Rivertowne Pour House, North Shore

Every year I like to take in the great Three Rivers Regatta, and this year was no exception. We went twice this year, first on Sunday afternoon and then again Monday evening, taking in the various boat races, the spectacular sand sculpture, the food booths, the local bars and restaurants and of course the fireworks.

The Rivertowne Pour House has several locations around Pittsburgh. I've been to the Monroeville location, but the newest is located on the North Shore in the Del Monte Building right on the river next to PNC Park. The heat was unbearable on Monday, and we stopped in as much for the air conditioning as for the food and beer. The food and beer both turned out to be a very pleasant surprise.

The Rivertowne supplements its own beers with those from other microbreweries. While I don't have a vast knowledge of microbrews, I noticed Sierra Nevada Glissade Spring Bock, and Victory Hop Devil, which is considered by many to be one of the best. True micro fans should be content here. We ordered a cold one and some food. The menu is simple, but varied. Scotch Eggs caught my eye...(Check out Pipers Pub on the South Side or read about my visit somewhere here on BurghFeeder!) Appetizers include steamed mussels, calamari, and an order of nachos consisting of tri-colored chips, aptly named Zambelli Nachos. Wraps, subs, sandwiches and salads round out the menu. We just wanted a snack so we ended up splitting a bucket of fish and chips. The fish was beer battered and very tasty. At about six inches long, this wasn't a typical portion for Pittsburgh fish, but it was very thick and quite filling for a "normal" sized portion. They also offer a Cajan Catfish and a Salmon and Chips bucket.

While admittedly this one stop wasn't much of a test, I was really surprised at the quality of the food that we had and other orders that we spied coming out of the kitchen. I've been to most of the establishments in the area and while I like the Bettis Grille, none of the others have been very impressive. This is a place that I'll go back to, even if it's not specifically for an event on the North Shore.