KAVSAR RESTAURANT

This place felt like a hidden gem, because it was at the end of a long street of restaurants, there weren’t many people inside, and all the food was so delicious! My friends and I shared the traditional Uzbek homemade bread - this is a must have. It came piping hot out of the oven, so fresh and soft and chewy. I got the beef stroganoff with mashed potatoes, and everything was buttery soft and amazing. The sauce added the perfect amount of flavor to the creamy potatoes. If I had any room left, I would’ve gone for dessert! It’s so cool to find a tasty halal place in Pittsburgh.

I've always loved Kavsar. I was bummed when the dining room closed during COVID, and at least once every 6 months-to-a-year I call in to see if dining in was open again...and FINALLY today it was! We still got takeout once in awhile, which is also always a treat. I had a friend move to Pittsburgh from L.A. and was complaining about not finding certain foods like Uzbeki. Of course I knew just the place...it's always a pleasure for us.

Went here for my partner’s birthday with my family, we’d gotten takeout before and wanted to try going in person since the option became available. The food was amazing, the interior is lovely, and we all had a great time! We ordered a ton of things on the menu and every one was great, we’ll definitely be coming back soon!

Lovely dinner and first time trying Uzbek food! Quiet atmosphere and local folks who know what they are coming for! Very sweet and friendly service. Enjoyed the stroganoff and the traditional plov. Our favorite was the bread though! So soft and delightful, definitely get the large!

I had high hopes for Kavsar Restaurant, but unfortunately, it was a major disappointment. The food completely lacked taste and flavor—it was bland and uninspiring. On top of that, there was hardly any variety to choose from, which made the experience even more underwhelming. Overall, it felt like a wasted visit, and I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone looking for a flavorful meal.

A cozy and quiet place with a pleasant atmosphere. A wide selection of delicious dishes-perfect for those who want to enjoy a good meal in comfort.

Very delicious food!! Tried this cuisine for the first time. Best customer service!! I will visit again this restaurant when i come back to the city. Thanks

Every dish I've ever had here is really delicious. The bread is amazing. Angelika was a great server too. So glad they're open for dining in again!

Right now Kavsar is only takeout although the owner/chef said that will change in October. Our order was ready in 30 minutes as promised. Everyone loved their meal. Lagman with beef was like a comfort food from your mom's kitchen. The homemade noodles were a generous serving and the beef/vegetable on top had a rich well-developed flavor. Just sooo good! One person had Vegetarian Plov and she liked her dish as well. Be sure to order the bread!

This place is a 10/10! This is my first time eating Uzbek cuisine and our meals were absolutely delicious. We dined in their lovely restaurant for dinner which was warm and inviting. The waitstaff is attentive and kind, and the food is out of this world. We started off with a Kavsar boat with cheese and egg that was epic. My husband had borscht and I had the mushroom soup. Flavors were spot-on and soup was so satisfying on a cold night. For entrees, my husband had the beef stroganoff and I ate the vegetarian plov. Everything was absolutely incredible and we can't wait to go back. You definitely won't regret checking this place out and trying out Uzbek cuisine!

food was delicious and interesting. Angelica was our server and she helped us choose meals, appetizers and dessert. she was friendly and funny, made it more enjoyable! We will be back!

4.5 stars overall. Kavsar restaurant opened about a decade ago, and it serves Uzbek and Russian foods. As of 2023, the restaurant offers only takeout and delivery--NOT dine-in service. The menu lists several dozen foods, including appetizers (e.g., crepes, samsa, salads, and soups), entrees (e.g., plov, lagman, manty, beef stroganoff, and chuchvara), and a couple of desserts. Please visit Kavsar's website for a full menu that shows photos and ingredients. I have eaten food from Kavsar off and on since 2015. Most recently, for this past weekend, I placed an order through the restaurant's website for pickup. I chose five of my favorite foods from past orders. The restaurant sent me an email confirmation that said that the time for cooking depends on the order and can take 20-50 minutes. After 38 minutes, the restaurant sent me another email about my food being ready for pickup. The neighborhood has a limited number of parking spaces, but the restaurant has a parking lot at 37 Southern Avenue. I waited near a gate and sign that were next to a side door (see my attached photos). An employee came out of the building and handed over a bag of food without speaking. I ate my foods at home. Here are my ratings for them: Vegetarian plov - $16 - 4 stars - The rice was cooked well, and it contained lots of mushrooms, carrots, and green onions. Borsch - $10 - 4.5 stars - This soup contained cabbage, beef, beets, some other vegetables, and spices. I thought that the flavor of beets was not as strong as what I am used to, but I still liked the soup. Samsa - $4.50 - 5 stars - This delicious pastry consisted of a flaky crust that was filled with meat and onions. Bread - $2.50 - 4 stars - This bread was very fresh. It was labeled as small but was actually quite large. Vareniki - $14 - 5 stars - Several pierogies were filled with mashed potatoes and onions, and I greatly enjoyed their flavor.

