I came here during restaurant week and wow it was amazing.
Our appetizer was a 20-yolk pasta with oxtail ragu. The ragu was beefy, rich, and flavorful. What I really liked about it was the pasta. 20-yolk sounds kind of intimidating in an omg-my-cholesterol way but it's definitely worth it. It tasted very freshly made and perfect al dente texture.
Our main course was Roast Quail. It pretty much tastes like chicken except maybe juicer and tender. The skin was crispy and overall it was seasoned very flavorfully.
Our dessert was an Apple and Raisin Strudel with Goat Cheese Balsamic Ice cream. I didn't care for the ice cream since I don't like the flavor of goat cheese, but the strudel was a perfect end to the meal. It was the perfect amount of sweet with a flaky crust.
Everything dish was paired up with a wine recommended by our waiter.
After we ate, the manager invited us to their upstairs lounge for some free wine tasting. Overall, the food was amazing. I just wish they gave them in larger portions. For paying $30, I expected to be full, but I was still hungry after the meal. Although the friendly and knowledgeable staff and great tasting food made it all worth it.
Me and Hubby went here for our anniversary. Â We went for brunch. Â We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Â Bar Marco has a cool, laid back vibe. Â I loved the feel inside with the brick walls and beautiful ceiling. Â We started with their bread basket appetizer. Â The bread come out warm and wonderful. Â The strawberry jam that came with it was so yummy! Â There were 4 kinds of bread and all were delightful. Â I chose the Rosemary French Toast - WOW! Â I also got a side of grits. Â The grits were seriosly seasoned to perfection and they were the perfect consistancy. Â The hubby got the grits too and LOVED them as well. Â He chose the buttermilk pancakes for his dish. Â They were delightful as well...light and fluffy perfect. Â And the bacon that came with them, great maple flavor! Â I had a cocktail because I read the reviews and it looked as though everyone noted the cockails are terrific. Â I chose the Blue Moon and it was light and delicious! Â All in all Bar Marco is a wonderful little place with a cool vibe, wonderful food, and terrific cocktails!
Review Source:This place is tasty. Â I really like the vibe of it being more of a pop-up restaurant on Mondays where different guest chefs come in and do a one-time menu. Â It changes every week. Â What a great idea if you want to try something new every week. Â I was lucky enough to come by on a day they were serving Vegan food. Â Some of the best vegan food I've had in Pittsburgh. Â Multiple courses and was very filling. Â It was a little pricey but I enjoyed the flavors. Â I won't go into what we ate specifically as it was a Monday and it changes every week. Â If you want to try something new and open to whatever is being served that day then I strongly suggest you come here on a Monday. Â Great date place!
Review Source:Delicious brunch, appropriate portion sizes, and the BEST Bloody Mary I've ever had (and we're from Chicago and go to a lot of brunch places so I'm very picky about Bloody Marys). Â We got there just after 10 and were able to get a table immediately but the line formed quickly behind us so you might want to get there early.
Review Source:Had a brunch reservation but still had to wait 15 minutes for our table. The host did bring is a small treat to eat in the mean time which was great. There were four of us, but we were sat at a two top table. Very crowded and right on next to the people next to us. They don't have high chairs or boosters so we had to bring our own. No "kids" menu. Ordered pancakes for the kids to split. They were $9 and very small. One child could have eaten the entire order. I had the burger which was very good. Husband had the Benedict which was also good. Food was overpriced no question.
Review Source:I guess I should have adjusted my expectations to bar standards instead of expecting restaurant quality. Â The ambience is nice with that low lighting and small intimate tables. Â The food is grossly OVERPRICED for what you get. Â One look at what we ordered and we knew it was going to be "pizza midnight snack" night. Â Didn't want to order more because 1 drink, 1 soup, 1 patatas bravas, 1 walleye, and 1 quail had already put us over 50 bucks and the taste definitely did not live up to its price. Â A fair selection of drinks but not worth the trip to downtown.
Review Source:In short: great cocktails, amazing staff, and tasty tapas-sized (for the most part) food. Great place in The Strip.
Longer version: I cannot recommend this place enough. Walking through the Strip in the afternoon a few of the bartenders outside on a break struck up a conversation with my group. They invited us in, made us some cocktails, explained a lot of the process behind making up their drink menu, and generally were a bunch of cool guys and girls. Little did we know they were technically closed from 3-5pm between brunch and dinner. We thanked them, settled up and promised to return soon.
We returned, not eight hours later, around 11:30pm, but they serve food until last call at 2am. The same bartenders were working and were just as friendly and professional even though it was much busier, being prime late night. Everything we had was great, they were able to recommend drinks based on what we liked prior and generally know their stuff. This is up there with my favorite cocktail bars in my hometown, Boston, and would fit right in in a place like New York or Chicago.
Must go.
Bar Marco is starting to feel a little bit more like home every time I visit. The place is not huge, but cozy. The staff is small enough that after you've been 3-4 times you'll notice it's all the same folks and their friendly and often will remember you. The food is consisentantly impressive. The thing about Bar Marco is they have a lot of different kinds of food nights. Yes they have a standard menu for normal nights, but holidays they feature food appropriate for that day. They have guest chefs in often, and they seem to me to be excellent collaborators.
