Food was ok, drinks were great. Massive amaro selection with a super knowledgeable bartender.
Abe Taleb
Food was incredible, our best meal out of 2025 so far.
The setting is beautiful and thoughtfully designed.
Courtney Morrison
Went here for a friends birthday, the food and drinks were delicious and the service was wonderful! I was a fan of the blood sausage. This was definitely a special occasion place though since the portions are small and it was a little expensive.
Jeff Kovacs
My family brought me here for Father’s Day. First time here and heard great things. I never ever leave bad reviews - only good ones. But I feel compelled to leave a truly honest review. The food was outstanding. Truly excellent and rivals the restaurants that I eat in regularly in NYC. On that part -excellent. Service- disappointing. This is what holds Pittsburgh back. This town needs to up its game and be more attentive and professional. Consistently run into servers who make you feel like you should be honored to be there. Seriously. You signed up for this. Learn to serve people and make them welcome to spend their time and money there. I won’t be back. Tired of the attitude in this town.
Matthew Ho
Came by for a weeknight dinner recently -- we had reservations for around 7pm and were able to get seated immediately, and it seemed that the place was pretty full throughout the time we were there.
Our group of 5 ordered a bunch of dishes to share -- some highlights:
- We tried a few different cuts of steak. My favourite was the lomo (filet mignon), which was so tender and juicy and just cooked perfectly. I also really liked the entraña (skirt steak).
- The chorizo especial was delicious. The pork/guanciale mix was so savoury, and I liked it didn't feel too oily or fatty. Peppers were an interesting touch.
- Milanesa de pollo was great. The chicken was fried really nicely, crispy without being too oily.
- We had the flan for dessert, definitely would recommend. The caramel flavour was rich without being too heavy or sickly sweet.
Price point was fair for the quality of food -- good for an occasional splurge, I think. Service was very kind although a bit slow at times (but no fault to the servers -- they seemed to have had their hands busy with a full restaurant). Ambiance can be a little loud for conversation.
Christian A Zuniga
I travel often and visit many restaurants throughout and this establishment is NOT WORTH IT in my opinion! The other bad reviews below are definitely on point!!
My tenderloin was low quality, OVERCOOKED, dry, tough and chewy. The manager assured me it was rare and clearly it was medium at best. My iberico on bruschetta was a small portion for the price, and the side of mushrooms was okay.
In order to justify their prices, the quality of meat has to improve and cooked to the right temperature. They need to inform the guests, that all sides are sold a-la-carte beforehand, and the service has to be more attentive, smiley and hygienic.
I saw a worker handling the lettuce for the salads with her bare hands, while touching everything else.
The service was arrogant, forgetful and aloof.
More creative with better quality food and friendlier service is found around easily.
Nathan Stone
Where to begin?! Balvanera is definitely in my top 2 restaurants in Pittsburgh. Start to finish. We had several appetizers (the tuna was amazing), entrees (Argentina is the meat capitol of the world ;-), deserts, and drinks. The lamb sausage was even better than our hand made!
Bill walked us through a personalized Amaro flight that managed to introduce us to two new Amarii. And Meredith's hospitality and beautiful wardrobe set the cultural tone for the evening. And the wait staff were more attentive than anywhere I've been for years.
We loved every minute!
Dietary restrictions: We had no problems navigating our own gluten sensitivity.
Parking: Talking with Bill (sommelier and Amaro afficianado) and Meredith (chief cultural officer) made the night lovely, personal, and memorable
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lamb Sausage
Frank Caputo
Excellent service, well-trained staff. The steaks are flown in from Argentina daily and fresh. Very well prepared, awesome environment
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Side of Mashed Potatoes
Ariana Gaytan
Had an amazing dinner, the steak, crudo and mushrooms were amazing but the best part of our experience had to be our incredible server Erin B. She perfectly paced our meal, gave amazing wine and food recs and was an overall joy. She even went out of her way to help us find a place for after dinner drinks!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lauren Bellotti
For the amount of money you inevitably spend here, the comfort level and service are severely lacking. It was so loud I couldn't hear my partner talking and if our server actually greeted us, I didn't hear a word he said. The table we were sat at, felt like we were sitting on top of the guests to either side of us and it was very uncomfortable. The food was good, but the price points are so high, I expected more. I wanted to love this place, it was my birthday and I looked forward to this evening for a while, but overall I was incredibly disappointed and left pretty bummed out.
