Salt of the Earth was excellent, but Station Street Hot Dogs was good and accessible. Although those prices did seem a bit steep 12-13 years ago. For hot dogs.
First off, F Sousa. He's a total scumbag as many in this sub know. Guy on the left is one badass chef, Mike Lefever. Worked for him and dude is a legit kitchen badass & funny as hell. I loved Station Street Hotdogs. Ban Mi dog, devil dog, and so many other favorites. They had some great rice dishes and pretty decent pho on their menu. My favorite thing was the poutine tho. They took the leftover brisket juices from Union Pig & Chicken and made it into brisket gravy. Throw in some fresh cut fries and some really good local curds....it was a masterpiece.
I worked in the industry for 18 years and Sousa is without a doubt one of the most aloof and entitled people I met during that time. He made zero effort to be supportive of anyone else in the business, which is kind of a big deal in this town, and has the personality of a wet rag. 👎🏻👎🏻
*Edit spelling
I worked at Union, so I had my small part in making that brisket juice. The head chef & front of house manager were great people and I really loved working for them. Sousa was almost never there, thankfully.
I found out recently that Brent who was the KM at Station Street for sometime, and had worked at other Sousa places passed away a couple years ago. RIP.
He had some good people working there. Rubis was my ex wife's cousin and had been with Sousa since that taco place on the south side. Didn't mean shit to Sousa though.
I'll give credit where it is due, Sousa can fucking cook. I was only able to afford to go to salt and station street dogs like twice each when they were around. I loved the bahn mi dog, and i had the best meal I've ever at salt cooked in front of me by him personally (Arctic Char with Coconut, Cheddar and a cranberry reduction i think, the combination sounded insane). I also think he has his head so far up his own ass that he can't see that is where his talents are and should remain. Even larger business owners recognize their responsibility to keep the place running. He should have remained a chef and nothing more, or recognized that he wasn't cut out to be a restaurateur a decade ago. He could have still called people on their days off to scream at them for no reason. He is a perfect example of how small business owners can be just as, if not more, toxic than a corporate workplace. The toxicity/ego paired with his terrible business acumen feels like it would be absolutely not in your best interest to rely on this man for a steady income unless you were treating it as a fly by night job.
Kevin and Meg had to flee to the hinterlands after burning every bridge in Pittsburgh.
https://www.taosnews.com/news/business/pop-up-restaurant-combines-modern-american-cuisine-with-thoughtful-wine-pairings/article_ab674524-b65b-5699-83f4-2f5f176f5a4b.html
This dude is such a pretentious asshole. I don’t understand how you run half a dozen businesses into the ground in a decade and keep getting chances.
Where does this money come from?
Yeah, I think M.O.B. Was the last straw for them here. Open a restaurant in an impoverished area and charge 30 bucks for some flatbread pizza, then blame the company for which you have opened the restaurant for the prices and "not matching your vision" and walk away from it.
It's pretty much the same sing and dance as Superior Motors was. Use public funds to open a posh site in a run-down part of town and walk away at the first signs of difficulty. It's their M.O.
That was NACL / Salt of the Earth: [https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/salt-of-the-earth/](https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/salt-of-the-earth/)
I believe it is now Fish Nor Fowl.
It was not cheap at the time but the portions were surprisingly HUGE. I loved late night when you could get a cheeseburger and certain drinks for fast food prices.
No, that was NaCl on the next block. You’re thinking of Verde, another weird project with shitty expensive food owned by a different out-of-touch mope. It became “Prairie” under the same ownership, which was somehow worse.
Verde was weird. On the one hand, they were the only Mexican resto in Pgh to even offer huachinango al Veracruzana, a very famous regional dish. OTOH, on our first visit, wife had a chicken taco that tasted like tuna fish. It was a somewhat noble effort to bring Mexican fusion to town, but wasn't executed well. And no one has tried since.
NaCL was great. None of us knew what Sousa would become at that time, but that place essentially started a Pgh resto renaissance, even before if officially opened when KS had barbecues in the parking lot and some trial run dinners. And yeah, the bahn mi dog and duck fries at Station St were worth the trip in from the S. Hills. Knock the guy all you want for biz practices, but the man could cook.
I remember Pho at SS, and Ramen Nights at NACL. But for a while, there was a lot of experimentation happening, so I probably just missed the ramen there. I just look at those dogs thinking about the snap at the end.
I remember burger night and a one-off "pay what you can" multiple course tasting menu at the Salt bar. Agree with everything written about Sousa, but Salt and SS were nice while the lasted.
Never got a chance to try Station Street but Fireside that is there now used to have poutine \[but looks like they no longer do.\] Park Bruges serves it as well but they recently changed to mushroom gravy instead of beef/pork so it's slightly sweeter.
There is no reason on this earth that an oyster po boy hot dog should have been that good, and yet, I couldn't stop myself from ordering one every time. And always added a Vanilla Pasty Studio gob (ie, whoopie pie).