So one of my first visits to BM was for Fat Tuesday I was there with friends and we shared some beignets, I had some pork belly with grits, and a cocktail, the meal was superb and really it wasn't even that expensive. The atmosphere is excited, intimate, dimly lit, but friendly.
Next I've been in here a handful of times for brunch. They are a Sat/Sun brunch place which is important to note since not everywhere in Pgh is. The brunch menu isn't huge, but what they're offering keeps me coming back (it's delicious!). The pork belly benedict is other worldly. And again, even when I've had to come by myself (I'd rather brunch alone than not at all) the staff has always been super kind to me and excited to share their opinions on what is the best drink they're making currently.
Most recently I went in and there was a wait (no tables or bar space available) and I was like OMG! but not to worry, and attentive waiter showed me a counter by the window and even got my party drinks while we waited for a table to open up. Problem solved. promptly and with alcohol. yay.
Like I said at the beginning this place feels like home to me and I keep going because they keep dishing up interesting exciting meals that make me feel pleased to have shared a meal with them.
Love what these guys are doing, love the room and love the events they are holding upstairs. Â Hate that sometimes even with a reservation you have to wait, but usually one of those charmers smooths it over with a glass champagne and some friendly conversation. Â
The no-menu mondays are something I want to get to more of, the collaborations with the Pgh Taco Truck and other awesome chefs around the city is such a cool idea. Â The service, quality of food on the ever changing menu and the ambiance are always fabulous. Â I wish the bar was little bigger but then I guess you wouldn't get all the personalized attention when you sat there. Â When you are paying for quality food and drinks, the quality service should always match, here it really does.
This is by far my new favorite place in Pittsburgh. Its such a hidden gem. Â Sitting at the bar making new friends and chatting with the bar tenders is always a good time. Â The food is awesome and the cocktails are amazing. No menu Monday is also so much fun when they bring in a different local chef every Monday to serve instead of their regular menu. Â When coming here, don't expect quick rushed service. Â Come here to relax and have a good time!
Review Source:I had a fantastic time at this place. I went with a group of 6 on a Friday night. The ambiance was lovely: it's on the first floor of the old Firehouse Lounge, where Embury used to be, and although it's dimly lit and has kept some of that cozy Prohibition-era atmosphere, it also feels more open and  airy than I remember Embury being. A number fun little abstract paintings add some color to the place.
They have a great cocktail menu (and a NICE whiskey selection). The chef's selection meat & cheese plate was a perfect appetizer for a group of our size to share, and I also highly recommend the the bacon-wrapped dates with manchego cheese. All except for one of us ended up ordering the winter salad (w/ kale, dried cherries, and some type of wheat berry-like grain), and it did not disappoint.
The only reason this place does not get five stars from me is the price, which I feel is a bit prohibitive for someone of my current graduate school income level, at $10-12 a drink. But it's definitely a great one-Friday-a-month spot to gather with a small group of friends, and a great demonstration of Strip District-style charm for any out -of-towners I might want to impress.
Holy hell was this place great. I was in Pittsburgh for my first time last weekend and my friend took me twice, once for the french toast and once for a burger. This is just one of those rare places where every bit of everything is effortlessly delicious. Cocktails too, and the servers made you feel like you were in their home. Wish we had more places like this in Brooklyn, but all of our good food is ruined by pretentiousness. God Save Bar Marco.
Review Source:Bar Marco is a staple in the Strip District, hands down. I just wish my experience was something to brag about. It was two of us on a Monday evening. Tired and ready to eat and have a cocktail. Mondays they have guest chefs and do not offer the regular menu. This should be fun. It was James the Pittsburgh Taco Truck chef.
The taco choices were limited but delicious. We had the Korean Beef and the Chicken Curry. We would have ordered more but the atmosphere and the service were disappointing. It was a very cold night and the restaurant had very little warmth inside the building. Also, the steel-like chairs were colder than it was outside. But, to their defense, the entrance had lots of traffic due to large group event on the 2nd floor.
We were greeted upon arrival, however, we didn't see anyone to take our drink or food orders for another 25 minutes. Finally, the bill. I ordered a "house" like glass of wine...$11. Wow. Four drinks, four tacos over $70. Craft cocktails are good but not for the price point.
Not happy campers and still hungry, we went to another staple in the Strip and two entrees and two drinks for less.
I'd like to give it another chance with their regular menu on another night because so many friends give the place great reviews as a place to be on the weekends. And, as an advocate for any business and night life in the Strip, I still have hope.
A destination for a classic cocktail in Pittsburgh. Â There are a few places starting to pop up in Pittsburgh, that could be transplanted to any international city and not fit awkwardly into the scene. Â Bar Marco is one of the select places...They put quality over quantity and make some great cocktails, to boot! The food is fantastic as well. Â The burger at $9, is the best value and best burger in the city. Love that price point! I would highly suggest an evening at Bar Marco for any occasion...romantic, casual, formal, after a show or happy hour. Â Great spot. And thank you..NO TV's. Great mood and not pretentious. Enjoy.
