Vegan
Beer/Wine
European
Polish
Central and Eastern European cuisine focused restaurant and bar, opened here Feb 2016. Had sprouted from a monthly pop-up called Pierogi Night. Contact via email for reservations and questions: aptekapgh@gmail.com. Open Fri-Sun 5:00pm-10:00pm.
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4606 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, 15224
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Last update on 18 Jun 2025 by xinemachine
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Added by chk49 on 12 Apr 2016
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110 Reviews
First Review by jswiss
GJS
Points +202
Nice food, nice concept - Edit
The food was really tasty. One of the few vegan eastern European places i know. The portions are on the smaller side and the interior is not very beautiful.
Read morePros: Good food , Dishes are well thought through
Cons: Interior design does not have a lot of flair
Guest
Paigecs
Points +878
Outstanding - Edit
Among the most perfect vegan places I've eaten. We had the pierogies, celeriac schnitzel, and salad #2. Subtle, flavorful, and utterly unique.
Read morePros: Every thing was perfect
Cons: None
Guest
barnyardbob
Points +428
Fancy, Hip, Delicious - Edit
If we hadn't gone there with my wife's aunt and uncle, we would have been the oldest, least cool people in the building. We tried some pierogies, a puree of beans, and an apple tart. Everything tasted amazing and was beautifully presented. You order at the counter, so it was all served very quickly as well. Would definitely go back.
Read morePros: Great atmosphere, Great food
Cons: Loud music
Guest
ciarakehoe
Points +33
Apteka is the best - Edit
My favorite restaurant
Read morePros: AMAZING food., Great atmosphere , Good bar
Guest
gsteiner
Points +384
Outstanding Vegan in PIttsburgh - Edit
We had a terrific all-vegan dinner. Appetizer plate, stuffed cabbage, drinks, and two excellent desserts. Staff was very attentive but not cloying. We ate at several vegan establishments over a two-day period, and this was our favorite.
Read moreGuest
Zach1776
Points +30
Must try - Edit
You must try this if you’re ever near Pittsburgh. Hands down best restaurant in the city, vegan or otherwise
Read moreGuest
veganfeminist
Points +300
Awestruck at the vegan food - Edit
We just had the pierogi, kanapki, and placki.
Read moreAs someone who’s been to Poland every year and had my grandmas cooking , this place is amazing and delicious.
Do come here , especially if you’re looking for vegan food with a Polish twist.
Pros: Amazing options , Delicious food , Great homey vibe
Guest
hell0angela
Points +401
Vegan polish food - Edit
I came to PA for a work trip and decided to make it fun by going to Apteka. I am polish and have been vegan for 11 years and this is the first vegan polish restaurant I found. I ordered several dishes so I could try them all and they were all spot on! I generally love cooking more than eating out but this place is to die for. Fresh, flavorful food.
Read morePros: All vegan!, Reasonable prices , VEGAN POLISH FOOD
Guest
Ras
Points +32
Wow! - Edit
One of the most unique culinary experiences in the city. The flavors and textures set this place apart. Not to be missed if you are in Pittsburgh.
Read morePros: Potato dumplings are sublime , Cool outdoor garden seating , Great vibes
Cons: Not close enough to my house
Guest
XOXO
Points +2033
Add GF dessert please! - Edit
Only 2 GF options, but they were so freaking good!! And the place is amazing. Arrive early, it gets crowded.
Read moreCons: Need to are more GF options, Add GF dessert please!
Guest
davestudley
Points +60
Awesome - Edit
Great food, great vibe! In town for a wedding, found Apteka on HappyCow. Would eat here a lot if I lived in Pittsburgh
Read moreGuest
Vitaliya
Points +77
Amazing!! - Edit
The food was delicious! The atmosphere was superb! Restaurant is clean and the menu is simple, yet plentiful. You order up front, pick a table, and the food comes to you. For any vegans in Pittsburgh, or traveling through, this place is a must! Even my non-vegan boyfriend who loathes sour cream actually liked the topping on the salad! Will definitely be coming back!
Read morePros: Whole menu is vegan, Clean, Relaxing atmosphere, Food is made with love and you can taste it
Cons: Parking may be difficult to find during rush, Closed Monday & Tuesday, plan ahead
Guest
oyybia
Points +27
best fancy place - Edit
My partner and I went here for our first date and we keep coming back it is amazing!
