P&G’s Pamela’s Diner

Pittsburgh, United States

3.8

Closed now

20 reviews

Does not accept credit cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 412-683-4066
Website:
www.pamelasdiner.com
Address:
3703 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213
Oakland
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.4 miBus Stop
0.8 miCarnegie Mellon University (Forbes and Morewood)
0.9 miCenter and Neville
Categories:
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
No
Accepts Apple Pay
Yes
Good For
Brunch
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Loud
Alcohol
No
Outdoor Seating
No
Wi-Fi
No
Has TV
No
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
No

Today

Today 7:30 am – 4:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Pittsburgh) 23:32 Saturday, 31 May 2025

Business hours

Monday 7:30 am – 4:00 pm
Tuesday 7:30 am – 4:00 pm
Wednesday 7:30 am – 4:00 pm
Thursday 7:30 am – 4:00 pm
Friday 7:30 am – 4:00 pm
Saturday 7:30 am – 4:00 pm
Sunday 7:30 am – 4:00 pm

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20 reviews of P&G’s Pamela’s Diner

No registration required
Place rating: 4
Abington, PA
I was in town for a training and a group of 5 of us came here for breakfast.
The décor is interesting with retro board games all over the walls from several different decades.
We each ordered our meals for the morning. And I was surprised at how quickly the order came out. I would have expected 10 minutes or so but our order was on the table within 5 minutes.
I ordered the famous hot cakes with a side of bacon.
I found the crêpe style pancakes flavorful and prepared well. They are a large plate sized portion of pancakes. I had no problem finishing it and was clearly full. The thin nature of the pancakes take a little getting used to. The bacon was not crispy enough for me, but I had no problems with it either.
Server was friendly and speedy. She also handled dividing our checks up.
I would recommend this location. There are plenty of food options and they are exceptional.
Place rating: 3
Pittsburgh, PA
Always get the morning after special since I always want some hotcakes and eggs. The hotcakes are good but nothing special. A place I usually go only if the people I with want too. Not a place I generally suggest. Food is average. After the first time, it loses its charm. I’ve never had a bad meal here just nothing extraordinary.
Place rating: 5
Upper East Side, Manhattan, NY
This was an overwhelmingly positive experience! We were able to reserve tables for 15 people on graduation weekend. The staff were super helpful in setting tables aside for us, and I could not say enough good things about our waitress. We had family coming internationally who didn’t speak much English so she was extremely kind and patient while we translated their orders. She was so good with keeping our many waters filled and never seemed impatient or exhausted by our large party!
The food was incredible and exactly what you’d hope for at a good diner. I had the corned beef hash with bacon. The hash was amazing! Salty and greasy, and really hit the spot. I also tried some of the chocolate chip and banana crepes which were decadent and sweet, super delicious.
The only thing was that they don’t have tables big enough, so we had to break up into 3 separate tables. Otherwise everything way exceeded my standards. Definitely highly recommended!
Place rating: 2
Limerick, PA
I hate to do this but I just had too. This place came highly recommended and I love egg white omelettes. Mine however had a great big hair in the center. Waitress was really nice. Never did get to eat.
Place rating: 4
Pittsburgh, PA
This place is fantastic!
The staff is friendly and accommodating.
It’s no wonder why President Obama flew the owners to the white house to cook a hotcake breakfast for him. They are worth traveling for!
Things they need to work on:
1) Bacon quality. It is poor. Considering the strip district meat store is right down the street that is perplexing.
2) Orange juice quality. There are many supermarkets in the city that sell fresh squeezed. The concentrate served here is mehhh.
3) Cash only??? it’s 2016. Get a card machine!
Place rating: 4
Allentown, PA
Staff is awesome. Refills of water and coffee come without asking. Patient with customers but fast at service and food prep.
Décor is entertaining. Game Room has all the game boxes and game boards posted on the walls. (Chutes and Ladders, Monopoly, and some I never heard of –Careers).
Food was very filling! Our group had a variety of orders. Crepes were really good. Next time going to try them stuffed.
Place is always busy. Usually have to wait. Can use the No Wait app to make reservation. Otherwise they only accept reservations for 6 or more people.
They only accept cash-​no credit or debit cards.
You have to try it at least once when visiting U of Pitt.
Place rating: 5
Pittsburgh, PA
This place is awesome! Make sure you download the «No Wait» app so you can put your name in so you don’t have to wait as long for a table. This location can get pretty busy on the weekends.
They have great hot cakes and omelets! I’ve had the blueberry hot cakes, the morning after dish and the banana peanut butter hot cakes! They’re all great! The edges on the hot cakes are crispy and delicious. Along with the crispness, the hot cakes are soft and fluffy on the inside.
The menu isn’t very large but all of the dishes are fantastic!
Place rating: 4
Pittsburgh, PA
First of all, the décor of this place is great! The multitude of board games posted around the tiny diner makes you feel nostalgic, happy, and kid-​like. Secondly, the menu is simple but the food is good. I think the French toast is my favorite! And for you Pitt students: they take Panther Funds!
Place rating: 3
Pittsburgh, PA
Came here for one of their croissant sandwiches during Oakland’s Restaurant Week. It was decent, with a nice portion of crab salad as well as the potatoes (not so sure what’s so famous about these, they were good but not particularly memorable). I did wish they heated the croissant though. The surprising thing was that it was ready and brought out to us even faster than ordering a lobster salad sandwich at Quizno’s. Probably because they didn’t bother heating up the croissant. We also had another side of cole slaw which we found a bit too heavy.
