Luke Wholey’s Wild Alaskan Grille

I had the salmon beet salad and the salmon was fresh and delicious. I didn’t partake in the Bloody Mary, (except for a taste of the bacon) but it was the most well presented bloody mary I have ever seen, and the candied bacon garnish was delicious. Our server was friendly. I’d definitely come back here.

Amazing bloody Mary’s– which I was craving-​, great calamari, too. It tasted so fresh and our waitress (forget her name) was prompt and pleasant. We didn’t wait for a table at all and we did not feel rushed once we decided all we wanted to do was enjoy a few drinks. The only reasons for 4 stars is because we were sitting at an extremely low table. My husband is 5 foot 11 and this was certainly not comfortable for him, I’m sure. The other reason is because it seemed a little pricey, however I didn’t mind paying for seafood that tasted this delicious. We will definitely be back!

Terrible, we didn’t even get to try the food. Put in our name for 4 people and was told 25 mins max wait. We stood in the small cramped waiting area and then went to check at 35 minutes and was told another 30 minutes. Staff was not friendly or accommodating.

Seated right away, even though it was a game Sunday. Host was great but server, JV, was not friendly.
I ordered the smoked salmon Benedict. It was what you would expect, not amazing. The potatoes were seasoned well and really good. The food came out really quickly, I waited less than 10 min.
If I were to come back again, I would try the sushi or cooked salmon entrée.

This place makes the prettiest bloody marys i have ever seen. You can get the regular one, but who wants to be regular? You want to get the add-​ons — like bacon and shrimp. The actual drink itself wasn’t amazing — could have used more alcohol. But the presentation overall (we saw a couple drinking it outside) was enough to get rope us in.
Tip — check in on Unilocal and you can get a free appetizer with any menu item order. Since we had already eaten, we didn’t really want appetizers, except maybe some oysters. The waiter was nice enough to let us use the Unilocal offer as $ 12 off the bill. The oysters were tiny and not completely shucked clean — but hey at $ 12 off, how can I complain?

Went here with my fiancé and group of friends recently and can honestly say this was one of the best meals I’ve had in Pittsburgh. We had a couple of cocktails while we waited for dinner. They had a nice menu of customized mixed drinks, and they tasted good. Appetizer consisted on 2 dozen fresh oysters. Nothing fancy needed here, they were fresh, cold, and tasted great!
For dinner I had a the Wild Alaskan sushi roll. It was packed with thick pieces of fresh crab meat, and really satisfied. Other meals ordered at the table were the lobster mac ‘n cheese (made with multiple cheeses that smelled soooo good from across the table!), baked cod topped with lump crab meat (it was melt-​in-​your-​mouth), and baja fish tacos (boasted by my fiancé as the «best fish tacos ever»).
We rounded everything out with pumpkin cheesecake and vanilla bourbon cheesecake. I am not a cheesecake person-​definitely a dessert person-​just not cheesecake, but these were exceptional! Had I not already been so full from dinner I would’ve annihilated them.
Can’t wait to go back.

I like Luke Wholey’s and my service was excellent, but I can see where you could have a «totally worth it» or a «totally not worth it» experience based on what you order.
What appears to be «worth it»
— Happy hour drink specials — $ 5 house wines and ½ priced cocktails were a sure winner
— The sushi options looked great and the prices weren’t too out of line.
— Some of the starters.
What wasn’t «worth it»
— The entrees — priced at $ 26-​$ 36 on average, the few I tried didn’t really blow me away. It looks like a lot of food, but it’s really just normal portions of fish and veg, with a double portion of starch.
— The specials — order with caution! — prices are not disclosed in the descriptions, so I accidentally ordered $ 30 worth of King Crab legs (½ lb that was described as an appetizer portion) along with a $ 32 entrée (stuffed shrimp that I wouldn’t have knowingly paid that much for).
Overall, I’d go back, but with more of an eye toward ordering stuff in the «worth it» category.

