I had the opportunity to go to one of the preview events at BJ’s Brewhouse at McCandless Crossing in Pittsburgh, PA a few weeks ago for the purposes of a review for a local news site. It was a truly enjoyable experience, and I had a really great time and looked forward to going back with friends and family.

When my birthday rolled around we tossed around a few ideas and settled on BJ’s Brewhouse. Dave had not been yet, and we wanted to be available in case we needed to get back to the kids.

We headed over for dinner around 5pm on Saturday night up at McCandless Crossing. It was a rainy evening with a pretty full parking lot near the restaurants. We finally found a spot, and it was about a five minute walk. We got inside and it extremely busy (which is good for this restaurant and the others around!) We dropped our name and phone number in line and expected to wait 30-45 minutes for a table.

The rain started again as we decided to go spend some time at Trader Joe’s. Just as we were getting ready to go inside TJ’s, I had a text notifying us our table was ready. Really? So we head back, and wait a few minutes in line while they clear a table. Surprised, but alright!

We decided to order a few beer samplers so D could try some of the BJ’s Brews, and other drinks like the Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale. Along with the beer samples I got a pint of the Berry Burst Cider, a really refreshing drink for summer. The Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale sample we got was downright delicious, and it had all the best flavors bourbon in a beer!

Beer Sampling at BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse

We were a bit up in the air on appetizers, even though we both agreed we should get the avocado egg rolls. Eventually we decided on the combo platter since the Southwest Egg Rolls came highly recommended by our server, and Artichoke Dip isn’t something I get often but really like.

Lesson learned! Next time, we’ll probably just get the Avocado Egg rolls – the most unique tasting, crave worthy item on the plate. Everything else was pretty mainstream tasting, as in I think I have eaten this at every other restaurant. I ate most of this, since my dinner selection was going to be easy to take home and reheat.

Best Beginnings® Appetizer Combo (BJ's Brewhouse)

Time for the main course, even though I was pretty full by this point. D got the Hawaiian Mahi Mahi, and I got a burger (see below). The fish was good, just barely overcooked, but the vegetables were fresh and crunchy. The pineapple fried rice was  slightly sweet contrast to the bit of saltiness in the dish.

Hawaiian Mahi-Mahi (BJ's Brewhouse)

I got the Black and Bleu Burger for my meal. Nicely cooked burger with a Parmesan crusted bun, blue cheese crumbles, applewood smoked bacon, and garlic aioli. The shoestring french fries were pretty basic, and most surprisingly, this all tasted even better when we had it as leftovers the next day.

Black and Bleu-House Burger (BJ's Brewhouse)

To end our meal, we decided to get a dessert (even though we had met the threshold on our $10 off $35 dinner). We got the Salted Caramel Pizookie to split. It was a caramel cookie dough, almond toffee, pretzel bites and white and dark chocolate chips.

While waiting for our dessert, our server brought the check and we were able to settle up. We found this really nice even though we had nowhere to be, but others might not be a fan if an issue comes up before the end of the meal.

The dessert itself was okay. I liked the combination of sweet and salty, but by the end it was just too salty tasting even with the creamy, vanilla ice cream.

Salted Caramel Pizookie®

We will be back, because there’s lots more on the BJ’s Brewhouse and Restaurant menu to try!

https://i0.wp.com/www.thesugarpixie.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-20150627_172215-e1435531990440.jpg?fit=1000%2C750&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/www.thesugarpixie.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-20150627_172215-e1435531990440.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1thesugarpixieReviewsbeer,Pittsburgh restaurantsI had the opportunity to go to one of the preview events at BJ's Brewhouse at McCandless Crossing in Pittsburgh, PA a few weeks ago for the purposes of a review for a local news site. It was a truly enjoyable experience, and I had a really great time...Misadventures and fun in the kitchen and beyond