Pittsburgh Bars & Restaurants: The Finch

The Finch, located in the brand spanking new Distillery Complex on the South Shore, opened just about 3 weeks ago. They seem to be maxing out their marketing budget in these beginning days. Pittsburgh influencers were lining the balcony, taking pictures of their beautiful rooftop view and blasting it out to the local folks on Instagram.

I was strongly influenced, I'm not afraid to admit it.

When I arrived, I was very shocked how close this place was to Station Square. Truly, this place is something that popped up very quickly without much fanfare.

The Finch is the very top floor of the Distillery Complex, allowing for stunning views of the city skyline from the south hills. Finally, a view to compete with Mount Washington's ritzy restaurants. You can see it all from The Finch.

My eyes were first on the cocktail menu. I am an expert when it comes to tiny well-mixed drinks in pretty glasses. The selection was great, a mix of different liquors all distilled in their first floor tasting room. I ordered the Savannah Smash, a peachy remix of a Mojito, while my very cool friends tried two very different drinks: The Castaway (think beach-y fruit-y rum) and The Peach & Oak (a peach old-fashioned, super tiny drink), both receiving stellar reviews from them.

The food was good, a classic mix of traditional bar food with some welcome & unique additions. We ordered the Charcuterie for 2 with the Jumbo Pretzel upgrade. While I must say nothing beats a massive hunk of bread, the charcuterie side left a little to be desired. "We need more cheese", I could shout it from the rooftop.

The rest of the order:

• Brisket Sliders: Comes with 3, delicious & juicy if you're into brisket. Simple, but not a lot going on. Sometimes simple but great is all you need.

• Ember Skewers: A good healthier option, includes bell peps, onions, and your selection of meat. We went with chicken, tasty but we needed a sauce.

• The Finch’s Harvest: who doesn’t love char-roasted veggies? A great option if you're a hummus lover.

Overall, I had to ask the gals, what's the verdict? What are we rating this out of 10? (I ask the hard-hitting questions.) And the general consensus: 7.5/10.

So I will 100% be returning. Probably more than once. It's always interesting going to a very newly opened spot. You can always tell they have something to learn, an adjustment to make. Whether it's adjustments to the menu (more cheese, please) or just tweaks to the layout of the room, I'm so excited to spend more evenings at the Finch.