My boyfriend took me there for my birthday. Then I took my mom. Then my mother took my dad. Suffice it to say I think the food is awesome. It's incredibly different. You won't get food like this anywhere else in Pittsburgh I'm pretty sure.
(5)
Joe D.
Touted as Pittsburgh's first Uzbekistanian restaurant, we went and I had no idea what to expect. The food was very reminiscent of Greek food. Kabobs were plentiful, meat dumplings, even Baklava for dessert. They do in fact have a vegetarian menu, small items, salads, and entrees. The carrot salad is what I started out with, sweet and spicy, one of my favorite taste combinations. A touch of garlic played nicely against the oil and vinegar dressing. I choose the eggplant roll as an Appetizer. Rolled eggplant stuffed with garlic and tomatoes, the dill was an excellent touch to finish off this dish. Lagman was my main course, homemade noodles covered in vegetables and spices. I could have had sliced beef or chicken over it but i went vegan. Delicious, a very rich broth brought all the ingredients together into a hearty meal. Almost like a Russian Pho! Green tea was the beverage we enjoyed with this meal. Just a little warning, they don't serve alcohol, I'm not sure if they allow you to bring wine. Small dining area, you may want to call before arriving. We were too full to even think about dessert, we noticed a dessert of the day on the menu, but didn't ask what it was. I'm defiantly making this one of my go to places. Who would have thought a Russian Restaurant on Mt Washington? The menu is extensive, lots of beef items. And Gino Malkin of the Penguins is a regular.
(4)
Kathy R.
I really enjoyed my lunch at Kavsar today! We split an app of mushroom and chicken Julien Pancake bags, and they were great! I had the pumpkin Manti dumplings, and my friend had Gampan, which is rice with chicken and Asian spices. Both exceeded my expectations. This was my first time trying Uzbek food, but I will definitely go back to try some other items on their interesting menu. Our waitress was as nice and as sweet as could be!
(5)
Sabera R.
The food was amazing! Me and my husband were there last night. The place was empty we were the only ones there. We ordered the pancake bags for appetizer absolutely YUM! then I ordered the sausage dish called kavsar and my husband ordered the chicken gampan both were delish! This place is worth your money!
(4)
Salim B.
We enjoyed this spot on a walk while visiting Pittsburgh. We were the only patrons during lunch hour on a weekend, which felt slightly awkward. But the food and prices were good. The portions are large. I don't think Uzbek goes near the top of my ethnic-food loves, but I appreciated the wholesome-halal attitude surrounding it.
(3)
Bruce W.
Went to Kavsar expecting average Uzbek and was so surprised. Authentic and the chef did it right! If you like Uzbek this is the place to go in NE Ohio and NW Pennsylvania. I will be back!
(5)
Kyler W.
The Samsa was delicious. We enjoyed the pickled carrot salad very much. The Beef Kavsar was essentially a pot roast (which was good). We were just expecting something totally out of the ordinary. There was only one person waiting on the entire restaurant so it was hard for her to keep up with taking orders, delivering food and bussing tables. The restaurant and bathroom could be kept cleaner... We will give it another shot but hopefully things, service wise, are a little different next time.
(4)
Jen C.
We ate at this restaurant yesterday. What a unique, delicious, and rare find Pittsburgh! The service was great and the food was very tasty. We had the samsa, palov and lagman . All hand made and delicious. My family and friends want to come back here soon !
(5)
Ron B.
An incredible little restaurant. Had the pumpkin manti (steamed dumplings) and kavsar (called a sausage on the menu, but more like a very well spiced meatloaf) plus a noodle dish, the name of which escapes me (it's described as a traditional Uzbek dish). All of them were delicious. We took the incline and walked along Grandview ave. I can't imagine a better way to do it.
(4)
Marina C.
We came to this place unexpectedly and my boyfriend and I absolutely loved it . Food was very fresh and unbelievable tasty , the atmosphere was very comfy. The Uzbek singer has great voice ( my boyfriend did not like when that guy singed something romantic and constantly looked at me ) Anyways , great place and on our next visit to Pittsburg we will go there again with pleasure.
(5)
Helena G.
We came on a Sunday for lunch. The place was completely empty and only the waitress was to be seen. She spoke very little with us, but we have had Uzbek food several times before so we didn't have as many questions as first tries. We had beef Julian pancake bags for starter which was the weakest of the meal. There was very little flavor and mushrooms were canned. For entree we had plov and manti. Frankly the food was really not special but what makes it worse is that we distinctly had the impression that they were serving us badly because of us being the only customers. First there was no bread for starters which I saw on pictures of people who came for dinner. Then plov's meat was to the side and burnt. I have had plov several times before and can see that the one we were served here is not how it is supposed to be served. Plus Uzbeks always serve plov with a salad to cut the oily texture. No salad was served. Manti of beef and pumpkin was also disappointing. If you don't want to make an effort to serve lunch then close shop at that time of the day.
(1)
Jo T.
Oh my! Loved it! Saw it driving by one weekend, enjoying the view over the city and strolling around up there, next change I was with a hungry group we went there. Fantastic! It's (to me) an interesting mix of the known and unknown mixed, a little bit like Turkish cooking but more silk road.... and it feels like you visited your darling relatives in Uzbekistan for the first time and the whole family is stumbling over you to make you feel as conformable as possible and pampering you left and right. I mean, who would not love that? We had a a wonderful large salad, soup with chicken dumplings, rice with beef and veggies and beef with chickpeas and pasta. Apparently everything is made from scratch and it seems like no dish contains less than at least 20 ingredients (but I didn't count nor ask the cook, only an assumption). It turns out they substitute mutton with beef as the US mutton doesn't taste authentic. Don't forget to taste the salty yogurt drink ayran, refreshing and delicious. Decor is matching with the food style and the waitress we had was probably the nicest person I met in the last five years altogether. Definitely coming back!
(5)
Joop V.