Absolutely love Balvanera! Such a wonderful night out EVERY time! If you are trying to find the must-try items, well sorry to say you will have to go back multiple times because everything I have ever had there was delicious. If you are in a mood for meat, go for meat, seafood mood, go for seafood. You won’t be disappointed!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ayelen Cobrero
It's like being at home; I felt like I was somewhere in Buenos Aires, enjoying flan with dulce de leche and sipping on a good Malbec. The food was excellent, and the service was wonderful. We'll be back soon. It's like being at home, I felt like I was somewhere in Buenos Aires eating flan with dulce de leche and drinking a good malbec. Excellent food, wonderful service. We will be back soon. Thank you!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Victor “Bud” Nye
This place is beautiful inside and I want to remark on how extraordinary the service was, all the servers worked as a team and kept everyone’s tables fresh with drink refills, fresh plates, silverware, and everything else.
We started with a few small plates. First was the Empanada de Carne - baked empanadas stuffed with roast beef, peppers, and other ingredients. The pastry was so flaky and crunchy, the roast beef was incredibly tender and it was so so good especially with the chimichurri.
Next we got a little adventurous, neither of us had ever had sweetbreads so we went for it. We love octopus and actually feel like liked the crispy sweetbreads more. Both were beautifully plated and delicious in their own way but definitely giving this to the sweetbreads!
For our main course we ordered the Argentinian filet, the chorizo special sausage, mashed potatoes and the mushroom small plate.
First the mashed potatoes I will put up with anyone’s mashed potatoes, the only place I still give the edge to is Napa prime. They were so buttery and airy they were incredible.
The chorizo sausage had just a very slight kick, the peppers that accompanied it were so good, and it was really delicious. Definitely recommend this dish.
The steak was phenomenal, perfectly cooked for us and really tender. I think it was done well and fairly priced, and I am definitely interested in coming back to try more.
I don’t do mushrooms but my wife absolutely loved the mushroom dish, she said that they are truly something special and shouldn’t be skipped.
For the dessert course I had the chocolate tart and it was really rich and decadent, super tasty. My wife ordered the Almendrado which is homemade vanilla ice cream wrapped in almond brittle. I really don’t like nuts in general but this was OUT OF THIS WORLD. It was like a very elevated butterfinger wrapping the silkiest most wonderful vanilla ice cream I have ever had, it was so good, it was the star of the night in my opinion.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Side of Mashed Potatoes, Chocolate Torta
R Latch
Very rarely do I give a restaurant 1 star, but this was a bad meal. The service was good, the food was not. The cocktails were subpar, with not much of the flavor specified in the drink menu. They were also served in pint glasses with no garnish. The empanadas were good. I'll give the star for that. We ordered the Argentinian Ribeye ($50), medium rare, and I am just going to say this: it did not have the marbling and rich texture of Argentinian beef. It was a gristly steak that was pretty flavorless, and was about 35% inedible because of the flavorless fat. Argentinian beef if known for being melt in your mouth tender and having a grass fed taste. I'm wondering if they give American steaks no matter if you order domestic or Argentinian (which they charge a premium for). The accompanying chimichurri sauce was basically just olive oil and parsley and a little cilantro. No garlic, no red pepper flakes, no vinegar, no oregano, so salt. For the price we paid, it was terrible, and we left feeling ripped off. I could have got better steaks at Giant Eagle. The worst meal I have had in Pittsburgh. There are too many other options in the city. Don't waste your money here.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 4
Hector Birchwood
The food was sublime, and the ingredients were of excellent quality. I cannot fault anything. The alcohol free IPA beer was great too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Arabcini De Coliflor and Empanada De Carne, Zanahoria
Food was ok, drinks were great. Massive amaro selection with a super knowledgeable bartender.