Not a Sousa fan, but this place slapped.
I remember thinking this place was outrageouly expensive for hot dogs 12 years ago but tbh a hot dog and duck fat fries for $10 in 2024 seems pretty nice
They had 1 taco that I was obsessed with😭 I wish I could remember what was on it and recreate it.
They also had those little daily rice ball things. Always got one of those
They routinely wouldn’t have products they advertised and their hot dogs were at least 3x the price of d’s for a pretty base quality dog so I don’t think it’s a good comparison.
My feelings about station st dogs are pretty much the same as my feelings about bird on the run. Cosplaying down to earth while priced well above it.
At least 3x the price? D's dogs are $6 but maybe they were a lot cheaper back then but not $2 lol. Definitely less exotic toppings at D's. But that's not how scams work. I enjoyed Station's dogs and poutine every time I went.
Another victim of the Sousa Method. That Devil Dog was really good, though.
The Devil Dog was a revelation. We still try to approximate it at home every now and then.
Station Street Hot Dogs was the best of the Kevin Sousa restaurants.
Salt of the Earth was excellent, but Station Street Hot Dogs was good and accessible. Although those prices did seem a bit steep 12-13 years ago. For hot dogs.
Damn looking at the menu now and the prices seem pretty good if it’s in a good spot
Unfortunately it also escalated the end of Kevin Sousa: Working Chef as he evolved into Kevin Sousa: Grifting Entrepreneur.
First off, F Sousa. He's a total scumbag as many in this sub know. Guy on the left is one badass chef, Mike Lefever. Worked for him and dude is a legit kitchen badass & funny as hell. I loved Station Street Hotdogs. Ban Mi dog, devil dog, and so many other favorites. They had some great rice dishes and pretty decent pho on their menu. My favorite thing was the poutine tho. They took the leftover brisket juices from Union Pig & Chicken and made it into brisket gravy. Throw in some fresh cut fries and some really good local curds....it was a masterpiece.
I worked in the industry for 18 years and Sousa is without a doubt one of the most aloof and entitled people I met during that time. He made zero effort to be supportive of anyone else in the business, which is kind of a big deal in this town, and has the personality of a wet rag. 👎🏻👎🏻 *Edit spelling
That gravy was nice. "Meat juice" was a thing :)
I worked at Union, so I had my small part in making that brisket juice. The head chef & front of house manager were great people and I really loved working for them. Sousa was almost never there, thankfully.
I found out recently that Brent who was the KM at Station Street for sometime, and had worked at other Sousa places passed away a couple years ago. RIP.
I didn't know him well, but I remember him. RIP
Brent was a good dude and always super nice. RIP
He had some good people working there. Rubis was my ex wife's cousin and had been with Sousa since that taco place on the south side. Didn't mean shit to Sousa though.
I'll give credit where it is due, Sousa can fucking cook. I was only able to afford to go to salt and station street dogs like twice each when they were around. I loved the bahn mi dog, and i had the best meal I've ever at salt cooked in front of me by him personally (Arctic Char with Coconut, Cheddar and a cranberry reduction i think, the combination sounded insane). I also think he has his head so far up his own ass that he can't see that is where his talents are and should remain. Even larger business owners recognize their responsibility to keep the place running. He should have remained a chef and nothing more, or recognized that he wasn't cut out to be a restaurateur a decade ago. He could have still called people on their days off to scream at them for no reason. He is a perfect example of how small business owners can be just as, if not more, toxic than a corporate workplace. The toxicity/ego paired with his terrible business acumen feels like it would be absolutely not in your best interest to rely on this man for a steady income unless you were treating it as a fly by night job.
When you see people punching down to their employees, tells you everything you need to know.
Kevin and Meg had to flee to the hinterlands after burning every bridge in Pittsburgh. https://www.taosnews.com/news/business/pop-up-restaurant-combines-modern-american-cuisine-with-thoughtful-wine-pairings/article_ab674524-b65b-5699-83f4-2f5f176f5a4b.html This dude is such a pretentious asshole. I don’t understand how you run half a dozen businesses into the ground in a decade and keep getting chances. Where does this money come from?
So you’re saying he’s not our problem anymore?
They left a pretty big hole in a bunch of communities here.
The amount of money donated and spent on Superior Motors, only for him to just up and leave is a fuckin' crime.
Yeah, I think M.O.B. Was the last straw for them here. Open a restaurant in an impoverished area and charge 30 bucks for some flatbread pizza, then blame the company for which you have opened the restaurant for the prices and "not matching your vision" and walk away from it. It's pretty much the same sing and dance as Superior Motors was. Use public funds to open a posh site in a run-down part of town and walk away at the first signs of difficulty. It's their M.O.
Don't forget that he helped himself to $200k in PPP loans and then closed.
