Gus and Yiayia's Ice Balls is a restaurant in North Side, Pittsburgh.
Why locals love it: A summer-only, cash-only ice-ball cart on the North Side that has run since 1934 and only locals seem to know.
Tip: Bring small bills; it is cash only and summer only. A few dollars buys a shaved-ice ball and popcorn.
Address: 638 W Ohio St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Why locals love it: A Polish deli, grocery and pierogi counter on the Strip that gets overshadowed by the bigger Italian market names.
Tip: Buy a dozen pierogi to go and a kielbasa. Ask about the monthly pierogi-making class if you want to learn.
Why locals love it: A Mexican grocery and back taqueria on the Strip making its own tortillas, a quiet local pick amid the produce stalls.
Tip: Grab tacos at the back counter and a stack of fresh tortillas to take home. Cheap and authentic.
Why locals love it: A Belgian corner cafe near Frick Park in Point Breeze, a residential pocket most food visitors never reach.
Tip: No reservations; put your name in and wait. Moules frites and a Belgian ale on the corner patio.
Why locals love it: A serious French bakery on a quiet Wilkinsburg corner near Regent Square, away from the better-known Lawrenceville patisseries.
Tip: Go early for croissants and kouign-amann before they sell out. The namesake madeleines are the buy.
Why locals love it: A plain BYOB room on Penn Avenue in Bloomfield that locals quietly call the city's best Vietnamese, while tourists walk past it.
Tip: Bring your own beer and cash. The pho and bun are the order; the room is small, so go early.
Why locals love it: A Polish Hill dive above the Strip that serves cheap pierogi and punk shows; off the tourist map and proudly cash-only.
Tip: Cash only, loud and late. Go for the pierogi, the cheap drinks and a band if one is playing.
