It's an odd place in a good way. Â If you don't mind the smoke it's pretty unique on carson street. Â The people who hang there are not the typical crowd who hang at every other bar along the strip with chics who like to think their supermodels and dudes who want to relive their high school glory days. Â A nice selection of different beers and a cool place to just chill. Â The music is different from the main stream which is nice since most of the bars like Villa, S bar , Jimmy Ds are the predictable radio play. Â If you are not from da burgh check out this place but beware of the heavy smoke yet I'm a nonsmoker and still chill there at times. Â That says a lot.
Review Source:It's not your typical "South Side" joint, which I mean as a compliment. The decor is what I'd call volcano-chic, with fixtures that are curved like they eroded that way and sparkly bits all over the place, which gets especially fun when you check out a dance night such as their 80s Night Friday (at which I'm becoming something of a regular).
If you do like the 80s Nights, this is a -- ahem -- rock-solid one. (Sorry.) Seriously, though, you'll hear a lot of great tunes, especially later into the night. Downside? It gets constant-strangers'-elbows-in-your-sides crowded as you dance past midnight.
As for the drinks -- it's been said before that they're rather weak in the booze department, and I have to agree. The bar service is actually quite good on a customer service level, especially considering the wall of humanity they're tending to, but unless you're drinking the MD 20/20 they've got for sale, don't expect any sort of wallop in your glass.
Overall, I'd recommend at least one go-round here; it's a unique and welcoming place. (Double-plus welcoming if you're a smoker.)
Ah, I do miss Pittsburgh sometimes. Â Best little funky fun dance place on the South Side. Â Actually, in the entire city. Â Bartenders are good, usually hot, very helpful, and know what they're talking about. Â The place gets packed out on 80's/goth/alternative dance nights (used to be Fridays). Â It's a great interior with a few tables, a long bar, and two rooms that give you a place to hang out regardless of your mood or proclivity for dancing. Â
The front room has tight little booths that seat 4-6 or so. Â The dividers and columns are appropriately cave-themed, stuccoed to look like stalagmites and other underground formations. Â And the entire room is bathed in a rather bright red glow - echoing the bar's fiery name. Â The back room has a smallish but quickly-populated dance floor, another few tables, and the choice spot - a round booth sunk into the floor like a pit that will seat a good 8 folks. Â The back room is darker, but retains the place's signature red glow. Â
Events and music here are fun, it's a good place to catch a drink even on an off-night, and the selection of beer and liquors is very nice for an "underground" semi-dive.
This place makes South Side cool. Â This place is not your typical Carson Street bro fest. Â This place is where you want to be!
If you created a bar in a cave, this would be exactly what it would look like. Â It's dimly light with red lights illuminating the rock walls. Â You can hop into one of the little seating coves or grab a table with swirly looking chairs. Â Nothing about this bar is boring as far as ambiance goes.
As busy as the bartenders are, they're super friendly and quick. Â I told the bartender chick to make me something fun and she whipped up this delicious cocktail she called the refreshing side of a margarita. Â Wasn't too sweet, but had just the right kick to it (thanks tequila!). Â I loved it! Â At $4 it's a steal too!
There's also a decent DJ on Saturday nights with a small dance floor in the back to werk your thang. Â I appreciate a place that let's me werk it on the weekends! Â Actually, coming here for the first time in a while, it makes me want to come back sooner...
What else is better than sitting in a pit inside a bar that looks like you're inside a volcano??? NOTHING! Â (Do be careful though getting into the pit, you don't need to fall) Â The decor is amazing, they did an outstanding job to make it feel like you really are experiencing an inside of a volcano, not that I personally have been inside a volcano to be able to compare.
Drinks are amazing, everything you can think of and more.  DJs are excellent when spinning their sounds.  The crowd is always lively.  If  you are in a bad mood entering the place you definitely will leave out of there in a better mood. Â
I love being able to just sit and collect my thoughts in the pit. Â But seriously, watch your step. Â It's great to get down there faster, but not worth the pain.
We come to Lava Lounge for their 80s Night on Fridays occasionally. Â I'm a recovering Upstage-r, so any DJ who is even moderately comparable to EZ Lou is, in my book, a great find. I'm happy to say that the DJ at Lava Lounge is just as good, and for that, we will definitely keep coming back to dance.