Read morePros: all the things
Cons: kinda a wait and loud on weekends
Guest
Livyanna
Points +34
Unique and tasty! - Edit
This place was amazing! The atmosphere is very eclectic with the ordering set up, music and decor. The food was fabulous. We had the potato pancakes and perogies. The presentation was beautiful and all the accompaniments were very tasty. The cocktails were delicious too!
Read morePros: Excellent food., Nice vibe.
Guest
BrianSpako
Points +26
first timers - Edit
This was an amazing meal on Easter! Great food and great beer! Service and ambiance was spot on. I highly recommend this place for the coolest vegans or ones who want to be for a night! ;)
Read moreGuest
tarpar
Points +24
Unique and delicious - Edit
Incredibly delicious and unique vegan food. I didn’t recognize anything on the menu (except pierogies) but everything I have ordered has been out of this world!
Read moreGuest
nlevine94
Points +1182
Delicious, Unique, a Culinary Trip - Edit
Such an awesome menu, very unique. Can’t go wrong with anything on it. Friendly service too. Gets very busy so plan ahead and be ready to wait at least a few minutes.
Read morePros: Great menu!, 100% Vegan
Guest
MartinLyons
Points +197
unique and bohemian, I rhapsodize - Edit
Great menu, really unusual, delicious, healthy, appetite stimulating, and super cool, comfy setting ... A truly different vegan restaurant, a real plus to any city's culinary offerings. And very reasonably priced too!
Read moreGuest
GenevieveJackson
Points +38
perfection - Edit
I'm incredibly lucky to have visited this place so many times. I recommend everything. I love the atmosphere. One of the best aesthetics of any restaurant I've ever been to.
Read morePros: everything is delicious
Cons: I don't get to go everyday.
Guest
ywoolf
Points +21
Orgasmic Herbal Multifaceted Odyssey - Edit
We found Apteka via Happy Cow and were a bit apprehensive due to the awful flash photography photos. We double checked on Yelp and also found over 130 raving reviews.
Read moreApteka is situated in a residential area nestled between two houses. We nervously walked in and immediately were put at ease with the hip vibe. A huge chalkboard menu and a super helpful and friendly hostess guided us through the menu.
We decided to sit in the backyard patio and were served our food within 5 minutes of ordering.
We ordered two cocktails, perogies and two salads which were all amazing with interesting combinations and complex and harmonious flavors.
The décor is clean lined. Polished concrete and wood with white walls. Lighting is perfect.
Highly recommended.
Guest
gabgiotto
Points +16
Casual atmosphere and delish vegan food! - Edit
Apteka was exactly what I expected: free-spirited and delicious! It is an awesome little nook in Bloomfield with an all vegan menu and a casual indie atmosphere. The service was speedy, and the servers were very nice! There are gluten free options too! The only critique is that the food did not come in order of the usual appetizer then entrée.
Read morePros: casual and relaxed atmosphere, great food, great service
Cons: only a few gluten free options, hard to figure out how to order, food did not come in order
Guest
nafanc
Points +1615
Fun, fresh, flavorful - Edit
This is the best meal that I've had in recent memory. I came here with two friends, and everything on the menu looked so good that we were compelled to order one of everything.
Read moreAnd we didn't regret it. Every dish was brilliant. I especially enjoyed a cold potato, yoghurt, and lingonberry bowl and the fennel terrine. These were utterly exceptional. That said, all of the other dishes were phenomenal as well.
The food is surprisingly cheap given the quality of ingredients and preparation. I'd be pleased to get these dishes as part of a fancy schmancy tasting menu, yet I was able to get them instead in the comfortable, inviting environs of Apteka at a fraction of the price. This place is truly remarkable. I'm hope to come back soon.
Pros: Fresh, Well-balanced, Unique
Guest
ecoRDN
Points +1275
Apteka is AMAZING!!! - Edit
Polish cuisine makes great use of grains, millet, rye, & wheat. Pungent, aromatic and dense flavor palate, using nutmeg, juniper, mace. Old spice cupboard flavors that taste like something ancient, respected. A feast as homage to an old way.
