Brillobox

I've heard a lot of things about this place and finally went.  I didn't visit the upstairs because I spent most of my night at the bar.  The place was really crowded with all sorts of strange people. I expected to see throngs of hipsters and punks but instead saw an eclectic mix of everything (hipsters and punks included).

The ambiance was rather nice but I just thought this place seemed a bit stuck up. While the people there were "eclectic" they were all unified in their cliques. Then again, what do you expect?

The people who work here are seriously the lowest of the low; rude and hostile to customers, terrible at actually mixing drinks, and not observant when you go up to order. Not to mention the fact that one of the bartenders refused to serve me saying I was 'pretentious' while another bartender has cornered me multiple times and tried to kiss me - I wish I was joking, but these are the types of people they hire. The entire place reeks of sweat and lack of ventilation, the floors are sticky, and the bathrooms unbearable. All this sort of makes sense given the place was started by a guy from NYC who believes that intrusive and boorish employes can be counter-weighed by hipster decor. I won't be returning.

If you want to experience the most hipstertastic night out you'll find in Pittsburgh, definitely check out Brillobox.  They have some really good brews on tap and offer a somewhat decent menu (even though it's particularly lacking in high protein/carnivore options).

I used to enjoy going to this place, but I feel like it's no longer on of my top destinations for a few reasons.  

(1) close quarters - the bar itself is tiny and there's almost no room to relax.  if you come in at 10pm on a friday, be prepared to stand up in a cramped setting.  aka not the most ideal setting to relax and chat with friends.  even if you find a spot where you can stand, people will be constantly running into you.

(2) unprofessional staff - there are some loser staffers who will occasionally walk into you (causing you to spill your drink) or just generally aloof bartenders.  to the tall guy with the jesus hair:  thanks for walking into me and spilling half of my IPA.  customers just aren't really being treated with the right amount of respect.

(3) loud loud loud - because the setting is so cramped and the music is up so loud, it makes it extremely difficult to hear anything.  definitely borrow your grandpa's / grandma's hearing aid if you want to be able to hold a conversation in the bar area, lol.

(4) pretentiousness - there is just an err of pretentiousness and a lack of customer orientation that rubs me the wrong way.  

Don't get me wrong - I've had some really fun nights at Brilobox. However, at this stage I would much rather enjoy drinks in a more spacious setting .  Brillobox feels a lot more like a college bar these days.  Who knows.  Maybe I'm just getting old and no longer have the patience to deal with the negative externalities that I outlined above.