We were glad to find Kavsar and to get to try Uzbek food for the first time! :) The restaurant is slightly hidden as it is up the top of the hill of Shiloh St and a couple of blocks away from other restaurants/cafes down the hills with higher foot traffic. From the outside, it looks like a normal home and there's a slightly weird setup where you have to walk up the stairs upon entering the restaurant to get to the main dining area. The restaurant itself is not upscale by any means, but instead, has a homey feel to it. Meaning, it feels as if it's not as a professional restaurant (although I'm sure they are licensed! :D)...but rather more like you are dining at another person's home. We tried the Uzbek yoghurt drink on a hot summer day (it's not too overly sweet and has a slight salt taste to it. You should try it for once!). For lunch, we tried a mix of pumpkin and beef Manti dumplings (their menu said to pick beef, pumpkin or spinach, but we asked them if we could mix the dumpling fillings, and they were happy to accommodate our request!), Kavsar Beef (delicious!...I also loved their slightly pickled fresh carrots that came on the side, too. Very refreshing!) and eggplant rolls. The addition of the fresh dills to the fries and other dishes makes the dish tastier..and is definitely a much better alternative to salt that we typically see in American food! :D Overall, we found the dish very tasty and not too heavy. We ordered quite a bit of food, but surprisingly, after eating, we didn't feel like the meal was too heavy or too bloated like you'd feel bad eating when dining out and gorging yourself with too much food at all. Overall, a great place for people to adventure our to try new food out of their comfort zone! We love our experiences and their prices were very reasonable. Service was slightly slow (and therefore -1) but I suspect that was because the dining room is upstairs, so at times, the waiter/waitress was elsewhere downstairs at the kitchen/on the first floor getting the food/drinks ready for the tables upstairs.
(4)
Amy M.
I don't understand why this place isn't packed from open to close. It's a gem. My husband and I went to dinner here a little after 6 on a Friday and we were the only two in the entire restaurant. The space/decor is kinda like grandma's house if grandma had white table cloths. It's homey and dated in that charming grandma-y way. There was only one server working and she was helpful, taking the time to make suggestions and answer all of our questions. The menu is extensive and I had a tough time deciding what to order. Everything sounded SO GOOD. We finally decided on cottage cheese pancakes, sherpa soup, meatball noodle soup, manti, and kavsar. Everything was delicious. The soups were flavorful and the cottage cheese pancakes were awesome enough to have as a dessert course (even though we ate them first). I particularly loved the Manti and the Kavsar. The manti are steamed dumplings stuffed with meat. They were so flavorful and I could definitely tell they were hand-made and fresh. The Kavsar was the star of the night. It's described as a "roasted meat sausage rolled with whipped eggs and cheese steamed with vegetables". It was a party in my mouth. I found the texture to be more like a fluffy meatloaf. It was so good and everything comfort food needs to be. We had a fantastic first experience with Uzbek cuisine. We'll definitely be back again with friends!
(4)
Sherry W.
Great home made food! Service was great, we had the steamed dumplings, handpulled noodles, and burka soup. Ended with the honey cake. All ingredients was very fresh! Would highly recommend this little gem!
(5)
Sandra L.
Delicious food - new to Uzbek cuisine so tried several things - loved them all. The spinach manti were excellent - served with a light spiced sauce. My son had the "cutlet" which was more like a meatball - very tender. Must go back!
(4)
Emily Z.
I find that the places with the best food are often the least expected. My family and I decided to try out this place after searching for nearby restaurants in Pittsburgh. While the roads leading up to the restaurant were hilly and slightly difficult to navigate, we found our way eventually. The restaurant doesn't seem like much outside-- if anything, it looks like any other house in the area. The interior is very homely with the dining area upstairs. There weren't many people, which we liked-- it allowed for peaceful eating and light conversation without loud noises in the way. The waitress was attentive and extremely nice, even helping us with directions after we finished. We got quite a bit for four people-- 1 large bread, 2 soups, 4 kebabs, eggplant rolls, and 2 main entrees. We ended up with lots of leftovers, even after stuffing ourselves full with the amazing food. The bread is really fresh, warm, and soft. Even though there wasn't any sauces to dip them in, the bread itself is good enough to eat alone. I had some dipped in soup, and it's great either way. Probably the best bread I've ever had. The kebabs are essentially meat, but they were cooked pretty well and were tasty. We only got around to eating one entree, the Kavsar, out of the two we ordered, since we were so full. The balance of egg, cheese, and meat is amazing, and is definitely something to try here. Overall, the food here is amazing. Despite its less than beautiful exterior, this restaurant is one you should try out in Pittsburgh, with great food, staff, and a nice, quiet environment.
(5)
Tony D.
This is such a unique place, one that is definitely worth going out of the way to dine here. While it seems a little homely on the outside (it actually feels more like a house on the inside, with the dining area up a flight of carpeted stairs and such), that's what you want for an authentic experience. We got a shurpa soup, palov rice dish, and the kavsar entree. The shurpa soup was was very fragrant, and came with some pieces of carrot, potato, and beef. The palov rice was pretty heavily advertised as a national dish so we couldn't not get it--one can definitely taste all the herbs and spices that went into it, along with the tender strips of beef. The kavsar was definitely the best of the bunch for me. Delicious delicious meat sausage (so soft!) wrapped with a layer of egg and cheese, with cold vegetables on the side. They have plenty of other items to try, so this is by no means the last visit!
(5)
Grace K.
Had dinner here this week with friends, I'm a veg., they're not. We were all amazed at how delicious everything was. We all agreed we'd go back and tell friends about it. Today I told people at work about it and persuaded a party of 7 to try it for dinner. I loved the olive salad, the pumpkin filled "perogies" the main dish with noodles and the baklava was awesome! GO THERE NOW BEFORE THE MASSES FIND IT.
(5)
Kimberly R.