Review Source:Bar Marco (in the old Firehouse Lounge structure) is a pleasant surprise. It's an intimate yet not claustrophobic space with very knowledgeable and kind staff. While they may be known for their amazing cocktail and spirit selection (yamazaki, carpano antica, fernet branch, amaris peychaud's bitters, and a great  variety of scotch), equally worthwhile is their menu, particularly their small plates. Arancini and bacon-wrapped dates are standouts, as is the local Crested Duck charcuterie and regional cheese selection. Highly recommended.
Review Source:I came back to BM for a friends B-day celebration.
It was a party of 8 or so people. My gripe is the price points for the quality.
Now before you call me a "chincy Pittsburgher", I have ate and drank in many fine establishments from NYC to Chi town to New Orleans and every where in between.
BM is good per se, but its quickly becoming Ibiza-esque in that its over priced tapas that is trying to capitalize on the unique trend of small plates and "craft" cocktails.
I ordered one whiskey concoction, one glass of wine and some bacon wrapped dates. My girlfriend ordered an amaretto sour, and a gin concoction.
The Amaretto sour was about the only drink that was unique and delicious. The rest were really just so-so. Bacon wrapped dates, as always, are delcious. They had a miniscule amount of manchego cheese, however.
This brings me to my issue. Bacon wrapped dates are 10 dollars. With the sparse amount of Manchego, they are probably better suited to a price point of 6.
The cocktails for the most part were mediocre and priced at 10-12 dollars. The Ameretto Sour was the only place close to that. Try an 8 dollar price point.
I can get better Tapas and Drinks for a much more reasonable price at Tamari. Better yet, try the Headkeeper in Greensburg, where I went the next day. Granted, its a suburb, but everything there is impeccable for similar prices to BM, with larger portions.
I wonder how many of the customers are repeats, or simply first timers enamored with the uniqueness of the place.
I wish BM all the success in the world, but I can spend 80 dollars or so elsewhere for much better food and drink.
The orange-ricotta (or whatever they were) pancakes got this place an extra star...Man, they were good. Â
Don't get excited about their online menu- it is not what you will receive when you arrive.
Anywho, I had an idea of where this place was- the old Firehouse Lounge if you're familiar. Â Thank goodness two of my friends showed up at the same time as me to confirm- as there is NO signage whatsoever. Â We walk in and....hello big thick gray curtains! Â I pull one back slightly to reveal a dinner enjoying his meal. Â I was literally right on top of this guy! Â Note to Bar Marco- get another door or something. Â Those curtains are not what's hot.
I didn't love my cocktail- the aperol something or other. Â It could have had a little more oomph. Â I should consider that it was 1pm and I shouldn't need a super stick drink. Â Two people in my group ordered Bloody Mary's that looked more Mary than bloody (not enough juice, or alcohol really).
While the place was tiny, loud and a bit pricey, the saving grace was those pancakes. Â Did I mention that they were sold out of most of the stuff we originally ordered? Â No bueno. Â I probably wouldn't go back.
I know that great things are in store for Bar Marco...it's just not there yet, in my opinion.
First, let me say that the guys who own/run the joint are SO Â very nice and it pains me a little to give it a 2-star review. Â But I look forward to the future at Bar Marco and will absolutely update this review accordingly. Â
I visited yesterday with my Sunday Brunch Club. Â Our group of 10 arrived promptly at 12:30pm. Â We all agreed that it was actually a bit tough to find. We'd all been to Firehouse previously, but without a [visible] sign, we all did respective double-takes to make sure we were in the right spot. Upon entering, we were greeted with...um...two big grey curtains? I'm not sure how else to describe it. I suspect the curtains were in place to keep out the cool Pittsburgh chill; but nonetheless, it again felt like we might be in the wrong place. Â Good news though - we were in the right place and sat down immediately!
Unfortunately, it was quite a while before we had drinks in-hand. And actually, only some of us were given waters, as they were waiting for more glasses to be washed. Â Rather than go on and on about the various wait times, just know that we had to wait quite awhile in between most parts of the meal - waters to drinks; drinks to meals; etc. Â Two entrees out of the smallish menu were sold out. Â After visiting and realizing what a bare bones establishment the place is, I understand that this is probably likely on a Sunday morning/afternoon. I think a warning on the website and/or Facebook page may be helpful to first-timers. Â When you have your heart set on something and it isn't available it's just so sad, right? Â
Everyone seemed to enjoy their meals, but for the most part, felt it was just a teensy weensy bit overpriced and too loud. I know - we sound like a bunch of old ladies (we're not and old ladies are awesome), but it's true. Â I say pull those great curtains onto the walls and work some acoustical magic on the some-day-will-be-charming room that is Bar Marco.
I don't understand the hype about this place. My husband and I went to an event in the upstairs part of Bar Marco which apparently serves as an art gallery by day. The art is a bit abstract for my taste but to each his own. One thing that did strike us is the fact that the room was completely unfinished. I remember the upstairs bar when this place was the Firehouse. Wasn't really my taste back then as well but at least it was finished. Right now, it looks like they have ripped everything out of the room except the beat up bar and the "art" on the walls. I have no idea why they would host a party in a room like that, I guess they needed the money and the company was willing to pay. The bathrooms are also a mess with one huge sink that looks like it has been used by the artists. There was splattered paint everywhere. When we first arrived, the downstairs was almost competely empty but by the time we left, it was packed.
