Iron City Grille

Still relatively new to town, my family and I were looking for a kid-friendly Mother's Day brunch.  I had heard from a colleague about Iron City Grille's special occasion brunches.  This is not a cheap affair so I had high hopes that they would deliver.  They most certainly did not.

The cold section included salads, dressings, cheese and fruit.  This was just fine.  The hot selections on steam tables included tilapia (my wife said was gross), sliced sirloin in a thick beef gravy (mediocre), steamed veggies (fine), hash browns (soggy).

There was a carving station of turkey breast (Jenni-O or Sysco?) and ham (not a fan of ham so I skipped it).  There was also an omelet station (decent) and a pasta station.  The table of desserts was basically whipped cream piped into fancy glasses.  The cakes and pies were all bought from off-site and equally terrible.

Damage for our family of 4 was $68 not including gratuity (our 4 year old ate for free).  This included coffee and soft drinks.  There was a cash bar in the hallway for mixed drinks, beer, wine and asti.  I didn't feel like giving this place any more of my cash, so I waited until I got home before treating myself to a drink.

I will say that the saving grace was the service.  The managers and wait staff were all so very pleasant from welcome to departing and attentive in clearing dishes and refilling drinks.  It's just too bad that the food was just dismal considering the price per person.

The breakfast buffet is not at all as excellent as is described in the other review.  It's scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, yogurt, some un- or over-ripened fruit, a small selection of breads, and you can have an omelet made.  It's merely adequate at the $12 price point.  Nothing is particularly stellar or awful.  The lunch buffet is only 9.95, but, again, no standouts when it comes to selection or quality.  Compared to the regular menu of the Iron City Grille, however, it is a good value.

Room service was horrible.  Other than being grossly over-priced ($17 for a burger that comes with fries after tax, room service charge, and tip), it arrives cold and sadly presented.  Room service is generally overpriced, I accept that.  But it is usually not cold and does not take an hour and 1/2 to arrive.  Overall, a disappointing experience.

Note #1: Iron City Grille is housed inside the Holiday Inn, and you don't need to be staying in a room to eat here.

Note #2: The area could also be considered Moon Township, which is the address listed on my receipt.

Another weekend with Kay was wrapping up, and we needed some grub on our way home. The place we originally set out to visit turned out to be take-out and delivery only, so to the Iron City Grille it was.

Boy, whoever owns the joint loves Pittsburgh like geeks love Sarah Michelle Gellar. It is sports-themed to the hilt, a shrine if there ever was one. Cardboard Steelers, photos, and sports memorabilia are all over the walls along with televisions. There was a Penguins game on when we visited, and the place was surprisingly dead. I can only imagine what kind of madhouse ICG becomes during a big game. Perhaps this is another well-kept  secret of Pittsburgh's western suburbs.

We started off with the Provolone Pretzel, and it is not what you think. Instead of being a hot pretzel stuffed with cheese (we were scratching our heads for a few minutes, thinking a mistake had been made), it's about 6 or so squares of provolone that are coated with a breading made from crushed hard pretzels and then deep fried.  After our confusion subsided, we relished the endless strands of cheese that formed upon each bite. ICG makes its own "stone ground" mustard as a dipping sauce, one that has more than a hint of horseradish in it yet possesses a sweetness to it that holds its own against the intensity of the other ingredients. What restaurants make their mustard? Not enough that's for sure. ICG could bottle it, but then it would no longer be special.  *sigh*

Being a Burger Slayer, I had to kill me an Iron City Burger, a monstrosity of chopped Angus beef, onion straws, BBQ sauce, lettuce, tomato, and cold dill pickle that gave me a bit of trouble, those onion straws acting as appendages designed to keep the meat at bay. It is one of those burgers that takes a while to chip away at. You must mount a circular attack, munching around the edges to make the burger more manageable (vulnerable?). The best burgers are often challenging to eat, and eating this one was certainly test a test of wills (appetite?). Finally getting a bite of the medium-cooked meat was carnivorous rapture.

Someone in the area learned how to make french fries properly; they need to be as crispy externally as they are soft internally, these fries being a near-perfect example of that kind of balance.

The cole slaw that acted as a side wasn't bad either. It was cool, crunchy, yet was a touch overdressed with Marzetti dressing.

Kay got the fish and chips and complained that her fried tilapia filets had little flavor. I got a couple of tastes and concurred despite the velvety texture. A good rub might have made it sing.  

For dessert it was a slice of a Robin Cole Cheesecake. It seems as if the ex-Steeler has become a dessert maker, and based on the cheesecake, has carved out a fine niche for himself beyond the gridiron. I've been having a cheesecake jones on my back for several weeks, and this satisfied my fix.

I'm still befuddled over the lack of customers here. Did we come during a lull in the action? Is ICG that much of a secret? Anyway sports fans, here's your chance to be ahead of the curve. Ya got yerselves a new spot.