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| - It's 2014, right? The experience with a restaurant begins when you look online. Outdated menu, no menu, shitty website.. your anticipation drops. Restaurants: if we have to wait for approval on email reservation "requests", forget about it. This seems comparatively more common in Pittsburgh than DC, Baltimore.. Use opentable or have a person answering the phone.
My first minute with Gaucho..
1) Look up ph# on yelp
2) Phone rings 3 times, get a real person.
3) "GAUCHO!"
"What are your hours?"
"11-7"
"We'll be by later"
"Ok. Byob BROTHER!"
I'm already smiling about my meal. Haven't seen the place yet. That's how it's done.
Roll in to the 12-seat spot and the smoky fire hits your nose immediately. You salivate. Your eyes drift across the orange paint and sparse-yet-rustic decorations that give off the gaucho vibe. The wood is stacked high. Orders are placed at the register where friendly service awaits with recommendations and attention.
Food takes a while, the scent teasing you. The oily chorizo app arrived with sandwiches, should have come first. That's about all I can complain about. The chorizo is salty and awesome, if needing some grain mustard though the accompanying toast cuts it. The skirt steak sandwich (got talked out of the ribeye) was INTENSE. Delicious char, perfect temps and medium-rare without request. The house chimi drips onto your plate alongside the healthy dose of onions and peppers, which are all-pro except lightly soft. The bread borders the crunch/soft levels perfectly.
Seriously, best steak sandwich in Pittsburgh. Maybe ever.
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