Pastrami sandwiches are among the most ordered items at Primanti Bros. in Pittsburgh.
(Justin Spears / Tucson.com)
The purpose of Primanti Bros. was to serve service workers and truck drivers who worked odd hours in the area. The Strip District is now a touristy location in Pittsburgh, but it was blue-collar pocket in Pittsburgh when Primanti Bros. first opened its doors.
The menu is simple: Italian bread, choice of protein (steak, capicola, pastrami, beef patty), provolone cheese, fries, vinegar-based coleslaw and tomatoes.
According to the restaurant’s website, the fries-on-the-sandwich idea stemmed from Joe Primanti’s nephew, John DiPriter, frying up a batch of potatoes from a potato delivery truck and it became a hit for the customers.
In 2019, Pittsburgh native and rapper Wiz Khalifa had his own “Black and Yellow” sandwich named after his hit 2010 song. The sandwich, which was sold for roughly two weeks, was made a half-pound of angus sirloin beef, a quarter-pound of roast beef, bacon, a special blend of Cheese Whiz (Wiz) sauce, fries, coleslaw and tomatoes on Italian bread
There are over 40 Primanti Bros. locations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland and Florida. Even though Primanti Bros. spread locations across a few states, it’s still one of the most popular game-day food institutions for Pittsburgh sports fans.
The order: Pastrami sandwich with cheese
The final verdict: I went to the original location, which has a very cozy and intimate vibe. Think of the size of the original Primanti Bros. location as somewhere in the middle between “Bobo’s Restaurant” and “Mi Nidito.”
A compact restaurant that often requires a five or 10-minute wait with its restrooms down a flight of stairs in a basement? That’s part of the charm.
Dining and Cooking