Service Ok , Food wise the Kavsar Boat fire SUPER highly recommend , of the 3 Uzbeks restaurants in town the Uzbek Plov wise for me 3rd Place . I get 5 stars for the Uzbek boat I'll get it again

I've been wanting to try plov for a long time. Since they're takeout only, we decided we would eat in our car and then walk along Grandview avenue and enjoy the views. I got the plov and my companion got the Manti, plus we got the large bread. We shared. Our favorite turned out to be the Manti. It had a distinctive flavor we liked and felt light. The beef in the plov was very good but I was underwhelmed with the rice. Perhaps because of how many times over the years I've heard praise about plov. I really thought it was going to knock my socks off. I'm looking forward to trying other items. I wish the dining room was open, the pictures of it look beautiful and intimate. They have a private parking lot which is an important feature in this area. The service was interesting:) Takeout is one thing, but here I have to call when I get there. The doors are locked. So I call and say I am here. And a lady says ok few minutes. And that's it. 5 or so minutes later a lady stealthily comes out of the secret passage and hands me a bag. Then disappears. I literally did not see her come or leave! We chuckled walking back to our car.

Had a great meal. Borscht, Small Bread,Beef Stroganoff, and the Honey Cake. ALL delicious! Angelika our waitress was wonderful! I'll be back.

Food is amazing, homemade taste and feel. Very friendly service. Quiet ambiance. Our go to place!

**PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU CONSIDER ORDERING HERE** YOU NEED TO FIRE THE 30-40 year OLD women IMMEDIATELY. EVIL should not be working in the food industry PERIOD. RUDE, UNPROFESSIONAL, BAD ATTITUDE, TERRIBLE PERSON. Strike 1: Called in, and tried to put in a simple order (literally 1 item). Midway through the conversation, she hangs up. Strike 2: Drove 30 mins to the spot, and tried to order at the restaurant. Then she's all nice to everybody else except me. Wondering why? Maybe because she gets irked off the simplest things in life (you need to do better). Strike 3: She goes "This is the menu, go scan it and order it, on the phone". Like literally I'm outside the restaurant already, what is so complicated? Strike 4: A few minutes later, she comes back outside and says "we ran out of the item you're trying to order. Order something else". PLEASE FIRE HER! She should be working at home and learn some better manners. Actually, go take a course about how to be better at living life. AVOID AT ALL COSTS, or call in then if she picks up, immediately go somewhere else.

My friend and I were so eager for Kavsar to re-open their dining room. We went for dinner and the food was amazing and the perfect comfort food meal. The beef stroganoff with mashed potato's was hearty. Make sure to get an order of the bread- seriously done if the best bread I've ever had. We also ordered the chitchat's and they were delicious and juicy. You can't go wrong with anything on this menu. If you're looking for authentic, hearty dishes Kavsar should be at the top of your list. The service was warm and friendly.

We came to this restaurant expecting a good meal. There's a big sign flashing open, but the door was locked. We called the phone number, and a girl said that she would be right there to open the door. After 10 minutes, nobody has yet to show up. She said that they have takeout only, which is fine. We asked to look at a menu, she said that they don't have any. I don't know what kind of restaurant this is, but I don't think that I'll be coming back.

