Q: negative

A: Oh, Square Cafe. I wanted to like you so badly. I've been meaning to come here for years. Then I moved to Chicago, and on subsequent visits to Pittsburgh never made it to Square Cafe. Recently, I saw a Groupon for this restaurant and decided to use it on my trip to Pittsburgh this weekend. I was looking forward to it; the menu looked great and the reviews were good. I went there yesterday, and my entire family was disappointed. Service was okay -- not the most attentive in the world, but it was decent. The food, though, wasn't good. I had the lemon-berry ricotta pancakes, which weren't cooked all the way through. The middle in two of the three pancakes was uncooked batter. My mom said her hamburger tasted like a frozen patty from the grocery store and had a strange aftertaste. My dad's eggs were cold. And my brother, who will usually eat everything on his plate, ate less than half of his chorizo tostada. My brother and I took our meals in to-go boxes (I figured I could heat up the pancakes the next day and fix the problem of them not being cooked all the way through, but I tried to eat them this morning and they still tasted bad). My mom's burger was mostly uneaten, and to his credit the server asked if there was a problem. My mom said she didn't like it. Most restaurants would take it off the bill at that point, but Square Cafe didn't. I'm giving it two stars because the restaurant is cute and the coffee is pretty good. I asked for a to-go cup for my leftover coffee, and the server actually brought me a to-go cup of fresh coffee, which was very nice of him. That was one of the few things that bumped this review up to two stars. Also, it's expensive ($50 for four people before the Groupon). My dad said later that we could have gotten similar, better-tasting food for half the price somewhere else.

Q: positive

A: Multiply the costs of already high-end kitchen gadgets and doodads with the exclusivity of the Southpark Mall and you'll find Sur La Table's collection of anything you could possibly need for food preparation at home. Knives, small appliances, bakeware, cookware and utensils. All top end. All expensive. I was pleased to find the clearance rack in the back corner, where I spotted a slightly less expensive version of the veggie peeler and the knife sharpeners I needed. Score!

Q: positive

A: They changed their menu slightly. They don't have mentaiko bacon or lamb pops anymore. I was very sad to hear this because they were delicious! I don't think they have lunch specials anymore either. But the other stuff on their menu is still super yummy! And the service is great as always!

Q: positive

A:
Eggcellent service. Great, healthy options as post workout meals. Rec- chorizo and eggs, huevos rancheros and Benedict.