The Porch at Schenley Review

good selection on the menu and kid friendly too. great service & food.

A buddy just revealed this place to me and it's immediately become a Pittsburgh favorite. Reasonably priced food for the excellent quality!

One of the coolest spots to grab lunch or dinner in Oakland. Perfect location right on the little park. Food is always right on point. They also have an excellent drink menu.

I've eaten a lot of quality burgers in my life so I was pleasantly surprised when I ate the Sunnyside Burger and determined that it is one of the best burgers I've ever had. The second time I had it it wasn't quite as good but still an excellent burger.

Great for public gatherings lots of space and huge tables. Love their pizzas and be sure to check put the seasonal specials menu when you come in, lots of new items to try. The flavored waters are great too. Good atmosphere.

Great food!!! Lobster mac and cheese and filet mignon were on point!

great lunch or dinner spot right in oakland

the old forbes wall is just down the street

My husband and I went here recently, and our meals were delicious. However, we had to wait about 40 minutes for our food to get to our table. I was also very disappointed by the shortage of gluten-free options. They have salads, of course, but only three regular entrees on their menu could be made gluten-free (salmon, pork, and chicken). I had been hoping for more options, so was a bit let down. Ended up ordering the salmon, and it tasted great!

The Porch is a nice place. The burger has BBQ short ribs on it and has a nice jam too. Very tasty burger. My friend and I also had the cornbread, which is acceptable to decent. Overall, the food is good, the staff is pretty friendly, but it's a bit too pricey for what you get

This has become a "go-to" place for my daughter and I. She was at Pitt, and even after graduation she was in Swissvale, so this was a nice midpoint meeting place. Great in warm weather as you can sit outside and people watch as you eat fresh, tasty meals with a bit of a twist.

It was peaceful, everyone was nice.It was a great place to sit and talk

We needed a place to house 23 people for dinner that accommodated kids as well and weren t sure where to go before enjoying the Holiday Lights at Phipps. The Porch not only accommodated those needs but had amazing service and food!! Each and everything that all of us ordered was outstanding. I highly recommend eating there. Great atmosphere as well and was not packed with people (even with our large crew!) We look forward to going back soon!

Delicious food in a fun and casual environment. Great service and fun cocktails!

The food was good, the wait staff friendly and professional.

Dinner was delicious! The waiter was super friendly and gave us great recommendations. I got the sirloin, served with potatoes and aoili, and it was cooked to perfection! Would definitely come back :)

Had the sandwich special for the day: porchetta, ramps, aioli. Very good. Good local (rust belt) beer selection. Open kitchen is nice to watch.

Scallops were tremendous (though the risotto wasn't up to the task of complementing them), the calamari was solid. Swift plating and friendly service. Seating was unfortunately rather crowded, and located as we were near the sally, we caught a bit of less-than-professional conversation ('Polo shirts just don't look good on women'..)-- notable, but forgiveable.
All told, a pleasant spot for slightly upscale eats.

Never been to the porch but did hear a lot about the restaurant, first the food was fast and hot, the cod was outstanding, now for the bad news, my server was rocking back and forth while telling us about the food. The New York was like round steak, and more on the lines of well done not medium rare as I ordered, my girlfriend ordered a double of Jack Daniel's and coke but got a double Jack on the rocks, last but in my opinion this is really bad......try to teach which side you serve food and drinks on dont cut straight across us while we are eating and drinking and talking......I'm a big tipper and really wanted to leave a 10 on a 117.00 bill but only had 20s in my wallet

I'll give the porch one more try but not the steak hey porch management teach your servers left and right

Lunch or dinner, large group or dining for two, adult or kiddos, The Porch can both accommodate and fill a belly. 1/2 Pizza specials after 9pm Weds-Fri. Smoked Wings are a fave. Love the seasonal additions and the staples like crispy potatoes.

Wonderful atmosphere, but the food menu leaves much to be desired. Also, food is OK, but not too great.

While visiting Pittsburgh from Toronto, we had brunch at The Porch and it was fantastic! We had to wait a little bit to get in. Only about 15 minutes which isn't bad for a Saturday afternoon in my opinion. When we were seated we were a little surprised to see so many empty tables, but the wait gave us a chance to walk around and take in the sights, so that's fine, just weird. My husband got a flight of beers which he enjoyed and I had a limoncello pink lemonade that was very tasty. I had the Bianca pizza and my husband had the chicken and biscuits. the food was amazing. we really enjoyed it. i think other reviews were right to say it's a little pricey, but not so much that i wouldn't come again.

Great food!!!!...and the view of the park and Pitt is fantastic! Nice to see the university students having fun together in the park.

The food here is always excellent with a great and ever changing variety. Lots of outdoor seating, which is much appreciated during this time a COVID-19. Great location right in Schenley Plaza.