Wow, wow! Although they are only open for takeout/delivery, we found ordering via their website wasn't too bad. This was our last meal leaving Pittsburgh, and I'm so glad we stopped here. The menu was pretty expansive, so it hard to narrow it down to 3-4 choices. We ordered the borsch, the kavsar boat with cheese and egg, beef manti, and the beef stroganoff with macaroni. Unfortunately, we lost the borsch to airport security, but the kavsar boat, and the manti were top notch. The bread was soft and tasted fresh, not overly cheesy, and the egg yolk was still runny. We went through the ranch sauce pretty quickly. I don't think I could ever say no to any type of dumplings and the manti were no different. The inside was flavorful, and the dumpling skin was just the right amount, with a pretty design on top. The beef stroganoff was unfortunately a bit dry, both the beef itself, and the sauce, but we managed to repurpose it when we got home as the dish came with plenty of meat and pasta. Either way, I'd definitely make a special trip out here again if I'm ever in the Pittsburgh area. There are so many other dishes to try!

We went to "Kavsar" first thing after they reopened for sit-in dining, and again it didn't disappoint us. Everyone from the company of six people was happy with the food, service and atmosphere. Among wide variety of dishes, thin pancakes stuffed with creamy mushrooms were a hit, as well as chuchvara, samsa, different soups and plov. We will definitely come back and bring more people to enjoy Kavsar restaurant.

Delicious! If you're in town and you want a halal option come here! Food is amazing and fresh and clean. I recommend the Lagban! The service is also amazing,

This was the second time we came to this restaurant. We actually returned because we were uncertain on if last time we loved it because it was really good or because we were starving... Well, we must have been starving again because we still loved it . Now, i'm not Russian, and i've never had Russian food prior to this place. So maybe it's the whole "the blind leading the blind" (or however the expression goes). I particularly enjoy how the dishes remind you of something you've had before, except they taste completely different than anything you've had. Last time we had the stuffed tomatoes. I really loved them and tell everyone about them. They were so creamy and thr Dustin of garlic, dill, mayonnaise, and cheese, worked exquisitely with the tomatoes. Who knew tomatoes could get better? Tonight we tried the Kavsar salad with chicken, mushrooms, corn, eggs, mayonnaise. This is going to sound weird but I told my partner "this reminds me of home." Ladies and gentlemen, I was born in South America, near the equator... I started to describe a dish I'd see at parties growing up and told him it's called "ensalada Rusa." ... Then, it clicked. The verbatim translation is "Russian salad" . I'll be following up with my mom to tell me all the ingredients on the dish. The point is, I loved it! We also grabbed the beef samsa which was succulent and well seasoned. My partner got the Hanum which is steamed pasta with potatoes and meat of choice. The dish had a well balanced mix of flavors. The pasta was soft but not mushy, as it was steamed and contained the beef inside (sort of like a wrap). I ordered the Uzbek Plov with lamb; it's a large serving. The dish primarily has rice, plus chickpeas, lamb, some vegetables, scallions. It was a fresh blend of flavors. If you had to imagine it, think of fried rice, except much more fresh tasting and different (in a delicious way). You need to try it! I will continue to recommend this place!

This place is amazing! The food was delicious and filling. The bread is so amazing and smells so good, I had to break it out on the way home.

This is a female & minority owned business ... the owner has a thick accent and was very patient with me in helping me pick menu options which were ready in 25 min. We got the stuffed tomatoes, fresh bread, pumpkin and spinach dumplings and borsht soup ... it was about 47 for all that which I thought was reasonable... I loved everything. I especially liked the stuffed tomatoes and fresh bread together. That fresh cheese in the tomatoes went perfectly with the bread and I loved the sesame seeds on top. The dumplings tasted both delicious and healthy ... you can tell that the pumpkin and spinach used in the filling was freshly cooked and adequately stuffed. I really liked the spices used in the pumpkin one and liked how it went with the fresh dill. I also enjoyed the borsht soup. The rich flavor of the broth was essential to it. I would definitely come here again and try more of their menu.

I've never had Uzbek food before, but I really enjoyed everything we ordered. For appetizers, don't skip the stuffed tomatoes! I normally don't enjoy cold tomatoes but these were superb. For our entrees, we split vegetarian plov and lagman. Both tasty and cooked perfectly. And then had cherry pancakes for dessert. Tip: heat them in the microwave before enjoying The restaurant is closed for indoor dining, but just place your order online and call when you get there. They'll bring it out. If you can't find street parking, they have a small lot just right up the street!

