Brillo Box

Brillo BoxBrillo Box
Brillo BoxBrillo Box
Bar, Eatery

4104 Penn Ave
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15224
United States

(412) 621-4900 | map
brillobox.net

Open Tue-Sat 5pm-2am; Sun 6pm-12am
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.79
Reviews:
3
Ratings:
4
pDev:
9.5%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by OneDropSoup:
Photo of OneDropSoup
Reviewed by OneDropSoup from Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +10.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
I think of Brillo Box as the younger sister to Kelly's Lounge: two hipster bars in Pittsburgh's East Side, Brillo Box tries a little harder & seems to have a little more to prove.

The atmosphere is great: nice lighting, much of it provided by a huge set of branches with string lights over the bar, real art on the walls, a cozy environment, very good jukebox. Upstairs there are rock shows & dance parties, downstairs is pub quiz on some nights (a big attraction for me), & other fun events. The big stand-out for this place is the vibe, & when the crowd isn't too congested or hung up on themselves (hipsters!), it's a very fun, chill atmosphere.

A close second is the food: very good stuff, mostly veggie-accomodating, with some interesting concoctions. I can't get too down on pub grub, but if you're looking for an alternative cuisine with your brew, this is a good place for it. And it's pretty reasonable: if you're around on a Sunday, the $5 vegetarian meal is always a pleasure.

The beer selection is respectable, again very much like Kelly's. The variety isn't mind-blowing, but they always have a well-curated tap line-up & some good big bottles. Not to compare this place to Kelly's again, but a similar beer attitude: not huge, but they definitely know what they're doing.

This is not a destination for beer geeks in & of itself, but if you're looking for a cool place with good food where good beer is just a given, Brillo Box has got the goods.
Jun 25, 2009
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.2 by oksay13

Nov 03, 2014
Photo of coachdonovan
Reviewed by coachdonovan from Rhode Island

3.93/5  rDev +3.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
The Brillo Box has been reborn after a previous life as the dive bar Nooner's and sits in 100% Lawrenceville, atop the hill across the street from the new children's hospital.

The vibe is pure hipster with lots of beards and ink. Stay away if you don't like loud music, but the staff and clientele are friendly. Most of the interior decorating serves as great conversation pieces. We didn't eat but I look a look at the eclectic menu. Options included everything from Vietnamese to nachos to hummus to wings.

They have a pretty impressive collection of "Big Ass Bottles" including Hoptimum and good Belgians. Draft list featured some local stuff from Penn and the Church as well as GL Dortmunder, Moylans IPA, Maudite. Aside from the fun atmosphere, what I liked best about the Brillo Box was the draft serving size. As bars everywhere raise prices while at the same time shrinking the glass, here I got a Great Divide Espresso Yeti in a "pint" glass. That plus a Moylans IPA and a coke was $12.50. Love it.
Mar 06, 2011
Photo of eldondre
Reviewed by eldondre from Pennsylvania

3.86/5  rDev +1.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
This was one of the better bars we went to in the pittsburgh. It was sort of hipsterish, had dim red lighting, and red pleather banquettes. There was also an upstairs bar that has live music as well. The taps, if I remember correctly, were all micros including East End's Big Hop, Penn, Bell's, and Spring Fling as well as a Great Divide beer. I believe they had Stone's in the bottle. The service was friendly enough and prices were reasonable. We went here after the nearby Church Brew Works so we didn't have too many pints.
Apr 15, 2009
Brillo Box in Pittsburgh, PA
Place rating: 3.79 out of 5 with 4 ratings