Vegan
Beer/Wine
European
Polish
Central and Eastern European cuisine focused restaurant and bar, opened here Feb 2016. Had sprouted from a monthly pop-up called Pierogi Night. Contact via email for reservations and questions: aptekapgh@gmail.com. Open Fri-Sun 5:00pm-10:00pm.
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4606 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, 15224
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Last update on 18 Jun 2025 by xinemachine
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Added by chk49 on 12 Apr 2016
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105 Reviews
First Review by jswiss
Cassmula
Points +384
Delicious - Edit
I have never had Ethiopian food. I was unsure what to expect but knew I’ve been wanting to try Apteka. We had a little wait, but well worth it. Flavors out of this world and super yummy drinks. Everything I had was amazing. Don’t ask me to pronounce it though !
Read morePros: Cute place , Indoor/outdoor seating ( sit indoor if you can )
Guest
Jax_The_Coyote
Points +162
Great Eastern European Food - Edit
Lots of great cuisine that is not common to find in the US, much less veganized!
Read moreCons: Small portion sizes
Guest
TheVeganWerewolf
Points +150
Very Tasty - Edit
The wait was well worth it! I had the Smazone Pierogi and a celeryseed soda. I was intrigued by the soda, and was expecting something weird, but it tasted very good! The pierogi were great too! I also tried the Kluski Slaskie and I think that may have been my favorite! It had a great time trying new foods.
Read moreGuest
caliburrito
Points +18
The best - Edit
The best vegan restaurant in Pittsburgh, hands down.
Read moreGuest
lrz613
Points +224
Mind-blowing experience - Edit
This review is long overdue. I've visited Apteka several times and am consistently blown away by the entire experience. The flavors are indescribable. Apteka uses fresh, unique ingredients to create impressive Eastern European dishes. I crave the beet soup often, the pierogi fillings are unlike any other pierogi I've had, the potato dumplings with mushroom sauce brought to life flavors I've never had before, the stuffed cabbage is savory and filling, and the ever-changing desserts are never too sweet. They offer tons of beer, wine, and homemade cocktails. The staff works so well together; they are friendly, helpful, and efficient. There is always a wait to get in, but it is worth it every time. Once seated, service is quick and attentive. The atmosphere is unique and cozy.
Read moreI must also mention "Crapteka" --- a few weeks at the beginning of the year where they forego their typical menu to serve "junk" food...a variety of burgers, fries, and shakes!
10/10 EVERYONE must try this place, vegan or not. You will not leave disappointed!!
Pros: THE FLAVORS, All vegan, Prompt, friendly service
Guest
aeryus
Points +415
fantastic - Edit
absolutely delicious food every single time
Read moreGuest
veghen
Points +143
Delicious, unique food - Edit
I was excited to try this place. It's definitely a different experience. The food was great. It was maybe a little pricey, but about what you would expect for this area. I would go back. Parking was not as difficult as I expected.
Read morePros: Yummy food
Cons: Noisy
Guest
Tiskers
Points +37
MUST GO!!! - Edit
APTEKA is AMAAAAAAZING!
Read moreIt was my first time here. We got there right at 5 pm, and there was a line already (though it went fast!) Menus were handed out while in line by a very friendly and gracious staff member. You order and pay once you enter the building and before sitting down. (You can add on later, if desired, for example - dessert.)
The atmosphere is so pleasant, service is friendly, and the food is simply DIVINE. (And the water, served from glass bottles is delicious - I’m fussy about the water I drink and this water is obviously filtered and clean.)
We got the pierogi and it was delicious. APTEKA is a wonderful 100% vegan experience. We will definitely be back. If we didn’t live 2 hours away, we’d be there weekly and make it a goal to try everything in the menu.
RUN, don’t walk, to APTEKA!
Pros: 100% vegan, Delicious food
Guest
simpleworldme
Points +18
Spectacular - Edit
Apteka blew my mind. Their food, ambiance, and service are top-notch. Their approach to Polish food is unique and guarantees an unforgettable experience!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-12-26
Pros: Cuisine, Service , Music
Guest
Smalltownvgn
Points +67
Such a flavorful meal - Edit
Split 1 small plate and 1 large plate and 2 desserts between 2 and it was the perfect amount!
