Food, Shopping & Attractions-Department of Biological Sciences - Carnegie Mellon University

Food, Shopping & Attractions

The Strip District

The Strip district contains several good stores there, selling fresh cheese, meat, bread, fish. There is a large variety of international food items including Asian groceries. The place is especially crowded on Saturday mornings. Take bus 54C (along Craig St) to go.

Giant Eagle

A major grocery chain store. There is one on Murray Ave in Squirrel Hill (Take 59U, 61 buses), one on Centre Ave in Shadyside (Take 71C from North Craig Street), one on Murray Ave in Greenfield, one in the Waterfront (take 59U from Forbes Ave). Some items are offered at a reduced price if you have a "Giant Eagle Advantage Card". This card is available to everybody for free - you have to fill up a form at a customer desk in a Giant Eagle, and you will receive it in the mail.

Lunch around Mellon Institute

There are various cafes and eateries spread all over campus including one in Mellon Institute. Another very inexpensive option are the CMU trucks, a variety of food vendors located on Margaret Morrison street on the north side of the campus. There are also cafes and restaurants on Craig Street and along Forbes Avenue.

  • Food Carts

    Chinese and Indian food ~$3.00 to $5.50 at corner of Bigelow Blvd and 5th Ave, Carnegie Mellon food carts are at corner of Forbes and the road behind the running track. (cash only)

  • Craig Street

    EatUnique - sandwiches, ice cream, great soups (a bit pricey),  Crepe place - cash only,  Quiznos, Lucca's - expensive,  Union Grill, Villa Pizza, Starbucks - pastries and coffee,  Kiva Han - sandwiches, wraps, pastries and coffee, Subway, Star of India - lunch buffet, Ali Baba,  Lulu's - cash only during lunch. Egg rolls are tasty, Oriental Express - better bubble tea than Lulu's,  Panther Hollow Inn - cheap pizza.

  • Forbes Avenue in Oakland

    Uncle Sam's - greasy good subs, Hemingway's - happy hour specials are always good here, Panera, Primanti's - for sandwiches with fries and slaw, Qdoba, Spice Island Café and Tea House (South East Asian food) - Atwood and Forbes,  Arby's, McDonald's, Joe Mama's, Quiznos.

  • India Garden

    Down Atwood, off Forbes, most items are 50% off after 10pm.

  • 5th Ave

    Wendy's.

Tipping

Tips generally range 15%-20%, depending on how much you liked the service. Not tipping is considered very rude and is not recommended. The IRS automatically taxes the waiter/waitress assuming they are receiving a 15% tip

Pittsburgh Attractions

Shopping

  • Giant Eagle for groceries (in most neighborhoods)

    Obtain the Giant Eagle discount card. Money spent on groceries gives you a gas discount at GetGo-brand gas stations.

  • Wal-Mart

    at Waterworks (closest to Oakland/Shadyside) and Robinson Town Center (near airport).

  • The Waterfront

    Variety of stores, including Target, Giant Eagle, Best Buy, Lowe's, Dick's Sporting Goods, T J Maxx, DSW Shoes and clothing stores, Loews Cinema.

  • Robinson Town Center

    Ikea, Costco, Wal-Mart, BestBuy, Robinson Town Mall.

  • Highland Ave (Shadyside neighborhood)

    Home Depot, Supercuts, H&R block, Smiley's Pet Pad, Buffalo Blues (good wings, check restaurant for all you eat wings, or ribs night), Casbah, Arhaus furniture, Red Room Café and Lounge - smoke free, but said to be on the pricey side.

  • Penn Circle

    Advanced Auto.

  • Walnut Street (Shadyside neighborhood)

    Banana Republic, Jcrew, Gap, Gap Kids, Benetton, Sephora, Sushi Too, My Thai, Crepe Place, Prantl's Bakery, Starbucks, Coffee Tree Roasters, Doc's Place, William Penn Tavern.

  • Ellsworth Ave (Shadyside neighborhood)

    Fajita Grill (mmm...tasty!), Dancing Goat Café, Capristo Salon, 5801, Elbow Room, Bites and Brews, Harris Grill - Bistra and Steve eat here often, Shadyside Saloon, Unimart.

  • South St. Clair off Baum

    Sharp Edge - beer emporium (comes highly endorsed by numerous students)

  • Murray and Forbes Ave (Squirrel Hill neighborhood)

    Barnes and Nobles, Rita's Ice, Eat and Park, Giant Eagle, Greek and Turkish food stores.

  • Centre Ave

    AAA, PepBoys, Giant Eagle, Panera, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Wendy's, Boston Market. 

  • The Strip

    Ethnic markets e.g. Lotus - the better Asian food store. E.g. The Asian market next to the Vietnamese restaurant sells dried-out candy. Wholey's market for seafood and meat. Clubs - e.g. Tequila Willy's, and many good restaurants.

  • Station Square

    Hard Rock Café, Bucca's, Gateway Clipper Cruise.

  • Southside

    Carson street - Paparazzi, Southside works - Movie theatre, The Cheesecake Factory, bookstore, Benetton and many other clothing stores. 

Directions to Attractions and Shopping

  • Waterworks
    • Go out 5th Ave past Shadyside, it will turn into Washington Blvd., stay on it following signs for Highland Park and the Zoo. Turn left onto North 8 and stay in the right hand lane. Go over Highland Park Bridge and take an immediate right (Aspinwall exit) as soon as you get to the end of the bridge. Stay straight on that road until you see The Waterworks.
  • Waterfront
    • From 5th Ave, follow the Blue Belt up Shady Ave, toward Squirrel Hill. Follow signs for the Blue Belt and turn right onto Forward Ave following signs for Homestead and the Waterfront. Continue on the same road until seeing the Waterfront
  • Robinson Town Center
    • After merging onto Blvd of the allies, follow signs for 376 and take the exit that is almost immediately after getting onto the Blvd. Then follow signs for the Airport and Fort Pitt bridge (279 south).
  • South Side
    • Go out 5th Ave towards Downtown and take the Birmingham Bridge across to the Southside.
  • Strip District
    • Go out 5th Ave away from Downtown (toward Shadyside). Turn left on Shady Ave. Turn left onto Penn Ave. Follow Penn into the Strip District. Need to get to Smallman (turn right at 22nd street), which runs parallel to Penn for main part of the Strip. Can also go through downtown.

    Disclaimer: This list of advice and information was put together by current graduate students of the Biological Sciences department, and does not express the views of the department. Most of the information below has been verified, but some may have changed including URLs, dates, and email addresses, so self-verification of information is advisable.