Once a month, I will be spotlighting a part of the Pittsburgh area (typically not a Pittsburgh address) and some of my favorite businesses in that area! Expect to see breweries, boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops, and other unique businesses throughout the week of the spotlight. This is to drive interest to smaller businesses that sometimes get overlooked for not being right in the thick of the city. I hope you enjoy!
Gino’s Petit Dejeuner
Kicking off this Suburb Spotlight with the cutest little French cafe, Gino’s Petit Dejeuner. This hidden gem is located in a small plaza in Harmarville. As a breakfast and lunch spot, Gino’s is perfect for a casual meal among friends or a meeting with a colleague. There is a long picnic-style table down the center of the main area, as well as tables for groups of 2 and 4. Near the back of the restaurant on the way to the restroom, you will find a small, cozy sitting area for enjoying some coffee. Every detail of this cafe is so thoughtfully placed to transport you to a European cafe.
The incredibly delicious food only supports the French vibe of this eatery! I have tried the Fruit Tea French toast and Fruit Tea waffles. The French toast comes topped with strawberries, bananas, pineapples, and Nutella. Oh and whipped cream of course! The Fruit Tea Waffle is the same as the Fruit Tea French toast except it exchanges the pineapple for blueberries, YUM. Whipped cream and powdered sugar come as garnishes for this dish. If you’re in the mood for something savory, I have tried the Spinach Feta Omelet, and oh my goodness!!! I am super skeptical about ordering omelets at restaurants just because I feel like it is something that I’m so particular about. The combo of the spinach, onions and feta in this 3 egg omelet, accompanied by your choice of fresh greens, fruit, toast, or pancakes is so delicious. I went with the fresh greens for a light side with my omelet, but pancakes would be a great choice if you’re someone who has a tough time deciding between sweet and savory.
Zone 28
GAME TIME IS ON!!! If you’re looking for fun for groups of any size, look no further than Zone 28. Conveniently located off the Harmarville exit of Route 28, this bowling alley and gaming center is a one-stop shop for date nights, girls’ nights, guys’ nights, family days, birthday parties, trivia nights, and more! This space was previously known as Fun Fest back in my childhood if you’re familiar with that name. When the name changed, the space got a full makeover with a beer garden, private event space, several eating areas, and endless drafts, bottles, and cocktails! Their beer garden, known as the “beer park” is a pet-friendly outdoor space with games like corn hole and bocce. You can also host private events in the beer park, which is conveniently located in the private event space, Suite 28. Suite 28 has its own bowling lanes, bar, and even a SELFIE STATION!
My favorite things to order off of their bar bites menu are the pizza with mushrooms and banana peppers and the buffalo chicken dip. If you want a sweet and fruity beverage, try out one of their frozen drinks like the strawberry frozen margarita pictured above. Their cocktail menu features unique fishbowl cocktails as well as classic drinks. If you’re a wine drinker, they have over 10 wines to choose from. As far as beer goes, they currently have 20 beers on tap as well as 75+ bottled and canned beverages, so there truly is something for everyone! Enjoy your drinks in the End Zone Sports Bar, at your bowling lane, or while playing arcade games. Bowling lanes have wait staff assigned to them so it makes ordering easy!
Now let’s chat entertainment! Bowling is a given. Bowl regular bowling or peewee bowling during the week, attend cosmic bowling Wednesday-Sunday, whatever best fits the vibe of your group. The last time I attended, you didn’t need to check out bowling shoes which were great to be able to wear my tennis shoes. Each of the 33 lanes allows 6 bowlers and you pay per lane, per hour. Prices vary based on the date and time. You aren’t able to reserve lanes ahead of time, however, if there is a wait, you can enjoy the arcade, escape rooms, laser tag, or food and beverages. My group went on a Saturday night a few weeks ago and had about a 45-minute-1-hour wait. We ordered drinks and food while we waited and that way we were ready to go when our lane was ready!
After an hour of bowling in which we were able to fit in 2 games on each of our 2 lanes, we decided to hit the arcade area. To try your luck at the arcade games such as Deal or No Deal, Sink It, Skeeball, and more, you’ll have to grab yourself a gaming card. Purchase a reloadable card from the kiosk in the arcade area and load money on to swipe at each game. My favorite games are Skeeball and Sink It, plus you get a lot of “tickets.” I put tickets in quotations because the machine won’t spit out the typical arcade tickets you may be used to from older times at an arcade. Conveniently, your gaming card is loaded with the tickets you’ve won to redeem at the gift shop. This way, if you want to save your tickets up from multiple trips to Zone 28 to get a big prize, it’s super easy to hold on to those. I saved my tickets up from two visits and was able to select a few prizes including one of those rubber poppers for anxiety that I legit use every time I am on a virtual meeting LOL. Other arcade area activities are the 2 escape rooms, laser tag arena, and pool tables. Zone 28 is a one-stop shop for fun, no matter the time of day, no matter the type of group.
