Sharp Edge Bistro Sewickley

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.59/5  rDev +7.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

Stopped in after a Pirates game so I may have been a little overzealous toward the servers there. I overheard one of the girls saying to a customer there's no added sugar in the Lindeman's Framboise just natural fruit fermentation and I kinda loudly corrected that. A bit out of turn but Tony doesn't like lies after later apologizing we were on better terms and Geno the other manager was a really cool guy helped us out and talked beer, but I was sorry to have missed Nick on this visit. Atmosphere here is really kinda uppity but it's good for the beer and this area, definitely elevates Belgians to wine status for the Sewickley crowd and servers are adorned with button up dress shirts and tucked ties. Euro taps I counted 20 were awesome and the selection was of course great mostly Belgian with St Feullien Tripel, Delirium Tremens, Bell's Two Hearted etc but all good stuff and the bottles I found some rarities on hand. I went with a bottle of Fantome Strange Ghost, in addition I spotted Printemps and Chocolat as well that's key. The bottle chiller worked really well they set my bottle at a seven and it came out at a perfect temp, we were there for happy hour so the drafts were definitely well worth at with half off Belgians. Awesome place really well done I hope to see more stuff like this popping up, and it may this place will definitely rival the Delirium Cafe' if it ever makes it's scheduled appearance in the Burgh. No food on this visit but I will be back eventually great experience and it's non smoking like the other two Sharp Edge locales.

08-03-2007 13:40:10 | More by WVbeergeek

CBOLAND17

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -9.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$$

I live in Sewickley and go to the Sharp Edge quite a bit. You walk and in are instantly impersed in the atmosphere. beers lining the walls and foreign beer signs everywhere. you can sit at the bar and have a drink or have a seat to the side or at the back. the food is great (i especially love the buffalo bites that come in a variety of flavors and are half priced during happy hour on thursdays i believe), unfortunately most of the beer is overpriced and the service isnt so good. everyone who works there is pleasant but they always take a very long time to seat you (even when there is practically no one in the place) and the food always takes a long time (but i know its worth the wat)...also the beer is very overpriced, i once paid $20 for a DFH World Wide Stout there and later discovered that that same beer was sold for $8-11 elsewhere, what a ripoff...id love to take over ownership of this place and make a few changes, other than those complaints i love the place, the food is awesome and they have a great selection even if you have to wait a while and maybe pay a bit extra its worth it in the end..i guess. :P

09-09-2011 06:23:03 | More by CBOLAND17

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.15/5  rDev -3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$

As I happened to be staying in a hotel over by the airport, I thought it made sense to stop by this nearby beer bar.

One thing about SE bistro is that it's not the easiest pub to find on the planet. The address says beaver st., which is where I parked. However, the bistro was no where to be seen, and my initial reaction was that I must have the wrong address. Fortunately, a local patron was able to direct me over to the cafe/store/pub, which was actually around the back side of the building that one would normally associate with 510 beaver st. (now I guess I know what the "rear" means on the address listing).

Upon walking in, one notices a good size wrap around bar that dominates the front room. There are also a few tables and chairs, but the main dining area is down a fairly long hallway in the back. This place doubles as a beer store, and they have a pretty decent selection of craft beer and imports (emphasis on Belgians, as one would expect at SE). Otherwise, this place has a fairly modern looking, minimalistic vibe, but otherwise seemed a comfortable place to hang out with a beer (and of course watch the pirates play on one of the flat screens).

The selection here was pretty comparable to what I found at the emporium, though the bottle selection was a bit larger and the draft selection a bit smaller. I'd say about 75% of the draft selection at the bistro consisted of the same beer I saw at the emporium, but there were a few interesting differences. Prices were roughly 10% higher here than for the same beers over at the emporium. Also, I realize Duchesse de Bourgogne is a fairly uncommon beer to see on draft, but still... $12 for a 12 ounce glass? Really?

