Pierogies Plus

Food of Our Ancestors

Pittsburgh is a city with a proud Eastern European heritage. Despite the number of Polish, Russian, and Ukrainian immigrants who came here, relatively few restaurants reflect that Eastern European heritage. Most of this type of cooking is done in homes and, especially, churches. One exception is Pierogies Plus.

In a Former Gas Station

Located in the tough but safe McKees Rocks neighborhood, Pierogies Plus has many charms. The building itself is further proof of the Roadfood axiom that great food can often be found in former gas stations. They have spruced up the exterior in recent years by adding three tables with chairs, potted plants, and a fresh coat of paint. Service is friendly and the woman who takes your order will undoubtedly have an accent as thick as borscht. That assures that you are in good hands. A sign hangs outside with a smiling pierogi and the house motto, “prepared with tender loving care.”

Pierogies At Their Best

But the reason you come here is for the food. The menu is small and consists mainly of pierogies, haluski (noodles and cabbage), and stuffed cabbage. If you call at least two days ahead of time, they offer a large selection of pierogi stuffings, including apricot, jalapeno, spinach, and lekvar. But walk-ins still have potato and cheese, sauerkraut and cheese, cottage cheese, and meat to choose from. The pierogies are larger than is typical. They come bathed in a pool of butter and finely cut onions. They are soft enough that all you need to cut them is a plastic forks To my taste, the sauerkraut pierogi tastes best. The sauerkraut blends with the butter and dough for an especially delicious combination.

Have Some of Everything

Stuffed cabbage, full of ground meat and rice, floats in a tangy, sweet tomato sauce. The haluski arrives baby food-soft. It is almost impossible to stop eating. If you want to try all three, get a sampler platter. To drink, choose either a can of soda or a bottle of water. For dessert, I usually end my meal with tapioca or rice pudding.

Pierogies Plus has recently added some specials; on my last visit, I also ordered the kielbasa sandwich. Not particularly big, it comes on a Mancini roll, with or without kraut. The kielbasa is thick, juicy, and flavorful with a reddish-brown exterior that snaps when you bite into it.

A couple notes of warning: Pierogies Plus is open Monday through Friday and is closed on weekends. The parking lot is small, so you may have to park on the street.