Slate Bistro

Very quaint restaurant. Enjoyable relaxed atmosphere. Staff are very friendly and pay close attention to detail. Food was delicious.

I had been to this restaurant before a few years ago and it was always good. However, a table of 8 dined here a few days ago. This is in a quaint small cape cod house. We were seated upstairs and it was cold with no insulation in the walls but it was a cold evening. The waitress was friendly. She took our drink orders and seemed to take awhile to get served. The rolls served were a huge downfall. They were hard and cold and certainly unacceptable for a restaurant like this. The waitress must have heard us complaining because about 20 minutes later she brought out warm rolls, big difference. How hard is it to put them in the oven? The Chilean sea bass was on special but arrived not even luke warm but tasted OK. My husband was charged for two drinks on the bill but only had one. So for $ 80.00 it was a bit disappointing, so probably won’t return. There are many restaurants in the area.

We have been fans of this restaurant for a few years, but after the last visit, we won’t return. Food was warm to cold and just OK. Disappointing!

After waiting for 2 ½ hours to get our order it was the worst tasting burger we have ever had. 2 ½ hours for burgers never again.

Oh where to start. So, I went here with some friends. There were 6 of us total.
First impression: the place is small. Like really small. I overheard the waiter telling the cook that they had 2 tables of 6 with reservations tonight and the cook was worried that they might not have enough food. Small.
You walk in to the bar area. The floor seems slanted, chairs are crooked, and (sitting in the corner of the bar where we were) smells faintly of cat pee. The building was obviously once a house, so whatever, it seemed dated (really dated), but clean.
We ordered drinks at the bar and they took a surprisingly long time considering that we were the only people there.
Dining room: Really really dated. The chairs reminded me of something from a college dorm rec area in the 70’s or 80’s. Nothing was necessarily what I would call «Nice».
Menu: Ok, so here is the confusing part. You are in this «Bistro» with dated furniture, and broken bar stools, but then the dinners average $ 25. When I think bistro, I think sandwiches and salads, fresh light food etc. Nope, none of that here.
Food: we ordered one of each appetizer. calamari was ok, fried gouda was a chunk of cheese slightly warm with 2.5 small crackers, the other app had meat in it, so I don’t know about that one. Salads were expensive and ridiculously small, like the asparagus salad had 3 – 4 sprigs of asparagus. For dinner I had shrimp and scallops… Not great. It was, what seemed like 2 scallops sliced 3 times each to look like 6 scallops, and 3 pieces of shrimp halved to seem like 6 pieces of shrimp. It was in an overpowering cheese sauce reminiscent of boxed mac and cheese with a little white wine added to it.
Service: Really bad! Our waitress was an older woman and she was just plain rude! At one point one of the other women at the table asked why the bread was hard when the last plate of bread wasn’t and she completely snapped at her. WTF? Seriously?
Overall: I’ll never go back.

Had the «Slate Plate». Asked what the veg was that night. Told it was a combo of cauliflower, carrots & beans. Sounded odd to us. Turned out to be mashed sweet potatoes. Not so bad except the starch was mashed red potatoes. Not a very good meal on any level. Chicken was overcooked.
The server was not bad except for the fact that he reeked of cigarette smoke. Not pleasant. Will not return and will definately discourage friends from going, too.
Atmosphere was like eating in someone’s basement. It lacked any character. Chairs have wheels! With the vinyl floors it was difficult to stay at the table. Really hated that!

The restaurant is in a quaint little house, which I love. Our waitress Trish was great. I liked the selection of specialty drinks. I was very disappointed to be served cold bread. The choices for the two sides were squash (which I don’t like) and two starchy carbs. Surely they could come up with a second vegetable or allow a side salad as a choice. Our main dishes (pork chop and stuffed shrimp) were good but nothing special. We have been here a few times but don’t think I will be going again.