The food here is consistently amazing, the service prompt and courteous, and the varying seasonal menu is exceptional.

There's a difference between toast that looks burnt and toast that tastes burnt. This toast was both.

Also the bread plates on the table when we arrived had specs of food on them. They had been washed, but they weren't clean.

The Porch is always more a choice of convenience, a path of least resistance, rather than something to get excited about. Today I got a sandwich special that barely passed the technical definition of the term: two pieces of bread with some white stuff and three of the saddest, thinnest fingers of portobello mushroom I've ever seen, three cucumber slices and four rings of a tiny pepper, pickled. For $12 I could have done much better elsewhere. My advice: stick to the basics and keep your expectations low. If you can manage that the pizza and burger will leave you satisfied, not resentful.

No wait to be seated. Waiter was very friendly and helpful, beer selection very poor, my yuengling was old. I had wings, they were extremely soft and fall off the bone, delicious BBQ, Buffalo and blue cheese sauces. The interior is weird. It's clean but reminds me literally of being in a pavilion or something but it's nice having the big windows to see outside all around.

Good options and good food. A nice place to sit outside in the open and enjoy the university neighborhood. The peach cobbler is good. I gave it 2 starts because my salmon fish came medium-rare and the coffee for the group came cold. I have tried the Porch in Upper St Claire and it was a good experience.

Great atmosphere, pizza was fantastic, cocktails were excellent. I will 100% be back. Great spot for a drink with friends, or a lunch date.

Partially Wheelchair Accessible
-zero stair entry
-spacious, enough room to navigate in manual and power chairs
-bathrooms have larger stall
-family restroom available
-no automatic doors

The crispy potatoes were great and their house made ketchup was delicious. They are a bit salt heavy on their food, but otherwise alright.

We always get friendly and professional service from the students when we do curbside pickup. Had a different experience when we called with a question and didn't get a student and felt we were being reprimanded for calling in instead of ordering online. Food is always excellent.

Pretty expensive food, but very good restaurant. It is definitely worth the price you pay.

Really love the drinks. Kudos to the bar tender. Food was just as good but I was there to drink. Had the crab stuffed mushrooms, highly recommended.

The food was delicious, service was mediocre and do not drink there. They are way over priced with the alcohol prices. A 9oz pour of wine is $18! That is outrageous!

Conveniently located in the heart of Oakland, The Porch continually serves up great food by friendly waitstaff in a cool venue. And, they're doing a fine job during the COVID conundrum with plenty of outdoor seating. We'll be back.

Steak we ordered well done was mostly pinky inside. Cooked again but didn't change a lot... Good atmosphere but avoid certain food.

Amazing fried duck legs. Nice atmosphere. Really enjoyed our visit.

I love the Porch, atmosphere great, service friendly and timely, prices excellent

The service is quiet and attentive without being obtrusive. They quiche is excellent, creamy, flavorful, and subtle with the perfect light flaky crust. I really appreciated that my choice of side was not limited to potatoes. I got the side of caeser salad and it was delightful. The coffee was very good, robust and rich without being bitter. I will go back.

Consistently good food even during COVID-19. Seating outdoors only. Alcohol only for take out.

Delicious food and friendly staff. The location is perfect too.

Really tasty and creative menu, great outdoor parkside seating, good beer and wine and drinks.

The Porch consistently delivers quality food, well prepared with carefully sources items from local partners the menu is local, seasonal, fresh and sustainable. I especially recommend the crispy brussel sprouts with feta, grapes, preserved lemon, bacon and mustard cream.

The pizzas are very good, although mine was a tiny bit too salty. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere.

I am leaving this here as a note to all adults. The macaroni and cheese for kids is amazing!

The food was a bit of a letdown. We went here for dinner, not looking for anything special. We got four different meals and none of them were particularly great. I like the ambiance but I don't think we will return here.

This place is amazing. I have fun every time I come here and their menu allows everyone to get something they want. Excellent service with a smile.

Nice shops & restaurants to have a nice time out and about, and the scenery is pretty nice to in this area.

Smaller menu now but still an awesome place to grab a bite to eat outside!

The food was AMAZING and the service system is neat and unique.

Horrible service and overpriced food. Noisy. So many better options nearby...

Decent food. Staff effectively kicked us out after eating because of how busy it was.

The food is good and the prices are reasonable. I ve been in for brunch on the weekend and for dinner a couple times...each time, however, service tends to be a little slow.

Great food with a constantly changing menu. Our family's favorite is the pizza - one pizza is a perfect meal for two people. And the cast-iron bacon is a great addition to any brunch selection. Make sure to check in with the NoWait app before arrival for quicker seating, especially during the winter when seating is limited. During warmer months, outside seating provides a nice view of Schenley Plaza and the Cathedral of Learning.