What a great neighborhood restaurant. My husband and I have been wanting to try this place and finally made it over there last night. The upstairs is very nicely decorated and the wait staff were very smiley and sweet. We tried some different dishes. It appeared to be very meat heavy, but they so have a little vegetarian section on the back. I ordered some noodles with a great red sauce And veggies. It looked like it was going to be spicy but was not. My meal had a great flavor. They best part was dessert. We ordered baklava. We tried to order two pieces, but I think the waitress misunderstood bc she brought us two plates with 4 pieces each. ( you would think we would have corrected her but no. It was so good we ate it all!!!). So we went home very stuff with dinner and lots of sweet, nutty dessert!!! Would definitely recommend trying it to eat something different and def get the dessert!! They do have live music too. Nice way to enjoy dinner.
(3)
Yana M.
Very cute small charming place. Food is amazing.
(5)
Patti C.
Girls night sis and two nieces . We all tried something different and liked everything ,sorry all the names escape me . Please go and try it! Very Inexpensive for the meal, we had two appetizers , 4,meals and Baklava split, enough for the four of us , total $63!
(5)
Allison P.
I recently went to Kavsar for lunch with a colleague. Was intrigued and wanted to try Uzbekistani/Russian cuisine. We were there for a little over an hour and were literally the only customers in the restaurant the entire time. That aside, our waitress was very sweet and helpful and the food was very good. I had carrot salad, pumpkin dumplings and a side of bread. The carrot salad was the best part of the meal. It's a must-try, very garlicky (which is not a problem for me). The dumplings were terrific; although, we had to wait 25 minutes (which was fine for me). The bread was delicious and very bagel-like. My colleague had the carrot salad (and agreed that it was the best part of the meal), as well as kebabs. We were also seated in front of a mounted flat screen TV that played Uzbek music videos, which was entertaining and gave a glimpse into a different culture. As for a return trip, I am sure I'll be back.
(4)
Tanna P.
Great authentic Uzbekistan food! We will be back again for sure!
(3)
Casey D.
I really like this restaurant! Though I had a better experience having the food delivered (I live in mt. wash) rather than eating in. It's a bit of a homely place...also keep in mind it's a Halal restaurant, so no alcohol! I like the chicken kebobs as an appetizer and the Uzbek Palov is really good as well. I love the rice they serve with the palov. The second time I went, I got the beef stroganoff, and while it was really tasty, there were way too many fries. They put the fries in the stroganoff, so they soak up all the sauce, and it's not good at all. I ate around all the fries, however, but definitely would not order again. My boyfriend got the lagman, which was super delicious. I think I'll try that next time. This is a very unique experience, in my opinion, in a quaint and quiet restaurant. It's definitely very dated inside, but the food makes up for it.
(4)
Jeff G.
I went over the holidays and ordered takeout... This food is amazing. Truly, amazing. Fresh bread and home-cooking. I can't wait to go back, though I seldom find myself in this part of town. Oh, man, I'm getting hungry just thinking about "lagman" the noodle dish.
(5)
Jason S.
Great food, friendly service. The layout of the resturant feels dated, a bit like a suburban mom decorating a sitting room in the late 90's, but the staff was super helpful and the decor sorted of added to the charm. A man played music in the corner, most of which was covers with some Uzbek songs as well, as a TV played Uzbek and Russian MTV. I had the egg plant rolls and Kavsar, both of which I would recommend. I have nothing else to really compare the dishes to directly since this was my first encounter with Uzbek food, but the food was fresh and tasty. I am excited to try more off the menu. Oh, and the for the vegetarians, there was a decent vegetarian section.
(4)
Yuxin J.
Food is amazing. Had some sort of sausage, eggplant roll and soup dumplings. The environment is nice Has free parking at the corner
(5)
Richard B.
A friend and myself stopped at Kavsar on Saturday night around 8:30 PM. We were the only people dining during our entire stay. When you walk in there is a small bar (not sure if they serve alcohol) and a few tables. The actual dining area is upstairs. It's not the nicest restaurant I've ever been to but some of the best places I've at weren't the prettiest. They had live music which consisted of someone playing soothing guitar music. The performer was really good! The service was prompt and knowledgable. The server answered our questions and gave us her favorites. For dinner, I opted to try the Uzbek Palov and green tea with lemon. The Palov consists of tender beef served with rice, tender carrots and scallions/onions. Overall it was a very good dish, but I would have liked more meat in particular. There were only a few pieces on top of the rice. One option may be for $2-3 more adding more meat to the dish. The tea was also very good. For desert I opted for the honey cake based on the recommendation of our server. It was good, but not really something I would normally try but I like trying different things. Overall, I'd recommend this restaurant, especially since its not too busy.
(4)
Bill D.
A nice place to try something different. Have eaten here twice. Second time was quite busy compared to first and service was slow but understandably so. Found out it was waitresses first night and was the only waitress. Main dining area in upstairs and everything needs to be brought up a long flight of steep steps. There is a few tables on the ground floor if stairs are a problem. All in all worth a try though. Favorite dish was also named Kavsar.
(4)
Junier O.
Good food at a good price. the Kavsar was really tasty, a bit like meat loaf.
(4)
Jason F.