As for food and drinks, Bar Marco seems to go out of the way to have some interesting and eclectic offerings. The bartender for the event dreamed up a cocktail for us which included rum, rose water, mint and a few other ingredients. The crowd seemed to really enjoy it though I stuck with a basic white wine. I'm boring, I know. For appetizers, we had a nice range of foods including a meat and cheese board with beef and lamb, meatballs, beans and greens and my  personal favorite, dates wrapped in bacon (love the sweet and salty aspect). For the entrees we were served short rib over what I assume was polenta and a vegetarian risotto. The rib was tender, juicy and delicious. All dishes were served family style which didn't work out to well for my end of the table where all the big eaters sat. Other tables had entire plates of food that were untouched. It also seemed to take quite awhile between courses. I'm talking like half an hour for entrees and at least that long until dessert. Up until this point, I thought that the decor and ambience were severely lacking but at least the food made up for it. Then they brought out the dessert. Two chocolate cakes with different types of buttercream icing. unfortunately the servers could not tell me what was on either of them. To me, it resembled a basic, single layer chocolate cake with  buttercream icing one having cut up cherries on top and the other golden raisins. It was a big dissappointment.
In the end, despite some the tasty and interesting food, I doubt I will be back to Bar Marco. There are so many other great restaurants in pittsburgh without all of the inconsistency.
I'm part of a group that is planning an event to take place at Bar Marco. We stopped in to look at their space and talk over some details, and decided to have a glass of wine while we were there. Wines were on special, only $5 a glass. Our server was super friendly and INCREDIBLY knowledgeable about the wines he served us, without being snooty at all, which I love. It was disappointing that Firehouse closed at this location but Bar Marco has proven a worthwhile replacement.
I look forward to the renovations they will be doing to the upstairs area.
This was THE BEST experience in a restaurant/bar we have ever had.
My fiancé and I have been going on two-part dates.  We go out for drinks then more drinks/dinner somewhere else - but both places have to be new to us.
I made reservations for 8:00pm. Â We decided to leave destination number one early to head to Bar Marco. Â After we found parking very easily, we walked in and the restaurant was fairly empty. Â This WAS Halloween weekend, so I'm assuming most people were at parties and whatnot. Â Also, please be aware that they are doing some renovations. Â This is a very old firehouse which held horses and eventually fire trucks.
My fiancé and I prefer to sit at bars instead of table.  I asked if it was alright for us to just sit at the bar.  We sat down and were immediately greeted by Christopher and Colin.
These guys were AMAZING. Â They suggested different drinks and food for us the entire time - all of which were perfect. Â They taught us the history of all these different types of drinks, gins, and rums. Â They were also very involved/interested/knowledgeable about the Pittsburgh food and drink scene. Â As someone who is obsessed with keeping up with happenings in the scene, it was great to know how involved the people at Bar Marco are with other restaurants and the community.
We tried a bunch of different food and drinks. Â I absolutely LOVED the cocktail, Aviation! Â So amazing!
We would strongly recommend going to Bar Marco.
This snotty place is not worth your time. Â However if you prefer being treated badly by pompous servers, go for it.
Our group were told by a man who much resembled Napoleon Dynamite that we were too loud. Â I was stunned. The table of people nearest to us said we were completely fine.
I promise NEVER to go again and NEVER recommend to anyone, I won't be wasting my money here.
Bring back the Firehouse Lounge!
Bar Marco is just what I look for in a cocktail bar. The fact that I'm a natural born beer drinker went out the window during my recent visit here, as I sat down with my lovely lady friend and two more friends who'd been here before and enjoyed their faces off.
We asked our server for his four favorite cocktails, and ended up with a veritable rainbow of both color and flavor in front of us. Mine was a delicious mint and rye drink, and my lady's a sweet gin and lavender drink. The best one on the table came in a margarita glass with an egg white mixed in, and tasted like an orange creamsicle.
I'll be back every time I visit Pittsburgh.
What a great find! Â I went to Bar Marco on a Friday night around 8. Â I was worried I wouldn't be able to get a table at a decent restaurant on a Friday night without a reservation, but we got lucky at Bar Marco.
When we first arrived, we were told that a table would probably open up within 10 minutes, and we could hang at the bar until then. Â I was extremely impressed by Bar Marco's cocktail menu. Â I'm very picky when it comes to my cocktails, and I have a preference for pre-Prohibition era drinks that can be hard to find in this city. Â When I saw that the first item on the cocktail list was an Aviation, I knew I had to have it. Â The only other place that I've found that serves up Aviations is Tamari, and Bar Marco did a better job with the drink. Â After that, I moved onto The Widow's Kiss. Â The main ingredient in this drink was Applejack, another classic cocktail ingredient. Â The Widow's Kiss was good, but it didn't compare to the deliciousness that was the Aviation.
We ordered three items after being seated: Â lamb chili fries, risotto balls (I forget the proper name for these, but they were delicious and oozing with fresh cheese), and gnocchi in a cauliflower puree (that I will attempt to replicate). Â Everything was delicious. Â I know a few people complained about the food when the restaurant first opened, but I feel they've worked out their new kitchen kinks. Â We cleared every plate within 10 minutes of receiving them.