I visited Luke Wholey’s earlier tonight for dinner with my parents. I’d been wanting to try it for a long while now, so given that they’re fans of good seafood and that I had a City Dining Card for it, this gave me the push necessary to try it.
We started out by ordering the lobster bisque fries ($ 11), given that it was one of the more unique menu items and that many other Unilocalers recommended them. They consisted of fries over lobster bisque with chunks of lobster topped with scallions, and were the highlight of the meal. If you like poutine, you’ll enjoy them, for sure. Because I wanted to try the lobster bisque by itself, I decided to order a cup of it with my meal ($ 7). This turned out to be a mistake, given that it was too salty and rich for my taste, and that I felt that it was overpriced (for a cup). If you’re considering stopping here for lunch, bear in mind that you can get 4 – 5 times the amount of crab-​lobster bisque of comparable quality across the street (with more seafood, no less!) in a quick serve setting at Wholey’s Fish Market for less $.
For our entrees, my mom ordered the crab cake salad ($ 15.95), my dad ordered the baja shrimp volcano ($ 28), and I ordered the crab stuffed salmon ($ 30). While my salmon was well cooked and tasty with the sauce, it didn’t blow my mind the way I expect for an entrée at this price point. Also, the bok choy served with my entrée seemed a bit limp when served, and there was a piece of skin underneath my salmon. While these may seem like minor details, I have a higher standard for fine dining-​esque than for mid-​range restaurants, so I can’t let them slide. I tried a piece of my mom’s crabcake and some of the potatoes from my dad’s volcano, and again, they seemed tasty, but not mind-​blowing. They both seemed satisfied enough – though they’re not as exacting as I am when it comes to eating out.
On the a positive note, our service was very good, so I have no complaints there. The atmosphere is more casual than I was expecting, which fits with the atmosphere of the Strip District, but not with the fine dining-​esque nature of the restaurant. I concur with another reviewer that I’d be willing to give this place another shot for lunch (or happy hour), I don’t think I’d be willing to pay dinner prices again. Since my opinion is hovering between 3 and 4 stars, I’m splitting the difference and going with 3.5.

I planned to have a birthday dinner at the restaurant as it came highly recommended. I was looking forward to the delicious food that I heard so much about. We started with amazing appetizers and a great server named Davin (sorry if it’s spelled wrong). I ordered the calamari and a drink named Paloma. Others at the table got mozzarella sticks, crab cakes, and lobster bisque fries. They were all delicious. Then the Baja shrimp volcano came recommended by the manager named Ryan. The food lived up to it’s hype. We all enjoyed our food. Since it was my birthday I received a complimentary cheesecake. It was delicious. I thank you to the workers who did a phenomenal job caring for me and my friends.
*Reason for 3 stars*
Upon leaving the establishment we were greeted by Mr. Robert Wholey. There were racial comments said that made me and my company feel very uncomfortable. It’s a shame good food went to waste. I will not recommend anyone to go here if these are the ideals that are upheld.

i’ve been here twice and got the lobster roll both times. I am always skeptical of fresh seafood in inland locations but Wholey’s does not disappoint. The lobster was fresh and succulent and the bread was buttery and crispy.
The first time I went to Wholey’s the owner came out and talked with us. I’m convinced he was trying to set my friend up with his son. And he also asked us to stay a while so that the place would look busy.
The second time I came it was with my sister in law and her mother. Again, he asked us to sit and stay there a while so that the place would look busy. Cheesy, but nice nonetheless. During this occasion we were celebrating my sister in law’s new job. It was a Tuesday afternoon and they had $ 5 fireball shots. Enough said.
The atmosphere is fun, the food is good and this is the go-​to restaurant for fresh seafood in Pittsburgh!

A very inviting space, Luke’s was disappointing to me on food. I ordered the seared ahi tuna appetizer, props to this being mostly discounted due to the Unilocal checkin but the tuna was overcooked and personally I think the dish would be much better leaving the tuna raw because the flavor of the slaw and sauce was a good compliment.
My crab cake sandwich was small and I was disappointed that they would not broil the crab cake but the waiter assured me that it was only quickly flash fried. We might have differing definitions of flash fried because there was a thick layer of fried crust which deterred what would have otherwise been a good sammy. The fries were excellent — well seasoned and perfectly cooked. The bloody marys (although I didn’t order one) had epicly sized accoutrements.

So far we’ve had the amazing Bloody Mary’s oysters and lobster bisque fries. We visit from California and count the minutes till we can come here! We are still waiting for our entrees… Food heaven
We had hot pepper crusted seared ahi. Grilled yellowtail with wasabi sauce. Seafood pasta. So fantastic. Everything was perfectly cooked with amazing flavors. We got to meet Mr Wholey Sr. An absolutely wonderful man that took us on an art tour thru the restaurant and made this trip a memorable one for sure. Service was fantastic our server Davin was wonderful. Sweet and helpful. Can hardly wait to visit again!!! Thank you