I stopped by here last night with my fiance and 2 other dining companions for a late dinner. My fiance and I arrived right around 8:30 PM to a completely empty restaurant. The downstairs of the restaurant is a bar area with a couple of tables that can only seat three people. As I looked around a little worried about the seating situation, our server came out and asked how many? Whenever we replied with 4 she pointed to some stairs and said that we could sit upstairs. Since she didn't come with us we were free to seat ourselves wherever we wanted. The upstairs of this place is actually quite nice and reminded me of a room used to host nice parties. There were white table clothes on all of the tables along with white chair covers and black bows. The only oddity was the flat screen TV on one of the walls which had on a foreign station (Uzbecki perhaps?) playing music videos. While it seemed a bit odd at first, everyone eventually ended up enjoying the music. Since none of us had ever had Uzbek halal before the table decided to split a couple of appetizers to start off with. We went with the eggplant roll, julien in pancake bags and finally a double order of the homemade bread. Both the eggplant roll and julien in pancake bags come out together before our meals. We were actually debating about whether we should order the pancake bags or something else whenever we had placed our order but after it arrived we were more than happy to have to stuck with our decision since it was delicious. It did indeed look like a pancake bag whenever it arrived at our table and seemed to have the consistency of Injera. The inside of the bag was filled with mushroom, beef and a creamy sauce all of which was delicious. Meanwhile the eggplant roll consisted of some eggplant rolled up around tomato and garlic with dill on it. It was decent but paled in comparison to the bags. For my entree I went with the Kavsar (You can't go wrong ordering a restaurants namesake, right?) while my fiance went with the Gampam and our dining companions went with Chuchvara and Lagman with each couple also ordering a lamb kabob. It was nice to see all of the different dishes whenever they arrived at the table with the double order of homemade bread. The kavsar is roasted meat sausage rolled with whipped eggs and cheese steamed with some bell peppers and I choose mashed potatoes as my side. It ended up having a pretty good flavor and it reminded me quite a bit of stuffed cabbage with the cheese and egg taking the place of the cabbage. I was also able to taste both my fiances Gampam(rice topped with rich and delicious broth with vegetables, asian spices and beef tender loin) and our friends Chuchvara (handmade small boiled dumplings filled with ground beef and chopped onions) with the spices in the Gampam making it my favorite of the three entrees I tried. The kabob was also excellent and sort of reminded me of peppered beef jerky. That's not a bad thing in my book though as I do love that flavor. The homemade bread was also really good with a unique shape and a good thick crust around it and a soft inner filling. Finally for dessert my fiance and I ended up splitting the dessert of the day which was a honey cake. The server was unable to describe it to us but being adventuous, we ordered it anyways. I would describe it as a multi layered sponge cake with a strong taste of honey in the frosting and both my fiance and I thought that it tasted pretty good. The bottom line for me is that I would definitely head back here again in the future. The restaurant itself ended up looking pretty good inside, our server was nice and all of the food was had was both different and good.
(4)
Tiffany Y.
Kavsar serves Uzbek and Russian foods. I had never eaten Uzbek food, but I grew up eating Russian foods because of my two Russian grandparents. Tonight to celebrate Russian Christmas Eve, I decided to give this restaurant a try. I was worried about not having a reservation, but when my husband and I showed up, only one other table was occupied. We chose a table ourselves upstairs. I noticed that some lights in the room were out, although the room was still well-lit, and some tables had dirty tablecloths. There was a large TV on the wall that played music and videos. The waitress soon introduced herself and handed us the menus. Throughout the service, she was nice, offered drink refills, and brought out our food on time. I really enjoyed the taste of my samsa (a large crispy pastry with ground beef inside), borsch (cabbage, beef, beans, and potato in beet broth), and vareniki (eight pierogies filled with potato). My husband, who is not of Russian or Uzbek ancestry, ordered only one dish (I think the gampan, which is rice with vegetables and beef or chicken). I liked my food better than his. The total bill was only about $32 plus tip. I will have to talk my husband into bringing me back here in the future so I can try more dishes. I encourage other people to give this restaurant a try.
(4)
Ivan R.
This is a really good and authentic place. A lovely restaurant on Mt. Washington. Authentic Uzbek and Russian food, very reasonable prices, and excellent service. Also there is a dedicated parking lot down Southern Ave. They have a lunch special at $9 that is a nice 2-course meal + tea.
(5)
Somi L.
It's amazing place to have lunch and dinner in. My wife and I ordered brizol, samsa, eggplants rolls and beef sroganoff. The brizol is worh to give it a try. This place care about the product quality. I love it and i will visit it again and again. I think the next visit I will try the kebab.
(5)
Scott J.
Came here for lunch with a group of 6. Our lunch lasted over 1.5 hrs, and the place was not busy. So it is not a quick in and out place, but the food was worth it, if you are not in a rush. We had the eggplant roll, julien in pancake bags, and manti as appetizers. All were delicious. I had the lagman as an entree and it was perfect home style cooking, warming me up on a cold December day. Equally happy were the others, with the Uzbec palov and various kebabs. The service was very friendly, definitely will come back here in the future.
(4)
Apejan S.
Nice dining room and waiting stuff. Food was below average and overpriced. Only julien in pancake could receive a grade B. the rest was just bland and tasteless. Bread (claimed homemade) was not even baked well. Till they get a new good chef we are not going back.
(2)
Gleb M.
Very nice Uzbekistan & Russian cuisine. The place has just opened when me and my 3 friends went there. Manti (dumplings with meat) were the best, and home-made bread with fruit compote felt just like at home! The place is very quiet, clean, with tablecloths on tables, which is seldom seen around Pitt. Staff is friendly and welcoming.
(4)
Maggie S.
Pancake bags are everything. I get them every time I go. And the dumplings are fresh and delicious!
(4)
michelle d.
The food was really good, and different from anything I've ever had before. I'd definitely recommend checking this quaint place out!
(4)
Steve V.
Really good tasty homemade food. Some items you have to wait about 25 min. Any way I'll go back....
(4)
Tom S.
My friends and I visited this place recently and I loved it! We started with the eggplant rolls and the stuffed eggs. I hate all eggplant dishes, or so I thought, and then I ate the eggplant roll. It is a dish served chilled and I loved it. The stuffed eggs have fish in them and were also good. The bread was amazing. I tried the Chuchvara and my friends had the Lagman and Kavsar. Of course, we all tried each dish and we all really liked the food. The service was good but she had to lug everything up and down stairs, I think. She earned her tip! The only negative I will add is the decor. Banquet-type chairs covered in white cloth with a black band were odd. Also, I hate pink and there are pink walls. Can't make everyone happy all the time. The videos on the television, presumably Uzbek music videos, were entertaining to watch.
(4)
Julie W.
Went here for my husband birhtday, my choice. i was here before The service was good and meals reasonably price I had Brizol its comes with rice or fries and salad, it was very ordinary and forgetable However my husband was a lot more impressed by his food. costumer service is perfect! free parking! nice place ! We will definitely returning !