On top of the great food and drinks, the service and atomosphere were really excellent. Â The bartenders and servers took great care to ensure that we were enjoying our dining experience. Â I asked if they had a happy hour, and they said they didn't have a set happy hour special, but they run random specials every once in awhile. Â The manager (maybe?) asked if I had any suggestions for happy hour. Â I suggested $5 cocktails, and he said he'd definitely keep that in mind. Â
We will DEFINITELY be going back to Bar Marco. Â I'm sooo happy to have such a great restaurant only 3 miles from my house.
Love this place!
This place is super cute & service was stellar. Seems like a really neat place just to hang out for a while and catch up with friends!
What we sampled:
Maple glazed bacon: Duh, it obviously was amazing.
Cheese Grits: Yep, delicious
Bloody Mary: this was just OK
French 75: Really good one!
We just came in and snacked, but are planning on coming in sometime for breakfast because the things we did sample were pretty delish! Also, they get a lot of stuff for their breakfast menu (and I'm assuming the rest of their menu) from the fruit stands at the market down the street! So fresh and yummy!
Pros: Atmosphere-loved the quirky decorations and laid back feel, food, drinks, service, purse hooks under the bar :)
Cons: Bloody Mary, creepy art upstairs...sorry but that was Creepsville USA up there. I'm all for the art gallery upstairs, just not a bunch of death/execution scenes right before I eat my breakfast. yikes.
I just had brunch at Bar Marco for the first time, and the food was fantastic. Â We split the frittata of the day (butternut squash and arugula) and the plantain pancakes. Â It is evident that the quality of the food is important at Bar Marco, and the flavor was amazing. Â Only downside was that it was so good I wanted more (they don't serve the traditional Pittsburgh portions...so you won't leave feeling stuffed) but rather it just means I'll have to come back again...and definitely try out one of the brunch cocktails, they looked amazing. Â Great atmosphere for a Sunday morning brunch in the strip if you want good food, smaller portions, and don't want to stand in a line for an hour :)
Review Source:Wow. Five Stars, Bar Marco. You took really good care of our party and were so accommodating in our "let's order every single item from the apps/tapas menu" night out for Pittsburgh Restaurant Week (yes, one of us took advantage of THAT offer too -- I was just happy he shared with me his olive oil pound cake dessert!).
Hits: those corn fritter balls; meatballs; an AWESOME cheese/charcuterie board selection; holy cow, and those potatas brava were HOT and tasty!
Misses: beets... ew. Sorry, that's just a personal affliction (no stars removed). :) I didn't care much for the eggplant appetizer dish either.
TOTAL WIN: a salad. YES A SALAD! It was so fresh and interesting and not a lame piece of iceberg lettuce to be found!
How did I not know about this place until last night? I came here dinner and took advantage of their 3-course Restaurant Week deal, and it was great. Service was excellent - they were incredibly friendly and accommodating, and they use a lot of local suppliers. Plus, the venue is very cute.
To eat, we started with a Spicy Melon Gazpacho with a basil puree - so deliciously refreshing!! The entrée consisted of Wahoo Loin (a white fish) with heirloom tomatoes, chanterelle mushrooms, and a red sauce. Again - yum! And then we had my favorite dish of all - a Pound Cask with brandied cherries and whipped cream. I could have eaten an entire cake!
I also want to add they have a great (and unique) cocktail selection, as well as a nice wine selection. Each of the courses was paired with a glass of wine, so I was able to try a few, and they did a nice job with the pairings.
So my friend and I came here for our first legal drink together. I chose it based off the previous yelp reviews and it did not disappoint.
Place - it's in the Strip and usually I have trouble locating things there, but it was pretty easy to find. The outside looks like an old firehouse? and the inside is really cute. The front has big windows and there's a bar table by the window and then there are small tables throughout the place with the bar in the back. When it gets darker, they light the little candles on your table.
Drinks - I got a grower 75. Not bad! Some gin, some lemon, and some champagne. YUM. My friend got a caipirinha. It was just like what the waiter described it as. It was like a mojito minus the mint flavor.
Food - I ordered a side of polenta fries, but they had just run out ): So then I went for the tiramisu. It had a nice coffee taste and it was really soft. I enjoyed! Another friend got the pâté. I don't like pâté so I didn't try any, but it looked weird and looked like mold had grown on it.
Service - People are really friendly and are patient with questions and such.
Also, bathrooms were clean. (+1)
I'm hesitant on this four star choice, but it isn't three stars. let me explain.
good people first off - nice bartenders, nice owner, friendly and chill.
food - was fabulously good, however portion size is supe small. so if you're on a diet and want small portions for ridiculous pricing - this would be the place.
drinks - creative and special is how i would put it. i like the creativity they put onto new drinks and turning classic drinks to something special. i would add that they could just leave the super classics to be classics. not to be overly crazy about making something super special. but all in all - drinks are still a plus here.
the place is small and seating is limited, however a nice touch is that there is outside seating. there are tables you can eat off of and if you come on a good night, there's plenty of space available since this is fairly new.