The Porch at Schenley used to be a really convenient and decent option to go after University events like dissertation defenses, talks, etc., but in the last two years or so it has gone in a downward spiral. I went in this week, mostly to avoid a suden snow storm, hoping it might have changed for the better, but no: lousy service, lousy food. The lettuce was foul, meat burnt, they didn't even bring water. An overall atmosphere of who cares? I see this place closed soon. Only remaining plus: the location.

Great food, basically on Pitt's campus. Pizza is excellent, as well as their fries and probably most everything they serve. We also went at night, which made the views of the Cathedral of Learning all the more gorgeous. Highly recommend, especially for families visiting Pitt/CMU students.

Excellent service, great taste but priced a bit too high.

The food was unfortunately sub par for the price. I've been here before and have had mixed experiences. It really is a hit or miss with service as well. Our waiter responded to a question in an unfriendly way. (However, David is the best waiter if you get him!) Also the brussels sprouts ordered were burnt, coffee mug was cracked, and apparently they don't serve a cracker or piece of bread with their soups..? I do not recommend this place, unless you come for half off pizza past 9pm. That is the only time I would ever consider returning here.

Edit: After speaking to the manager about getting food poisoning from the pizza, I was offered a replacement pizza and a lot of excuses. I definitely will not be back.

Understandably, there was a long wait for my food yesterday evening because it was around 7:30. However, initially my order was put in incorrectly (I ordered a Garden Rooftop pizza, but the kitchen thought I ordered a Supreme pizza), so I had to wait longer.

Once my food came I thought the pizza tasted good, but later in the evening I became ill from it. I wonder if my corrected order was rushed and something was not safely prepared. Today, I am no longer sick so it's looking like the pizza gave me food poisoning.

Place I didn't know that was here. The atmosphere was inviting. Food was amazing. The mussels seasonally prepared. Will come back soon.

The host seemed confused about where to seat people who only pop in for a drink. Eventually we arrived at our seats, but then it seemed that our waitress had a hard time finding us.

The restaurant smelled badly of rotten something, our water glass contained floating objects and I am thankful that all we ordered was drinks.

I would never return to this place. What a shame, the location is the best part of this restaurant.

Always good pizza, sometimes the salads are a little bland, but they have decent drinks, excellent location, and pretty relaxed atmosphere. Good for business lunches, casual dinner, and happy hours. Seriously, get any pizza.

Great food and service. Menu is narrow, but I was still able to find something to order

Excellent food with attentive service. A bit pricey, but for the quality is worth it. Great location, but parking may be a pain because it's in Oakland.

Awesome birthday dinner - food was great, service was quick and our server was gracious when we kept ordering more and more drinks and deserts.Great job , Louisa!!

Order chicken fettuccini Alfredo. The portion of chicken was very small and over cooked. And also when the food arrived i noticed something very peculiar. My dish was served with basic boxed macaroni not fettuccini. The sauce was good. My waiter was very kind and attentive and the restaurant was clean and very appealing. At an 18 dollar price point i was very let down.

Really great fresh pizza with delicious toppings. Thinner crust and Italian style. The burger was great too. Definitely recommend sitting outside on a nice day!

Great atmosphere, delicious food, outstanding service.

Tried the grilled chicken sandwich with a side of salad and it was absolutely delicious. A little on the expensive side though.

It is a good place for food but sometimes the preparation time is really long especially in the weekends.

Great food with nice views of the park and Pitt campus nice kids menu as well

Good beers. But the service was slowly and there were birds flying dangerously low. Yes, birds. Don't know how they could help it though

UPDATE: 3rd time in a row I try to visit and they're closed. Again for a private event. There shouldn't be a restaurant on a public park that is always closed for private events. Maybe fourth time I attempt to visit, they'll be open?

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Food is great. But whoever makes decisions for this place is crazy. E.g., totally cool to close for like 3 days to cater to rich people. Not a friendly-to-the-whole-neighborhood kind of establishment at all. Bonus: they randomly allow/disallow dogs on the patio. One day, it's cool to have a sleepy dog in the shade on the patio. The next, they ask you to leave if you ask for an outdoor table with same sleepy dog. My main complaint with the The Porch: I have no idea when I can go to this place, because the last few times, they close for days for a millionaire's kid's wedding, or they randomly sometimes angrily turn you away if you ask to sit outside with a dog. I'll spend my money somewhere I know is more reliably open/welcoming instead. I'm tired of going here and not being able to eat here for one reason or another.

Good food. I loved that peanut butter cheesecake, sooooo delicious. Everything tasted fresh. I really enjoyed my potatoes with my sandwich

Excellent food and very timely service. The prime rib was great.

The food is very good. The staff is very helpful. During the pandemic, I felt safe eating inside.

Excellent place, the food was very tasty, it was so good that I didn't have time to take a picture of the pizza before eating it.

Very friendly and although I was busy I was not afraid of the Coronavirus.