Slate is tucked just off of Ft. Couch Road in a building that once was a house. Ample parking behind the building that is nicely decorated on the exterior. Had an early dinner here this week to try out the Slate Plate. If you order between 5 and 6pm you can select froms several offerings for $ 15. This includes salad, roll, entrée, dessert and coffee or tea. There were about 6 different entrée’s offered. Our table enjoyed Salmon, Shrimp Scampi, and Panko crusted chicken breast. Each of us said the food was good. O.K., so at $ 15 for all of this don’t expect jumbo size portions. The salad was small, the entrée of salmon was about 1.5″ wide and 6 «long, the chicken breast was of average size, and the 3 shrimp large. The plates had sides as well. Seriously this is enough food for most people. If you want to take food home then the Slate Plate isn’t for you. Four desserts were offered as well, and we all had something different. Again, on the small side but really adequate. Yep, we will g o back again.

I really wanted to like this place. My husband and I were waiting to try this place for a special occasion. With our anniversary being this month, we decided to give it a try.
First off, our first impression was met by a bunch of people wearing tshirt and jeans, for the menu prices I expected a little fancier. My husband and I stuck out pretty bad.
We were both excited to try our selected items from the menu. We looked at the menu before hand and were set on what we wanted. He got the ahi tuna Cobb. It was a large piece of dry unflavored tuna on top of ice burg lettuce with chi chi beans. The avacado sauce was tasteless… To creamy and no distinctive avacado flavor.
I got the tiger shrimp and angel hair pasta with lemon Crème. It also lacked flavor. I ordered it for the lemon, I love lemon. I tasted no lemon. And on top of that the shrimp was unseasoned and rubbery. All in all we were very disappointed.
We decided to give dessert a try, to see if slate could redeem themselves.
At first glance the dessert looked amazing. After A few bites it was dry and just average. Overall, Really disappointed.

we went to slate bistro while visiting some friends in pittsburgh — what a great meal! every appetizer, salad, entrée, and dessert was outstanding! the fried calamari (steak, not the normal rings and baby squids) was amongst the best i’ve ever had, as were the scallops (though being that they change their menu very frequently, i can’t say they’ll be there when you go). and the DESSERTS!!! the key lime cheese cake and the nutella mouse cake were AMAZING! add this place to the list of things i miss about this great city!

The good is good but the menu lacks entrée that scream «eat me». The food though is very good. I had the veal chop which was delicsious. They do not have a kids meal but are willing to accommodate the kids with special meals. The service is pretty good and the desserts were excellent.