Read morePros: Taste , Speed, Prices
Cons: Can be a long wait , Gets busy so it will be noisy , Tight spaced seating options
Guest
greenlily
Points +140
Just fantastic - Edit
Went here for birthday dinner and had a wonderful experience. We waited about 20 minutes to put our names down, then maybe 15 more to get a table. Once we ordered, the food arrived within five minutes. The potato dumplings with rye crumbs are one of the best bites I’ve ever eaten. Also had the onion and cabbage pie and the celeriac schnitzel; both very good but slightly less mind-blowing. The drinks are also amazing and made with in-house syrups.
Read morePros: Warm atmosphere, Creative menu
Cons: Slightly disorganized seating/ordering process
Guest
SabrinaJaffe
Points +818
Amazing - Edit
Great food and atmosphere! We ordered two small plates, two big plates, and two drinks. Everything was delicious. We will definitely be back.
Read morePros: All vegan
Guest
KaleSnail
Points +71
Vegan Slavic Food: One of the Last Frontiers! - Edit
As soon as I found out there was a vegan restaurant based on Slavic cuisines, I absolutely had to go! Partly because I myself have a Czech background, but also because it's one of the few types of food you almost never see being made vegan. It's admittedly not the most naturally vegan friendly, and seems to be in a grey area of sorts: not familiar to most Americans but also not "exotic" enough to be deemed interesting. All in all, Apteka has an excellent take on Slavic food: almost all of the dishes are fairly traditional in composition, and make vegan through the unintrusive substitutions of cashew cream for dairy and suchlike. We went for the pierogies, a staple of Slavic cuisine and also strongly associated with Pittsburgh, and couldn't have been happier with the fairly straightforward preparation, paired with some very attractive plating that elevated the experience just enough. Celeriac schnitzel was a nice twist on a basic dish and a great way to highlight an under-served vegetable and bring some lightness to a fried dish. And although we didn't order them there were definitely some more daring items on the menu as well, including whole sunflower heads! (I always love to see actual plants on the menu at a vegan restaurant, especially since "apteka" means "drugstore" or "pharmacy.") We also really enjoyed the dessert option of the cream cake with sour cherries; probably much prettier eaten in house but still delicious with a nice hearty texture. I really wanted to give this place a full five stars based on the amazing food alone, but sadly there were other factors I really disliked. Namely, Apteka's ordering system is a complete mess. Rather than get seated at a table and ordering with a waiter, you have to queue up at a one person ordering station to order everything. This is tedious and slow and honestly feels kind of patronizing; even if they think most customers are going to need a lot of help understanding unfamiliar dishes on the menu, waitstaff can explain things at tables instead of bottlenecking everything behind one person! We were there on a busy Saturday night and the wait was substantial because of this. When we expressed worry about it, the host assured us food would come out super fast to make up for it, but this wasn't really the case at all, and we were quite upset about being lied to. It's also small inside, very loud, and dark, so not pleasant to sit down in. I suggest you order takeout to avoid these issues!
Read morePros: Great Renditions of Slav Classics, Attractive Plating, Dessert Made In House
Cons: Confusing Ordering System, Loud & Dark Ambiance, Very Busy / Wait Times
Guest
recycledstar
Points +346
My favorite restaurant - Edit
Apteka is my obsession. The food, service, variety, quality, everything. When traveling to Pittsburgh it is a must. Try everything you can!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-08-25
Pros: Everything is amazing , Service is great, Love the space
Guest
GrayHorwitz
Points +2105
Excellent and unique fine dining (for a price) - Edit
Amazing, creative, and locally and/or intentionally sourced, apteka offers a dining experience that is rare and worth it for special occasions. The back garden seating is lovely and service was thoughtful and kind.
Read moreGuest
ElissaBVegan
Points +3368
Great if you like Polish food - Edit
I wasn’t sure what to expect…
Read moreI found the food to be pretty salty and oily, but interesting.
Pros: All vegan
Guest
Dannywood
Points +49
Excellent excellent excellent - Edit
Wow holy [censored].
Read moreIncredible food,
amazing service,
Guest
greenbluegray
Points +1711
NYT calls it one of the 50 best U.S. restaurants - Edit
The NYT rating was from 2022, and that was ALL restaurants, not vegan ones. I might not even have noticed that there was no meat. The dishes were all hearty and amazing. Order a bunch of plates to share, and as everyone says, get the pierogies. We loved the soft ones best as well as the incredible cabbage rolls. There are no reservations for small parties, so come early since you might have to wait in line. Everyone was so nice, and the wine list was unusual and delightful. Good iced tea too. We had excellent recommendations for a few bottles to take home. It wasn't hard to find parking on the street, but we were there early (on a Friday). I cannot imagine who would not enjoy this food which is fancy yet earthy. with a casual modern atmosphere. I agree that it is an experience not easy to find elsewhere. Well done Pittsburgh~
Read morePros: Homey earthy food beautifully presented, reasonable prices, helpful kind service
Cons: It is several hours away, lol
Guest
SharonR
Points +3023
Rich Eastern European Foods - Edit
This restaurant is a whole experience. They're only open Friday through Sunday, so I think everybody and their mother tries to get in those 3 days.