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Amy S.
My boyfriend took me there for my birthday. Then I took my mom. Then my mother took my dad. Suffice it to say I think the food is awesome. It's incredibly different. You won't get food like this anywhere else in Pittsburgh I'm pretty sure.
(5)Joe D.
Touted as Pittsburgh's first Uzbekistanian restaurant, we went and I had no idea what to expect. The food was very reminiscent of Greek food. Kabobs were plentiful, meat dumplings, even Baklava for dessert. They do in fact have a vegetarian menu, small items, salads, and entrees. The carrot salad is what I started out with, sweet and spicy, one of my favorite taste combinations. A touch of garlic played nicely against the oil and vinegar dressing. I choose the eggplant roll as an Appetizer. Rolled eggplant stuffed with garlic and tomatoes, the dill was an excellent touch to finish off this dish. Lagman was my main course, homemade noodles covered in vegetables and spices. I could have had sliced beef or chicken over it but i went vegan. Delicious, a very rich broth brought all the ingredients together into a hearty meal. Almost like a Russian Pho! Green tea was the beverage we enjoyed with this meal. Just a little warning, they don't serve alcohol, I'm not sure if they allow you to bring wine. Small dining area, you may want to call before arriving. We were too full to even think about dessert, we noticed a dessert of the day on the menu, but didn't ask what it was. I'm defiantly making this one of my go to places. Who would have thought a Russian Restaurant on Mt Washington? The menu is extensive, lots of beef items. And Gino Malkin of the Penguins is a regular.
(4)Kathy R.
I really enjoyed my lunch at Kavsar today! We split an app of mushroom and chicken Julien Pancake bags, and they were great! I had the pumpkin Manti dumplings, and my friend had Gampan, which is rice with chicken and Asian spices. Both exceeded my expectations. This was my first time trying Uzbek food, but I will definitely go back to try some other items on their interesting menu. Our waitress was as nice and as sweet as could be!
(5)Sabera R.
The food was amazing! Me and my husband were there last night. The place was empty we were the only ones there. We ordered the pancake bags for appetizer absolutely YUM! then I ordered the sausage dish called kavsar and my husband ordered the chicken gampan both were delish! This place is worth your money!
(4)Salim B.
We enjoyed this spot on a walk while visiting Pittsburgh. We were the only patrons during lunch hour on a weekend, which felt slightly awkward. But the food and prices were good. The portions are large. I don't think Uzbek goes near the top of my ethnic-food loves, but I appreciated the wholesome-halal attitude surrounding it.
(3)Bruce W.
Went to Kavsar expecting average Uzbek and was so surprised. Authentic and the chef did it right! If you like Uzbek this is the place to go in NE Ohio and NW Pennsylvania. I will be back!
(5)Kyler W.
The Samsa was delicious. We enjoyed the pickled carrot salad very much. The Beef Kavsar was essentially a pot roast (which was good). We were just expecting something totally out of the ordinary. There was only one person waiting on the entire restaurant so it was hard for her to keep up with taking orders, delivering food and bussing tables. The restaurant and bathroom could be kept cleaner... We will give it another shot but hopefully things, service wise, are a little different next time.
(4)Jen C.
We ate at this restaurant yesterday. What a unique, delicious, and rare find Pittsburgh! The service was great and the food was very tasty. We had the samsa, palov and lagman . All hand made and delicious. My family and friends want to come back here soon !
(5)Ron B.
An incredible little restaurant. Had the pumpkin manti (steamed dumplings) and kavsar (called a sausage on the menu, but more like a very well spiced meatloaf) plus a noodle dish, the name of which escapes me (it's described as a traditional Uzbek dish). All of them were delicious. We took the incline and walked along Grandview ave. I can't imagine a better way to do it.
(4)Marina C.
We came to this place unexpectedly and my boyfriend and I absolutely loved it . Food was very fresh and unbelievable tasty , the atmosphere was very comfy. The Uzbek singer has great voice ( my boyfriend did not like when that guy singed something romantic and constantly looked at me ) Anyways , great place and on our next visit to Pittsburg we will go there again with pleasure.
(5)Helena G.
We came on a Sunday for lunch. The place was completely empty and only the waitress was to be seen. She spoke very little with us, but we have had Uzbek food several times before so we didn't have as many questions as first tries. We had beef Julian pancake bags for starter which was the weakest of the meal. There was very little flavor and mushrooms were canned. For entree we had plov and manti. Frankly the food was really not special but what makes it worse is that we distinctly had the impression that they were serving us badly because of us being the only customers. First there was no bread for starters which I saw on pictures of people who came for dinner. Then plov's meat was to the side and burnt. I have had plov several times before and can see that the one we were served here is not how it is supposed to be served. Plus Uzbeks always serve plov with a salad to cut the oily texture. No salad was served. Manti of beef and pumpkin was also disappointing. If you don't want to make an effort to serve lunch then close shop at that time of the day.
(1)Jo T.
Oh my! Loved it! Saw it driving by one weekend, enjoying the view over the city and strolling around up there, next change I was with a hungry group we went there. Fantastic! It's (to me) an interesting mix of the known and unknown mixed, a little bit like Turkish cooking but more silk road.... and it feels like you visited your darling relatives in Uzbekistan for the first time and the whole family is stumbling over you to make you feel as conformable as possible and pampering you left and right. I mean, who would not love that? We had a a wonderful large salad, soup with chicken dumplings, rice with beef and veggies and beef with chickpeas and pasta. Apparently everything is made from scratch and it seems like no dish contains less than at least 20 ingredients (but I didn't count nor ask the cook, only an assumption). It turns out they substitute mutton with beef as the US mutton doesn't taste authentic. Don't forget to taste the salty yogurt drink ayran, refreshing and delicious. Decor is matching with the food style and the waitress we had was probably the nicest person I met in the last five years altogether. Definitely coming back!
(5)Joop V.
