Best Burgers in Pittsburgh: Fries and Ketchup

The best burgers in Pittsburgh are found in the Strip District, Lawrenceville and the South Side, with more around the universities in Oakland, in Shadyside, Squirrel Hill and Bloomfield, and downtown near Market Square. Expect hefty bar burgers and a local habit of piling fries and coleslaw onto whatever goes between the bread.

That habit comes from Primanti Bros., which opened in the Strip District in 1933 and still serves grilled meat topped with hand-cut fries, sweet-and-sour coleslaw and tomato between two slices of Italian bread. The idea spread well beyond sandwiches: a “Pittsburgh salad” comes with fries on top of the greens. The city is also ketchup country. Henry J. Heinz launched his tomato ketchup here in 1876, and the Heinz History Center in the Strip District tells the story of the company and the bottle.

Burgers in Pittsburgh: key facts

• Neighborhoods to explore: the Strip District, Lawrenceville, the South Side, Oakland, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Bloomfield and Market Square.
• Local style: fries and coleslaw inside the sandwich, a Strip District habit since 1933.
• Local landmark: Primanti Bros., whose original Strip District restaurant is still open.
• Ketchup history: Heinz tomato ketchup dates from 1876 in Pittsburgh.
• Getting around: the T light rail serves downtown and the South Hills; the Monongahela and Duquesne inclines climb Mount Washington for the view over the rivers.
• Currency: US dollar (USD).

Every guide we publish on Pittsburgh is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. Continue with our burger restaurant guides for other cities.