My spouse and I dined at ELEVEN for dinner on a Friday
evening in mid-September 2017. We have dined here several times previously,
both in the dining room and at the chef’s table. On our most recent visit,
because it was late in the evening, we dined at the bar. (The kitchen closes
late at 11:00 pm on Friday and Saturday nights.) ELEVEN is open for lunch
(weekdays), dinner (daily), and brunch (Sundays). You can book a table using
the online Open Table reservation system.
ELEVEN is technically located in the Strip District, although
it is closer to the downtown area than other Strip District restaurants (like sibling
Kaya). ELEVEN is located next to the Senator John Heinz History Center (museum)
and diagonally across the street from the Hampton Inn. (The still-under-construction
AC Hotel [by Marriott] is right next door.) The restaurant is named because it
was the eleventh restaurant opened by the Big Burrito Restaurant Group (which
also owns Shadyside restaurants Casbah, Soba, and Umi; the Strip District’s Kaya
and ELEVEN; and many locations of Mad Mex [eight in the Pittsburgh area, one in
Erie, one in Columbus, one in State College, and three near Philadelphia).
The chic, modern restaurant space is expansive. You can dine
in the high-ceilinged spacious main dining room on the street level, or on the narrower
second floor that overlooks the main room. An adjacent space offers a bar and
lounge seating, with additional dining tables on the second floor “catwalk”
that overlooks the bar area. In warmer months, ELEVEN offers outdoor seating both
on the sidewalk/street level and on a second-floor outdoor balcony with
roll-down fabric sides. Depending on where you dine, you may be seated at a
regular-height table, a high-top table, a booth, at the bar, or on the comfy
lounge furniture. One booth in an alcove off the main dining room is positioned
within view of the kitchen so that you can watch the staff work as they produce
tasty dishes. (We once ate a great multi-course, chef-selected tasting meal at
that “chef’s table”.)
ELEVEN offers modern, contemporary cuisine. On previous
visits, we have chosen options from their fine dining menu. This time, because
of the late hour and our seating at the bar, we ordered from the tavern menu,
which includes a few favorites from the regular menu, as well as more casual
options. We chose a burger and fries (phenomenal, topped with a short rib mix),
and a meatball sandwich with a side salad (regrettably, although the meatballs
were delicious, the roll fell apart and we ate it with a knife and fork). We could
not pass up their delicious banana cream “pie” for dessert; ELEVEN’s version is
an elegant, creative spin on the classic dish. We were also thrilled to sample their "Rosalita" cocktail, which showcased Calvados, an apple brandy that originates in Normandy France, where we had visited just two weeks previously (also made with vodka and grapefruit).
The quality food, trendy atmosphere, and great service make ELEVEN
one of our favorite restaurants in downtown Pittsburgh.
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