Read moreDespite the appearance (and food) of an upscale restaurant, there's no dedicated server per table. You order up front and they really take their time (if you need it) to walk you through the menu, the wines to pair with it, and so on. This has pros and cons. If you happen to get a slow group in front of you, you're in for a whole lot of waiting (the couple in front of us took about 20 minutes, which I'm assuming and hoping it's not the norm). The pro is that if you want to add anything at any point, you don't have to wait to catch the waiters attention, and when you want to pay the check, you're good to come up too.
Food: it's HEAVY. Central/Eastern European foods. Lots of cream and fried bread. I say this as a lover of these things. Just order accordingly. We got the fried bread, pierogis, nettle soup (as our "healthy" option"), Zakaski (a platter with several pickled vegetables, lentils, smoked parsnip), and cake. I'm not a dessert person, so ymmv, the cake was good, but everything else was better.
greenbluegray
Great review!
Read moreGuest
VeganMusicMan
Points +261
Wow. Wow. Wow. - Edit
Apteka. WOW. So awesome to find a vegan restaurant that not only has great food, but feels so special. We showed up 15 minutes before opening and there were already 20 people in front of us. And everybody was excited to eat there. We had the house made black pepper soda, celery seed soda, Zakąski (pickle plate), Szparagi (asparagus sautéed in black pepper, vin, mint, lemon, onion), Smażone Pierogi (a variety of pierogi), Kotlet Selerowy (celeriac cutlet), and Żytnie Ciasto z Powidlami (rye flour cake with oat crème, plum, apricot). Everything was amazing, we were stoked with each serving. Everything wonderfully spiced, sublime condiments, and more. If you’re in Pittsburgh, we really recommend this place!
Read moreGuest
ponchoswindow
Points +776
Had everything- want everything again. - Edit
I went several months ago and haven’t stopped thinking about how good the dessert was. My table split several small dishes and we each had our own entree (mine was the best). Not sure what I ate, sorry. Regardless, we each left feeling full and satisfied. Satisfied in the way where you’ve had all the right flavors and portions of healthy foods in your diet and it all tasted perfect.
Read moreGuest
MelissaNoe
Points +33
Don't question it just GO - Edit
The food was AMAZING!! Pierogis were phenomenal and the best dish to me by far was called Langos. A fried bread with some sort of deliciousness in the middle.
Read moreGuest
BorderlineSavage
Points +60
Amazing! - Edit
Absolutely fantastic! The food is delicious, and the drinks are also excellent. Don’t sleep on the desserts - we ordered a couple and shared them and they were a perfect ending to the meal. Service is outstanding.
Read morePros: Delicious food, Wonderful service, Beautiful presentation.
Guest
hrn126
Points +583
one of my all time favorites - Edit
stopped here my first time in pittsburgh and fell in love so much that i decided to move here. this place is incredible. i would eat here every day if i could.
Read moreGuest
moshow
Points +86
Best thing about Pittsburgh! - Edit
Casual dining with quick turnovers but magically serve the prime dishes. From beginning to end, everything is fresh and full of surprising flavors. Vegan Comfort food never tasted so good. Reasonable portions too. Foraged leaf tea-sumac was great and they make there own sour cherry cordial.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-03-20
Pros: Casual , Freshness , Desserts are life-changing
Cons: Wish I lived closer
Guest
TheresaJGD
Points +130
Great all around - Edit
We ate so well (and so much) we nearly couldn’t walk out! Don’t be afraid to sit out back in the cozy tent area. Heaters made it comfortable. Totally recommend the bark tea, pickle plate, golden borscht, and everything else we ordered. We loved the ice cream ball for dessert. (How do you get the seeds onto the ball?) Staff were so friendly and calm. I attribute it to 🌱’
Read morePros: Exploring new flavors, Calm, friendly, organized staff, The care you can taste in the food
Guest
amorgb
Points +18
Love! - Edit
Wonderful food & environment! The celeriac schnitzel is amazing!
Read morePros: Sałatka Polska, Nalewki, Poppyseed cream pączki
Guest
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