To drink? Â Well, that's a different issue. Â I understand that this is the South Side, but the bartenders use teeny tiny measuring cups for your mixed drinks, meaning that you end up with less than a full shot of booze in each $4.50 drink. Â Personality-wise, the bartenders are usually great: friendly, and good at handling the crowd that will all turn up at one time for the next round during an 'off' song. Â I haven't been on any other night besides 80s Night, so who knows if this is just something they do when they're super crowded. Thankfully, I will dance to 80s music without a single drop of booze, so I manage pretty well :)
My only other issue with the Lava Lounge is that they could definitely use more space in the back dance area. It gets SO crowded by the end of the night (which, good for them, we want a rockin' 80s Night to stick around!), and I wish there was some way they could expand a bit. I realize this isn't possible, so just take it as a heads-up that you will be sweaty and dancing with people you've never met before because of space constraints before the end of the night.
Other than that, and the fact that you *do* have to deal with a few annoying typical South Side-rs (although there are quite a few former Upstage kids who come here now), this is a great 80s Night. Â The DJ plays a ton of new wave and 80s pop. He throws in a Bon Jovi or Journey song here and there, but the majority of the setlist is made up of The Cure, Depeche Mode, Prince, Madonna, New Order, and similar bands. I appreciate a place that can make me feel like it's 1986 in 2004 all over again.
Lava Lounge with worth checking out for the ambiance alone. Â Go to here, get a few drinks in you, and you will feel like you're in the cantina scene from Star Wars: A New Hope. Â For real. Â The decor looks amazingly like an underground lava bed. The crowd is pretty eclectic, too, which makes the typical South Side people watching and mingling so much more interesting.
The bottle selection is great and they play all 80s music on Friday nights! Â To put it in Yelp terms: Yay! I'm a fan.
After being dropped off in the South Side and striking out at a couple of other bars, we finally found our spot for the night at Lava Lounge. What can I say, this place is just downright awesome. There was no cover, the drinks were cheap, the music was loud, and I mean come on, the place looks like a cave. How cool is that?
That being said, it can be a pretty confusing place inside once you have a few drinks in you, especially if you have never been there before. They keep it pretty dark and for me at least, it got a bit disorientating. Then again, I had been drinking, so who knows how much that came into play.
All in all, Lava Lounge was a shining light in an area overrun by bro bars, and if I ever find myself in Pittsburgh again, I will be sure to make a trip to the South Side and visit this Fraggle Rock-esque bar again. Dance you cares away! Worries for another day!..
Though I've not been there for the later crowd, even when it was only moderately full of people and no one on the dance floor yet, it was still a good time.  The lighting and thematic decor are unique and don't feel plastic or make it seem like a manufactured theme place.  The music they played was good, the drink specials were decent, and where else can you go and sit in a pit without that being a bad thing?  Overall, you will have  decent night there.
Review Source:What a creative bar!! This bar has so many nooks and crannies it is almost like you are inside of a cave! You would never know it from judging the outside.
The drinks are reasonably priced and semi creative. I ordered the special which was the black cherry lemonade, it was good but a little sour for me.
The bartender that we had when we were there was not the friendliest but she didn't ruin our good time.
I've had a soft spot for Lava Lounge for years. It's a great bar/club that's a bit off beat. The punk/alternative crowd dominates the clientele here, but anyone outside of that demographic need not feel intimidated. I've been here in ratty jeans and a t-shirt as well as in business casual attire and was treated the same. If you want to just drink and/or spend your time however you please then you'll be treated fairly; it's a pretty cool crowd. Thumbs down for the smoking.
Review Source:Friday night 80's dance party. I had such high expectations to boogy down. I usually always have such a great time here. I think it must be better to go with a group of people who have a little more enthusiasm than my guest.
1.50 PBR drafts until 11pm so we only had a couple special drinks. I was in the mood to dance, so I did with everyone on the dance floor. The crowd was strange this particular night. Have a drink, run around the dance floor. Then repeat. It was nice that in the back there are these really cool dark booths to hide in and laugh with the people you're with while people watching. So I have to say still looking for a scene I can get into. Sure I'd go again but only if I knew something fun was planned there. Not so hot Lava
I went here last Friday, and it was my first Pittsburgh bar experience! Â What a great way to get acquainted with the bar scene. Â This is totally my kind of place.
Drinks were a little pricier than I like, but given that the bar is awesome, I'm not really surprised or too disappointed. Â Pregame first and you'll be dandy. Â The decor made me feel like I was in a trendy cave. Â We went into the back room, put our drinks on these cool glowing tables, and danced to the great 80s music! Â I love 80s tunes, especially when the music is familiar, when it makes you go "OMG I LOVE THIS SOOOOONG!" Â Also, the music wasn't too loud - we could dance AND talk without totally screaming. Â I saw some pretty cool tables, one was a lot lower than the rest of the bar, like it was down in a pit - guess you have to come pretty early to claim that cool spot. Â Anyway, I had a great time at Lava Lounge, and would come back any Friday. Â I'd just rather drink somewhere else first, somewhere a little cheaper. Â My mixed drink with flavored vodka was $5.75, and I think their "martinis" were $8 or $9 - a girl in our group got one and really didn't like it - I tried it and found it pretty unappetizing myself.