We were glad to find Kavsar and to get to try Uzbek food for the first time! :) The restaurant is slightly hidden as it is up the top of the hill of Shiloh St and a couple of blocks away from other restaurants/cafes down the hills with higher foot traffic. From the outside, it looks like a normal home and there's a slightly weird setup where you have to walk up the stairs upon entering the restaurant to get to the main dining area. The restaurant itself is not upscale by any means, but instead, has a homey feel to it. Meaning, it feels as if it's not as a professional restaurant (although I'm sure they are licensed! :D)...but rather more like you are dining at another person's home. We tried the Uzbek yoghurt drink on a hot summer day (it's not too overly sweet and has a slight salt taste to it. You should try it for once!). For lunch, we tried a mix of pumpkin and beef Manti dumplings (their menu said to pick beef, pumpkin or spinach, but we asked them if we could mix the dumpling fillings, and they were happy to accommodate our request!), Kavsar Beef (delicious!...I also loved their slightly pickled fresh carrots that came on the side, too. Very refreshing!) and eggplant rolls. The addition of the fresh dills to the fries and other dishes makes the dish tastier..and is definitely a much better alternative to salt that we typically see in American food! :D Overall, we found the dish very tasty and not too heavy. We ordered quite a bit of food, but surprisingly, after eating, we didn't feel like the meal was too heavy or too bloated like you'd feel bad eating when dining out and gorging yourself with too much food at all. Overall, a great place for people to adventure our to try new food out of their comfort zone! We love our experiences and their prices were very reasonable. Service was slightly slow (and therefore -1) but I suspect that was because the dining room is upstairs, so at times, the waiter/waitress was elsewhere downstairs at the kitchen/on the first floor getting the food/drinks ready for the tables upstairs.
(4)Amy M.
I don't understand why this place isn't packed from open to close. It's a gem. My husband and I went to dinner here a little after 6 on a Friday and we were the only two in the entire restaurant. The space/decor is kinda like grandma's house if grandma had white table cloths. It's homey and dated in that charming grandma-y way. There was only one server working and she was helpful, taking the time to make suggestions and answer all of our questions. The menu is extensive and I had a tough time deciding what to order. Everything sounded SO GOOD. We finally decided on cottage cheese pancakes, sherpa soup, meatball noodle soup, manti, and kavsar. Everything was delicious. The soups were flavorful and the cottage cheese pancakes were awesome enough to have as a dessert course (even though we ate them first). I particularly loved the Manti and the Kavsar. The manti are steamed dumplings stuffed with meat. They were so flavorful and I could definitely tell they were hand-made and fresh. The Kavsar was the star of the night. It's described as a "roasted meat sausage rolled with whipped eggs and cheese steamed with vegetables". It was a party in my mouth. I found the texture to be more like a fluffy meatloaf. It was so good and everything comfort food needs to be. We had a fantastic first experience with Uzbek cuisine. We'll definitely be back again with friends!
(4)Sherry W.
Great home made food! Service was great, we had the steamed dumplings, handpulled noodles, and burka soup. Ended with the honey cake. All ingredients was very fresh! Would highly recommend this little gem!
(5)Sandra L.
Delicious food - new to Uzbek cuisine so tried several things - loved them all. The spinach manti were excellent - served with a light spiced sauce. My son had the "cutlet" which was more like a meatball - very tender. Must go back!
(4)Emily Z.
I find that the places with the best food are often the least expected. My family and I decided to try out this place after searching for nearby restaurants in Pittsburgh. While the roads leading up to the restaurant were hilly and slightly difficult to navigate, we found our way eventually. The restaurant doesn't seem like much outside-- if anything, it looks like any other house in the area. The interior is very homely with the dining area upstairs. There weren't many people, which we liked-- it allowed for peaceful eating and light conversation without loud noises in the way. The waitress was attentive and extremely nice, even helping us with directions after we finished. We got quite a bit for four people-- 1 large bread, 2 soups, 4 kebabs, eggplant rolls, and 2 main entrees. We ended up with lots of leftovers, even after stuffing ourselves full with the amazing food. The bread is really fresh, warm, and soft. Even though there wasn't any sauces to dip them in, the bread itself is good enough to eat alone. I had some dipped in soup, and it's great either way. Probably the best bread I've ever had. The kebabs are essentially meat, but they were cooked pretty well and were tasty. We only got around to eating one entree, the Kavsar, out of the two we ordered, since we were so full. The balance of egg, cheese, and meat is amazing, and is definitely something to try here. Overall, the food here is amazing. Despite its less than beautiful exterior, this restaurant is one you should try out in Pittsburgh, with great food, staff, and a nice, quiet environment.
(5)Tony D.
This is such a unique place, one that is definitely worth going out of the way to dine here. While it seems a little homely on the outside (it actually feels more like a house on the inside, with the dining area up a flight of carpeted stairs and such), that's what you want for an authentic experience. We got a shurpa soup, palov rice dish, and the kavsar entree. The shurpa soup was was very fragrant, and came with some pieces of carrot, potato, and beef. The palov rice was pretty heavily advertised as a national dish so we couldn't not get it--one can definitely taste all the herbs and spices that went into it, along with the tender strips of beef. The kavsar was definitely the best of the bunch for me. Delicious delicious meat sausage (so soft!) wrapped with a layer of egg and cheese, with cold vegetables on the side. They have plenty of other items to try, so this is by no means the last visit!
(5)Grace K.
Had dinner here this week with friends, I'm a veg., they're not. We were all amazed at how delicious everything was. We all agreed we'd go back and tell friends about it. Today I told people at work about it and persuaded a party of 7 to try it for dinner. I loved the olive salad, the pumpkin filled "perogies" the main dish with noodles and the baklava was awesome! GO THERE NOW BEFORE THE MASSES FIND IT.
(5)Kimberly R.
