STRIP DISTRICT (KDKA) — Six months ago, “Men’s Health” magazine began soliciting nominations from restaurant goers all over the country.

Thousands of votes came in and a Pittsburgh favorite made the final cut.

At Primanti Brothers in the Strip, there’s nothing like the smell of testosterone in the morning. It smells of manliness.

“If you come in at like 5:30 in the morning and see all the garbage men in here, you’d know it’s a manly man place,” says patron Bill Pifer.

With tattooed biceps and flannel plaid shirts, the landmark restaurant is one of nine regional finalists in “Men’s Health” magazine’s contest for “Manliest Restaurant in America.”

Large portions and plenty of protein on your plate are key ingredients in this competition. It’s what lured the likes of Bill Clinton, actor Michael Douglas, the Prince of Jordan and many more here over the years.

“I’m in awe,” says Daniel Menchaca. “Being from Texas, this is the first place I wanted to come when I came to Pittsburgh.”

In the 1930′s, Joe Primanti had a manly crowd in mind selling sandwiches to truckers. One winter he put those fried potatoes on the beef, egg, cheese and slaw and a star was born.

Chris Hovan of Tampa told us, “We just lifted weights and we figured, ‘Let’s go get some of the best sandwiches in America.’”

But manly or not, women love the grub too. Antoinette Haggerty has been serving it up for a couple of decades.

“We have so many women here. I think we have more women than men!”

Of course these eats have nothing to do with healthy for men or anybody else, but look for the all over winner of “America’s Manliest Restaurant” in the December issue.

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