood, in 2018 with plans to renovate. The move would bring the first new food-and-drink business to the neighborhood in years.
“We didn't want to bring a drinking spot into the neighborhood. I had to explain the pub concept, and how it's a family-friendly place,” Pandya says. “I appreciate that the neighborhood engaged in discussions with us and even if they felt like we were outsiders to begin with, they now support the concept.”
Pandya’s team restored the historic interior, added an attached building for the kitchen, provided accessible bathrooms on both floors and built a lovely patio with a grand view of the Monongahela River and Downtown.
You’ll want to sit in the cozy downstairs space if you can, though the upstairs lounge is still charming and comfortable, if a bit more modern.
Pricing is a little bit higher than most of the other establishments in the neighborhood, but with a $22 maximum as of press time and generous portions, it’s still an overall good value for the money.
The order: Executive chef Travis Torsell’s menu leans on the Scottish pub playbook, with a few pan-European influences to accommodate vegetarian diners.
Start with a couple of appetizers to share. Goat cheese toast with tomato jam doesn’t exactly scream "old-time pub," but the mountain of creamy, savory-sweet whipped cheese atop warm baguette slices is a great way to kick off a meal. For a more traditional choice, Scotch eggs wrap savory sausage and crispy breading around hard-boiled eggs. Dip them in the tangy mustard aioli to cut the richness.
The Woods House is perfect for those who like to order their own entrées (perhaps sharing a bite or two with their companions). The menu remains fairly static, a nod to British pubs where regulars return for their favorites.
Guinness pot roast, served with cavatappi (a tubed corkscrew pasta) in white cheddar sauce, is a top hit on the hearty end of the spectrum. It’s in good company with fish and chips (well-fried fish and good, house-made American-style fries), bangers and mash, and a fish pie topped with mashed potatoes.
On the lighter end of the menu you’ll find a good version of chicken tikka masala (a dish most likely invented by an immigrant chef in Scotland in the 1970s) and steamed mussels in a creamy broth infused with shallots.
“This is a standard for every Scottish pub. It's a mix of Scottish and Indian heritage, and a product of British colonization,” Pandya says of the chicken.
The pub features a full bar program with a well-curated whiskey list and four taps dedicated to beer brewed in and near Hazelwood.
4604 Monongahela St.; woodshousepgh.com
Hazelwood Cafe owner Dasawn Gray sums up the mission of his neighborhood gathering place with a simple phrase: “Community first, profit second.”
Gray grew up in Hazelwood and began volunteering for community-focused activities and channeling entrepreneurial ideas in grade school.
“Gray has made a profound impact on those who know him. His confident demeanor, mature sensibilities, superior entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to excellence in service makes him a standout,” the New Pittsburgh Courier said of the then-15-year-old in 2016.
He left Hazelwood in his early 20s, moving to West Mifflin to work in a variety of fields, including a stint as a truck driver, taking goods all over the country and internationally. Still, his heart remained in Hazelwood, and he felt called back to his neighborhood as he saw economic waves that could affect long-term residents.
“There is a lot of change coming to Hazelwood. I want to offer a space where people know they can gather and to be able to share information about the rights and opportunities they have as residents,” Gray says.
The cafe, which opened in 2022, is first and foremost a place where locals (and everyone else) can pop in for their morning cup of joe, a smoothie or some pastries. At the same time, it serves as a hub for events, toy drives, neighborhood cleanups and nonprofits to make plans to help Hazelwood residents.
“You don't know who you're going to run into here. Community organizers, lawyers, urban gardeners. It's always a mix,” Gray says.
Just as Hazelwood Cafe was becoming a fixture, an unexpected health crisis put it all at risk. This time, the community showed up to rally around Gray.
Hazelwood Cafe recently closed for two months when Gray needed emergency surgery. As of late February, more than 200 people had donated nearly $10,000 to a GoFundMe to help Gray pay his medical bills and keep the cafe’s bills paid.
“It was shocking how people came together to support this place. It was crazy. I'm very grateful. The community wanted this space to exist,” he says.
The order: Hazelwood Cafe’s daytime menu features a satisfying combination of breakfast sandwiches such as a classic bacon, egg and cheese on toast, burritos, salads and grilled cheese. If you’re looking for something a bit lighter, the house-made smoothie is a terrific option.
Gray is serious about his coffee. He trained as a barista with Commonplace Coffee, and he uses local roasters — primarily Redhawk Coffee Roasters at the moment — for his deep lineup of coffee drinks. Tea drinkers will appreciate the house-made chai, which is prepared with a mixture of five different teas as well as a blend of spices.
Katie Ashman serves as Hazelwood Cafe’s pastry chef. She offers a terrific selection of scratch-prepared baked goods including brownie cookie sandwiches with caramel icing, chocolate chip muffins enhanced with espresso, and cheesecakes.
5017 Second Ave.; hazelwood.cafe
Hal B. Klein
Hal B. Klein
Sebastian Foltz
Benjamin B. Braun
Ed Yozwick
Laura Malt Schneiderman
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