Note: MAKE A RESERVATION!
With Valentine’s Day being much too hectic to venture out unnecessarily, I had made a reservation for the following evening after being turned away by a number of establishments that had been completely booked. It then occurred to me that Slate had been in existence for over a year and that I had yet to enter its doors. Snagging a reservation for the day after Valentine’s Day, we eagerly awaited our window of fine dining for weeks on end.
Chefs Dave Sgro and Cheryl Tacka opened Slate in August of 2012 in what was formerly a modest home on a surprisingly modest street just beyond South Hills Village.
When we made the left onto Donati Road, we saw pickup trucks in driveways and plastic toys strewn in yards, half-​obscured in dunes of snow. I thought I had mistakenly set the GPS to my former neighborhood of Brookline or my current one of Beechview. I felt comfortable and welcome before I even scraped a boot on Slate’s doormat.
Inside, we were greeted by soft jazz music and erudite conversations concerning ‘the blues” by some patrons at the bar. Without hesitation, Kay and I were whisked into a back room that was populated only by us by the time our salads were ready for service, providing us with a wonderful intimacy I haven’t had at an area restaurant in some time.
«Wow, ya got the whole place to yerselves, now,» Our all-​around fabulous and down-​to-​earth server told us once the last couple settled up and left as we finished our appetizer. «How ’bout that, huh?» She would ask with a wink. Her name was Trish, and giving us a memorable and effervescent experience was her wish. She pretended to be a loving aunt for the following hour or so, hopping about excitedly like a rabbit whenever we needed anything as if she was eagerly chaperoning a first date that she herself had arranged.
As the name implies, Slate is all about erasing staleness, changing their relatively small menu each and every month while adding unique twists on the classics of American cuisine. However, after investigating their bill of fare online, I wasn’t sure what to order! Alas, there were specials, and they ended up making up the bulk of my supper.
A trio of Coconut Shrimp unassumingly began our odyssey. Plump as miniature turkeys, each prawn was coated in an ideally crispy and sweet coconut breading, the hot oil drawing out any and all natural sugars. A pool of sweet/​sour sauce kept the shrimp afloat, adding more honeyed flavor to an appetizer that was close to an Asiatic dessert.
A revised take on The Slate Salad (apparently what comprises their house salad changes from time to time if the other photos and reviews are an indicator) was next to grace our table and palates. A cornucopia of mixed greens were dressed in a marvelously milky, herb-​laden vinaigrette along with roasted peppers, slivered almonds, and a blessed blizzard of Asiago. It would pleasingly and successfully clear our tongues for the grandeur to come.
My fears of stingy portions being haplessly compensated for merely by frou-​frou plating were chased away by the twin titans that were the Grilled Pork Chops. Also from the specials addendum, each weighty slab of hog was topped with roasted bread crumbs and a hefty glob of crème fraîche-​like goat cheese and left to wallow in a pond of savagely savory and unrepentantly reduced au jus. To respectfully contradict another reviewer, my chops, cooked medium, had just enough fat around the edges to impart flavor to the rest of each piece of meat’s inch-​thick plus body. Far from arid, vital liquids gushed with every cut and bite after dragging the morsels through the brackish waters below.
An almost tropical marinara topped one of two sides in the amazingly al dente rigatoni. The other, a steamy, luxurious bed of creamy garlic rice, approached a fine demonstration of risotto, making for a celebration of the simple elegance of humble grains.
Unsure of whether or not to finish with the Éclair or the Brownie Heart, I followed the spirit of the holiday and chose the latter. Deep and dark, the brownie, literally shaped like that symbol of devotion, had uncanny chew once its thin, flaky hide was broken and a smoky taste that invoked cast iron pans and campfires. Like everything else we gormandized that chilly Saturday evening, the vanilla bean ice cream and whipped cream were scratch-​made in-​house to absolute faultlessness. Kay had herself the golden, bakery-​quality Éclair (we were assured that EVERYTHING on the menu was prepared on the premises sans store-​bought shortcuts, and I’m inclined to believe it…) which was topped with a maniacal, hellish fudge ganache and filled with a heaven-​sent, vanilla-​riddled custard.
Slate is more than a mere «bistro» — it is a house of togetherness and romance that just so happens to serve up consummately prepared food. Take someone meaningful to you to cozy Bethel Park someday and experience Slate’s ever-​changing delights by flickering candlelight.

You know a meal is bad when the bread is the highlight.
We went here for a date night. I love trying new off-​the-​beaten-​path restaurants, which are so rare in the South Hills, so we were excited to try Slate Bistro.
The prices were expensive, which I am more than happy to pay for if the food is good.
That being said, I’m pretty sure I spent $ 24 on a Lean Cuisine entrée.
The chicken was processed, thin, and tasteless and was swimming in a mixture of rice and generic sweet and sour sauce. My date got a $ 30 pork chop which was mostly fat. I didn’t even know pork chops could be that fatty. Even the inner-​most part was all fat. You get the idea. As well, his food was served with some type of home fries that were clearly frozen at one point, possibly made by Ore-​Ida. As well, my date got a Fat Head’s beer that they charged $ 7 for. At Fat Head’s, the same beer is $ 4.
I really wanted to like this place, but it was just so comically bad, we couldn’t do anything but laugh about it.
They change their menu monthly, so I feel like I should give them another chance, but I am certainly in no rush to do so.