As for food, I got the duck confit and fig personal pizza, and it was quite good. It was probably the best thing I ate during my entire stay in Pittsburgh.

As for service, I thought it was pretty good. My young bartender/waitress was very polite and friendly, and I never had to wait long for a refill.

Overall, despite the somewhat higher pricing here, I think I enjoyed my time at the bistro a bit more than my visit to the emporium (the fact the AC was not working all that well at the emporium, on a very warm summer day, might have had something to do with that). Anyway, this ultimately struck me as another beer bar with a very strong line-up of quality craft and imports in the Pittsburgh area.

07-05-2011 16:07:45 | More by johnmichaelsen

DWolf

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -4.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$

The Sharp Edge establishments have justifiably earned their reputation for serving great Belgian beer. Each beer is served in its signature glass, which is as fun as it is functional. The selection is very good. The sampler offers a great value to, well, sample. Interestingly, this place is a buck or two pricier than its sister establishments - hence the "bit pricey rating". Depending on who is behind the bar, you'll either get great advice or a bit of attitude. Roll the dice. It's a good place to have a beer. Their selection is fairly vast.

03-28-2011 21:48:51 | More by DWolf

SwiftyMcBeer

Indiana

3.68/5  rDev -14%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 2 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

I thought the selection of beers was outstanding. A bunch of taps, mostly belgium but some good american micros as well, and a slew of bottles. This is defintely a beer-first establishment. The food was pretty good too. My main problem was the service, it was a tuesday night, it wasn't crowded, and I basically had to beg the bartender to pay attention to me. It was really annoying. All things considered, I would return, I just wouldn't sit where that guy was the person covering me. IF you are in the area and love beer, swing by, it doesn't dissapoint. I didn't get it, but I love the concept of a mystery tap as well.

03-08-2011 16:11:58 | More by SwiftyMcBeer

garbercury

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +5.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$$$

A newer version of the Sharp Edge which is the closest to my abode, also very close to the airport which works nicely.

A--Recently expanded with a large dining area in the back. Bar itself is small and quaint, which I like. Big TV in front to watch sports.

Q--High end per usual. My only problem is they do leave many of their belgian bottles exposed in light, a big no-no.

S--A high point for me. Great people at this location who always remember me and my name. Always love to talk beer and are generous. I really disliked a beer and the tender comped me with another choice, very cool.

S--Probably the least choices with the taps and like the others, rarely have Quads or Saisons two stalwarts of the Belgian style. One server said that frankly many of the clientel simply do not drink those beers which is typical. Bottle list is very good with some rare choices from time to time but they are not cheap.

F--Terrific food. Try a burger or the pizza.

12-03-2009 23:47:23 | More by garbercury

Hojaminbag

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$$$

The Sharp Edge Bistro is the closest beer bar to where I live, so I visit there fairly often.

Right when you walk in you notice that a large, wooden bar takes up the entire front room. In addition to the many bar stools, there are a few tall tables set up around the bar. The back room has tables and booths, but I have never sat there. Who wants to sit anywhere but the bar? The bar itself is surrouned by tap handles, mostly Belgians with a few well-selected American craft beers. Two entire walls on one side of the restaurant are covered with bottle racks.

Service is very good. Everyone is prompt, friendly, and in my experience they seem to know their beer. I've had good service here every time.

The tap selection is mostly Belgians, with some stalwarts being Tripel Karmeliet, Delirium tremens, Lindeman's framboise, hoegaarden, wittekerke, gulden draak, leute bok, bornem dubbel, Chimay white, Maredsous 8, piraat, "over the edge" a hoppy tripel that is the house beer, Augustijn, bavik pils, ename, stella, leffe brune/blonde. There are a few Germans at all time, including Ayinger hefe and a few others. Also 3-5 American crafts, usually a seasonal or two. My last visit I can remember Sunshine Pils, Ommegang Rouge, Weyerbacher zotten.

The bottle selection is excellent, and it includes a wide range of the bottles available in the area,, with a focus on belgians of course.