I love Kavsar - have been going there for about five years, but what I cannot understand is how _anyone_ could be so terrorized by fictitious political events that _to_this_day_ you can't eat in their nice restaurant.

A friend introduced me to this delicious spot earlier this year, and I am dying to return! Kavsar Restaurant serves Uzbek and Russian cuisine (including a special bread that's baked daily - more on that later). They use local ingredients as much as possible and make the majority of the food in house from scratch. And if my visit is any indication, everything is fantastic and worth having at least once! I visited Kavsar with a group of people, so we were able to order a range of their homemade dishes and share them. I got to sample the eggplant roll, cottage cheese pancakes, the shurpa (a traditional soup with vegetables cooked in beef broth), and vareniki (dumplings described as "the Russian version of pierogis" on the menu). Oh, and we also ordered two loaves of that special bread to share. Everything. Was. Amazing! "Delicious" doesn't begin to cover the goodness we were served. Every dish had a unique flavor profile, I think due to the combination of the cuisine itself plus the freshness of the dishes. I still dream about that bread sometimes, it was just SO good. All the food we shared was super filling - but wait, there's more! The gang and I managed to make some room for some sweet baklava and the Russian Napoleon cake (a creamy baked delight that I wanted more of as soon as it disappeared). The desserts, unlike the main dishes, was store bought, but I have no complaints at all. A great dessert is a great dessert! I cannot recommend this place enough - they are 100% worth an adventure up to Mt. Washington, even if you have to hunt for parking. Their atmosphere is homely, their service is great, and I obviously can't praise the food enough. Visit the nearby wine store to take advantage of their BYOB policy, then head on over and start dining!

Undiscovered gem no longer. I'm here to say Kavsar is unique, affordable, and very satisfying. There's a warm, old-fashioned, hospitality here that is very refreshing. I arrived for the Russian dishes by was quickly swayed in favor of the Uzbek options. First off, don't pass on the traditional Uzbek bread. The small is quite large for one person. It's fresh baked bread, and comes in a round shape symbolic of the sun. It suggests supreme spirituality, compassion, generosity, hospitality and beauty. That's a lot for bread to live up to, however this bread succeeds. Try the soups, they are important in this culture, and I'm fairly certain you will come to appreciate them, too. This is a cozy, unique place. Make sure you give it a try.

I'd definitely stop by this place if I was in Mount Washington, but I'm not sure it was worth the 25 minute drive. Firstly, keep in mind that they are takeout only. I don't have a problem with this at all, so I was excited to try out some chuchvara, samsa, Uzbek bread, and the dessert of the day (I believe it was honey cake). When I got there, it was a little tough to figure out how to get my order. But, the owner was nice enough to help me out. Chuchvara came in an adequate portion, but not too large. They were filled quite nicely nod the meat was definitely quality. It came with ranch, but I believe it was store bought ranch. The Uzbek bread was AMAZING. The small bread is plenty for one person, maybe even too much. And it's super fresh! The samsa is somewhat similar to a samosa, but they are stuffed with lots of potatoes and mushrooms. The mushrooms are great, potatoes are a bit chunky. The 'crust' of the samosa is also nice and crispy. Finally, the dessert. This was really the only truly disappointing food. The honey cake tasted stale and not homemade. In fact, I'm pretty certain this is a store bought cake. Honestly, I would much rather try the sweet pancakes as a dessert instead of this. I believe those are made in house. I would recommend this place if you are in the area. It is similar to the food my grandmother makes, so it's quite authentic. However, maybe steer clear of the desserts.

Neat place. Good food. I started with a bowl of borsch. We ordered a small side of their bread, which was hot and delicious. I had the beef stroganoff and my wife had the chicken gampan. Everything came out perfectly hot and everything was delicious. They have a dedicated parking lot just down and across the street. Highly recommend. We'll go back.

Love the atmosphere and the decorations. The food is authentic. The service is very good. I like that they served everything at one time. I will definitely go back if we visit Pittsburgh again. Highly Recommend!

