Squirrel Hill Cafe

My most American trait is that I eat more burgers than any other food. That said, the bacon cheeseburger here is simply the best I have ever had in my life. It's definitely my favorite burger in Pittsburgh. It is a 9.5/10 or better nearly every time. The grainy mustard and mayo is genius. The fries are also great. Service is typically solid even when they're busy.

It’s been ages since I’ve been here, but I’ve been missing out. The smoky dive of my youth is now a smoke-free place that has surprisingly good food, including a delicious burger. It’s loud and lively, but not overwhelming. The service is excellent.

Great bar burger and good beer selection. Can’t beat the price. It’s exactly what it should be.

The Cage has always been dark, but the high-backed booths they have now make you feel like you’re in a tomb.

People working over there are very friendly. The food is good with large portions. We tried hamburger and fried fish. Fries could have been better. Prices are reasonable. I recommend this place.

Absolutely amazing experience! The staff here are incredibly friendly, professional, and genuinely care about their customers. The service was quick, efficient, and done with great attention to detail. The place is spotless, well-organized, and has a really welcoming atmosphere — you can tell they take pride in what they do.

A great tavern feel with wonderful food and friendly service. Highly recommend!!! Had my grandma, mother, brother, and twin daughters here. Was great!

EDIT: No more smoking and limited menu is back! Try the burgers, fries, fish sammie, and any of the apps. Some of the best bar food in town. Cozy, smokey dive bar. Great prices, great staff, and awesome chefs. It quickly becomes your go-to spot.

This is a great night spot to slip into we weren't done with drinks so we continued with some food. The mozzarella sticks were hot and cheesy. The burger was delicious and enough for two to share. Great vibe overall and friendly servers and bartender. Adding this to list of fav spots in Pittsburgh.

I was pleasantly surprised by the squirrel hill cafe. I'd call it a neighborhood dive bar, for that, it was great. They have a few beers on tap, not a lot, and the Guinness was out tonight, bummer. Then there are bottles and cans. No list, so you have to try to see what's in the fridge or try to get the attention of the busy bar tenders. I did find a counter of good dark lager type beers. The menu is limited. I had a burger. It was good, although they forgot the mushrooms. But the price was right. And the fries were good. Overall a fun place for a beer and burger with friends.

My college bestie and I were in Pittsburgh for a weekend...random dinner on the first night here. Initial service was SLOW...understaffed but staff was SO nice! Food was reasonably priced...burger was hand pattied and huge...mushrooms were delicious! Kind of a local dive atmosphere but SO MUCH better than anticipated ...would recommend!!!!

This place is perfect. Is it the fanciest place? Certainly not. But it has character and amazing, cheap (!!!!!) food and drinks. Seriously- I think every item is under 10$. Service is laid back but always there when you need them. And the ambience... dark, beer signs everywhere, simple tables and booths. Also you may hear people refer to this as "the cage". Perfect place to catch up with friends over some drinks or get affordably buzzed with delicious food.

$25 for two amazing burgers and fries. Divey and laid back bar atmosphere, quick and friendly service. You know it's going to be good when they put a paper placemat down, right??

great small spot with great affordable food. Great place to have a drink and catch up with friends!

All the other reviews tell you what you need to know about beer and food and service, but a real plus is the pinball machine in the back. It's in great shape and it's fun to play. A great hang out.

Great burgers and fish sandwich. Been here a bunch of times. Food is always great at Extremely reasonable price.

Beers during a break in the UAA conference meet at Carnegie Mellon. Hole in the wall, dive bar w great service and cold beer. Limited food menu.

Great food and service. We have been in a few times I. The last couple of months and always have a good experience. Highly recommend!

I have been coming to the Cage since 2017 and have made so many fond memories here. Whether it's just a delicious draft beer and burger after work or celebrating a birthday with friends it's always a fun time. It's a dive bar and I do have to say I miss the days when smoking inside was okay, but if you are sensitive to smoke it is now smoke free. The service is excellent and the food is affordable.

Cheap beer, good food, but they have horrible service. I tried to pay for my beer with my card and they told me there's a $10 minimum. There are no signs to indicate this and I was not informed upfront about this policy. Also, the older woman working the bar took my friend's ID and my other friends passport into the back and left the establishment 3 times to verify they weren't fake (we are all 24). Someone's valuable personal information should ever leave the building.

