I was in Pittsburgh a few weeks ago, staying nearby La Gondola. How impressed I was in general. The city was a delight. The little square in which La Gondola Pizzeria is located was so nice to relax in the afternoon sun.
I had noticed La Gondola while getting my Starbucks coffee. It was very unassuming in decor. Just a small, very retro little place. No one was there, but I saw two older Italian men working in the lit kitchen. I had a hunch this would be an authentic Italian Restaurant, versus the chains.
The first evening I stopped in and ordered the lasagna to go. Wow. I could not stop myself from eating it all. And it was a large portion. It reminded me of the cooking of an Italian family I stayed with when very young. Every day for the rest of the week, I stopped in for pizza, which was equally good.
Don't let the minimal decorum, or that no one is there, dissuade you from trying it. Get a to-go order. It is fantastic.