Mayor Gainey's favorite Pittsburgh food joints
Pittsburgh’s Mayor Ed Gainey revealed his favorite food spots around the 412.
Spoiler alert: Red Lobster made the cut.
In a Pittsburgh-based Scoop TV interview for the WeArePgh series, originally posted on Sept. 15, Gainey ranked his Top 5 restaurants. The interview is circulating on social media platforms, including Instagram and YouTube.
The video was compiled in collaboration with the local accounts @96ersnetwork and @0626productions.
In the ranking, Gainey names Showcase BBQ in Homewood West as No. 1.
Here’s the full list:
1. Showcase BBQ in Homewood West
Showcase, located on Frankstown Avenue, serves barbecue favorites like pulled pork, beef brisket, ribs and turkey. Its website says it has been around for 20 years.
2. Lindo’s Restaurant on the North Side
Lindo’s, located on Western Avenue, is a neighborhood diner offering traditional American food for breakfast and lunch.
“Their breakfast is fire,” Gainey said in the video.
3. Red Lobster — the famous seafood restaurant chain
“I love seafood,” he said.
One of the top comments on the Instagram video clip asks “Why’d he put red lobster in there tho?” with a laughing face emoji. It garnered over 140 likes. The video itself has over 1,200 likes.
“Red lobster is diabolical work! Nothing but love for my Mayor though!” another comment read.
4. Fireside Caribbean Restaurant in Wilkinsburg
“From jerk chicken to oxtail stew, Fireside Caribbean Restaurant takes pride in serving up authentic flavors that will leave you craving more,” the restaurant’s website says.
Gainey said he gets the jerk chicken there.
Sandy Brown has been a cashier at Fireside for five years. She was happy to hear about the praise from the mayor.
“Oh my goodness, it means a lot,” said Brown, 49, of Wilkinsburg. “I know the food is great. For the mayor to eat here and give a comment like that, I appreciate it.”
5. Galaxy Lounge & Entertainment Center in Homewood South
The mayor said he enjoys the wings there.
Staci Vuford has been a cook at the Galaxy Lounge for seven years. When she heard Gainey mentioned Galaxy, she thought that was “awesome.”
“I think that’s great that he put us on the list,” said Vuford, of Wilkinsburg. “That’s real cool … our food is good.”
Megan Swift is a TribLive reporter covering trending news in Western Pennsylvania. A Murrysville native, she joined the Trib full time in 2023 after serving as editor-in-chief of The Daily Collegian at Penn State. She previously worked as a Jim Borden Scholarship intern at the Trib for three summers. She can be reached at mswift@triblive.com.
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