"The Dish" Writes about the Dishes at Carol's

July 31, 2008
The Dish on Dish: Carol's Restaurant
A West End jewel

by Emilia Boehm

Though not exactly new (they’ll soon celebrate their three-year anniversary) Carol’s Restaurant in the West End provided these Dish correspondents with a new experience in local cuisine. Whilst playing hooky from our respective workplaces, we made a short mid-morning trip across the West End Bridge for breakfast.

The West End Circle, of course, is under construction until the end of time (or the bankruptcy of the Commonwealth, whichever comes first); but don’t let a little construction scare you – it’s still a much shorter trip than you think. Carol’s is beyond worth any detour - very affordable, diverse menu, and Carol herself is one of those sweet and friendly types that you just can’t help but love (well, you could help it, but you’d probably be a real jagoff).

The restaurant serves classic diner fare - breakfast, lunch and dinner, and, though we were too stuffed to verify it, the menu also advertises a selection of pies and ice cream for dessert. For our breakfast, the shorter correspondent chose the strawberry pancakes, and received three ginormous, fluffy pillows of buttery goodness, with a side of bacon that was happily eaten by her companion. My choice was the Western Omelet, which was a hefty eggstravaganza with green peppers and onions, and an even heftier side of home fries (made with real, skin-on potatoes) and toast. As for décor, well, the folks at Carol’s are Stiller fans, so there’s a goodly amount of the Black and Gold around, along with many great photos of family and friends (including the small selection of cast and crew from the Kevin Smith movie that just wrapped in the ‘Burgh.)

As the happy little wine bottle on the menu suggests, Carol’s is BYOB, so you can bring a few bottles if you’re there for lunch or dinner (or breakfast, I’m not here to judge). Carol told us that in the fall they’ll be doing weekend Jam Nights with local bands, but don’t wait until then to try some great home-cooked food. Go now, and by the time you leave, Carol will make you feel like you were visiting old friends.

To walk off some of the extra potatoes after breakfast, take a walk and visit some of the new art galleries that are popping up on and near Main Street.

Carol’s Restaurant

410 S. Main Street, West End., 412-921-2627

Go here to view wonderful photos of Carol's Restaurant

July 31, 2008 in Food/Restaurant reviews, Scoop du Jour, The Dish on Dish | Permalink


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