Best burgers in Pittsburgh!! Great bar selection. Parking lot across street. A local institution.

The world is a better place, because the squirrel cage exists with all the heart and soul of the neighborhood watering spot that we so badly need And yes they have gotten ride of smoking but kept the great late night food with an old school jukebox and video games This is a place which has been much revered by pitt and cmu graduate students and professors who blend in with just a myriad of great pittsburgh characters That means leave any pretense at the door Like many businesses this place was affected by Covid But please do everything you can to support this institution And by the way the best burger in town and never had a bad thing off the menu Go alone bring friends or just stop in to appreciate that a place like this still exists

We stopped in for a quick lunch while shopping. The BLT and onion rings were delicious, but the star was Jan the server. She sat down with us and chatted while we waited for our food. We will definitely go back and try a burger and catch up with Jan!

The service was awful. The food was mediocre. I ordered a cocoa cola that had no sweetness. The waitress said that was the way their coke tastes. My husband ordered soup. After waiting at least 45 minutes, it was literally thrown down at him. It was only a little more than half full and tasted terrible. That was sent back, along with the coke. The burgers finally came almost an hour after we got there. The fries were cold. The burgers were large, cooked well, but pretty tasteless. We will never return to this establishment.

Tina is a very nice and caring bartender. Taco Mondays are Excellent!! Old school charm

I've been coming here for the past few months. The dude behind the bar is dope, but the beers and especially the food is a really good price! If I'm knowing I'm gonna get hungry while I'm drinking, I'm always heading here. Great spot.

Great spot with good food, beers, and people. Billy is an awesome guy and you can tell he cares for his customers and business. Definitely worth the try if you've never had it

One of the true squirrel hill neighborhood - divey in a good way bars left a n squirrel hill. Friendly service , cheap beee and good cheap food.

Good late night food place ..fish sandwich was on point ..to be 11pm at night u can't beat this place

Very dark, smoky atmosphere (not from Pittsburgh so didn't know you could still smoke in bars) This place had some amazing homemade burgers! The fries were crispy and fresh

It gives me no pleasure to write this. The last time I was at the cage, I was with two friends after playing some rec basketball at the JCC. We sat at the bar, and the room was almost entirely empty. We sat right where the bartender was; he had his back turned toward us, was an older guy. We said hi, everything seemed cordial enough. Then we waited as the bartender served the other tables. And then we waited as the bartender stood close by us. We even asked if we could order something, and the bartender pretended not hear us, looked around us, and refused to engage with us. We left after 20 minutes. We couldn't get served. My friends are both black, and they said to me (I'm white), "now you know what it's like." It was extremely depressing. We went down to the Murray Avenue Grill and were served immediately. I never had trouble getting served there before and I had enjoyed that particular establishment. But, all the charm of the place has been lost to me and I won't give it another chance. This was about 4 years ago.

We hit the Squirrel Cage last night for something different. While we normally don't go to bars to eat and drink, this was a good change and I'm glad we did. Not only is everyone friendly that works there, they have a great selection of beers and a perfect line up of bar food. We tried a little bit of everything because we'd not been there before. Hot pepper cheese balls with marinara(marinara is must with them), a few garlic wings which were some of the crispest and hottest(temperature) wings we'd ever eaten. Of course we had to try a basket of fries too. They were hot and fresh. Ah, but the star of the show, the burgers! She had a cheeseburger with grilled mushrooms and onions with cheddar cheese and loved it. I myself had a cheeseburger with pepper jack and all the fixin's. Service was good, folks were friendly but most of all the food was top notch!

Amazing neighborhood bar with intimate booth seating. This is the perfect place to unwind with friends and a pitcher. We usually eat dinner when we come here. Their food is quite good and I love their veggie burger. French fries are not the best, they usually are a little burnt, but there a lot of other delicious app options. I also like that this bar isn't overwhelmed by TV and sports. There are a few TVs, but they aren't that big and it seems like most of the crowd is there to talk and drink - not just watch a football game. TVs are usually playing old movies or cartoons as well. This place gets very smoky, so sensitive lungs might want to avoid peak times.

Cheap drinks. Love Tina. It's a really good place. I like it a lot. I get drinks there

One of the best kitchens in town. Not the healthiest, but it's a bar with a wonderful crowd full of chain smokers. Old school style. Friendliest staff youre gonna get. All about the cheese balls, fried mushrooms, and wings that are cooked to so much perfection it's hard not to go full monster and not eat them behind a curtain in the dark. The longevity is well earned and its one of the friendliest places in the Burgh. Post visit dry cleaning/superwash required for non smokers.