Service left a bit to be desired. It was mostly efficient and focused on getting us seated, taking our orders, and bringing us the food and check at the same time. They didn’t really check up on us until we got up to pay at the register.
Place rating: 5
Oakland, Pittsburgh, PA
Always delicious, always a classic.
Pros: food is delicious, decently sized portions, fun areas to sit in, trivial pursuit cards at the table. No problems getting seated on weekdays, casual ambience, room for lots of people. My group once was a little inconsiderate-​we had 10 – 15 people that kept getting bigger once we were seated, but the manager really helped us out, reminding us to reserve for more people if we needed to. I completely understand! If you’re going to have a big group, call ahead and make a reservation.
Cons: CASH ONLY. Crowded on weekend mornings (until 1 or 2), during/​after finals week, parents weekends and days of sports events (all usually on weekends).
Place rating: 4
Pittsburgh, PA
I came here several times already, I really like it as breakfast or fast meal between classes.
The only thing is they only take cash. So need to make sure have it before come in.
Place rating: 4
Milwaukee, WI
Sought out Pamela’s on the recommendation of a Pittsburgh resident. My wife and I enjoyed our meals thoroughly, and everything was as we expected for a diner.
The hotcakes are unique, and were delicious with or without syrup — especially the crispy bits on the edges. The lyonnaise potatoes (recommended to us) were also good.
The service was brief, but more than adequate.
Recommended!
Place rating: 3
Pittsburgh, PA
I’m honestly not sure what the fuss is about. I went here awhile back, but I remember the strawberry flapjack/​pancake/​crêpe thing pretty well. The strawberries were not ripe, so they were a bit sour. I didn’t finish my meal, but it made me sick very quickly. I ran to the bathroom before we could leave.
Service was also underwhelming. We felt ignored. It was almost impossible to get a refill, and it wasn’t even busy.
For the amount we paid, I just don’t think it was worth it. This place is overrated in my opinion, and I’ll probably not visit back again. It gets 3-​stars because while the food did make me sick, it tasted good and the portion was on par with what you would expect.
It’s better than iHop, at least.
Place rating: 5
New Canaan, CT
Best breakfast/​brunch in Pittsburgh! The hot cakes are a must, and if you’re looking for a really good time, croissant French toast will rock your tastebuds.
Service is quick during peak hours — I waited only 20 minutes after putting my name on a list behind 15 – 20 other parties.
Solid diner with a cool specialty niche. Just don’t forget to bring cash!
Place rating: 3
Pittsburgh, PA
Pamela’s is one of those places I keep taking people to because it feels like I should as a Pittsburgh host. As a restaurant, it’s not really my favorite, but it definitely still has its own charm. I’d call it three and a half stars.
+/​-​Generous portions. It’s normal to pig out at Pamela’s, but it’s also easy to hate yourself a little after you’re done.
+ Tasty food, both savory and sweet. I like the hotcakes and Lyonnaise potatoes especially!
+ Lots of familiar breakfast food options, so it’s a nice place to take guests to.
— Definitely don’t expect to be eating healthy. Butter, carbs, and sugar are all on the menu today.
— The service has always struck me as pretty brusque. To be fair, they are constantly rushing around with the amount of people they have to serve, but it’s not my cup of tea.
— You’ll often have to wait at peak hours, like breakfast/​brunch on the weekend.
— Cash only. You bring your check to the counter when you finish and pay there.
Place rating: 3
Manhattan, NY
Pamela’s is a Pittsburgh staple, so I felt like I had to go. I went to get some hotcakes, and had a hard time deciding between the three. I went with the banana walnut (since it sounded the healthiest) and it basically reminded me of the crepes at Bob Evans. I wish I had gone to the one in the Strip to get the most Pittsburgh-​y experience, but I’m glad I can finally say I got to go to Pamela’s after growing up in Pittsburgh and having never gone.
Place rating: 4
Washington, DC
Three words: YUUUUU UUUUUU MMMY!!! We went here after reading fellow Unilocaler reviews. Great decision! Other Unilocalers commented on the possible long wait. We used the No Wait app and it helped. Our server Jordan was awesome (and cute)!
We ordered the Croissant French Toast, Pamela’s famous pancakes, lyonnis potatoes, eggs and bacon. Our bellies are very happy!!! The pancakes are like Swedish pancakes just alot bigger.
My only criticsm… Offer REAL Maple syrup and honey as options. Even if there’s an upcharge.
Place rating: 3
Pittsburgh, PA
Unfortunately I had a very negative experience today at Pamela’s. The «gentlemen» running the register was unbelievably rude and made me feel like an idiot. He spoke to my friend and I in clipped tones, gave us the wrong change but quickly caught his mistake, but made us both feel like we were complete fools.
I won’t likely go back here for some time due to this treatment.
Place rating: 4
Pittsburgh, PA
I went to Pamela following my friends. Her strong recommendation turned out to be good for all of us. The atmosphere was cool and staff was kind even though we had a lot of questions and took long time to choose our menu.
Crispy crepes with sour cream, strawberry and banana were so delicious that we can’t have time to chat. Mashed potato and omelette stuffed with meat and vegetables were good, too.
One thing I want to tell you is that there is no need to have additional potato when you order a set menu. We had double potatoes (side dish of a set menu and an independent order) so we left a little.
Place rating: 3
Pittsburgh, PA
The expectations before I first came here were sky high, and when I did try Pamela’s, I was severely disappointed. The food is average diner food at best.
The worst part are the hours. You can’t call yourself a diner if you close at 4pm… Diners should be 24 hours! Call it Pamela’s Restaurant or something; it’s not a true diner.