I had a lovely group dinner here! We choose this place because one of my dining partners claimed it's the closest you can get to Russian food in Pittsburgh I was worried they would not have much vegetarian food, and the cuisine is pretty meat-heavy, but they had many more options than I was expecting. Many of their traditional dishes (e.g. various kinds of dumplings) could be made with spinach or pumpkin I recommend ordering to share so you can try lots of things! For appetizer, don't miss the Bread, it's very unique - strong sesame flavor and extra soft. The Borsch was also a popular order The food overall had a lot of dill, which is a somewhat unusual flavor in other cuisines, but I really enjoyed it! Don't forget - it's BYOB

The girl was on the phone was so RUDE! A big NO! RUDE! We were outside, trying to order on the phone. And the women in the phone was so RUDE! We were gonna order for bunch of people, because she was so rude, we just wanted to talk to the manager or the owner but she told us she is not there. We told her she is rude and hung up!!! These kind of people should not work in restaurants! They just lost a big order and a valued customer. We already know that the food is good but we will never come here again. And, we had no problem with language. (Russian, Turkish, Uzbek, English)

Big fan! The food is delicious. We've ordered delivery several times. Never had Uzbek food before but haven't had a bad item yet. Really enjoy the dumplings w/sauce and calzone-style cheese-filled breads. A guilty pleasure. Mmm mmm! Thank you for exposing me to new cuisine and culture Kasvar!

I stumbled upon this place with my family after taking the Monongahela incline up to Mt Washington. As we were looking at the menu outside, a neighbor stopped to tell us how good the food at Kavsar was, which convinced us to go in. She was definitely right! We tried the carrot salad, homemade bread, eggplant rolls, manti dumplings, dumplings in soup, and the Kavsar. They were well seasoned, fresh and delicious! My favorite was the carrot salad - I could eat that every day. Service was great, though it may get slow if there are more parties dining at the same time. I noticed they also deliver via Grubhub! Definitely recommend it to those lucky folks in the delivery area.

We went here for the first time on Saturday, really good service, cute small resturant. The food was amazing though. The eggplant rolls were so fresh tasting and the sosma (not sure on the spelling) but get the spiced pumpkin you won't regret that. The food was overall great and all homemade. Except the desserts. The baklava was store bought, I don't think they hid the fact that they bought it. The box was in the fridge right where you enter. That is the on reason why I am giving a 3 star review. If I am paying 3 something for store bought, I could have just bought it myself. Make sure you mention in the beginning to spilt the bill.

Exceptional food. Never had that cuisine before. I took a walk around Mount Washington and tried to find something new and different and that place is a true true true hidden gem! I ordered based on menu pictures and I must say the taste, the presentation, the freshness of ingredients is absolutely worth it. Don't hesitate to try it. The lady that took the order has a thick accent , she is very polite and lets you up front know that her English are not so good BUT so are not mine and it was a funny moment for both of us trying to figure it out. I think it adds to the charm of authenticity. Enjoy

Wow!! I hate that I've lived in Pittsburgh this long and haven't been here. Now that a lot of places are closing early, we saw that it was available for delivery for a late dinner and gave it a try. Anthony Bourdain's Uzbekistan episode of Parts Unknown whet our appetites to try some of the country's specialties. Everything was so flavorful and arrived hot. Got some of the Beef Manti, Ayran, and Mushroom Potatoes Samsa. Will definitely be back!!

As soon as I walked in I felt super welcome. My server, Svitlana, was great and explaned what all the entrees consisted of. She was very knowledgeable of the menu and gave me her recommendations, which did not disappoint. She was super friendly and we talked basically the whole time I was there. I had the traditional tea with bread as a starter. Didn't really like the combination, I prefer the bread with the Mastava soup I got along with my entree. I ordered the Kavsar special and the Manti. The Kavsar special is 2 homemade sausages, lightly seared then topped with a house sauce. I can't remember if they bake it, or simmer in the sauce after searing, but I do wish they seared it longer. It tasted more boiled/simmered than anything. It came with a carrot salad which was amazing, another house salad and rice. The Manti were good, (dumplings) but I didn't like the meat inside. It was a glob of ground beef, not much flavor in it. The spinach and cheese were definitely better. The honey bread for dessert was pretty good, not too sweet and would go really well with the tea or coffee. Overall, I would definitely recommend. It's something different, and worth a try. If I'm in Pittsburgh again I will come back!