What can I say about The Cage that others haven't already said, based on my lone visit last night at 6? I don't know, but for the sake of brevity, I'll sum up my visit with a pro-con list. Pros: 1. Cheap, decent food. My BLT ($4.25) was delightful, with crispy, juicy bacon and crisp, fresh lettuce--only the hothouse tomatoes disappointed. Get the fries--they're hand-cut and delicious! I tried some from a companion, and regretted not upgrading to a platter to get them. 2. I can't comment on the drinks myself, since I'm not drinking at present, but everyone says they're good--and they're cheap, too. I got a club soda ($1.25). 3. Interesting people watching opportunities. I wasn't able to take advantage of them due to concentrating on group discussion with my table mates, but the bits and pieces that I saw and overheard were amusing. Cons: 1. Smoky. If you're sensitive to cigarette smoke, don't come here! When I first entered, I thought I might be okay with it, but then the table next to ours started smoking. I could smell smoke on myself for the rest of the night until I changed and showered. 2. Slow service. Our waitress wasn't the swiftest or the most friendly, and it took 20 min. to get my BLT. Getting change took way too long, too. 3. $10 credit card minimum. I suspected this would be the case, so I hit the ATM next door before coming. Plan accordingly. Quite honestly, though I enjoyed the food and company, I doubt I'll be back here soon due to the smoke. Increasing my risk for lung cancer and reeking of eau de cigarette isn't my idea of a fun, relaxing night out. If you don't mind that and the slow service, though, then by all means, stop by for some inexpensive, delicious food and drinks and take advantage of the interesting people watching opportunities.

Such a cute and intimate place to just grab some food/drinks and chillax. Prices are extremely reasonable and service is efficient. Great for group hangouts! I'm not much of a drinker so I don't really know about their drink specials, but I am a devoted consumer of food so I'll just get straight to the point! Sandwiches here are amazing and really satisfy that burning hunger. I highly recommend their burgers and load it with mushrooms for an additional quarter. When you get a burger...you get a REAL burger. I don't mean those fake factory patties...I'm talking about a thick chunk of juicy beef sandwiched between soft fluffy buns. Their spinach artichoke dip is quite tasty as well. The one thing I don't really like here is their fries...way way way too greasy to the point where it doesn't even taste like potatoes anymore.

I stopped in for a stiff glass of whiskey, and I got the classic Pittsburgh dive bar experience. Dim light, strange stains and loose women. Gotta love it!

I think I figured out why this place is called The Cage. There's no concrete evidence that what I observed here is true. You walk in and you see a mix of people that would represent different classifications of people you'd see throughout Pittsburgh. Each booth and table is a different subset of the population. Every booth and table is an exhibit or cage at a zoo, there for you to observe how each group interacts with one another. Err, what am I saying? Maybe I just enjoyed myself so much here that I started spacing out. I mean you do get to see a wide mix of the human race interacting in here, but who cares, they are all there for one thing, to have a good time. Whether you are sitting at the bar or pick a booth along the wall, the staff are there to make sure you have a libation nearby. Always able to make a suggestion if you want to try something new. The music touch has a nice mix of music to fulfill anyone's need to hear tunes. But who needs tunes when you can just sit there and chat the whole night? I'm still skeptical about going up to the loft area. It looks so small from down below. Such a nice intimate place to go and grab a beer with friends. It's a great place to sit and blow off some steam. Beer selection is pretty good. They have their fair share of seasonal blends, as well as

SMOKING IS ALLOWED! Whether that is a good thing or bad thing for you, it's important to know because this place can get smokey and smelly. When I left the place, my clothes and hair all smelled of smoke. As far as food, their burgers are good but nothing I can really remember and the cheese balls are really good. Drinks are decently priced. Service was a bit slow and even though our waitress was nice, she forgot to give one of our credit cards back until we had to remind her.

