Nightlife in Carnot-Moon

Firehouse Lounge serves up a savory menu of small bites, sliders, and burgers, impeccably paired with handcrafted specialty cocktails to fill any hour with happiness and gummy grin exposure. Enjoy a baby plate of fried zucchini ($6) or crab and bacon flautas ($9.50) to properly prepare your palate, or treat your tablemates to a round of throw-backable beef, salmon, veggie, or crab sliders to quickly gain supporters for the upcoming table mayor election. For dinner, enjoy a protein-packed BLT burger with sun-dried tomato puree, chiffonade of romaine, and bacon aioli; a succulent salmon burger topped with lettuce, tomato, and caper tartar sauce; or a veggie burger sourced from green protein with goat cheese, dijonaise, lettuce, and tomato—all burgers served with your choice of fries or salad ($8.95).

If Finnigan's menu were a flag, it would be a mixture of red, white, blue, and green, and would be proudly twirled in all Independence of St. Patrick's Day parades. The fare is mainly influenced by traditional Irish staples, but retains a touch of American pub grub. Start out with a plate of Irish wings slathered in your choice of 12 sauces ($8.95) before moving on to a Kitchen Sink Pizza overloaded with pepperoni, sausage, peppers onions, mushroom, and black olives baked in a mozzarella-provolone blend ($11.95). Sandwich selections range from the hot sausage with onions and peppers on a baguette to the crab-cake sandwich served on a Kaiser roll with homemade tartar sauce (both $9.95). You can also keep it traditional with a Squirrel Hill Reuben ($8.95). Entrees include the popular corned beef and cabbage ($10.95), fish and chips ($12.95), and Finnigan's version of country-fried steak—a breaded and deep-fried open-face Philly steak on Texas toast with Swiss cheese and gravy ($10.95). Finish off your feast with a slice of peanut-butter cream pie ($5.95).

Rav's Creekside provides myriad selections of savory American pub plates, a lively sports-bar scene, and a lovely patio view of neighboring Tinker's Creek. Fresh and homemade entrees pepper the expansive menu. Nurse your tongue's nascent appetizer phase by munching the succulent calamari ($7.99), its fried sea-delights dusted in seasoned crumbs and served with a homemade cocktail dipping sauce. Indecisive nibblers can diversify their palate portfolio with the Creekside sampler's mélange of onion rings, cheddar cheese and bacon skins, mozzarella sticks, and their choice of six chicken wings ($8.99), while an array of options befalls fans of meat-hugging breads. The Creekside burger sports a slab of char-grilled sirloin sidekicked by homemade coleslaw and fries ($7.50), just as the open-faced strip steak sandwich ($8.99) has inspired countless meaty wrestlers to finally remove their rhinestone masks. Your Groupon is also good for drinks, of which 16 sit on tap and 40 are in bottles behind the wooden bar.

Named after retired Chicago police officer Jim Mullen, who was seriously injured in the line of duty, Mullen's Bar & Grill first opened its doors in the Windy City before branching out to Pittsburgh. Classic bar fare such as boneless wings, nachos, and burgers shares menu space with deep-fried philly cheesesteak sandwiches and SpaghettiO's straight from the can. An entire squad of flat-screen televisions hangs from exposed rafters so eaters can easily view broadcasted sports without craning their necks or duct taping rear view mirrors to their wrists. Mullen's Bar & Grill has two locations, one stationed near the cheering crowds at PNC Park and the other in the midst of the nightlife scene on Carson Street.

Bite into at Medjoul dates stuffed with gorgonzola or potato herb gnocchi with bay scallops at Bite. Chef Chris Walsh of Confidential Restaurant and Loft serves French and Italian-influenced finger-food in small, tapas-style dishes. Deviled eggs with salmon caviar and banana pepper sauce for $3.50 and swordfish skewers for $5 mean you can sample and share plenty of plates for $55.

Upstairs from the bustling hair studio and spa, The Wine Bar at Solaire offers a quiet respite amid lush curtains and soft lighting. Beneath the undulating panels of the ceiling at the center of the dining room, bistro-inspired plates fill the air with the aromas of pan-seared scallops and fresh pasta.