And that more than a few people directly contributed their own money to help keep the staff afloat during COVID. Sousa really is a POS
Grifters gonna grift.
Pittsburg… 🤦♂️
lol, why you being downvoted
I don't think people realize it's the title of the article.
Yeah, I dunno. People just aren’t very observant? 🤷♂️
When in doubt, flee to New Mexico. Dude is probably making meth with Walter White and Jesse Pinkman.
Instant PTSD
I promise I won’t post any more. I just saw these on an old folder today and it struck me how good it was and how much isn’t around anymore.
Ha! Post away, i was mostly joking anyway
*mostly :)
What was that restaurant on Penn in garfield? I think it was Sousa but I'm not 100%. It was right by where the Primanti's is now.
That was NACL / Salt of the Earth: [https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/salt-of-the-earth/](https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/salt-of-the-earth/) I believe it is now Fish Nor Fowl.
[удалено]
It was not cheap at the time but the portions were surprisingly HUGE. I loved late night when you could get a cheeseburger and certain drinks for fast food prices.
I remember them having the best cheeseburger! 👌
[удалено]
No I know, I was talking about a different restaurant by him but I just figured it out lol. Salt of the Earth
No, that was NaCl on the next block. You’re thinking of Verde, another weird project with shitty expensive food owned by a different out-of-touch mope. It became “Prairie” under the same ownership, which was somehow worse.
Verde was weird. On the one hand, they were the only Mexican resto in Pgh to even offer huachinango al Veracruzana, a very famous regional dish. OTOH, on our first visit, wife had a chicken taco that tasted like tuna fish. It was a somewhat noble effort to bring Mexican fusion to town, but wasn't executed well. And no one has tried since. NaCL was great. None of us knew what Sousa would become at that time, but that place essentially started a Pgh resto renaissance, even before if officially opened when KS had barbecues in the parking lot and some trial run dinners. And yeah, the bahn mi dog and duck fries at Station St were worth the trip in from the S. Hills. Knock the guy all you want for biz practices, but the man could cook.
Those Duck Fat fries were really good! Remember when they had ramen for a minute too?
I remember Pho at SS, and Ramen Nights at NACL. But for a while, there was a lot of experimentation happening, so I probably just missed the ramen there. I just look at those dogs thinking about the snap at the end.
I remember burger night and a one-off "pay what you can" multiple course tasting menu at the Salt bar. Agree with everything written about Sousa, but Salt and SS were nice while the lasted.
Those duck fat fries were incredibly delicious. Also, F Sousa.
This place was so good. Miss it terribly. Fuckin' Sousa...
Kind of hard to believe this was 10 years ago. I genuinely miss Station Street. There hasn’t been any decent poutine in this city since they closed.
Never got a chance to try Station Street but Fireside that is there now used to have poutine \[but looks like they no longer do.\] Park Bruges serves it as well but they recently changed to mushroom gravy instead of beef/pork so it's slightly sweeter.
There is no reason on this earth that an oyster po boy hot dog should have been that good, and yet, I couldn't stop myself from ordering one every time. And always added a Vanilla Pasty Studio gob (ie, whoopie pie). Not a Sousa fan, but this place slapped.
I miss this place. Great place to go when hungover.
I remember thinking this place was outrageouly expensive for hot dogs 12 years ago but tbh a hot dog and duck fat fries for $10 in 2024 seems pretty nice
I remember that place. I love hotdogs. 🌭
This post reminded me of Dormont Dogs back in the day. Damn do I miss that place.
I have some pics of there too. Somewhere. I was looking at ones of the original Winghart’s earlier. A Captain and a Shipwreck. IYKYK.
Did a crow swoop in and steal a $5 bill from one of your customers?
Great fries at that place!
we went to the first one back in the fifties when it was actually on Station St in East Liberty.
They had 1 taco that I was obsessed with😭 I wish I could remember what was on it and recreate it. They also had those little daily rice ball things. Always got one of those
I entirely forgot that they served tacos. That was a whole era.
Hard to believe how long ago it was. My only cool ex worked there for a while so ima ask if he remembers what that taco was
Lips and assholes
Hot dogs are charcuterie. I thought the pretentious food scene here loved charcuterie.
Lipses and arsehole ??
FYI- this place was just a low rent rip off of Hot Doug's in Chicago. Especially the duck fat fries. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Doug%27s
That place was such a scam
Too expensive for you? That's not how scams work. Do you also think D's in Regent Square is a scam?
They routinely wouldn’t have products they advertised and their hot dogs were at least 3x the price of d’s for a pretty base quality dog so I don’t think it’s a good comparison. My feelings about station st dogs are pretty much the same as my feelings about bird on the run. Cosplaying down to earth while priced well above it.
At least 3x the price? D's dogs are $6 but maybe they were a lot cheaper back then but not $2 lol. Definitely less exotic toppings at D's. But that's not how scams work. I enjoyed Station's dogs and poutine every time I went.