Rivertowne Restaurants and Brewing Company, Monroeville

Next time you find yourself along the Allegheny River, instead of looking to see where the fish are biting, look for where you see one standing. That's Wylie, mascot for Rivertowne Restaurants and Brewing Company and a surefire sign that hearty pub food and crisp, local brews are right around the corner. From the brewery, you'll get a fine selection of craft brews including perennial favorites like the Always a Home Game golden lager (perfect for tailgate season) and the Hala Kahiki, an inventive pineapple ale. But your options are far from limited—a seasonal beer is released almost every month between March and December. Springtime marks the emergence of the hop-forward Hop Lace white IPA; the holiday season trumpets the arrival of Rudolph's Red, an imperial red ale with a hint of cinnamon.

All of these beers plus a menu of filling pub grub can be found at any of the four Rivertowne Restaurant locations. Start with a bite of "bait" such as classic scotch eggs and beer-cheese dip before moving on to the main course. Pizza and burgers are big crowd pleasers, while the seafood buckets are a nod to the brewery's riverside locale.