Four of us were all disappointed. The stuffed gnocchi was salty, the veal chop at $ 39 was not cooked to order and tough, the roasted cauliflower was overcooked and dry, and the pork chop was not tender. The bill came to over $ 200, obviously overpriced for the quality of the meal. Charming atmosphere but we were very surprised that the food was below satisfaction

Charming dining room in an old house, excellent service and a changing menu of varied selections. Family owned. Food is always fresh and creative. This is a romantic, charming place, and a nice change from the big box restaurants in the area. The house selections of wines by the glass are excellent. The only drawback for me is that there aren’t a lot of meat=free selections, but I am usually able to find one or two things that I like. My carnivorous husband is always happy.

I had been wanting to try this restaurant since I found out that it was so close to our new home and saw the current menu. My wife and I love the whole ‘bistro’ atmosphere and we were excited.
Made a reservation on a Friday evening and arrived to a warm welcome from the bartender/​hostess.
Quaint former house, with all kinds of different seating to accommodate those who want some privacy, and those who want to have their fingers on the pulse.
We were seated in back (as per my request), it was date night so I wanted to have a lovely evening with my wife… very cozy. Service was prompt and non-​intrusive. Our pre-​dinner cocktails were delicious and on point.
We ordered the chopped tomato salad that felt like someone’s mother prepared it (loved it, thank you Chef Dave!!!) and the other item I believe was prosciutto or pancetta wrapped mozzarella… gorgeous, I can still taste the pesto! Sopped up the love with some of their soft bread!
We had a main course of fontina ravioli and another of sautéed veal. The ravioli, was nicely done with a creamy sauce and cheese for days… delicious! The veal was cooked flawlessly (could’ve eaten it with a spoon) and had a nice brown sauce that was clearly reduced for hours… it had a depth that I’m sure had to take a long time to develop. Loved the veal!!!
Dessert was a gorgeous warm chocolate brownie with a made in-​house mint chocolate chip ice cream, I can still taste the gentle balance between the mint and chocolate, it was perfect! Dessert felt like getting a hug from mom… all was made with care and love!!!
We had a bottle of wine from their list, and I must say that the list was modest, but priced well, and covered a wide range that fit their menu.
My wife and I have always loved the hominess of bistros, and the warmth of their cuisines. This was no exception… I think that Slate Bistro will be in our list of dining choices for a long time to come.

I will start with the bad– this place has bizarre décor. This is a former house, which isn’t an issue, but the décor does not match the caliber of food. Strange postcard-​like Van Gogh prints and other dollar-​store type pictures. It just doesn’t make sense.
The good. The food is fantastic. I have been here twice and love that the menu rotates monthly. The food is fresh, much more creative than most of the typical South Hills restaurants, and tasty. I have tried various steak, lamb, and seafood dishes (my dining companions love to share) and I have been impressed with all. Don’t be fooled if the portion isn’t massive, I have never walked away hungry and doggie bags shouldn’t be part of a high quality dining experience. Save room for dessert anyway, all homemade.
If you go before 6 on a weeknight you can sample a smaller menu with dessert for a flat $ 15– Slate Plate.
If they could figure out a way to match the décor to the quality of food this would be great. However, the food is worth the strange atmosphere