Had a late lunch yesterday - fabulous! I had grilled chicken sandwich - one of the best I've had. My wife had cheeseburger and was thrilled with its moistness. And "Hell or high watermelon" beer that she raved about. Classic, old style neighborhood pub. Our server Tina was terrific - friendly, efficient, with info for these two Buffalonians on our first time there. We will definitely be back! Don and Lucinda I, Buffalo, NY

It was my first time visiting, and I fell in love! This place is like the dive bar in Squirrel Hill, that will make you yearn to return and become a regular.The waitress was truly like a waitress from Cheers, even though she didn't know my name. But I enjoyed her so much. Unfortunately I did not get her name. She is a beautiful brown skin girl with curly fluffy hair, and comedic sass! LOVED IT! She was so attentive and pleasant. Honestly, she's has got to be one of the best waitresses that I have ever encountered with her vibrant personality and she is so hospitable. I have not gone into a bar in a while where it felt so at home. The prices are very reasonable and the food is delicious. I had the spinach artichoke dip and it was good for bar food. My friends were in love with the burgers. I cannot wait to get back there and try out more from the menu. WARNING: There is smoking, so if you are intolerant, then it might not be the spot for you., but I don't think it was that bad. Other than that....CHEERS

If you are sensitive to the smell of smoke, I would steer clear of here. I'm not sure if smoking is allowed during all hours, but when I went on a Saturday night, I left smelling like an ashtray. I did sit at the bar so I can't say how it would be if you were sitting at a table further away, but the restaurant is pretty small so I think it's safe to say you smell it everywhere. We ordered nachos and cheese with jalapenos. It wasn't fancy, just basically tostito chips and nacho cheese, but for around $2.99 I wasn't really complaining. If there could be a change with the smoking policies, I think I would be willing to come back because I've heard the burgers are great, but for now the smoke isn't worth it.

I will always have a soft spot for the Cage. I don't like smoke one bit. However, for the Cage I'll put up with it. The burger is one of the most underrated in the city. Tastes like one you might make at home. The beer prices are the best in the area and they always have a solid selection. Taps selection is small but bottles and cans are plentiful. Bill the barkeep is a Pittsburgh legend too.

My brother and I stopped in here for the first time on Saturday for dinner. I can't think of another place in all of Pittsburgh with such reasonably priced food that isn't plain terrible. While they do allow smoking, the food was great and it's a very classic hometown bar atmosphere. There's definitely lots of character (and real-life characters) making the whole experience. I would recommend the Cajun chicken sandwich and fries. It was surprisingly well-seasoned and only $8 for a huge plate!

I have to admit I haven't been to The Cage in ages but I'm still compelled to write. I started coming to The Cage at 19 years old and I'm now 64. I used to joke back then if you could reach the bar your money was good enough to spend there. Though I haven't lived in Da Burgh for 35 years it's still my home and The Cage still has many fond memories. I can't begin to count how many times I would meet friends here for a few social beers and talk. I took my girl friend here as an after date place, she's now my wife of 31 years. All things change. But my fond memories of the Squirrel Hill Cafe will stay with me forever.

HI QYPE, LEARN HOW TO SPELL PITTSBURGH! What an awesome neighborhood joint. As an out of towner I was lucky to get taken here! No frills food, drinks and company. Great jukebox with a wide selection and lovely waitresses that don't ask if you want another drinkthey ask if you want another pitcher. It's set on the main strip in the neighborhood and has a great feel. Even my first time here I felt super comfortable, nice dive bar feel without being superdivey. Make sure and tag the chalkboard in the womens bathroom, much mor civilized than a sharpie!

It's a smoking bar, and I'm not a smoker... but this place is worth the possible lung cancer. I don't come too often because of the smoke, but it's a great place to just chill and talk to some locals around the area. Bartenders are nice, people are friendly, and most importantly drinks and food are good and CHEAP.

Great corner pub, smoking allowed. Grab a Budweiser bottle, break out the Marlboro reds. Dive drinks, crowded but in a relevant way.

If the Squirrel Cage was a human woman, my god, the things I would do......She might be a smoked out slouch with a voice like an alcoholic midget, but she's still beautiful to me. My fondness of this place is rooted in more than a few sinful nights (accompanied by local Squirrel Hillian Marni K) spurred on and exponentiated by the cheapness the strength and the quality of their booze, the quality and friendliness of the patrons and staff, and a jukebox that has a selection that'll make any music lovers wallet a barren wasteland. Everything I've ever taken from this place I've given back to Pittsburgh, usually on a friends bathroom floor near but not in the toilet. I don't care to get into details about this place, you'll either love it or you won't. It's an old gem of a place that is pretty much my first stop in the city every single time I go.

