Ritter's Diner

I love Ritter's Diner! Located near Shadyside hospital on Baum Boulevard in the Oakland/Bloomfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh, this diner is a total classic. Some might say it's old and run down, but I think that's part of the fun. Open 24 hours a day, it for some reason reminds me of what an all-night diner in a real big city would be like. Busy all the time, with seasoned waitresses barking orders at the short order cooks.

The dining room is broken out into several areas. A small one to the left of the entrance, a long galley with booths and counter seating, and a back room with big round tables to accommodate larger groups. Some of the bigger booths have these awesome individual mini-juke boxes that for a few quarters let you pick songs from classic albums. Sadly we were seated at a two person booth on this crowded Saturday morning, so we didn't get to annoy the customers next to us (this time).

As implied by the unsightly ATM machine in the middle of the floor, Ritters is "Cash Only". The breakfast menu is what you would expect to find in a diner like this - Lots of egg dishes, and plenty of griddle fixings. My favorite is the onion omelet which comes with fried potatoes & toast. Husband picked a "New Breakfast Item" called the "Birmingham Omelet" which was a mix of kale, black eyed peas, ham and onions (also served with carbs on the side). Oh, and one lonely pancake.

Everything was great, and served pretty quickly. This is a great place to people watch, too. Always a very diverse set of customers, and I counted no less than 8 waitresses running around. A definite Pittsburgh icon.