Prior to the Candlebox concert at Altar Bar Friday night (hey, Kay likes em...), we stopped into Bar Marco for a quick bite. This building of crimson brick with its  chalk-inscribed logo has interested me for some time. I even planned to stop in before another concert night, but alas, it was a Monday, and they were closed.
On this ideal end-of-the-week summer evening, Bar Marco was jumping with an eclectic clientele that included young bucks, old folks, hipsters, and goobers alike.
The interiors are almost sepulchral, gothic. The lighting deliberately makes it seem as if you are viewing everything through lenses washed with red wine...or blood. In spite of Bar Marco's fairly creepy atmosphere, we found that everyone was welcoming, including the staff as well as the patrons.
I didn't want much, so I went with the Duck BLT. Kay just wanted something sweet, so she went with a rhubarb cobbler that was daringly topped with Ricotta cheese rather than whipped cream or ice cream. When one of the employees saw Kay's light blue Terminator t-shirt that read "SARAH CONNOR IS MY HOMEGIRL," he instantly concocted for her a drink that was coincidentally called "The Homegirl," which Bar Marco had just invented very recently. It contained a mint leaf, and according to Kay was ALL rum, leaving her with a healthy buzz.
My aversion to rhubarb has ended thanks to BM's cobbler. The rhubarb was tart enough to make me pay attention but not so tart that I was puckering my lips like a character from an old Warner Brothers cartoon, and the ingenious addition of the mild Ricotta turned the cobbler into something that approached cheesecake.
The Duck BLT was akin to an opening act as I was left wanting more. The bread resembled an English muffin with its crunchy texture and buttery cavities. Mayonnaise was involved along with arugala, and of course the sandwich's reason to be: the slithery, lardy, slender cuts of duck.
And brings me to one caveat I had about Bar Marco; the portions! For $9, I expected a serving that was adequate, substantial. Had I not savored the halved sandwich, I could have consumed it in two bites without difficulty.
What was our total for a glass of ginger ale, and the aforementioned cobbler, sandwich, and mixed drink? Â Almost $30!
So while I am tempted to knock off two stars, the food and service were splendid enough that I'll only deduct one. BM either needs to reconsider its rations, its prices, or both, but in the face of all of that, they are a business that I feel is worth watching and worth visiting again. That BM wasn't a rowdy cesspool at 10PM on a warm Friday night in the party-centric Strip District is enough to recommend it. I was comfortable here, and as someone who avoids bars, that alone should serve as sufficient credit for Bar Marco.
Brunchy brunch brunch brunch. Â I'm a sucker, a real sucker for cocktails and cured salmon on a Sunday. Â All they had to do was post photos to facebook and offer champagne to the first 20 reservations and voila! I had a reservation for 6 for the inauguration day for brunch. Â I do LOVE places that keep their Facebook/website like super up-to-date! Â Much appreciated!!
This place is cool. Â It's cool for evening cocktails, appetizers, happy hour, or brunch. Â It is also slightly "cold" as in, the acoustics. Â It can be difficult to hear the person next to you when you turn your head. Â Everything is like, concrete, tin, marble, tile, etc.
The tables and bar are nicely placed and the menu has prices and is easy to read. Â There were no cocktails listed on the brunch menu, though, which I didn't really like, but since I've been for drinks before, I kind of knew what they had. Â The sangria was small, but it was only $5 (but sangria is a cheap drink...)
I got the whiskey cured salmon. Â It comes with cream cheese and capers and rye bread. Â It was good, but a very small portion for $13. Â I left hungry. Â The risotto looked delicious. Â A friend got the yogurt with an extra egg and she seemed to enjoy it. Â They did bring out a complimentary little cup of the yogurt with apple slices before hand, which was nice, but we had no spoons! Â I asked for spoons about twice and never got them. Â Then someone picked up our yogurts before we were ever able to eat it :(
The service is friendly (I've been once for cocktails and it was great service at the bar), but it was a little "first time-y", with the little things. Â For example, we had a water jug, but no water glasses. Â Then we had glasses but no more water. Had to ask a few times for it before we took a jug from an empty table. Â The sangria took a good 20 min to get. Â The food also took a while, but it was their first time, so that's understandable I guess.
I hope that they improve. Â I'd give the brunch 3 stars and the regular hours 4-5 stars. Â I'd also love to see the patio that they are planning. Â I think this place has tons of potential.
Dear Bar Marco, get it together-really together, very soon! Â The Pittsburgh market is getting competitive for these kinds of places and I don't want you to be left out with bad reviews! Â You're right at the edge of not being new anymore and going to lose people with a bad experience. Â I will be back, but I'd like it to be a go-to place and it's not quite there yet. Â Alchemy N Ale is a prime example of a great place that just fell off at the beginning and may not recover.
Made a reservation for 7 people at 6pm on a Thursday night given that there seemed to be a lot of hype and the joke was on me. We were the only diners in the place when we walked in (two people at the bar).