This review has mostly to do with the service, not the food.
My husband called ahead for reservations for six on a Saturday night, and he informed the restaurant that his father was in a wheelchair, and would need to be accommodated. They said it would be fine.
When we arrived, they had planned for six, but not for the wheelchair. The majority of their restaurant is comprised tables with wide bases, which would prohibit my father-​in-​law from reaching the table. The tables that would have worked were occupied, but we said we would wait. As soon as those tables were available, the staff was quick to prep them for us to be seated.
Our server. Maybe just an off day? He couldn’t seem to remember much. We asked him to stop filling a water glass for my FIL (for health reasons), but he needed to be reminded. Then, I asked for a club soda, and he forgot about that. My sister-​in-​law asked about the preparation of the crab legs, and he said he would check on that– nope. Forgot. Then I asked for extra ginger and he’d forgotten. Then I asked the manager, who brought my husband’s dinner later than the rest of ours, and he brought it within minutes.
AND I presented the Unilocal coupon when we ordered the appetizer, and HE FORGOT TO TAKE IT OFF THE CHECK!
This may all have been just a slight annoyance if the servers weren’t gathered at the bar talking for long periods of time during our meal.
The food: ok
Lobster bisque fries
Pretty sure this could have been labeled gravy fries, and no one would know the difference.
Sushi: pretty good!
Grilled Georges Bank Swordfish dinner
The potatoes weren’t cooked completely, so they were that hardened, grainy texture. The fish was good.
My in laws were impressed by the lobster tail and asparagus.
I don’t think I’ll be returning, as poor service is one of the biggest turn offs for me. The music is too loud for normal conversation as well.

This was my third visit to Luke Wholey’s Wild Alaskan Grille — my brother and I took our parents here to celebrate their 50^th wedding pre-​anniversary celebration. My parents live in Beaver County and they rarely come to Pittsburgh for anything — in fact my mom is so stubborn that she generally refuses to come but we raved about the delicious Alaskan King Crab Legs and the service so much that my dad was able to convince her to come out here for dinner.
We arrived and were seated right away (with a reservation) and the garage door-​style windows were open which allowed a lot of light and a nice breeze to come in. We were seated in Drew’s section who was trained by the marvelous Kevin (good job training Drew, Kevin) and Drew was just as wonderful and attentive as Kevin has been on our previous visits. Mr. Wholey (Luke’s dad) was also there making the rounds and when they found out that it was my parents’ anniversary and my dad’s birthday soon they made sure to throw in dessert.
For appetizers we ordered the catfish bites and the peel and eat shrimp, plus my dad got the lobster bisque. The peel and eat shrimp was seasoned with Old Bay and came with a tangy cocktail sauce that had a little bit of a kick. The catfish bites were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and were delicious when paired with the Thai Chili dipping sauce. They had frozen margaritas and frozen mojitos as their drink specials and Drew was kind enough to bring small samples so that we could decide — both were delicious! If they are ever on the bar menu when you go they are both definitely worth the indulgence and especially refreshing on a hot day. For our entrees we ordered 3 orders of the Alaskan King Crab Legs along with an order of the swordfish steak stuffed with crab. Everything was delicious. The crab is so sweet and tender that you do not even need to dip it in butter — in fact the butter almost detracts from the rich flavor of the crab meat. My parents shared the swordfish and an order of the crab legs and we all had enough to take home for leftovers. After dinner they brought us over a huge piece of cheesecake that we shared between the four of us. Drew was incredibly kind, conscientious, and attentive. One of the best parts of going to Luke’s is the outstanding service! Treat your servers well and they will take very good care of you! My dad who is going to 88 said that it was one of the best meals he has ever had!
I have already suggested Luke’s for my office Christmas party this year and I will continue to recommend this restaurant. They have the freshest seafood available in Pittsburgh in a relaxed atmosphere and the service is heads above most other restaurants that I’ve been to not just in Pittsburgh but in the whole U.S., which is key to getting customers to return. I will always think twice before returning to an establishment where I’ve gotten bad service, even if the food is good (See my review of Carmi’s). So, go to Luke Wholey’s soon! You won’t regret it!

I have been here twice and had a great meal each time. This place has a cool atmosphere with an «under the sea» theme. Bar, dining, and outdoor seating. Service has always been friendly and helpful.
The food was delicious and I will be back! Some of the sushi was pricey but worth the cost in my opinion! We went for brunch once and I had an eggs Benedict special which was fantastic! The lobster bisque fries were just okay and not as special as I thought they might be.
If you are down at the strip and like seafood, you should definitely check this place out sometime! I will be back!

This was my first visit to Luke’s, and I must say I was highly impressed. The service my friends and I received was top notch. Brian our server, was patient and attentive as he helped to assist with our selections. He was knowledgeable of the menu items and pairings.
I ordered a cod fish sandwich and it was cooked to perfection… I mean it was absolutely delightful. It arrived with fresh cut fries, the appetizers were also delicious. I had the calamari, and spring rolls from their made-​to-​order sushi bar. All were well worth it.
The atmosphere is pleasant. Great for a date night or family/​friends gathering.
I will certainly make additional visits to Luke’s. Thanks for an awesome experience!