Psst... Over here: despite being a bar, not a cafe, and technically not even a restaurant, this packed little dive bar has one of the best, and almost certainly cheapest burgers in town. The drinks are cheap and the atmosphere is jovial. The bartenders are real Pittsburgh characters. That said, I'd never have come in here, except it's a smoker's paradise, and while I don't smoke, I have friends who do. Walking into the Squirrel Cage (as it really goes by) is like walking into an ashtray. Seriously, if you know anyone with asthma, don't bring them here. The first time I came, I was starving. A friend told me that I had to try the burger. Based on the price, I think $3 for the burger and another $2 for fries, I ordered two cheeseburgers. My friend and everyone around me looked at me like I was crazy. When the burgers came out, I could see why. For the price, or even triple as much, these are some big burgers, and additionally, they're delicious. Apparently, they can't make more than a certain percentage off food without being categorized as a restaurant, at which point they could no longer allow people to smoke, so the burgers, and all other food are essentially loss-leaders. Despite people's incredulous stares, I polished off both burgers. If you're a smoker, or a non-smoker who is prepared to remove all of your clothing and put them in a sealed bag immediately after leaving, or just burn them, then this a burger you don't want to miss.

Squirrel Hill Cafe AKA "the Cage" can be a good time. This is primarily a student, hippy, hipster, old regulars, and local randoms who live near here spot. They sell decent priced pitchers and broadcast the games. It does get incredibly packed at times. A solid neighborhood bar where you can sit at the jukebox and pick the tunes you feel like head bopping to. I always end up putting something on like MGMT or Florence and the Machine, I get weird looks when a soulful jazzy soprano starts belting into the room. I'm usually in my own world at that point but you have to love those "you can find any song you can think of music machines" I sure do! I like pulling up to the bar next to a young college bloke and ordering two fingers of bourbon neat, that's always an eye opener from the Punky Brewster girl with the mouse voice sitting next to you. The bartenders are attentive and so are the servers when you are sitting at the tables. There is an upstairs room but the ceiling is crazy low, must just be made for the Shawties! I really like that the booths have such high backs so if you are having an intense conversation you can hide in there! One last thing, this is a smoking bar so if that bothers you don't visit, your clothes will be reeking by the end of the night! Cheers!

I wanted to enjoy this neighborhood landmark, but it disappointed on all points: Small pours Slow service Food that never arrived Indoor Smoking This place makes me want to order in and drink at home.

a great local bar with a good beer selection and tons of seating. not quite a dive bar, but has that comfortable feeling that lends itself well to just sitting and hanging out. would avoid the karaoke nights, but beyond that you can't hate too much on a place with the nickname of the "SQUIRREL CAGE."

Me likey the hot wings. I started to frequent this place a few years ago when I was living in the neighborhood and taking the summer to goof off and do very little more than eat and drink my way around Pittsburgh. The Squirrel Hill Cafe helped me do that on the reg. We actually called it the Squirrel Cage-- it throws me off to call it a cafe. I am reading that this place is becoming quite the hip spot, and I don't know how to feel about that, but I am sure it's integrity is still there. When it was my spot, it was sometimes dark and a little on the empty side, but I found a lot of entertainment watching the guy come out of the kitchen and smoke while he complained about bunions and whatnot. Every once in a while the place will go off and there will be mostly standing room, and the vibe was always good. I hope they stay cool.

What an awesome neighborhood joint. As an out of towner I was lucky to get taken here! No frills food, drinks and company. Great jukebox with a wide selection and lovely waitresses that don't ask if you want another drink...they ask if you want another pitcher. It's set on the main strip in the neighborhood and has a great feel. Even my first time here I felt super comfortable, nice dive bar feel without being super...divey. Make sure and tag the chalkboard in the womens bathroom, much more civilized than a sharpie!

I've been here twice now. The first time was on a Friday night for some drinking time. It was pretty fun...cheap drinks...Although I hated our server. My friends go there frequently and say that she's always awful. I LOVE that you can smoke in here. It's a big place too so the smoke never gets unbearable. I went again a couple days ago INCREDIBLY hung over for lunch. It dun me good. Started off with the spinach and artichoke dip which was really good. Then I got the meatball sandwich which was just eh...The meatballs were a little overcooked. The fries weren't that great, super chewy. There was a great vegetarian selection and my friend said his veggie burger was awesome. Everyone enjoyed their food and it was super duper cheap.