Neighborhood guide

North Oakland food guide

Coffee and Chinese food lead North Oakland's 70 places to eat. Here's where they are and what's nearby.

Part of the Oakland area guide
70places to eat
71%independent
1city parks
41transit stops
Open on the mapBrowse by craving
Map: U.S. Census TIGER/Line · 70 listings

About North Oakland

Oakland is an area in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Consisting of four neighborhoods, it is the academic and healthcare center of Pittsburgh and one of the city's major cultural centers.
From Wikipedia, Oakland (Pittsburgh), quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.

By the county permit file, North Oakland is home to 70 places to eat or drink, putting it 8th among the 90 official city neighborhoods we cover1. The most common category is coffee and cafes (11), followed by Chinese (6). 50 of the 70 are independent and 20 belong to chains. 3 listings have a patio.

About 10,691 people lived here in 2020, up from 10,551 in 20102. There is 1 city park property here: Harris Triangle3. There are 4 sets of city steps4. About 49% of working residents walk to work5.

North Oakland by the numbers

70places to eat and drink
71%independent
5with a full bar
3with a patio
140listings per sq mi
0.5square miles of land

Counts from our directory1. Land area from the City's neighborhood boundaries7.

Listings by category

Main food streets: Craig Street (20), Centre Avenue (12), Forbes Avenue (11), and Melwood Avenue (5).

New and changing

These North Oakland facilities had a preoperational inspection from the Allegheny County Health Department between Aug 11, 2025 and Jul 28, 2026. That inspection happens before a food facility opens, changes owners or reopens after major work8.

Things to do nearby

Parks and playgrounds

1 city park property and 0 playgrounds.

  • Harris Triangle

Source39

Public art

1 work in the City's public art inventory, including:

  • Christopher Lyman Magee Memorial · Augustus Saint-Gaudens

Source10

City steps

4 public stairways with 72 steps in all. Longest: N Craig St near Bigelow Blvd from Gold Way (28 steps).

Source4

Library and markets

  • Main (Oakland) Library (Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh)

Source11

Getting there

Transit

41 active stops, about 50,340 scheduled trips a week, by bus. Busiest stop: Fifth Ave. at Thackeray Ave (5,157 weekly trips).

28X545861A61B61C61D676971A71B71C71D757781828393P3

Source12 Check PRT for live times.

How working residents commute

Walk49%
Transit12%
Bike1%
Work from home14%

Percent of workers 16+, 2018-2022 estimates5.

Who lives here

10,691Residents, 2020 census (+1% since 2010)2
12%Age 25 to 445
70%Age 18 to 245
68%Homes that are rented5
77%Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher5
Spotlight picks

Picked from our directory

All 70 on the map

How we pick: one independent spot from each of the most common categories in North Oakland, among listings whose latest county inspection on file reads "Inspected & Permitted". The pick rotates weekly. This is not a ranking, and no one pays to appear here.

Nearby neighborhoods and towns

All city neighborhoods

North Oakland FAQ

How many restaurants and bars are in North Oakland?

Our directory lists 70 places to eat and drink in North Oakland (50 independent, 5 with a full bar), based on Allegheny County food facility permits refreshed October 28, 2026. The busiest street is Craig Street with 20.

What kinds of food are most common in North Oakland?

By listing count: Coffee & Cafes (11), Chinese (6), and Pizza (5). See the full category breakdown on this page.

How do I get to North Oakland by bus or the T?

Pittsburgh Regional Transit's stop file lists 41 active stops in North Oakland, served by routes including 28X, 54, 58, 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, 67, 69, and 71A and 10 more. The busiest stop is Fifth Ave. at Thackeray Ave with about 5,157 scheduled trips a week. Check PRT for current schedules.

What is there to do in North Oakland besides eat?

City open data lists 1 city park property such as Harris Triangle, 1 public art work, 4 sets of public steps, and the Main (Oakland) Library.

Can I see health inspection results for restaurants in North Oakland?

Yes. We matched 48 of North Oakland's listings to Allegheny County Health Department inspection records (Aug 11, 2025 to Jul 28, 2026). Each matched spot page shows the most recent inspection date and placard. The Health Department's own records are the official source.

Sources

Every number on this page comes from these public sources.

  1. Pittsburgh Spotlight directory, built from Allegheny County Health Department food facility permits, plus OpenStreetMap listings marked unverifiedUpdated October 28, 2026. Counts include every listing inside the official boundary.
  2. 2020 Census Redistricting Data: City of Pittsburgh Neighborhood PopulationUniversity of Pittsburgh UCSUR via WPRDC (source: U.S. Census Bureau PL 94-171). Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY), per WPRDC.
  3. City of Pittsburgh ParksCity of Pittsburgh via WPRDC. Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY), per WPRDC.
  4. City of Pittsburgh StepsCity of Pittsburgh via WPRDC. Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY), per WPRDC.
  5. Profiles of Change: 2008-2012 vs 2018-2022 ACS estimates for Pittsburgh neighborhoodsUniversity of Pittsburgh UCSUR via WPRDC (source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year). Public domain (per WPRDC listing). 2018-2022 five year estimates; reported for North Oakland. Estimates carry margins of error.
  6. Wikipedia, "Oakland (Pittsburgh)"Text paraphrased or quoted from the article (retrieved Oct 28, 2026). Wikipedia content is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
  7. City of Pittsburgh Neighborhoods (boundaries)City of Pittsburgh via WPRDC. Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY), per WPRDC. Used for boundaries and land area.
  8. Allegheny County Restaurant/Food Facility InspectionsAllegheny County Health Department via WPRDC. CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication). Inspections dated Aug 11, 2025 to Jul 28, 2026. Matches to listings are conservative and may miss some places.
  9. City of Pittsburgh PlaygroundsCity of Pittsburgh via WPRDC. Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY), per WPRDC.
  10. City of Pittsburgh Public ArtCity of Pittsburgh via WPRDC. CC0 1.0.
  11. Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Library LocationsCarnegie Library of Pittsburgh via WPRDC. ODC PDDL (public domain).
  12. Pittsburgh Regional Transit StopsPittsburgh Regional Transit via WPRDC. Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY), per WPRDC. Active stops; weekly trips are scheduled trips in the stop file.

Inspection details reflect the most recent record in the county's open data file and may not reflect a facility's current status. For official results, contact the Allegheny County Health Department. Listings come from permit data and may include places that have closed.

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