After attending Oakmont's "Hometown Christmas" event, we needed a place to warm up after standing in the cold for a few hours. Luckily, on the recommendation of a friend and local, we chose to check out Pub 333, and were very happy that we did!
The ambiance is fun and upbeat, and a bit more upscale than the general sports bar found in small towns. The bar is to the right of the entrance and surrounded on all sides by seating. The main space is full of booths as well as open tables, and TVs are scattered throughout the bar and dining area. The pizza oven is behind the bar, and patrons can watch as pizza is stretched and crafted. We sat in a booth, and though it did get a bit loud, we were still able to carry on a conversation without too much trouble.
We started our meal with some delicious red wine, and our friend had a hand-crafted Old Fashioned, which was much better than I expected. Upon seeing who the bartender was, I immediately knew why - we always had a favorite bartender at Meat and Potatoes, and lo and behold, he was now working the bar at Pub 333! He recognized us as well, and made us a second drink of amaro and espresso liquor and finished off with a cherry. It was sublime, and something I never thought I would taste outside of the Pittsburgh city limits. The fact that they had amaro on hand shows how much faith they have in Jason, the bartender, and his ability to create outstanding drinks. This guy could make drinks at Bar Marco (which I still think is the best cocktail bar in the area). We cannot wait to return and sit at the bar, and have him mix us up some specialty cocktails.
Now, on to the food! I absolutely love wings, so I had to give the Crispy Whole Wings a try. They came out piping hot and especially crispy- we could not figure out how they got the skin so crispy but kept the meat juicy. I also shared roasted root vegetables, which were tasty but a bit soggy (maybe more roasting was needed?), and some fries, which were fresh but not remarkable. My husband had a broccoli rabe and sausage pizza, and it was a large portion for the price (enough for two meals). He said that the crust was chewy and had a good flavor, but needed more char to be perfect for his tastes. The sauce was not as flavorful. Our friend ate the grilled cheese and tomato soup, which he had eaten there before and enjoyed. Our waitress, Jillian, was on top of things throughout the night, and visited frequently to check on us. We do have a recommendation to purchase larger water glasses, since the small ones provided emptied quickly and our waitress was always on the hunt for the water pitcher.
Overall, it was a great Saturday night out, with good food and amazing drinks. As noted previously, we can't wait to go back and taste more drinks, and try other menu items!