My friends and I ordered food from here and we all loved the food. Together we ordered, the bread, Kasvar boat, chickpea soup, Borsch, Uzbek, Manti, Plov, Lagman, and Gampan. They were all absolutely phenomenal. I personally highly recommend the Manti dumplings and Uzbek plov. Both were very flavorful with all the herbs and vegetables over soft and warm rice. Highly recommend this restaurant.

A group of friends and I went for a late night dinner at this Uzbek and Russian cuisine restaurant. They have a small downstairs dining area but a larger one upstairs. Place is BYOB. They also serve pizza here. Kavsar specializes in fresh ingredients drawn from local farmer's markets and prepare them in house. Please note that the desserts aren't homemade. Our group was shown labeled boxes that they came in prior to ordering. It goes without saying that you should invest in their homemade bread. There's enough to feed at least 4-5 people. It comes in a round which you can break off. Oh so good!!! They also have a vegetarian menu but vegan options are available. Check carefully on this one and you will find a few things. Better yet ask your server. We started off with sharing a couple of appetizers which eggplant rolls and sweet cottage cheese pancakes that resembled crepes. Both were delicious!! I decided to go with one of the homemade soups. Russian borsch is on the menu but I opted for Mastava which was a Uzbek soup. This soup is a meal in itself that included beef, chickpeas, and rice in a traditional beef broth. The bread we had ordered made a perfect accompaniment. Someone in our group ordered Varenki which was a Russian version of periogies with a potato and onion filling. I got to sample a piece and it was so light! Some of the others had different soups and my friend sitting next to me had beef and fried vegetables over rice. That too I got to sample and believe me it did not disappoint. Portion sizes are generous! Our waiter both friendly and helpful as always offered us dessert. Although we were fairly stuffed we all split an order of Napoleon and baklava. The Napoleon had a sweet creamy center and the Baklava was indeed very good. Reservations can be made on their website and catering is available. Parking can be a problem but there is a city metered lot a couple of blocks down. This is a great hidden gem in Mt.Washington and my first chance to sample authentic Russian and Uzbek cuisine. Prices are very reasonable for what you get and makes a great place to go if you want to try a new cuisine. You can also order on grubhub. Will most certainly return to try their other offerings.

What a fun place! First of all, they have a whole vegetarian menu! That is simply music to my ears. Amazing. I do want to point out to my fellow vegetarian eaters that there were a few items (and good ones at that) that were vegetarian but not on the strictly vegetarian menu. The cheese pancakes and bread are some examples. I am lucky enough to be familiar with many of these dishes, so I did not hesitate to try a few things. They are definitely authentic tasting and worth the awkward parking. For my main, I got the handmade Vareniki. Basically think of dumpling-like pierogies filled with just potato and onion. Served with sour cream in the middle and dill on top. I loved them! Like I said before, authentic and simple. The cheese pancakes and bread (also mentioned before) were very good as well. The cheese was sweet and the pancake was like a crepe. For dessert, I tried the napoleon cake. It reminded me a bit of the cake made of wafers and condensed milk but it was softer and a bit creamier. I loved it! I will definitely come back.

When you started to google whether this place delivers 5 mins after you left the restaurant, you know this place is AMAZING!I always like to try food from different places, and as the only Uzbek restaurant in town, Kavsar has been on my bucket list for a while. I'm glad that I finally get to try it! My friend and I were first astonished by the nicely decorated interior. Exotic but homey, decorative but unassuming. Then we were amazed by the generous portion of the home made bread. It was a nice huge bread to share, with golden crusty edge and soft fluffy inside. Not your typical pre-dinner bread basket but we wouldn't want it otherwise. Then we both got our soups. Mine comes with the entree and my friend ordered separately. I was neither impressed nor disappointed. It was similar to what you would expect from an eastern-European types of eatery. But then the entree! OMG i love them!!! Both of us couldn't finished due to the giant portion. But: the chewy, juicy, coated-with-sauce chicken breast from my plate; the warm, soft, well-cooked chickpeas from my friend's. Both were amazing and we had to pack up the leftover. Anyway, this place is also near the grand view area where you got pretty scene. Funny how I always thought this place was in Southside. But anyway, I will definitely comeback. If not, I'll have the Grubhub to let the food come back to me.

