Amanda has been waiting for this moment for months, ever since winter set in here in the Allegheny Mountains (and no it’s not spring). Well, spring is one of them, but the other is a day that’s warm enough for an evening walk to Market Square in Pittsburgh and the best burgers the Steel City has to offer: Winghart’s! Winghart’s Burger & Whiskey Bar describes itself as a place for locally sourced food that never sees the inside of a freezer or microwave. The atmosphere is a little funky with a post-industrial look brought about by the use of reclaimed materials, replica antique light bulbs, and artwork make from iron pipes.

Iron Pipe Artwork

Wingharts

My carnivorous wife found this place shortly after moving to Pittsburgh 2 years ago but had to go without for months after a fire gutted the downtown restaurant. The fire took more than 20 minutes to knock down and caused more than $50,000 in damage.

The relaxed atmosphere is exactly what you want in a burger joint. The music may seem a little loud at times and the square footage may seem a little on the small side, but none of that matters after a few of their signature whiskey drinks find their way to your table.

But don’t drink too much, the thing they do best is burgers.  The fresh-ground patties come with names like The Shipwreck (artisan crafted sandwich with arugula, brie cheese, white truffle aioli, caramelized onions, and bacon) or the Mattola Burger, created with two half pound patties and apple wood smoked bacon topped with American cheese. You could also take the simple route like me and get a well-done patty topped with cheddar and a side of fries.

I know we have written about visiting Pittsburgh before and how it is a tradition to eat an overloaded sandwich at Primanti Brothers at least once.  But if you have a recurring carnivorous craving you can eat at Winghart’s again and again.