Pittsburgh Willy’s

Pittsburgh Willy’s in Chandler, AZ has the goods to satisfy a craving for Pittsburgh-style hot dogs, chili, pierogies, and sandwiches.

Pittsburgh Willy’s is a little nook, nestled inside an antiques mall, with Steelers and other Pittsburgh decor on the walls. When you walk into the Merchant Square antique shop, you will know where to find Pittsburgh Willy’s by following the smell of onions being sauteed.

What should I eat at Pittsburgh Willy’s?

Randy, the owner/chef, recommended that we try the “Wild Willy” for my first time. It’s a quarter-pound all-beef hot dog topped with chipped ham sauteed in butter and then smothered with cheddar cheese. It’s a badass hot dog that’s not for the faint of heart.

Besides hot dogs, Pittsburgh Willy’s has a lot more good stuff going on as well: he serves some serious meatball sandwiches, homemade chili, and on Wednesdays and weekends he boasts some awesome made-from-scratch pierogies. It’s pretty hard to find some good homemade pierogies in Arizona, so we jumped all over the chance to grab a plate of those, too. Randy cooks the pierogies with enough butter and sweet onions to launch Paula Dean into orbit; they are truly sublime.

Pittsburgh Willy’s has one more menu item that we would like to try: The “Blitzburgh.” It’s six luscious potato-and-cheese-filled pierogies smothered in butter and onions, then topped with sauerkraut, homemade chili, cheddar cheese, and kielbasa. We are working our way up to trying this, but know we have to come on a empty stomach.

Pittsburgh Willy’s keeps it simple; he serves all of his meals on paper plates with plastic utensils. And how are the prices? Fantastic! The Wild Willy is $4.95 but the real deal is the pierogi dinner, just $5.95 for six pierogies and a drink. What? Did you say dessert? Oh yes, Pittsburgh Willy’s has that covered too. He has an assortment of ice cream sundaes and some East Coast candy.

But honestly, the part we like best about Pittsburgh Willy’s is the fun, easygoing atmosphere that Randy provides. You might as well be in his house, while he’s cooking in his own kitchen. He makes the whole thing a great experience by sitting down, talking, and getting to know his customers. Pittsburgh Willy’s gets an A+ for good, greasy food quality and spectacular service. Randy makes it obvious that he is passionate about the quality of the food he offers and his first-rate service!

*original post by Good Greasy Eats*