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| - This is one of those classic scenarios where I'd like to give 3.5 stars... sigh...
Anyway, here's the skinny: SoHo is a great bar to watch games (as mentioned by the other reviewers), an OK place to eat, and the service is fantastic. If it were just based on drinks/service/viewing, I would give it a 4 or 5 stars rating. The food drags it down a bit.
I've been to SoHo about 20 times (as I frequently stay in the hotel above it), and they have a decent beer selection and a very good/knowledgable bar staff. The bar can get extremely packed on game days, as it is literally across the street from PNC Park (and a short walk from Heinz Field). On an off-night, though, it usually has a moderate crowd that trends toward the 30-something "hip" groups (it's not a college bar, nor a neighborhood pub).
As far as food, it's really hit-and-miss. Once I had Buffalo Chicken Pierogis, and they were awesome. I've also had a Tuna Steak Sandwich there that was great (if I remember correctly, it had some sort of chipotle or wasabi mustard on it that was yummy). However, as I ate there last night, I saw the lower end of the spectrum. I had a shrimp/scallops pasta dish (Diablo Pasta?), and it was not spicy at all (despite being advertised as such). It was just OK (the ingredients, other than the sauce, were pretty good, but the sauce was just passable). A friend of mine said that the French Onion soup was awful (way too much oregano, he said), and his "sirloin" sandwich was not sirloin. So I would just say it's either inconsistent, it has gone downhill, or there are just a few things that they do well.
The service, however, is fantastic. No matter how busy they are, the staff is very attentive and friendly (I've never had to wait long for a beer). I've also had quite a few drinks, over my visits, "on the house", which doesn't happen very often anywhere else. They also know a bunch of bartending "tricks" that they will do on request (like the Bailey's/Yager "switching shot glasses" one).
One last note is that it is usually pretty smoky in there, so be prepared to have your clothes reek after you leave (which, sadly, is the norm for Pittsburgh).
Bottom line: as a bar, 4.5-5 stars... as a restaurant, 3 stars.
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