Published by Hal B. Klein of Pittsburgh Magazine | Read the article
A new Chinese restaurant and a restaurant in a renovated historic building have my attention.
The Woods House is among the oldest buildings — likely the oldest residential structure — in Pittsburgh. George Woods, the surveyor of the land that would become the Golden Triangle, built the structure in Hazelwood in 1792.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the last time somebody lived in the house was in the 1970s. Over the years, the building fell into disrepair. It was purchased by the Urban Redevelopment Authority in 2001, but lay fallow until Woods House LLC purchased it in 2018. Following years of restoration, it’s now open as The Woods House, a Scottish-style pub.
The menu tilts Scottish in homage to Woods’ heritage, and the menu leans into the pub faire, with fish and chips, bangers and mash, potato-leek soup and Guinness steak pie (as well as a seitan option for vegetarians) serving as the centerpieces of the still limited menu.
As if eating in a building of extreme historical significance wasn’t enough, there’s a contemporary turn that makes this opening even more special: Community Kitchen Pittsburgh, the outstanding nonprofit that works to train and place people who face barriers to employment to build careers in the service industry, is partnering with the owners to run The Woods House kitchen.