After seeing the reviews of this new restaurant, I wanted to give it a try. When I pulled up, I was surprised to see that I had been here before. Apparently, Slate used to be another upscale restaurant I believe it was called Café Giorgio which was «famous» for their chicken whitford (?). Well, there are new owners now and, much to the disappointment of my dinning companions, they weren’t willing to give the whitford a shot. However, the menu did have some interesting and equally alluring selections. I chose to go with the pork mignon. The menu stated that the pork was topped with flat iron apple and apricot/​orange rosemary glaze. I didn’t really taste much of the apple and feel that it might have been better served in a chutney form. Also to note, in addition to the no substitutions rule, they have a very limited selection for sides. A starch du jour and a veggie du jour. You can get 1 starch and 1 veggie or two of either. I chose one of each which happened to be Yukon gold mashed pots and a carrot, broc, cauli mix. The sides were really basic for me. Nothing special about them. This is what I would expect from a run of the mill diner, not a nice 20 – 30 $ a plate restaurant. Maybe that is part of the reason why the dining room was only about 25% full on a Friday night. For dessert, I decided to try the warm chocolate brownie with homemade strawberry ice cream. Again, I was left disappointed. The ice cream had huge chunks of frozen, inedible strawberries and the brownie was so light and fluffy that the ice cream chunks over powered any chocolatey taste. I was left craving a thick gooey, hearty brownie. What they served was not fit to share the brownie name.
In addition, the service was odd to say the least. Our waitress didn’t seem to know the answer to our basic questions and had a difficult time separating the checks by couple. It seemed like maybe it was her first day. All in all, I don’t think I will be going back to Slate Bistro barring some significant changes. My food/​experience was not bad per say, but I do expect a higher quality for the price range. If I’m going to pay 20 – 30 $ an entrée, I’m going to go somewhere that has quality food, varied options and a solid execution.

I stopped by here this past Friday for dinner with my girlfriend and two other couples. The outside of this place is warm and inviting as they had bags with lights as you walk up to it almost making it feel like a childhood Halloween. The inside is what you would expect from a house as I assume this used to be one. We sat upstairs where they had some odd dolls as decorations.
My girlfriend and I decided to start off our meal with the chicken skewers. There were four skewers and it came with a peppered polenta and lime sour crème. The chicken on the skewers was moist and pretty good and I really enjoyed dipping the polenta into the acidity of the sour crème. For my entrée I decided to go with the maccheroni [sic] & Cheese. According to the menu it came with shrimp, scallions, pancetta and lots of cheese of which the lots of cheese got some comments at our table. Whenever it originally came I was not very impressed as it did not have much color and seemed fairly small. However the appearance was deceiving here as it was really good and extremely filling. It did have the lots of cheese as promised and I really enjoyed the pieces of rock shrimp and the pancetta with the cheese as well.
The bottom line for me is that I may head back here in the future. The restaurant itself was interesting but I did enjoy the food and left with a full stomach.

Great place, great service. All the meals I have had here have been fantastic. Menu changes monthly, all the desserts are homemade (even the ice cream!)

A surprising gem in our corner of the South Hills. My husband called for reservations, and, when the woman on the line found out it would be our first time in, said she’d give us the super special table. She did, and we sat on the windowed in front porch of this charming restaurant, tucked into a cozy corner. I really like restaurants that are in older houses, and this place is cute. They claim locavore status here, and grow some of the herbs used in their food. It also shows in the thoughtful and creative menu, which changes with the seasons and features meat sourced locally. I had the house salad and the Scottish salmon. The salad, a mix of green with fava beans, comes with a choice of 2 dressings… I went with the creamy garlic, and it was delicious. The dried favas still had their outer hull on, and, while you can eat this rather tough shell, I prefer to remove it, which was simple enough to do. I wish they took this extra step in the kitchen. Overall, a good salad. The salmon was done to the requested medium rare, served with a sweet and tangy balsamic reduction and diced, sautéed vegetables. This dish was very good. I would have given it a «great», but the veggies were a bit underdone and had been hit with lemon juice or some other acid before service, and it threw the dish off a bit… just too much acid on the plate. These are small complaints, and I’ll most definitely be back to try more. Service was friendly and efficient. When my husband’s mojito went unconsumed, the server showed concern and took it off the bill after he told her it was bitter. We also got a Unilocal coupon for $ 10.00 off 2 entrees, so make sure you check in with your iphone or smart phone.

Fantastic food! A small unique menu that is going to change monthly. I went with three other people and everyone loved what they had. I had risotto with pancetta, pears, blue cheese, and chicken and it was delicious (forgot to take a picture because I ate it too quickly).
Most of the entrees were made with local ingredients including fruits and veggies from their own garden. Service was great. It’s mostly the same staff from Café Georgio.
I will be back again!