Soooooo good! Our favorites are the beef plov, spinach manti, olivje salad, and mushroom soup. The beef is incredibly tender and the flavors are delicious. The food is so rich and filling. I would recommend ordering a bunch of different things and sharing. Makes for great leftovers too!

If ever there was an ethnic restaurant, Kavsar is it. It's tucked into the second floor of a home, as if you had just dropped in for dinner at your Uzbekistani neighbor's house. The whole dining area has a tidy, simplistic charm. The one thing that threw me off after sitting down was the flat screen TV on a wall, from which Eurasian pop stars danced and beckoned flirtatiously, their disembodied voices pumping over the speakers. The lively beats were completely at odds with the calm crowd of diners and the timid waitress, but it kinda feels right. A bathroom was squished into the corner facing the second floor landing. We started off with a pot of green tea in big, cylindrical cups that was gone in a few sips. Unfortunately refills are not free, and one pot is not enough to last four people more than a cup each. For starters, we chose some Mushroom and Mashed Potato Pancakes and Beef Julien in Pancake Bags. The pancakes are slightly thicker than crepes and complement the savory fillings wonderfully. The Mashed Potato Pancakes are creamier (owing to the sour cream) and heavier, while the Julien delivered well-rounded bites of tender beef. We couldn't decide which one we liked better, so I guess you'll just have to get both. ;) I've always loved a good, hearty soup, so I tried the Shurpa and another friend got the Borsch w/ Beans. These are medium-sized bowls, but the broth turned out to be thinner than we expected and the pork ridiculously tough. As if it were kept simmering in the pot for hours and hours. My Shurpa turned out to be just an average vegetable soup with a hunk of pork and judicious use of fennel, and my friend wasn't wowed with the Borsch either. The other members of our party took the well-traveled and wiser path of ordering entrees: one Kavsar and one Brizol. I couldn't even tell you what was in these dishes except that it was the work of a kitchen god or goddess. Comfort food presented on a plate almost too genteel for its contents. And all halal! The whole time we were there, we couldn't help but creep on the spread on our neighbor's tables - everything just looked so damn good. Reflecting back, I might actually like Kavsar better if they had a more down-to-earth feel. We forked over quite a bit of $$ for the meal and spared no morsel, and a return trip may be necessary if just to partake in this unique cuisine again.

We were glad to find Kavsar and to get to try Uzbek food for the first time! :) The restaurant is slightly hidden as it is up the top of the hill of Shiloh St and a couple of blocks away from other restaurants/cafes down the hills with higher foot traffic. From the outside, it looks like a normal home and there's a slightly weird setup where you have to walk up the stairs upon entering the restaurant to get to the main dining area. The restaurant itself is not upscale by any means, but instead, has a homey feel to it. Meaning, it feels as if it's not as a professional restaurant (although I'm sure they are licensed! :D)...but rather more like you are dining at another person's home. We tried the Uzbek yoghurt drink on a hot summer day (it's not too overly sweet and has a slight salt taste to it. You should try it for once!). For lunch, we tried a mix of pumpkin and beef Manti dumplings (their menu said to pick beef, pumpkin or spinach, but we asked them if we could mix the dumpling fillings, and they were happy to accommodate our request!), Kavsar Beef (delicious!...I also loved their slightly pickled fresh carrots that came on the side, too. Very refreshing!) and eggplant rolls. The addition of the fresh dills to the fries and other dishes makes the dish tastier..and is definitely a much better alternative to salt that we typically see in American food! :D Overall, we found the dish very tasty and not too heavy. We ordered quite a bit of food, but surprisingly, after eating, we didn't feel like the meal was too heavy or too bloated like you'd feel bad eating when dining out and gorging yourself with too much food at all. Overall, a great place for people to adventure our to try new food out of their comfort zone! We love our experiences and their prices were very reasonable. Service was slightly slow (and therefore -1) but I suspect that was because the dining room is upstairs, so at times, the waiter/waitress was elsewhere downstairs at the kitchen/on the first floor getting the food/drinks ready for the tables upstairs.