Come for the atmosphere, and maybe one simple drink or two!
For Carson street, I really enjoyed the crowd in this place. Laid back with a "chill out" ambience.. It felt like college all over again! It's turned out to be my go-to destination for the start of a night out. Ok who am I kidding here, the flaming Dr. Pepper shots have me there through last call on the usual....
Review Source:Oh $.85 tacos, how you fill life with purpose and beefy joy. For $.85 a piece you can't beat these tacos, pair them with a beer, and some self-brought dance party and you have a seriously bitchin' Tuesday.
We usually have beef soft shell tacos and Straub beers. Keep in mind for you veg-heads there is also the option of bean tacos (and hard shell too). They have a margarita special on Tuesdays, although I've not tried them so I can't really comment on their deliciousness.
The bartenders are awesome fun and it's always pretty laid back during the week with a pretty consistent regular crowd.
3.5 stars.
We must have gone on an off-night. Â We arrived there around 10:30 to a nearly empty bar. Â The decor is pretty unique with the molten-esque furniture and dimly lit red lights. Â Drinks were cheap. Â We went there because we read about an indie dance party that night only to find out that the DJ wasn't around, boooo...
I guess my review might not match what the others have experienced at this place, but if what I experienced at this place is called Pittsburgh's best, then I'm a bit bummed by the nightlife in this city.
We stopped by for what was advertised as "50 cent wing night," either meat or seitan.
However, we were told after asking for a menu that they only had tofu avocado sushi for food that night.
I asked if they had a drink menu, which they do, and the selection of cocktails was impressive. Â However, the menu was so sticky and disgusting that we just left.
Sorry, Lava Lounge...I wish we could have hit it off.
One of the coolest bars in Pittsburgh. Â The atmosphere is uniquely designed, and the people watching is fantastic if you grab a seat in the back on a busy night. Â It can get incredibly crowded on the weekends, but there is usually room in the back. Â It has an edgy vibe, but the bartenders are some of the best in town.
Review Source:If I didn't love Pittsburgh before, with it's beautiful rivers and views, awesome bridges and tunnels, nice parks, and the fact that it's possibly the cheapest place I've ever gone bar-hopping, when I stepped into Lava Lounge and my friend pointed out that the foot rest at the bar used to be a trough that mill workers and whatnot back in the day used to piss in, right at the bar, that the trough was built for THEM to PEE in, well. Â I did then. Â
I love Pittsburgh. Â Go there, you'll have fun too.
Before visiting Pittsburgh I did a little bar research and found that this place has some good DJ acts that come through (i.e. Chuck Love in December) and was a little bummed that nothing was going on when I was out.
All things aside, this is a great little spot that actually reminds me of a similar Lava Lounge in Stuttgart, Germany.
Wow. This is a terrible review.
Anyways, the bar stools are great - carved tall wood backs and some are belted to the floor...odd. But the crowd was extremely entertaining, funny mix of midlife ladies in chokers and mom-jeans, goth kids and preppy college boys. Fun was had, PBR helped. Saturdays are BritPop night and you can never argue with BritPop. Never.
Lava Lounge makes me feel at home when I'm visiting in Pittsburgh. Â I'm a night owl and love to dance. Â I have never been let down when I've walked through the door and I've always had a great time! Â Since I've only been there for holiday weekends & such, it's always been packed. Â Even with it being packed, the service of the bar and staff are still great. Â I love this place and can't wait to hang out here next week!
Review Source:The Lava Lounge, you remind me of my youth. Â As I remember when you were the Liberty Belle and Frankie Capri did Elvis impersonations twice a week. Â Now, just being the Lava Lounge for many years makes you a landmark.
Atmosphere - It is designed like a small cave. Â A cave an art student created w/stalactites and stalagmites everywhere. Â A small dance area in the back, annoying bolted to the ground bar stools and...Oh, very cool music.
Crowd - Art students, Emo kids (it is sad I know that), Models w/piercings & tats and Old people reliving their Alt-rock youth (that would be me).
Price - Cheap. Â No cover if you arrive early, before 10PM. I did, so not sure of the price. Â Mixed drinks, big and only $5.25, w/ beer at $3.
Music - varies by night, it was eighties night, as in eighties Smiths, Joy Division, Cure, Cult, Depeche Mode...etc. Â Normally, underground and popular alternative music is played here.
