Because we were feeling like rockstars (hungry rockstars), we decided to knock off two of our Oakland restaurants in the same week. This time, we planned ahead much better and went to the Union Grill during the early afternoon, when it wasn’t full of hooligans and crazies (college students who were stuck in class yesterday, I’m looking at you ;).
That said, we missed out on any happy hours or chances to partake in their $10 wine list. Yes, they have a $10 wine list, and we’re talking actual bottles, not by the glass. I can’t speak for the quality of the wine on the list, not having seen it, but I’m sure there’s something adequate. Something to keep in mind when you’re trying to have a ‘nice night out’ on a budget!
We went with Michael’s mum and sister as a birthday lunch (we now begin the six months of the year when I feel better about myself because my husband is as old as I am). This meant we didn’t feel guilty getting an appetizer with lunch, because we were splitting it across four people.
We got their hummus plate, which was totally amazing. With the hummus were cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, and red peppers, as well as a healthy pile of feta cheese. The only complaint was that the toppings outlasted the pita bread (although I bet if we’d asked, our stellar waiter would have brought us more).
And now, for the reason I go to the Union Grill: huge Pittsburgh salads! I’m working on a Yelp list for the best salads in Pittsburgh, and Union Grill is definitely on that list. They have incredible waffle fries, grilled chicken, sauteed mushrooms, and a huge serving of other veggies. Each salad comes with a soft breadstick. They recommend the house garlic vinaigrette, but I really prefer the honey mustard dressing. Such a great salad!
And Michael got the ‘steakburger dinner,’ which is the bunless option (there’s also the ‘steakburger sandwich’ on a bun). It’s coated in an ‘artisan cheese,’ which is a fancy way of saying, ‘damn, that’s some good cheese.’ He got it with the vegetable of the day, which was aspsaragus, which he always complains about having to make for me. Naturally, I gave him a hard time and stole some of his spears.
So while the Union Grill is crowded at times, and overwhelmingly crowded at others, sometimes it’s worth the trip. I always recommend the salad, but they have a lot of other unique menu items as well, like the turkey devonshire, which has my dad raving a full two years after we took him there.
And this officially marks three restaurants down, with 12 to go. Slowly but surely, Oakland, we’re conquering your many flavors. 🙂
(Union Grill also does not have a website, but they do have a Yelp. You can visit them at 413 Craig Street.)
Your food blogs are awesome. We never know what restaurants to try so this will be a big help. The dishes look great.
Your food blogs are awesome. We never know what restaurants to try so this will be a big help. The dishes look great.