Back in 2018, Nate spoke at a conference in Pittsburgh, and on the way downtown from the airport he asked his Uber driver for food recommendations. They suggested a sandwich from Primanti Bros., a regional restaurant and sports bar. Apparently, this massive sandwich piled high with meat, coleslaw, and French fries on Italian bread was unforgettable.
So, as we were planning this year’s trips, we chose Pittsburgh for one of them because Nate had to have that sandwich again — even if it meant breaking our (relatively new) pescatarian diet. Admittedly, because of our lack of a planned itinerary for the short weekend trip, it almost didn’t happen.
After a long day of visiting the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, main Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (Oakland), and two Carnegie museums (of Natural History and Art), we weren’t sure if we were up to leaving our hotel again. It was the last night of our visit, though, and we reminded ourselves that getting that sandwich was the main purpose of the trip. We enjoyed a couple free beverages at our hotel’s weekend reception for guests and then walked over to the Market Square location.
This location had a definite sports bar vibe, a little bit cramped inside, but with plenty of covered outdoor seating. For drinks, Nate ordered a mule, and I ordered the Neville Island Iced Tea, a “pomegranate powered Long Island.” It was a little tart and sweet for me, but not undrinkable.
Knowing whichever sandwich we chose was going to be massive, we decided to order one to split. We were pleased to see that there were vegetarian and pescatarian options on the menu, and asked for the Colossal Fish & Cheese. We weren’t disappointed.
We were both a little shocked when a server delivered the sandwich. Mostly because they just said, “Colossal Fish?” and plopped the sandwich wrapped in butcher paper on the table between us. But also because of its gargantuan size. We couldn’t imagine one of us eating the whole thing ourselves.
In hindsight, though, I probably could have. It was so good! The Italian bread was light and fluffy, and the fried fish, weighed down with tomatoes, coleslaw, and French fries, was juicy and flavorful. While biting into it was a task, it was worth unhinging your jaw for!
So, we’d definitely recommend trying a Primanti Bros. sandwich if you’re ever in the Pittsburgh area. They offer plenty of meat options, but also the fish and a black bean version as well, along with a number of appetizers and sides. We didn’t try any of those, though, because knew we’d get our fill with the sandwich alone!
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