Breaded and fried cubes of pork and veal on a wooden skewer, despite the name containing no chicken. A Depression-era dish from Pittsburgh's Eastern European and mill communities.
City chicken was born in Pittsburgh and the wider Rust Belt during the Great Depression, when pork and veal were cheaper than chicken. Cooks cubed the meat, skewered it to mimic a drumstick, then breaded and fried it. The dish persisted in Eastern European and Polish households and on diner menus; it still turns up at old-school restaurants and family Sunday tables across the region as a nostalgic comfort dish.
2 editor picks for City chicken in Pittsburgh, ranked by editorial score. All Pittsburgh signature dishes · City chicken across every city.
S&D Polish Deli ★ 4.2
strip-district · 2204 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
S&D Polish Deli on Penn Avenue in the Strip District is a deli, grocery and pierogi counter in Pittsburgh. Hand-pinched pierogi with imported cheese.
Max's Allegheny Tavern ★ 4.0
north-side · 537 Suismon St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Max's Allegheny Tavern in Deutschtown serves German tavern food in Pittsburgh. Schnitzel, sauerbraten and steins in a North Side corner room.