Finding a Gem: Traversing the Pittsburgh Breakfast Scene- Gab & Eat
A scenario I knew all too well…
My alarms started ringing at 6:20 a.m. for me to wake up. By the time the fourth alarm went off at 7, I was awoken. As I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, I prepared for the first adventure of Finding a Gem that started at 8.
I got in my dad’s truck and we were off to a familiar breakfast place — Gab & Eat.
Located in Carnegie, this diner prides itself on its “lively and inviting” atmosphere and classic diner food.
An unassuming storefront leads into a bustling breakfast joint, where you can sit at a booth, or sit at the long counter that runs the length of the grill and prep station. The layout is quite unique, as the place is three times long as it is wide. My dad and I sat at the counter. We joke that the only way to eat breakfast here is to watch the action at the stove.
The tables are covered in advertisements for local businesses. Chicken and Pittsburgh sports decor line the walls, and if you look above the shelves of bread behind the counter, you can find three whiteboards with trivia. The stove hood is covered in bumper stickers and a yellow sign that reads “THIS IS NOT BURGER KING YOU DON’T GET IT YOUR WAY. YOU TAKE IT MY WAY, OR YOU DON’T GET THE DAMN THING.” The most ironic thing about that sign is the fact that the staff makes sure to be bubbly and accommodating- the opposite of what the sign portrays.
The waitresses call you hun and sweetie, which is the first sign that you’re at a legit diner. The cooks crack jokes and converse with the people sitting right behind them while they flip pancakes and scramble eggs. It’s a rare sight to not hear the staff call people by their name; Gab & Eat pulls lots of regular customers.
While the plates and cold drink cups are the same, the coffee mugs are mismatched with different animals and characters and sassy sayings on each one. It’s Gab & Eat’s own genius fortune cookie gimmick- what will your coffee tell you today? My dad’s mug told him “ITS NOT EASY FOR A NIGHT PERSON TO WORK DAYS” with a tired looking cartoon person on it. I chuckled, as Ed goes to bed at 10 p.m. and wakes up at 6 a.m.
Now for the moment we’ve been waiting for…. how was the sandwich?
Despite the diner being quite full with patrons, our food was served quickly. My bacon, egg and cheese arrived to my seat at just the right temperature.
The Italian bread is cut in two thick slices, with both sides buttered and grilled on the stove. This gives the bread a crispy outside and soft, buttery inside.
The egg is fluffy and perfectly cooked. It basically melts in your mouth.
The bacon is crispy yet chewy, and brought a nice, salty flavor to the sandwich.
The American cheese is melted into a velvety texture due to the heat of the other elements of the sandwich.
The side of home fries is also expertly cooked. The inside of the potatoes are fluffy while the outsides are crispy. With a little salt and ketchup, these home fries are a perfect side to a sandwich.
The sandwich and home fries were enough for me to eat, but I was stuffed afterwards and had to take a nap after eating.
Dad also loved his meal. He got a sausage omelette with half sweet and half hot sausage with home fries. Gab & Eat even makes their own sausage!
Where does Gab & Eat rank on my scale?
I will admit I do have a bias towards this establishment. My dad and I have been going here for as long as we’ve been getting breakfast together. Despite this, I made sure to be fair and rank based off of this singular experience at the diner.
For atmosphere, I give Gab & Eat an eight. The chicken decor is a little kitschy, but it has the perfect charm for a diner. The staff is friendly and helpful. While I personally don’t mind, some people may find sitting so close to the counter to be uncleanly. The cooks don’t fully clean the grill after each piece of food touches it, so clean freaks may get the heebie jeebies over sitting there, along with the spread of germs from customers sitting so close.
For food, I give Gab & Eat an eight. The sandwich was expertly made, but along with the potatoes was a little too much food for me. It took a while to digest the whole meal. The potatoes were great too, but I personally needed ketchup and salt to make them amazing.
As for inspirability, I give Gab & Eat a TEN! The vibe of the diner lifted me out of my sleepiness, and I was ready for my day after hanging out and eating here. The sandwich made me excited to start my blog off with a bang!
In total, Gab & Eat averaged at 8.6 points on my scale. Quite an awesome ranking for the first installment of this series! Gab & Eat is a gem for sure.
