Gab & Eat

Another sizzling hot summer Saturday in Pittsburgh. After taking the puppies for their morning walk to the park, we headed for breakfast at Gab & Eat in the Carnegie neighborhood of Pittsburgh. It's in a tiny, old little strip mall but boy was it busy! Not everywhere we visit for Saturday breakfast has a line outside the door, but we were treated to one today about 6 tables deep. Usually a good sign that the food is worth it the wait!

The restaurant is just as small on the inside, but they have found a way to stuff as many tables and seats into the space as they can. The lighting is all a dingy fluorescent, but the walls are covered with collages of customers enjoying themselves sitting right in the very booths we were waiting in line for. And of course lots of Steelers and Pens support in this Pittsburgh establishment.

We had been here several years ago - back in the days before Allegheny county went non-smoking. Thankfully the air was much clearer this time, but surprisingly there was no air conditioning. And since the grill is right there in the dining area across from the counter seating, combined with so many people, it was pretty warm.  Not sure if the a/c was broken, but I didn't have the heart to bring it up to our poor waitress who had to suffer all day in the heat.

Everyone who worked here was always seen hustling around and doing their best to keep everyone happy. The menu was typical greasy-spoon fare, with griddle food galore. I had 2 French toast made with thick Italian toast, with a side of bacon, and Husband chose the "mixed grill" which was scrambled-up eggs, hot sausage, onions, peppers & potatoes. Oh, and don't forget 1 pancake on the side!

The food was not very quick in arriving at the table (not a surprise given the number of people seated). Everything was very tasty, but Heavy on the tummy. My bacon was a little over cooked for my taste, but there was plenty of it. The French toast was definitely more fried than toasted, making it a bit crispier than what is typical - yummy but definitely not healthy! 

All in all, this is definitely a place that locals love. Not only are the walls filled with snapshots of Gab & Eat's "regulars" but they are also filled with the "I was here" graffiti that is evidently encouraged by the owner. Definitely gives it the small-town feel, that is nice to see in a big city. But that's one of the best parts of Pittsburgh - it's really just a combination of neighborhoods with strong feelings of community. That's one of the reasons we love it!