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| - Even if you didn't live here while you went to Pitt, Hemingsways [or lovingly Hem's] is definitely your go-to place when in the Oakland, Pittsburgh.
From the outside it looks a little run down, squished in besides the brand new dunkin donut, however the inside has a charm that only a college bar knows how to imitate. Sit at the bar or squish into small booths in the front, or when you arrive in hoards after all your friends freshly turn 21 you can make yourself at home in the large backroom seating up to 20 people around a table.
Now me, I bonded with my best friend at Hemingways, sneaking in 1 [or sometimes 2] $1.75 Miller Lites [$1.5 at the time] between classes from Sennott Square to the Cathedral in our 30 minute break with our favorite bartender [We miss you HC!] and eating lots of $5 late night foods.
The awesomeness:
Hem's has 3 [that's right] food special times a day. Lunch time rush from 11-12pm, 2-4pm and late night 9-midnight for a $5 menu with the purchase of a beer. The food is gushy goodness that only happens when you use too much Sysco grease. [Try the new pull pork fries, they are awesome]
My junior year of college [will not divulge how long ago that was] Hem's created their signature "Shot pitchers" which are oversized sugary drinks topped with silly things like candy necklaces and gummy worms and named after celebrities. It's only fitting that my favorite is a constant match-off between the Taylor Swift and the Katy Perry. [TS for the WIN!]
And of course, it's super cheap. Which is just great for my returning to student status graduate budget.
The not so awesome:
It's a college bar. So, by definition, it's usually crowded, very loud and noisy at night and you must elbow your way through the crowd of high-fiving frat boys. Second, the bathrooms are small, dirty and far too often out of TP or plain out of order. It's awful.
Timeless and classic Hem's will always have a spot in my heart and I will make it a point to return often.
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