Elevator Review: Food is meh. This place is powered by nostalgia. The staff is nice, but service is often unbearably slow.
My son loves this restaurant. He loves the salad bar. He loves the Smiley Cookie. He loves the kids menu. This is why I think that EnP gets as many 4 and 5 star reviews as it gets: people ate there as children and nostalgia drives them to rate highly.
The food is fine. EnP is a diner. You can go in and get good breakfast food (but there are better options). You can go in and get a good burger or sandwich (but again there are better options). And they have some great desserts (but, wait for it, there are better options).
I have had numerous friends (all non-native Pittsburghers) act surprised when EnP's non-diner food is lackluster. (Is anyone really surprised that EnP doesn't make a great quesadilla?) If you're going, stick to the basics.
My issue with the Murray Ave restaurant is the service. While there are servers that we absolutely love, it takes unreasonable amounts of time for food to arrive. My son and I waited 30+ minutes for a chicken sandwich and pancakes at a time when the restaurant was less than half-full. When we first started patronizing the Murray Ave location (2016) service was quick, but since mid-2017 the pace seems painfully slow. Did management change? Is the kitchen that understaffed?