Best Low Carb Dishes In Pittsburgh
by Janelle Sheetz
Whether you've been at the low-carb thing for awhile now or you're trying to stick to a New Year's resolution, diets can make eating out difficult. But you don't have to forego it entirely or cheat. Fortunately--and maybe a bit surprisingly--Pittsburgh has plenty of restaurants to turn to for a delicious low-carb meal, from dishes from other cultures to specialized menus.
Gaucho Parilla Argentina
1601 Penn Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 709-6622
www.eatgaucho.com
Although some items on Gaucho's menu change daily due to seasonal availability, you'll still find plenty of low-carb items, from side dishes to main courses. Low-carb sides include grilled corn on the cob with olive oil and salt, ratatouille, and papas dulce, a dish of smashed sweet potatoes with vanilla, caraway, and sunflower seeds. You'll find some carbs on the side with Gaucho's steaks, as they're all served with toast, but they still make for a great low-carb option, in addition to salads and specials like the cast-iron seared shrimp served with rosemary, garlic, and lemon or roasted chicken with grilled lemon and arugula.
EatUnique
305 South Craig St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
(412) 683-9993
www.eatuniquecafe.com
EatUnique is a great place for all sorts of dietary choices--like vegetarian or vegan--and not just low-carb, although they do that well. Their daily soups, like cream of tomato and garden chili, are always a great option, and they have a wide variety of salads to choose from, too, like the cobb salad and spring greens salad with walnuts and dried cranberries.
Eat'n Park
1250 Banksville Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15216
(412) 261-7894
www.eatnpark.com
Local chain Eat'n Park is known for its wonderful smiley cookies, but the company also makes an effort to provide diners with options suitable for a variety of diets, including vegetarian and gluten-free. Their Eat'n Smart menu showcases some of their healthier options, which includes low-carb dinners like their rosemary chicken with sautéed mushrooms served in a white-wine sauce or the baked cod, cooked in orange juice. All dinners also come with two sides of your choice. And of course, there's always the soup and salad bar!
Related: Best 24 Hour Diners In Pittsburgh
Conflict Kitchen
221 Schenley Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
(412) 802-8417
www.conflictkitchen.org
Conflict Kitchen is one of Pittsburgh's most interesting places to eat due to its changing menu to focus on cuisine from countries with which the U.S. is in conflict. It's a unique but informative dining experience, providing the opportunity to not only try food from other cultures but also learn about them and their relationship to the U.S. Their current focus is on the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, which, as explained in a pamphlet from Conflict Kitchen, is also known as the Iroquois Confederacy and is "an alliance of six Indigenous nations, which include the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tuscarora Nations, whose original territory included much of Western Pennsylvania, upstate New York, and Ontario and Quebec Provinces." Try the okdëa' wade'sgöndak, a dish of roasted seasonal root vegetables, as a starter. The main dishes are served with carb-laden boiled potatoes, but we still recommend the neogë' wade'sgöndak, venison braised with cranberry and juniper.
Lulu's Noodles
400 S. Craig St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
(412) 687-7777
www.lulusnoodlespittsburgh.com
Don't let the word "noodles" in the name throw you--Lulu's actually has a good number of low-carb options. If you're looking for something small, Lulu's has dishes like cucumber salad, tom yum soup, and teriyaki chicken salad. They have some low-carb specials, too, like the honey chicken appetizer or twice-cooked barbecue pork as an entree.