Food was incredible, our best meal out of 2025 so far.
The setting is beautiful and thoughtfully designed.
Went here for a friends birthday, the food and drinks were delicious and the service was wonderful! I was a fan of the blood sausage. This was definitely a special occasion place though since the portions are small and it was a little expensive.
My family brought me here for Father’s Day. First time here and heard great things. I never ever leave bad reviews - only good ones. But I feel compelled to leave a truly honest review. The food was outstanding. Truly excellent and rivals the restaurants that I eat in regularly in NYC. On that part -excellent. Service- disappointing. This is what holds Pittsburgh back. This town needs to up its game and be more attentive and professional. Consistently run into servers who make you feel like you should be honored to be there. Seriously. You signed up for this. Learn to serve people and make them welcome to spend their time and money there. I won’t be back. Tired of the attitude in this town.
Came by for a weeknight dinner recently -- we had reservations for around 7pm and were able to get seated immediately, and it seemed that the place was pretty full throughout the time we were there.
Our group of 5 ordered a bunch of dishes to share -- some highlights:
- We tried a few different cuts of steak. My favourite was the lomo (filet mignon), which was so tender and juicy and just cooked perfectly. I also really liked the entraña (skirt steak).
- The chorizo especial was delicious. The pork/guanciale mix was so savoury, and I liked it didn't feel too oily or fatty. Peppers were an interesting touch.
- Milanesa de pollo was great. The chicken was fried really nicely, crispy without being too oily.
- We had the flan for dessert, definitely would recommend. The caramel flavour was rich without being too heavy or sickly sweet.
Price point was fair for the quality of food -- good for an occasional splurge, I think. Service was very kind although a bit slow at times (but no fault to the servers -- they seemed to have had their hands busy with a full restaurant). Ambiance can be a little loud for conversation.
I travel often and visit many restaurants throughout and this establishment is NOT WORTH IT in my opinion! The other bad reviews below are definitely on point!!
My tenderloin was low quality, OVERCOOKED, dry, tough and chewy. The manager assured me it was rare and clearly it was medium at best. My iberico on bruschetta was a small portion for the price, and the side of mushrooms was okay.
In order to justify their prices, the quality of meat has to improve and cooked to the right temperature. They need to inform the guests, that all sides are sold a-la-carte beforehand, and the service has to be more attentive, smiley and hygienic.
I saw a worker handling the lettuce for the salads with her bare hands, while touching everything else.
The service was arrogant, forgetful and aloof.
More creative with better quality food and friendlier service is found around easily.
Where to begin?! Balvanera is definitely in my top 2 restaurants in Pittsburgh. Start to finish. We had several appetizers (the tuna was amazing), entrees (Argentina is the meat capitol of the world ;-), deserts, and drinks. The lamb sausage was even better than our hand made!
Bill walked us through a personalized Amaro flight that managed to introduce us to two new Amarii. And Meredith's hospitality and beautiful wardrobe set the cultural tone for the evening. And the wait staff were more attentive than anywhere I've been for years.
We loved every minute!
Dietary restrictions: We had no problems navigating our own gluten sensitivity.
Parking: Talking with Bill (sommelier and Amaro afficianado) and Meredith (chief cultural officer) made the night lovely, personal, and memorable
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lamb Sausage
Excellent service, well-trained staff. The steaks are flown in from Argentina daily and fresh. Very well prepared, awesome environment
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Side of Mashed Potatoes
Had an amazing dinner, the steak, crudo and mushrooms were amazing but the best part of our experience had to be our incredible server Erin B. She perfectly paced our meal, gave amazing wine and food recs and was an overall joy. She even went out of her way to help us find a place for after dinner drinks!