What a great neighborhood restaurant. My husband and I have been wanting to try this place and finally made it over there last night. The upstairs is very nicely decorated and the wait staff were very smiley and sweet. We tried some different dishes. It appeared to be very meat heavy, but they so have a little vegetarian section on the back. I ordered some noodles with a great red sauce And veggies. It looked like it was going to be spicy but was not. My meal had a great flavor. They best part was dessert. We ordered baklava. We tried to order two pieces, but I think the waitress misunderstood bc she brought us two plates with 4 pieces each. ( you would think we would have corrected her but no. It was so good we ate it all!!!). So we went home very stuff with dinner and lots of sweet, nutty dessert!!! Would definitely recommend trying it to eat something different and def get the dessert!! They do have live music too. Nice way to enjoy dinner.
(3)Yana M.
Very cute small charming place. Food is amazing.
(5)Patti C.
Girls night sis and two nieces . We all tried something different and liked everything ,sorry all the names escape me . Please go and try it! Very Inexpensive for the meal, we had two appetizers , 4,meals and Baklava split, enough for the four of us , total $63!
(5)Allison P.
I recently went to Kavsar for lunch with a colleague. Was intrigued and wanted to try Uzbekistani/Russian cuisine. We were there for a little over an hour and were literally the only customers in the restaurant the entire time. That aside, our waitress was very sweet and helpful and the food was very good. I had carrot salad, pumpkin dumplings and a side of bread. The carrot salad was the best part of the meal. It's a must-try, very garlicky (which is not a problem for me). The dumplings were terrific; although, we had to wait 25 minutes (which was fine for me). The bread was delicious and very bagel-like. My colleague had the carrot salad (and agreed that it was the best part of the meal), as well as kebabs. We were also seated in front of a mounted flat screen TV that played Uzbek music videos, which was entertaining and gave a glimpse into a different culture. As for a return trip, I am sure I'll be back.
(4)Tanna P.
Great authentic Uzbekistan food! We will be back again for sure!
(3)Casey D.
I really like this restaurant! Though I had a better experience having the food delivered (I live in mt. wash) rather than eating in. It's a bit of a homely place...also keep in mind it's a Halal restaurant, so no alcohol! I like the chicken kebobs as an appetizer and the Uzbek Palov is really good as well. I love the rice they serve with the palov. The second time I went, I got the beef stroganoff, and while it was really tasty, there were way too many fries. They put the fries in the stroganoff, so they soak up all the sauce, and it's not good at all. I ate around all the fries, however, but definitely would not order again. My boyfriend got the lagman, which was super delicious. I think I'll try that next time. This is a very unique experience, in my opinion, in a quaint and quiet restaurant. It's definitely very dated inside, but the food makes up for it.
(4)Jeff G.
I went over the holidays and ordered takeout... This food is amazing. Truly, amazing. Fresh bread and home-cooking. I can't wait to go back, though I seldom find myself in this part of town. Oh, man, I'm getting hungry just thinking about "lagman" the noodle dish.
(5)Jason S.
Great food, friendly service. The layout of the resturant feels dated, a bit like a suburban mom decorating a sitting room in the late 90's, but the staff was super helpful and the decor sorted of added to the charm. A man played music in the corner, most of which was covers with some Uzbek songs as well, as a TV played Uzbek and Russian MTV. I had the egg plant rolls and Kavsar, both of which I would recommend. I have nothing else to really compare the dishes to directly since this was my first encounter with Uzbek food, but the food was fresh and tasty. I am excited to try more off the menu. Oh, and the for the vegetarians, there was a decent vegetarian section.
(4)Yuxin J.
Food is amazing. Had some sort of sausage, eggplant roll and soup dumplings. The environment is nice Has free parking at the corner
(5)Richard B.
A friend and myself stopped at Kavsar on Saturday night around 8:30 PM. We were the only people dining during our entire stay. When you walk in there is a small bar (not sure if they serve alcohol) and a few tables. The actual dining area is upstairs. It's not the nicest restaurant I've ever been to but some of the best places I've at weren't the prettiest. They had live music which consisted of someone playing soothing guitar music. The performer was really good! The service was prompt and knowledgable. The server answered our questions and gave us her favorites. For dinner, I opted to try the Uzbek Palov and green tea with lemon. The Palov consists of tender beef served with rice, tender carrots and scallions/onions. Overall it was a very good dish, but I would have liked more meat in particular. There were only a few pieces on top of the rice. One option may be for $2-3 more adding more meat to the dish. The tea was also very good. For desert I opted for the honey cake based on the recommendation of our server. It was good, but not really something I would normally try but I like trying different things. Overall, I'd recommend this restaurant, especially since its not too busy.
(4)Bill D.
A nice place to try something different. Have eaten here twice. Second time was quite busy compared to first and service was slow but understandably so. Found out it was waitresses first night and was the only waitress. Main dining area in upstairs and everything needs to be brought up a long flight of steep steps. There is a few tables on the ground floor if stairs are a problem. All in all worth a try though. Favorite dish was also named Kavsar.
(4)Junier O.
Good food at a good price. the Kavsar was really tasty, a bit like meat loaf.
(4)Jason F.