The one knock on the selection is that it hardly ever changes, but at least what is there is solid enough that this complaint is pretty minor.

The food is solid bar food, I get .40 boneless wings for late night and happy hour a lot. Nothing fantastic, but pretty good to eat while you drink a fantastic beer.

OK, here is the one problem with Sharp Edge. IT IS ABSURDLY EXPENSIVE. How can they have a keg of Ommegang Rouge last well over a month? Because they charge 9.60 for about 8ozs of it. A small tulip (25cl) of Gulden Draak is 9.60. 25cl of wittekirke is 5.60. A tulip of Karmeliet or chimay white: 11.10. None of these prices include the 10% county drink tax either.

One nice thing is that all Belgian drafts are half off for happy hour, which is 430-630 every weekday. With that discount they become a pretty good deal, and for that reason I come here often for happy hour, but almost never otherwise.

07-25-2009 16:06:07 | More by Hojaminbag

wampahoofus

Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +11.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

This is my hometown brew pub. You will find about 20+ beers on tap, mostly Belgian as well as several choice micros. They also have about 100+ bottles to choose from. The bottles run the gambit of most of the well known mircos and Belgians. Recently, they have begun to offer a Weyerbacher selection on tap.

The food is decent, but a bit pricey for what you get. Lots of sandwiches and pizzas with a few entrees.

Happy hour is 4:30 - 6 with all Belgian drafts half-price and micros $1 off.

After 10PM appitizers are greatly reduced in price. Try the buffalo-blue boneless wings. They are one of my favorites!

One final detail: This location nearly doubled in size this past January for those who found it small.

06-09-2009 19:58:50 | More by wampahoofus

PittBeerGirl

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -5.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$$

I am at the Creekhouse about twice a month and it is one of my favorite establishments in the area so I decided to give the Bistro a try. My review is comparing the two locations.

Small bar with a very upscale feel. Medium wood and cloth Belgian beer flags hanging. Seating is very comfortable and most people who come here are well-dressed so be prepared for that if you make a stop here. All the bottles are displayed along the wall in the bar seating area so if you want to grab one and take it to your table you can...or you can order one from the cooler (the ones in the cooler are a different color on the menu). There was no seating left at the bar so I had to get a table.

Service was good and both waitresses we had were very friendly and knowledgeable about the beer offered. The food is good and the menu is about the same as the creekhouse menu but a bit smaller.

The other major difference is the selection. Bottle selection is good but overpriced (very similar to the Creekhouse), and draft selection is much more limited. A good list of Belgians but not as many as are offered in the creekhouse and the draft selection of imports and micros is much, much smaller (I believe 4 taps total). The only micro offered was DFH 60 min (compared to 6-8 at the creekhouse). This means that getting a 10-12 oz mug of craft beer for like $3 isn't going to happen. I'd be happy to return for happy hour but you probably won't find me here at any other time of the day. The creekhouse is closer to me and I like it better.

09-22-2008 21:17:36 | More by PittBeerGirl

IPreferBeer

South Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +2.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

Thanks to beer fly for making me aware of this place. Although I regularly visit the Pittsburgh area, I rarely actually make it into the city. I knew of the other Sharp Edge locations, but never had an opportunity to visit them. This location is small, with maybe 10 seats at the bar (where I perched), tables in the bar area to seat about 30, and a dining room that could seat maybe 10 groups of 2 or 4 (all estimates). Belgians are featured most prominently, and a small but good selection of Europeans and domestic micros are available. I also came for dinner, and several items on the menu sounded tempting. I selected the dinner special - crab cakes. My meal exceeded expectations; the food was tasty and served with nice presentation.

Clearly a spot I'll return to for beer and dinner on future trips. Another note: I've been a BA lurker for over a year and have visited many, many beer stops across the country...this is the one that got me motivated to write my first review.

04-14-2007 13:37:52 | More by IPreferBeer