Where can one find loaded Pittsburgh Style hot dogs, chili, pierogies, sandwiches, and more in Arizona? Why, at Pittsburgh Willy's of course! I have to admit, I'm a huge fan of hot dogs. I like them plump, greasy, and loaded with toppings. Pittsburgh Willy's has it covered. It just so happens that last week I was jonesing for some serious back east comfort food and I had recently met the owner/chef of Pittsburgh Willy's, Mr. Randy Walters in a local coffee shop near my house. He invited me to stop up to try one of his hot dogs, which he promised would be a "taste of Pittsburgh, only better." I took a trip up to the Merchant Square Antique Mall, where Pittsburgh Willy's is located to see what this was all about.
Pittsburgh Willy'sIt's pretty cool little place; just a little nook inside the antique 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. When I stepped up to order, Randy recommended that I 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 bad ass hot dog that's not for the faint of heart. Besides hot dogs, Pittsburgh Willy's has a lot more good stuff going on there 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 I The Wild Willyjumped all over my chance to grab a plate of those too. Randy cooks the pierogies with enough butter and sweet onions to put Paula Dean into orbit - they were truly sublime. Pittsburgh Willy's also has one more menu item that I would like to try. The "Blitzburgh." It's 6 luscious potato and cheese filled pierogies smothered in butter and onions, then topped with sauerkraut, homemade chili, cheddar cheese, and Kielbasa. I'm working my way up to trying this, but I know I'll have to get on the treadmill for 3 days after eating this meal. And how are the prices? Fantastic! The Wild Willy was $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, PierogiesPittsburgh Willy's has that covered too. He has an assortment of ice cream sundaes and some east coast candy.
But honestly, the part I like best about Pittsburgh Willy's is the fun, easy going 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!