Food: 5
Service: 5
For the amount of money you inevitably spend here, the comfort level and service are severely lacking. It was so loud I couldn't hear my partner talking and if our server actually greeted us, I didn't hear a word he said. The table we were sat at, felt like we were sitting on top of the guests to either side of us and it was very uncomfortable. The food was good, but the price points are so high, I expected more.
I wanted to love this place, it was my birthday and I looked forward to this evening for a while, but overall I was incredibly disappointed and left pretty bummed out.
I probably won't return.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 3
Restaurantji Recommends
Absolutely love Balvanera! Such a wonderful night out EVERY time! If you are trying to find the must-try items, well sorry to say you will have to go back multiple times because everything I have ever had there was delicious. If you are in a mood for meat, go for meat, seafood mood, go for seafood. You won’t be disappointed!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
It's like being at home; I felt like I was somewhere in Buenos Aires, enjoying flan with dulce de leche and sipping on a good Malbec. The food was excellent, and the service was wonderful. We'll be back soon.
It's like being at home, I felt like I was somewhere in Buenos Aires eating flan with dulce de leche and drinking a good malbec. Excellent food, wonderful service. We will be back soon. Thank you!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is beautiful inside and I want to remark on how extraordinary the service was, all the servers worked as a team and kept everyone’s tables fresh with drink refills, fresh plates, silverware, and everything else.
We started with a few small plates. First was the Empanada de Carne - baked empanadas stuffed with roast beef, peppers, and other ingredients. The pastry was so flaky and crunchy, the roast beef was incredibly tender and it was so so good especially with the chimichurri.
Next we got a little adventurous, neither of us had ever had sweetbreads so we went for it. We love octopus and actually feel like liked the crispy sweetbreads more. Both were beautifully plated and delicious in their own way but definitely giving this to the sweetbreads!
For our main course we ordered the Argentinian filet, the chorizo special sausage, mashed potatoes and the mushroom small plate.
First the mashed potatoes I will put up with anyone’s mashed potatoes, the only place I still give the edge to is Napa prime. They were so buttery and airy they were incredible.
The chorizo sausage had just a very slight kick, the peppers that accompanied it were so good, and it was really delicious. Definitely recommend this dish.
The steak was phenomenal, perfectly cooked for us and really tender. I think it was done well and fairly priced, and I am definitely interested in coming back to try more.
I don’t do mushrooms but my wife absolutely loved the mushroom dish, she said that they are truly something special and shouldn’t be skipped.
For the dessert course I had the chocolate tart and it was really rich and decadent, super tasty. My wife ordered the Almendrado which is homemade vanilla ice cream wrapped in almond brittle. I really don’t like nuts in general but this was OUT OF THIS WORLD. It was like a very elevated butterfinger wrapping the silkiest most wonderful vanilla ice cream I have ever had, it was so good, it was the star of the night in my opinion.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Side of Mashed Potatoes, Chocolate Torta
Very rarely do I give a restaurant 1 star, but this was a bad meal. The service was good, the food was not. The cocktails were subpar, with not much of the flavor specified in the drink menu. They were also served in pint glasses with no garnish. The empanadas were good. I'll give the star for that. We ordered the Argentinian Ribeye ($50), medium rare, and I am just going to say this: it did not have the marbling and rich texture of Argentinian beef. It was a gristly steak that was pretty flavorless, and was about 35% inedible because of the flavorless fat. Argentinian beef if known for being melt in your mouth tender and having a grass fed taste. I'm wondering if they give American steaks no matter if you order domestic or Argentinian (which they charge a premium for). The accompanying chimichurri sauce was basically just olive oil and parsley and a little cilantro. No garlic, no red pepper flakes, no vinegar, no oregano, so salt. For the price we paid, it was terrible, and we left feeling ripped off. I could have got better steaks at Giant Eagle. The worst meal I have had in Pittsburgh. There are too many other options in the city. Don't waste your money here.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 4
The food was sublime, and the ingredients were of excellent quality. I cannot fault anything. The alcohol free IPA beer was great too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Arabcini De Coliflor and Empanada De Carne, Zanahoria
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