While Bar Marco is still developing its venue, I do like the industrial feel. The chairs could use some cushions and the space could be heated more as I was freezing by the time dinner was done. Some other not so great things:
* Their water wasn't filtered so you could taste the calcium
* While there isn't anything wrong with PBR I haven't drank it since college so makes me raise my eyebrows to see it on a menu at a restaurant ranked 3 $ signs
* The red wine was meh
* And the service/host was well meaning and nice (he made sure that we always had a drink in hand - I like that style) but he got more spacey towards the end. You only have so much patience..
The oks:
* Chocolate pairings - I am not a huge fan of chocolate and hard liquor so while a nice concept just wasn't for me
* Arancini
However I do like to end on a positive note:
* The vanilla orange thing drink - fantastic, bringing me back to the days of when I would drink Orange Julius every day and you'll find yourself finishing it within seconds
* cheese, meat and things plate - quince paste, cheddar and spicey coppa stood out but we ordered six items and I would have gladly eaten it all
* patatas bravas - potato chucks fried to perfection with a spicy sauce
* duck blt - yes to anything with bacon!
* greens and beans
* goat ragu - al dente but I thought it was good, nothing spectacular tho
* fish w/ raisins, onions and some other stuff
* And lastly for all the things that we ate the price came out totally reasonable which I was pleasantly surprised by
I would go back to Bar Marco when the weather warms up as I can see it being pleasant and only for drinks and snacks, not for dinner.
This was on weird experience. Â It's hard to formulate what happened.
I think I can only sum it up by saying it was a place that was JUST about ready to open, but not quite. Â There was a casual atmosphere to the place, almost like you were walking into one of your friends houses. Â One of your friends that totally unprepared and a little bit messy (probably me, seriously!).
The service was extremely friendly, but not as knowledgeable as you'd expect for a "fine" dining experience. Â The menu leaves little explanation of what you can choose from, so you're left with the server explaining it...if they can. Â
We were all very open to trying anything and not picky, so we went with the servers recommendations. Â The first plate out, a charcuterie board was okay, but nothing too mind blowing. Â A couple inventive meats, cheese and a really delish nut spread. Â The next couple apps were hit or miss. Â The duck BLT, crazy amazing! Â The greens and beans, okay. Â The boudin balls, a fried risotto ball, pretty good. Â The patatas bravas, pretty awesome crispy homefry like dish. Â Hit or miss.
The main course, fell pretty flat. Â We opted to split the Goat Ragu and the Fluke en Soar. Â The Fluke was the better of the two, being flavorful with the vinegar and two HUGE pieces of fish, but missing a nice accent (small pieces of grape don't count). Â The Ragu was not good. Â The sauce wasn't very flavorful, or plentiful (I like a good sauce!) and I need to preface this by saying, I like al dente pasta and this was borderline right out of the box, maybe boiled for a minute, pasta. Â The goat party, meh. Â
The real shinning star was the drinks. Â I ordered the vanillaorange thing, which tasted like an Orange Julius. Â Straight up, no lie, awesome! Â My next drink was a red pepper accented tequila gimlet. Â No traditional vodka. Â It was very good, although a little watery than my friends first gimlet that I stole a sip of. Â
I wouldn't be opposed to coming in for a cocktail again, but I'd be wary about eating there again. Â We'll see with time...
I'm going to break it down and perhaps my star rating will make sense to you and to me...b/c I was wavering between a 2 or a 3. Â
Background:
Group of 5 (girls night) wanting to check out Bar Marco for drinks and dinner. Â We made reservations for a Thursday night, but it wasn't necessary as we were the only ones at a table. Â There were a handful of people at the bar, but tables empty. Â
Decor:
Industrial and incomplete. Â I get that they are new, but there's definitely more work to be done...get er done! Â Chairs are cold and not that comfortable...it sorta feels like your sitting in a cold (the door brings in frequent drafts) high school cafeteria. Â But a whole lot smaller. Â
Drinks:
Gimlet - made with tequila. Â I was a bit worried b/c I'm not a huge fan of tequila but it was a mild flavoring balanced by the sweet red pepper. Â Overall, I was a fan
but perhaps it was relative to my next drink (ugh). Â As mentioned in other reviews, the gimlet is a bit watery (too much ice?) but after a few sips it was better. Â
Aperol spritz - cough, cough...medicine that is. Â That's what it tasted like to me, not a fan, had a few sips but couldn't finish it.
Food:
Our waiter told us that they (assuming chefs) would choose for us if we'd like. We were all down for that b/c we felt like they'd know best on what they make really well. Â So here goes...
Cheese/Meat plate: Now I can't remember everything on it, but I'll try to describe it:
Walnut Pesto - it was ground up walnuts sweetened with something molded into a circle - tasty!
Quince paste - it's like a jam, a bit fruity - indifferent. Â
Aged Cheddar - I like my cheeses sharp which this was not - average.
Unidentified soft white cheese - it has a bite to it - good.
Prosciutto - unexpectedly spicy - yum!
Dirty martini salami - looked like a pepperoni with some peppercorns - weird tasting, did not taste like pepperoni (which I like).