I was so disappointed when I came here recently for my birthday dinner. This was the first time that I was bringing my husband to Luke Wholey’s and was excited for him to try what I had felt was the best seafood restaurant in the area.
I ordered the shrimp and scallop entrée (blackened) and the shrimps were rubbery and the seasoning made the shrimp and scallops so dry. While you could tell the shrimp and scallops were fresh they were overseasoned with the blackening spices and it completely overpowered all other tastes of the meal.
We ordered the lobster fries and calamari as an appetizer and I will say that these were good. The cocktail I ordered was terrible but perhaps that had more to do with my personal preference in taste than the drink itself. It was Wholey’s version of the Moscow Mule (which I usually love) but they use Crown Royal Maple rum which made me feel like I was drinking watered down maple syrup. It didn’t have that limey refreshing taste that I usually enjoy.
My husband ordered the Salmon entrée and he was underwhelmed and said that the Salmon I had made the night before was better… and it was frozen Salmon!
While I was really disappointed in the meal overall, I won’t let it deter me from giving this place another try.

I’m giving this place 4 stars because of the delicious oysters we had last night (Tuesday’s are still half price so you get 12/​$ 15).
I really, really want to like this place… I love the concept, I love the fact that the original & still flourishing Wholeys is right down the street, I LOVE the fact that on every occasion that we have been there– Luke was greeting guests… BUT their service (at least the regular bartender service) is quite slow and very inattentive. There are about 20 seats at the bar and there were maybe 6 people sitting there when we sat down. It took the ‘cooler’ of the 2 bartenders over 5 minutes to step over to ask us, «You wanna see menu’s???» Like, how about «Can I get you guys a drink while you check out the menu???» After-​all, we WERE sitting at the bar. We sat down at 6:30 and happy hour was going on till 7. We were handed menu’s and he walked away. We weren’t told of the HH specials until we asked the ‘friendlier’ bartender. The oysters aren’t even listed on the menu– I could understand if they were listed w/​o pricing or with a caveat that said «These are some of the types we offer, depending on the season and the fisherman’s ‘haul…»
The service finally improved when the ‘bar manager’ stepped behind the bar and started serving the full bar. I don’t know what the other 2 guys did while he was serving but they almost blended into the background. The manager was very friendly & knowledgeable, making suggestions when people asked about beers & wines… I just don’t know if those other 2 were pulled from being servers and told they had to tend bar for the night or what, but they just seemed like they were uninterested in being there…
As for the oysters– we had originally ordered the Blue Points but after waiting about a half hour– the bartender came over to tell us that they were out of Blue Points and he suggested we substitute the St. James River oysters. They arrived about 5 minutes later– complete with a cocktail sauce & horseradish. They were delicious!!!
The owners– Mr Robert Wholey is about the friendliest guy you’re going to meet. He stopped to talk, told us a little about the restaurant, invited us up to see his art gallery (which we declined ONLY because we were afraid we’d lose our seats at the bar). He stopped at every table– he would be a favorite of Jon Taffer’s (from Bar Rescue). And his son– Luke… he’s also as friendly as his dad and he stopped to talk about the restaurant, his favorite muskie fishing baits & areas, etc. These guys are a class act and that’s why I love this place…

