Bistro Testimonials

Great critical reviews from the beginning

While we’ve gotten lots of kudos from customers and the media over the years for Bistro To Go, one of our favorites is “Best Comfort Food Restaurant” in the 2011 Pittsburgh Magazine Readers Poll.  And there are still more good media reviews and media stories here.  Plus, our catering clients offer some wonderful comments.

And here is what some of our restaurant customers have said:

Customer Reviews of Bistro To Go Cafe & Catering

  • Linda M., Tucker Law
    CORPORATE EVENT: Well, you and your wonderful staff outdid yourselves once again!  BEAUTIFUL presentation, delicious food, JUST FANTASTIC!!!! Everyone was very happy! Have a great day. Pleasure to work with you and your staff!!! Thank you!!!!
    Linda M., Tucker Law
  • Lauren S.
    WEDDING: Nikki, Desiree & all the staff at Bistro to Go was phenomenal and professional from start to finish. The food was first class & delicious. Nikki went above & beyond to create a menu for us that was unique and amazing for our outdoor, family-style dinner. As a vegetarian, she met with me several times and prepared several different options until we came up with the perfect dish for me and my (2, yes 2) other vegetarian guests! She made sure I was completely happy with my food. My father was insistent we go with the Common Plea, but after he came to the tasting at Bistro, he said Nikki's food was as good, if not better than, theirs! Sold! Leading up to the wedding, Nikki took charge where my wedding planners were not. When my family and I were about to have meltdowns due to lack of organization and communication about the details of our wedding, Nikki stepped in and made sure things went in the right direction for all parties involved. Our wedding was a verydetailed affair, as it was held at my parents' home, and thus everything from the layout to the bathrooms to bartenders and staffing all had to be arranged and coordinated. Nikki was calm and organized from the get-go, and I knew she had everything under control. If there was one thing I was not worried about on our big day, it was the catering. On our wedding day, we were not disappointed. The staff were extremely professional, polite, and attentive to our guests. The food was served fresh and hot and since everything was grilled on site, it was made even more delicious. We had several people comment that it was the best food they ever had at a wedding. We had one guest say it was the best steak he had ever had in his life! Wow! The only complaint I would have is that after we cut the cake, it sat and was not cut. I had to ask someone to cut it, when I noticed it sitting there untouched after dessert (we had a dessert buffet in addition to cake) had already begun! My wedding planners should have noticed that, not me, but regardless, once I told the caterers, they whisked the cake away, cut it and plated it. Go with Bistro! You will not be disappointed!!
    Lauren S.
  • Kira K.
    WEDDING: If I could give 1000 stars, I would. Finding a caterer was turning into the toughest part about my wedding planning. Upon a simple glance at the Bistro menus, I knew it would be perfect for my food vision. The initial meeting with Nikki, the owner, felt like I was meeting my friend for a chat. She immediately understood what I was looking for and made menu recommendations to compliment my vision. I cannot say enough good things about her! She is the most genuine person and has an obvious passion for her food and her brides. We fell in love with her. She is also so knowledgeable of the wedding scene, its like having a second wedding coordinator on board. She even referred the bartender I ended up using at my wedding. For our tasting, it was literally like a mini party at her restaurant on the North Side. I was absolutely blown away! She prepared every dish I was interested in (which turned out to be lots) and let us take home the leftovers (of which there were lots). With one bite of her food, I knew I had to have her there on my wedding day. I communicated directly with Nikki throughout the process of menu planning and leading up to the big day. She was attentive to detail and very responsive throughout. Nikki and her staff seamlessly executed my wedding day. It. was. perfect. And I know they had so much to do with it. The food on the wedding day was just as delicious as I remember at the tasting. We had the BEST appetizers: mac & cheese bites, grilled cheese with chilled soup shooters, sweet & sour meatballs, and pulled pork sandwiches. We had BBQ short ribs and lemon-basil chicken as mains, her infamous "whip cream" potatoes (you have to try them), corn on the cob, vegetable medley, green beans, strawberry & sugared-pecan salad, watermelon-blackberry salad, and cornbread. Nikki and her staff did so much to make my wedding day just as I imagined! They made sure my groom and I had food, including the yummy apps, on our sweetheart table early in evening to ensure we got to enjoy the food. I have absolutely no complaints. Would not change a thing! I highly recommend Bistro to Go as your next caterer for any occasion, but especially for your wedding. :)
    Kira K.
  • Renee R.
    WEDDING: Allergy friendly! I am Celiac and they made my life easy! Bistro to Go catered our Rehearsal Dinner and the food was incredible. I wish they would have catered our wedding! The staff working our rehearsal dinner went above and beyond with how helpful they were.