Overall - I had a great time revisiting my early days. Â Because in other places "...the music that they constantly play, it says nothing to me about my life, hang the blessed DJ, because the music they constantly play..."
It was a Sunday night when I went here, so I can see why it wasn't that busy. It was a dark and rainy night and the bar was dark as well. We walked in and the bartender seemed surprised to see us. He said "I just walked in before you, so let me get things iced and then I can help you". It was informative, but it seemed like he was kinda annoyed that we came when we did, even though there were two other people there.
Anyways, we sat down at one of the crazy booths that looked like molten lava. It was a unique place for sure and they had a pretty good beer selection and PBR on tap. The happy hour included PBR for 1.25! Now, that's what I call a cheap date!
We hung out until the rain passed and planned on going to another place closer to the family's house. While we were still there, I checked out the pit in the back that housed a circular booth that you accessed by going down the staircase. It seemed like a cool, but strange place to congregate with friends, but definitely not your average bar. As I passes by the pit, I went to the ladies room, which is almost to the back of the place girls. It is creepy and dark back there and it's like you stepped into some cavern and no one else is there! It was a cool creepy feeling though.
This place is a definite if you are in Pittsburgh. I haven't spent much time there, but looked up places to go when I knew I was headed there. Carson St. has many bars, shops, restaurants and such to go to. Sunday is not the best day to go, since things close early, but it was our only choice. Park the car, grab some food at Double Wide Grill and do a bar crawl. It will be worth your time!
This is an awesome bar. Â The decor reminds me of the Fraggle Rock underworld and they have a fun 80's night on Friday nights. Â It can get pretty packed inside on weekends, but oh well. Â Go early if you hate not finding a table.
Tues. they have very casual taco dinners, which is fun for a little date thing.
I just love this place. One of the standout  most unique 'for young people' bars in Pittsburgh.
Among the countless bars along East Carson Street in Pittsburgh's South Side neighborhood, one stands out as the most unique treasure. Enter the Lava Lounge at 2204 East Carson Street and you may think you are inside a volcano, or perhaps one of Jim Henson's creations; Fraggle Rock. Beyond the normal bar top and tables are protrusions of a rock like material in odd shapes only found in underground caves which insure intimacy of a small gathering. Beyond the bar is a fantastic room where bands perform and DJ's mix it up as young professionals and artsy types gather to dance. It's not unusual to huddle together in the circular booth hidden in an underground crater while watching college students twirling to "The Dancing Queen" on Friday evening's 80's night. Recently, a friend of mine and I ventured down to the Lava Lounge on a cold Friday evening. My friend decided to join the eclectic mix of people on the dance floor while I stood to the side of a rock formation sipping a drink and people watching. Since the room is dimly lit except for strobe light flashes from the dance floor, people watching is an unobvious sport and everyone does it. I just stood in wonderment at the mix of people, young and not so young, in a relaxed atmosphere without the pressures of the club scene to hit on someone of the opposite sex. After my friend tired herself out from dancing, we sat in a little rock alcove and enjoyed some crazy mixed drink concoctions. The Lava Lounge is a breath of fresh air and a good place to unwind after a fully loaded work week.
The Lava Lounge touts itself as "Pittsburgh's most unique experience" and it does not disappoint. All week long the Lava Lounge features different upbeat music genres including acid jazz, funk, disco, and alternative as well as one-of-a-kind mixed drinks.
The Lava Lounge has sister establishments along East Carson Street which include the Beehive Coffee House, The Tiki Lounge, and the newest addition; the Double Wide Grille.
For more information visit <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lavaloungepgh.com&s=6e06503ee2046ab937e19fa7f7c1f939bcb3bc806e9421339db1fd837ce4b148" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.lavaloungepgh…</a>
Meatball Mondays! Go to Lava Lounge, get a Straub because it's cheap and as far as I can tell no one outside of PA knows what it is, and purchase yourself a fine meatball sub for $1. Veggie or Meaty, whichever makes you happy.
Incidentally, the Straub bottles recently got bigger but the price stayed just the same.
If you go around 6pm on Mondays they are always watching CSI for some reason. Also the bartended is great and the place is quiet, so you can eat and drink for $3.50 with just your friends and a couple other people who wander in, and then walk over to the movie theater to watch a $5 movie.
same owners as beehive and tiki lounge. the inside is very unique, like you are inside of a giant cave/ space movie from the 60s. unlike most bars in pittsburgh.
they can have great music too. fridays are usually 80's and they have live music on thursdays. supposedly saturday nights are non-smoking!!! yay!
last night I walked by and "rock lobster" was blasting! there is a special place in my heart for the lava lounge.
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