I have loved Luke’s since the first time I set foot in the door back in 2013 [yea I was late to the game] so I am excited to finally review the place.
For all Pittsburghers the name Wholey is automatically associated with high quality Seafood, so Luke had some big shoes to fill when he opened it back in 2012. Nestled on the corner of 21^st street the first thing that you come across is an inviting outdoor patio with a few tables and an outdoor oyster bar. Pick your favorites fresh on ice. The outdoor seating is actually a walk in by opening the garage style door so it’s easy to walk inside and out without having to go around the ropes from Penn Avenue. Definitely give this a try on a cool summer evening in August and sunny Saturday’s during Spring and Fall. Oh and did I mention they have a DJ on
When you walk in the door the first thing that you noticed is the décor. Every wall is filled with Mural [My favorite is Cali’s clown fish — painted by a local artist] off Fish or decorated with over-​sized swordfish replica. The back wall behind the pillar has a mid-​sized aquarium with live fish. [There were rumors on having a shark in there once]. The main room has round table seating with tables made of giant spools similar to the ones you can find on a boat. Off to the right side of the restaurant is a large bar where one of their excellent bartenders will make you anything your heart desires, whether a regular vodka soda, to super strong long island iced teas or warming hot toddies [I had a terrible cold and no voice the first time I came here — instant love]. Usually I get a standard Pinot Grigio [I am so common]
Making your way to the back the upstairs divides itself into a private lounge and a Loft lounge. The upstairs will have Hightops and you can peer over the balcony over the rest of the restaurant. The private lounge is perfect for any company dinner all you have to do is watch out for the stuffed brown bear.
Now to the actual point — the Food!
Because I am an appetizer junky we shall start there: You cannot go wrong with the Lobster Bisque. It is thick and buttery with a generous helping of actual lobster rather than just the flavor or the shreds I have gotten in many Bisques elsewhere. This bisque has spoiled me by far — my favorite ever. The coloring is on the darker brown end to me that just means heartiness. Btw — you can get this at the Wholey’s grocery store as well and you will not be disappointed. Luke’s serves this in a Yinzer version — which means there are Lobster bisque fries. [that’s a little much for me].
The catfish bites are delectable, light and fluffy. Little breading and a chili sauce to dunk it in, same thing with the calamari [just basil marinara rather than chili]. Speaking of some spice — I recently shared the mussels and they are just the treat. Beware of the portion though, this could definitely be a meal just for yourself, so get this when you are sharing. I personally do not like Oysters so I take this from a friend’s review: You get a lot of them as a variety from both Atlantic and Pacific. In the summer they even serve them over ice outside. [naturally when the sun isn’t shining directly on them]
For entrees the same goes as the appetizers. Large portions of delicious on delicious. Because of my stuffing with apps, my boy and I shared the Fish and Chips Platter with Scallops and Jumbo Shrimp. No disappointment here, the breading was light, the portion generous and the scallops so soft. you can never go wrong with Wholey’s scallops, whether eating out or at home dinner party as Wine and Cheese share-​ables. While we did not have it the crab stuff salmon walked by our table and smelled amazing. I can’t wait to go back and try it.
As Luke has fish in his blood you will get daily specials on a regular basis, when he has awesome catches they usually end right on the menu as a taco or lightly fried up bites. If you see him, he will gush you into trying everything.
Other things to mention: Have an event here! I personally have hosted 3 of them now [2 for my CMU MBAs and 1 for the Pittsburgh Happy Hour Annual Party] and Jason the Manager is so helpful and easy to deal with. I continue to overwhelm him with an eating bunch and despite running our waiters ragged, everybody was beyond pleased. Be sure to be considerate for both the holiday season and the Wholey’s Annual party in the Summer so plan ahead. The staff is more than helpful.
Make sure to ask about the rewards points. Yup — a restaurant with rewards points. Every $ 200 you get $ 20 credited so you can come back and enjoy again. Oh — make sure to register it so you protect your balance. I recently lost mine [upset!] so don’t do what I did.
Love this place and need to rush back soon to try again.

We got 5:15pm dinner reservations on Valentine’s Day since we figured it would get busy (which it did) and we got to sit in one of their cool wheel tables. Dont know what to call them but they look neat. They have a large bar, with flat screens showing the game and on the opposite side large painting of different animal: grizzly bear, fish, birds etc. Has a cool industrial meets vintage feel so I was lovely it.
So…the food… first of we started with a ginormous root beer float just cuz and I got blue piont oysters as an appetizer. Wow, they were fresh, salty and not one speck of sand. For dinner I got the Mexican Shrimp Volcano that had a lobster claw, a large portion (maybe 6 or 8) of jumbo Tiger shrimp, at least 6 big sprigs of grilled asparagus all strategically placed on very yummy mashed potatoes. It was very good, hearty and had a lot of different elements that blended well together.
The bright star of the dinner though was the Lobster Mac and Cheese… holy cow this was amazing. I know because my husband made the mistake of giving me a bite and I of course had to have more (thank God for the large portion they give you). The pasta, cheese sauce… wow the cheese sauce was so good I am getting hungry just thinking about it. Not only were the bare bones of the dish hands down great but there was a surprising amount of lobster in it. My husband had to continuously get his knife so he could cut the large portions of lobster he was finding… not common for most places who attempt this dish. The Lobster Mac and Cheese here by far is one of the top favorite dishes I have ever eaten — absolutely spectacular.
The whole experience was such a treat — this restaurant has it all. Great décor, awesome food, helpful staff and our server Davin knew all the ins and outs of the menu. We even got to chat a bit with Luke himself and were surprised to find out he used to be a street foods vendor. Pretty cool.
Again going down to this restaurant was a complete treat. We felt welcome from beginning to end and we will definitely be back. Highly recommended this establishment and if you want great service ask for Davin.