Snacks:
Arancini w/ fried egg - decent, but Il Pizziaola makes it best! Â It's basically a fried risotto ball. Â The fried egg wasn't necessary and didn't add much to the dish. Â
Duck BLT - not a fan, but the rest of the group really liked this. Â
Greens & Beans - yum - this was delish. Â It's white beans and kale in some sorta white sauce. Â
Patatas Bravas - yum - this was delish. Â Fried potatoes with a smoky tomato chipotle like sauce is how I'd describe it. Â Sauce was great. Â
Entrees: We shared
Goat Ragu - I felt like I was eating a dirty sock. Â Did I mention I don't like goat meat, so this could have influenced the dirty laundry reference. Â The pasta also seemed a bit undercooked. Â
Fish - I can't remember the details, but it was a white fish and had raisins, pine nuts, and some other seasonings. Â It was really good. Â Who would of thought fish and raisins would go together...apparently Bar Marco did. Â
Chocolate/Drink Flight Pairing
Dark Chocolate - indifferent. Â
Chocolate covered Orange rind - tasted like a chocolate covered orange gummie slice. Â good. Â
White chocolate - tasted like lemon cheese, not good. Â
You're probably thinking, "Whoa - that's a ton of food and whoa that's a long review" - um no, the plates are small and we each could have 1-2 bites of most things. Â And, yes, this is a long ass review. Â
Service
Ummm...hmmm...this is a tough one and I feel sorta bad that I can't just say "good", b/c it wasn't good but it wasn't bad - it was weird, odd, uncomfortable, distracting, annoying, funny - basically every other adjective other than "good" or "bad". Â You have to go there to experience it. Â
Highlight reel:
Gimlet, Patatas Bravas, Greens & Beans, maybe the fish entree, my friends (star rating not increased by my awesome friends).
OK I'll be honest. Â I was fending off visiting this place the first time I heard about it a few months ago. A coworker told me that a "wine bar" had replaced my beloved embury. Â I was in dismay. Â I loved firehouse, embury, & Spencer (yes in exactly that combo!). Â It was a great place to meet up friends, and bring out of towners, and really impress them. Â
As i digress....... Â After a fun filled evening of doing taxes, and DH and I decided to hit up Bar Marco, in hopes of something good. Â I had seen some good yelp reviews, and I always trust my yelpers... so my expectations were set high!
I was sorely disappointed. Â First off the place looks like it was just thrown together.. and I understand it's new blah blah blah. Â But please have some decency to put in some plush "comfortable" chairs and possibly um a heater? Â It wouldn't hurt. Â I kept my coat on the whole time (sad face). Â I ordered a glass of wine, which was good... but for being a "wine bar" they didn't have much selection. Â If in fact is that what they are? Â
On to the food... I was totally unimpressed. Â The saffron arancini balls (serving size 2 for 8 dollars, um that's $4 a pop for fried rice&cheese balls... are you kidding!?! ). Â Now I'm one for good quality food, even if the portion size is small I don't mind paying for quality, this just wasn't good. Â Along with our thinly sliced cheese (it was transparent!) and flavorless meat platter I was shaking my head. Â Wishing that embury would magically appear... here's to hoping.
(See update below for a more recent assessment)
Between 3 and 4 stars. 4 stars for the effort, and because it's a new place. 3 for the service and cocktails that can improve a bit.
Small, but nice crowd on Saturday evening. Our party of 4 was able to find a table to sit and drink, and the bar was not too noisy. Does not happen in every bar in Pittsburgh. Not the undergrad crowd, which is definitely a plus (say 25+).
Service was a tad deficient. It was hard to get the attention of the staff, and it took them a while to serve us. On the other hand, the staff is very friendly.
Their gimlet could be stronger and less watery (start with less ice, perhaps - also I am not entirely sure about the red pepper in it), but the manhattan was good. The list of cocktails is small. A longer list would be nice.
The price is right for this kind of place. Most cocktails are around $8-10.
*Update* 10/2012: I've been back there a few times, and overall I still like it, but I now have a more detailed views of what to like and what to dislike there.
what's to like: The list of cocktails has grown very much since I was there. It's now substantial, and some of the cocktails are hits. Go for it, try, retry, and reretry.
What's ok: The appetizers are still fine, although not extraordinary. Their bacon +dates are dry, and surely not worth $10. Their cold cuts are very good on the other hand.
What's to dislike: I ate there recently, and I was under impressed. Based on my food (pork shoulder), I'd give only 2 stars. Surely not worth the $20 or so I paid for it.
Upshot: I'll be back for cocktails, and probably for cheese and cold cuts. I'll skip the food. So will you if you are wise.
Bar Marco is not Embury, and that is not necessarily a bad thing.
This bar/restaurant has completely revamped the first floor - opening it up and painting everything white. It's a spectacular space. The second floor is a dead unused cavern.
They are self-professed at having a small, tasty food menu with highlights being nibbles from the Crested Duck Charcuterie. They have an interesting and small wine list. Their cocktail list is also interesting, but could use some more explanation. One of my dining companions was not impressed by the "Bar Marco Manhattan" which could have been remedied by simply listing the basic ingredients. After only 4 weeks being open, their paper menu listed only 3 red wines, and one of them was under substitution. The website is similarly out of date.
Sitting in Embury's old digs is tough competition. Bar Marco has promise. I love the concept of their food, wine, cocktails, and space, but at this point, all are lacking something in execution. I'm looking forward to returning after some more finishing touches when I hope they can earn another star.
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