I stopped by here last night with my fiance and 2 other dining companions for a late dinner. My fiance and I arrived right around 8:30 PM to a completely empty restaurant. The downstairs of the restaurant is a bar area with a couple of tables that can only seat three people. As I looked around a little worried about the seating situation, our server came out and asked how many? Whenever we replied with 4 she pointed to some stairs and said that we could sit upstairs. Since she didn't come with us we were free to seat ourselves wherever we wanted. The upstairs of this place is actually quite nice and reminded me of a room used to host nice parties. There were white table clothes on all of the tables along with white chair covers and black bows. The only oddity was the flat screen TV on one of the walls which had on a foreign station (Uzbecki perhaps?) playing music videos. While it seemed a bit odd at first, everyone eventually ended up enjoying the music. Since none of us had ever had Uzbek halal before the table decided to split a couple of appetizers to start off with. We went with the eggplant roll, julien in pancake bags and finally a double order of the homemade bread. Both the eggplant roll and julien in pancake bags come out together before our meals. We were actually debating about whether we should order the pancake bags or something else whenever we had placed our order but after it arrived we were more than happy to have to stuck with our decision since it was delicious. It did indeed look like a pancake bag whenever it arrived at our table and seemed to have the consistency of Injera. The inside of the bag was filled with mushroom, beef and a creamy sauce all of which was delicious. Meanwhile the eggplant roll consisted of some eggplant rolled up around tomato and garlic with dill on it. It was decent but paled in comparison to the bags. For my entree I went with the Kavsar (You can't go wrong ordering a restaurants namesake, right?) while my fiance went with the Gampam and our dining companions went with Chuchvara and Lagman with each couple also ordering a lamb kabob. It was nice to see all of the different dishes whenever they arrived at the table with the double order of homemade bread. The kavsar is roasted meat sausage rolled with whipped eggs and cheese steamed with some bell peppers and I choose mashed potatoes as my side. It ended up having a pretty good flavor and it reminded me quite a bit of stuffed cabbage with the cheese and egg taking the place of the cabbage. I was also able to taste both my fiances Gampam(rice topped with rich and delicious broth with vegetables, asian spices and beef tender loin) and our friends Chuchvara (handmade small boiled dumplings filled with ground beef and chopped onions) with the spices in the Gampam making it my favorite of the three entrees I tried. The kabob was also excellent and sort of reminded me of peppered beef jerky. That's not a bad thing in my book though as I do love that flavor. The homemade bread was also really good with a unique shape and a good thick crust around it and a soft inner filling. Finally for dessert my fiance and I ended up splitting the dessert of the day which was a honey cake. The server was unable to describe it to us but being adventuous, we ordered it anyways. I would describe it as a multi layered sponge cake with a strong taste of honey in the frosting and both my fiance and I thought that it tasted pretty good. The bottom line for me is that I would definitely head back here again in the future. The restaurant itself ended up looking pretty good inside, our server was nice and all of the food was had was both different and good.
(4)Tiffany Y.
Kavsar serves Uzbek and Russian foods. I had never eaten Uzbek food, but I grew up eating Russian foods because of my two Russian grandparents. Tonight to celebrate Russian Christmas Eve, I decided to give this restaurant a try. I was worried about not having a reservation, but when my husband and I showed up, only one other table was occupied. We chose a table ourselves upstairs. I noticed that some lights in the room were out, although the room was still well-lit, and some tables had dirty tablecloths. There was a large TV on the wall that played music and videos. The waitress soon introduced herself and handed us the menus. Throughout the service, she was nice, offered drink refills, and brought out our food on time. I really enjoyed the taste of my samsa (a large crispy pastry with ground beef inside), borsch (cabbage, beef, beans, and potato in beet broth), and vareniki (eight pierogies filled with potato). My husband, who is not of Russian or Uzbek ancestry, ordered only one dish (I think the gampan, which is rice with vegetables and beef or chicken). I liked my food better than his. The total bill was only about $32 plus tip. I will have to talk my husband into bringing me back here in the future so I can try more dishes. I encourage other people to give this restaurant a try.
(4)Ivan R.
This is a really good and authentic place. A lovely restaurant on Mt. Washington. Authentic Uzbek and Russian food, very reasonable prices, and excellent service. Also there is a dedicated parking lot down Southern Ave. They have a lunch special at $9 that is a nice 2-course meal + tea.
(5)Somi L.
It's amazing place to have lunch and dinner in. My wife and I ordered brizol, samsa, eggplants rolls and beef sroganoff. The brizol is worh to give it a try. This place care about the product quality. I love it and i will visit it again and again. I think the next visit I will try the kebab.
(5)Scott J.
Came here for lunch with a group of 6. Our lunch lasted over 1.5 hrs, and the place was not busy. So it is not a quick in and out place, but the food was worth it, if you are not in a rush. We had the eggplant roll, julien in pancake bags, and manti as appetizers. All were delicious. I had the lagman as an entree and it was perfect home style cooking, warming me up on a cold December day. Equally happy were the others, with the Uzbec palov and various kebabs. The service was very friendly, definitely will come back here in the future.
(4)Apejan S.
Nice dining room and waiting stuff. Food was below average and overpriced. Only julien in pancake could receive a grade B. the rest was just bland and tasteless. Bread (claimed homemade) was not even baked well. Till they get a new good chef we are not going back.
(2)Gleb M.
Very nice Uzbekistan & Russian cuisine. The place has just opened when me and my 3 friends went there. Manti (dumplings with meat) were the best, and home-made bread with fruit compote felt just like at home! The place is very quiet, clean, with tablecloths on tables, which is seldom seen around Pitt. Staff is friendly and welcoming.
(4)Maggie S.
Pancake bags are everything. I get them every time I go. And the dumplings are fresh and delicious!
(4)michelle d.
The food was really good, and different from anything I've ever had before. I'd definitely recommend checking this quaint place out!
(4)Steve V.
Really good tasty homemade food. Some items you have to wait about 25 min. Any way I'll go back....
(4)Tom S.
My friends and I visited this place recently and I loved it! We started with the eggplant rolls and the stuffed eggs. I hate all eggplant dishes, or so I thought, and then I ate the eggplant roll. It is a dish served chilled and I loved it. The stuffed eggs have fish in them and were also good. The bread was amazing. I tried the Chuchvara and my friends had the Lagman and Kavsar. Of course, we all tried each dish and we all really liked the food. The service was good but she had to lug everything up and down stairs, I think. She earned her tip! The only negative I will add is the decor. Banquet-type chairs covered in white cloth with a black band were odd. Also, I hate pink and there are pink walls. Can't make everyone happy all the time. The videos on the television, presumably Uzbek music videos, were entertaining to watch.
(4)Julie W.
Went here for my husband birhtday, my choice. i was here before The service was good and meals reasonably price I had Brizol its comes with rice or fries and salad, it was very ordinary and forgetable However my husband was a lot more impressed by his food. costumer service is perfect! free parking! nice place ! We will definitely returning !
(5)