Joe's Rusty Nail

Anyone who has done research on the "Best Places for Breakfast in Pittsburgh" will undoubtedly run across the Rusty Nail in Bellevue, just north of the city. So it was just a matter of time before we ventured up there for a Saturday morning adventure. Unbeknownst to us, we also picked the weekend Bellevue has their annual sidewalk sale, so we were treated to all sorts of activity along this classic Main Street-type neighborhood.

We arrived around 10am, normally a busy time, but according to our waitress even busier thanks to the extra traffic outside. The dining area is very small, with no waiting area (we stood outside for a few minutes) but inside is jam packed full of tables and mix/match wooden chairs and a few benches thrown in for good measure. I really liked the giant wooden buffet at the back of the room.

We ended up seated at the very front of the restaurant, near a bright sunny window. The breakfast menu was not very large, likely because you are encouraged to order from their daily specials offerings - so that is just what we did. Husband was sensible and picked the mushroom, spinach, and asiago cheese omelet special which came with "black oak ham" & toast (though he also added a stack of pancakes!) and I was bad and picked "The Stacker" special which consisted of 2 potato pancakes topped with 2 sausage patties, scrambled eggs and sausage gravy with a biscuit & cantaloupe. (Hey, at least it involved fruit!)

There was so much food, but it was all really delicious. A little too much gravy, but everything else tasted amazing, and was presented beautifully. After the mad rush died down, the owner came out and spoke to as many tables he could, several who were obviously Saturday regulars. Nice to see hometown service. Oh, and the Rusty Nail is cash only - not too many of those places left either!