Went to Kavsar with a group of friends. This is a small, lovely Uzbek restaurant on Southern Avenue. We were delighted with the authentic atmosphere and warm and comfortable feeling. Our host was very knowledgeable regarding the Uzbek and Russian dishes they prepare. We were offered a photo menu to be sure we knew what the dishes might look like. Everyone shared a variety of different appetizers and main dishes. All were delicious; we enjoyed the traditional Plov, and I especially recommend the Beef Stroganoff. Drinks were no problem since it's BYOB. The parking lot is a little further down Southern on the left. Very affordable for a wonderful evening out.

Outstanding. Never have had Uzbek food or ever seen a place to get it until finding Kavsar. We had the Kavsar bread - huge and full of meat - 1 is plenty for two people. Also had the carrot salad - uniquely flavored and shaped like pasta. This is carry-out or delivery only and tucked in a little old neighborhood but I would absolutely go back and try other menu items.

Great food. Clean ingredients. Interesting recipes. Menu descriptions can be a little confusing at times, but the overall experience is always worth it.

This is an amazing family owned restaurant! Every dish is a hit! I loooove their hanum, plov, manti, and pretty much everything else on the menu:)))) This restaurant is THE ONLY one in the Pittsburgh area that serves delicious authentic uzbek plov. Also, the new Kavsar boat dish just melts in your mouth, so delicious! I totally recommend this place!

I have eaten here twice, and have not been disappointed. The food is excellent and unique, and the prices are very affordable. We had a lovely server, who introduced us to Uzbekistan tea (Ahmad). Absolutely fabulous!! The bread is to die for, and I enjoyed the pickled vegetables. Can't wait to go back again.

We walked up the hill to a building with the sign for Kavsar Restaurant. Classical music played over a small room of tables covered with tablecloths. Looking over the vast menu it was difficult to pick but we had to try the bread. This is a dense bread topped with sesame seeds and served warm with a side of butter. I started with the eggplant roll. It is rolled with tomato and onion and served cold. The eggplant was spongy and greasy. Seemed like I was eating a cold breaded & fried eggplant. It was too heavy so I don't think I'd order it again. The entree I ordered was called vareniki (dumplings) with onion and potato. Translucent Dumplings arrived beautifully arranged on a plate. Texture was perfect and filling had delicate flavor. Topped with dill of course. Definitely recommend. Someone got beef stroganoff. Tender beef on mashed potatoes with gravy. Someone else got the beef Plov. It reminded me of fried rice with chickpeas. Unique flavors. Overall my companions and I enjoyed the food and the service. Can't wait to go back to try more!

We really wanted to like this restaurant, the reviews were great and we were craving central Asian cuisine. My boyfriend is Russian-American and this is his comfort food. We ordered the eggplant rolls, their house bread, lamb plov, and spicy cucumber salad. The service was nice but every dish except for the eggplant rolls was disappointing. The bread was flavorless and maybe stale. The spicy cucumber salad was soggy and over spiced. The lamb plov was the most disappointing of all. We were expecting a fragrant rice dish with tender pieces of lamb, but instead we received an oily rice dish with cheap cuts of tough lamb and undercooked rice. We were visiting Pittsburgh for the weekend and wasted one of only dinners in the city here. Would not recommend.

I ordered from here a few times during COVID and I loved it. I'm not familiar with this cuisine but everything I tried was great. Much of the food has a unique flavor I've never encountered before. If you're bored with ordering pizza and Chinese, give this a shot.

We were in that cafe because my friend eat only halal. Place looks not bad, the cafe staff were polite and sociable, BUT I was distracted by the phone and my order was brought to me, it was soup. and in it I found a FLY!!! It's was disgusting. I canceled my order and leave. I hope they will do something wiz this problem.

Spending a lot of my time at this place. Always gives me a great mood and takes me back to my childhood!