Read moreEarthy flavors, deep browns. Cold weather & dead leaves, crisp frosty airs inspire appetites of starches and root vegetables. Hearty, hefty portions reasonably priced. A treat for the cold-weather season, indeed!
ecoRDN chose the Tartines to start. Like crostini or bruschetta, tartines are open faced sandwiches prepared on Apteka‘s grainy house-baked rye. Carrot pâté with pickled cucumber, radish & dill, sweet garlicky toothy bites, polish salad with pickle, celeriac and potato, reminiscent of sweet chunky heavy mayo salads of picnics past. See Apteka’s daily menu for alternating varieties.
The Horse & Pepper jumped right off the page, a sandwich boasting a huge slab of fried veggie pâté served on a hulking crust of baguette holding hands with sweet pepper sauce, crispy cabbage salad, black garlic butter & spicy peppers. The pâté resembles tempeh, in a traditionally set terrine cut into a massive rectangle & cooked to a nice crisp bark. Earthy, rich, and filling.
O M -effing- G, Apteka’s Pierogi are the Apis Patella!!! Heavenly wedges stuffed with a mix of smoked potato or a mash of mushroom and sauerkraut, underneath a sweet nut-based rich mayo-like yoghurt sauce that tasted like sweet pickle relish, creamy & perfect accompaniment along with the beets and fried cabbage, make it rain with chives. Non-nut options available upon request. The smoked potato pierogi is DIVINE. Smoked potato + parsnip+ turnip greens, a salty woody mash mixed with the carrot-like parsnip & mild bitter turnip greens. The mushroom & sauerkraut provided a perfect balance, earthy deep mushroom flavor marries so well with the pungent aromatic bite of the sauerkraut. A guaranteed umami face explosion!
For dessert we chose the Tarta Jablkowa (apple pie) w/ tart cherry compote. The buttery pastry soaked up the sweet spiced pureed apple, like the consistency of loose pumpkin pie,. A melange of fall aromatics underneath super tart port-y cherry compote, those cinnamony sweet browns, all that good time spice! The buttery flaky pastry is plant-based, as are all the options at Apteka. Another great place to visit where no-meat/no-dairy gourmands need not worry and go all-in for a memorable feast perfect for the cold time of year!
ecoRDN.com
Updated from previous review on 2017-05-06
Pros: Polish Plant-Based, Artisanal cocktails for those who imbibe, ALL VEGAN EVERYTHING
Guest
HistoricalMarkers
Points +230
Absolute treat - Edit
Our dinner here with friends was the highlight of our time in Pittsburgh. What an odd and interesting combination: vegetarian eastern European fare. Between the six people in our group, we tried most everything on the menu and loved it all.
Read morePros: Creative food you can't get anywhere else, Unexpected ingredient combinations
Cons: You order and pay up front--not at your table, It can get loud
Guest
ArashArabasadi
Points +132
Wow. So good. - Edit
Probably the best pierogies I've ever had. My wife and i split two sandwiches on the rotating menu, and they were pretty damn amazing.
Read moreDecent beer selection on tap and in bottles.
My only negative takeaway was likely my own fault for ordering a scotch drink from a drink menu instead of ordering straight scotch. Super sweet and not my style, but they gladly replaced with a beer when i asked.
I would absolutely visit again when we're back in Pittsburgh.
Pros: all vegan , dishes are thoughtfully prepared, great for groups and sharing
Cons: not a fan of the "order at the counter"
Guest
PamelaKT
Points +76
Eclectic & Original - Highly Recommend - Edit
I had a business trip to Pittsburgh and in researching vegan restaurants learned about Apteka and put it on my list to try. I am so happy that I did. The menu is very original with combinations of ingredients such as endives with beech mushrooms and prune puree. This dish as well as the borscht, smoked celeriac toast, mushroom/sauerkraut perogies. buckwheat stuffed savoy cabbage and apple tart with sour cherry compote all had a depth and complexity of flavor that is truly gourmet. I took leftovers with me to enjoy the next day (in containers made from recycled materials here in the US). I will be heading there again at each opportunity. The atmosphere is fun, eclectic and suits the University area very well.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2016-11-02
Guest
KarlaFeeley
Points +35
INCREDIBLE - Edit
The staff is so nice, The lady remembered me after I came in a few times. The cocktails are unique and AMAZING, some of the best I've ever had, and they're reasonably priced. And the pierogis which have been called the best in Pittsburgh vegan or non-vegan in a media source (I believe... I can't track down the article I read on facebook) are reasonably priced and INCREDIBLE. I've taken numerous omnis and they loved it.
Read moreGuest
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