Black Canary Coffee
COFFEE TIME!! If you follow me on Instagram, it is no secret that I am a coffee addict. I love trying out different combinations of both hot and iced coffees whether it be a latte, mocha, chai, or something unique! The only constant, for the time being, is my addiction to oat milk, IYKYK. When I visited Black Canary Coffee, on the Main Street in Springdale, it lived up to the little coffee shop vibes and more! I went with the specialty coffee, the Foot Loop. This combo of blueberry and lemon-infused simple syrup, espresso, and my choice of oat milk, legitimately tasted exactly like coffee sweetened with Froot Loop milk 🤤 I love trying the specialty drinks at coffee shops because the baristas crafted those specifically to have a unique taste.
Maybe you aren’t a huge coffee person, or maybe you’re looking to visit Black Canary later in the day (their hours are 7 am-5 pm on weekdays; 8 am-5 pm on Saturdays; 8 am-3 pm on Sundays). Luckily, Black Canary is also an ice cream parlor! There are currently 9 flavors including the classics like chocolate and vanilla, and going as crazy as pineapple upsidedown and dinosaur crunch. You can order the ice cream in a dish, cake cone, waffle cone, as a sundae, or in milkshake form. Toppings are plenty with 12 different add-ons available like Reese’s cup pieces, mini M&Ms, and caramel. The perfect afternoon treat!
While you’re enjoying your coffee or ice cream, you can relax on their couch or in their back seating area and soak in the coffee shop vibes. Black Canary also has a small retail section containing local candles, shirts, and even an entire vinyl record section. Be sure to check that out to support the shop however you can! If you’re looking to hangout but want something a little more stimulating rather than relaxing, there are 2 free arcade games pictured above! I tried my hand at Super PacMan but did not have much luck (spoiler alert: I’m terrible at video games LOL). The dual offerings of Black Canary make it the perfect stop before or after our next business…..
Dee Dee Thai Restaurant
My all-time favorite cuisines are sushi and Thai so it is no surprise that this new-to-town Thai restaurant made it into my Suburb Spotlight Series. Dee Dee Thai Restaurant is located just a short 5-minute walk from Black Canary Coffee. Dee Dee’s just opened about 2 months ago and is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to eat in this area! With a small dining area, guests are welcome to dine in or order by phone for pick-up. The owner is very accommodating! When my friends and I visited, half of our group was 15 minutes late and he came and checked if there was anything we needed while we waited for the rest of the group.
For our meal, we ordered the steamed dumplings and steam buns to start. When we ordered entrees, 3 of us went with the pad see – ew. I got mine with shrimp at a spice level 7/10. It was incredible and I have had it twice since my initial visit! I love the crinkle cut of the carrots and all of the flavors. The fourth member of our group went with the Thai-style fried rice with added chicken and he loved the flavor as well. I foresee Dee Dee’s being a Springdale staple!
Leaning Cask Brewing Company
With an average-sized taproom, Leaning Cask is a great little place to watch a weekend football game. Located in Springdale it is a great spot for a work happy hour or event because you can reserve the taproom for a private event for up to 40 people. If you have a small group of 6-8 you can also reserve tables in the lounge area by the windows! It is a dog-friendly space and frankly a very welcomed feature of Leaning Cask. The brews are actually “dog-themed” and all named after a pup! Leaning Cask doesn’t have an in-house food menu, but instead, they have a rotating food truck schedule. Leaning Cask has cans and growlers to go if you are looking to stop by to grab some local brews for home but also has a nice list of rotating drafts to sit and enjoy. Right now they have 10 that include the Goldendoodle, Greyhound, and Dachshund Bach, to name a few.
Glen’s Frozen Custard & Miniature Golf
Glen’s has been a staple of my life for as long as I can remember! A lot of people probably don’t know this, but until I was 3 years old I lived in Springdale. My first best friend lives there, and my first home. Even though you remember next to nothing before you’re 4, Springdale has a special place in my heart! Since 1959, Glen’s has had its location in Springdale, adding mini golf in 2001. Glen’s is the perfect spot for a sunny day visit — frozen custard and mini golf!
Now let’s dive into the menu!! Glen’s does it all great. You can’t go wrong with their signature homemade frozen custards, currently being served in 11 flavors at Springdale’s location! My pick of the custards is the classic chocolate with rainbow sprinkles. If you’re more into a harder custard of the gourmet variety, they have a gourmet custard menu as well! This is where you’ll find my all-time favorite, caramel cookie dough! If you want sherbert, they have several flavors of that as well! Specialties like their artic swirl, apple crisp, blue moon, Glenwiches, and Julie bars can be purchased as a special treat beyond the basic frozen custard. The options are endless for custard lovers! If you can’t make it over to Springdale, Glen’s is available in pints at select grocery stores and their second location in Lower Burrell. I will say nothing quite beats the OG with mini golf!
The 412 Franimal 