    Renee R.
  • Rhonda P.
    WEDDING: Bistro To Go was delicious! We catered breakfast for a Sunday AM wedding reception and it was truly the best breakfast I've had! Our guests loved the display and the food. Bistro offers everything you could want from full service catering and was super flexible. A friend recommended them in the first place, and I would gladly do the same for anyone looking for catering. We were so happy with them!
    Rhonda P.
  • Alicia K.
    WEDDING: The food here is just amazing, I am still eating leftovers that were frozen during the honeymoon and it tastes just as good, I’m sad it’s almost all gone! Nikki was great to work with for our caterer, although at times she is not the most responsive but she made up for it in quality food and really caring about making our day special and working within our specific budget. She did a full tasting of all the food we were interested in for both of us and our parents without even talk of a contract or being hired. She truly let the food do the talking and it was a no brainer to go with Bistro to Go, especially since she guaranteed amazing food in our budget. Nikki was in contact more the closer we got to our date and she attended our final meeting with our venue to make sure we were all on the same page and happy with the menu. The day of the wedding we didn’t worry about anything, her team worked directly with the venue to set up everything and made sure everyone got food including the vendors! They were especially concerned with making sure we (the bride & groom) got to eat! Everyone was thoroughly impressed with the quality of cocktail hour food and the main buffet, we couldn’t be happier with them. They stayed until the end to help clean up everything and even took care of the tables even though they did not provide the linens. They were so professional and I love the food, I am already trying to think of something else to order there food for!
    Alicia K.
  • Corie T., Development Coordinator, Ward Home Inc.
    NONPROFIT EVENT: I just wanted to thank you so much for everything you and your team did to make our event a success on Saturday. I have received nonstop compliments on how delicious the food was – it was definitely the hit of the evening, especially the soup shooters and waffle station. Our presenting sponsor, Highmark, specifically mentioned the waffle station in his thank you to us J You have been amazing to work with (and I have worked for and with a lot of caterers) – I hope we can work with you again at future events. I will happily and highly recommend you to anyone that asks!  Please put me down on your reference list.
    Corie T., Development Coordinator, Ward Home Inc.
  • Karamagi R., Director, Public Communications & Advocacy Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation
    NONPROFIT EVENT: I can’t tell you how many times I have received compliments—starting yesterday during the event—about the professionalism of service and the very high quality of the hors d’oeuvres available. Everybody has been saying the hors d’oeuvres were excellent and they were. It was absolutely fantastic! If you ever need a reference for someone who needs to understand what you can do for them, please send them my contact. We will be very happy to recommend you anywhere. Very well done. Cheers!
    Karamagi R., Director, Public Communications & Advocacy Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation
  • Jaymi
    PRIVATE EVENT: Well, Nikki, last night you totally brought your a-game!  From the crazy fabulous food to the gorgeous presentation to the professional, efficient, adorable, fabulous Shea sisters, my party was a success because I chose you. Thank you once again for being my best weapon in hostess wars!  I absolutely won this one!! As always, Bistro-to-Go makes me look forward to opening my fridge on Sunday morning. The Greek meatballs were a huge hit; you should know!  I'm going to go make myself a plate right now. And those potstickers... yum. Everything was fantastic. Thank you again for going the extra mile. I could not have loved Cynthia and Stephanie more. XoX! XoX!
    Jaymi
  • Andrea C.
    PRIVATE EVENT: The party last night was just fabulous. Your food was wonderful and Matthias and Jeff were too.  The chicken, veg, salad, everything! Matthias and Jeff were as smooth, professional, polite, efficient,  helpful, and competent as could be. We and our guests had nothing but praise for them and for Bistro To Go. The wooden serving pieces chosen by Matthias were also perfect: what I would have chosen myself.   Kathy Allen of Armstrong Farms was one of our guests and she sang your praises as well, having used you for her events also.  So, thank you so much!  You are our future caterer for parties large and small in the future!  And, please, send us this pair of chef/servers again!
    Andrea C.
  • Erin E., Project Bundle Up Coordinator, The Salvation Army
    NONPROFIT EVENT: I just wanted to say THANK YOU for doing such a wonderful job on the Heath Miller event last Thursday.  Your staff was very friendly and professional and everyone commented that they absolutely loved the food! Hope you had a terrific weekend and thanks again for everything!
    Erin E., Project Bundle Up Coordinator, The Salvation Army
  • Nikkilia L.,  WPA Political Director|32BJ SEIU
    CORPORATE EVENT: Just a quick note to say thank you so much for your amazing service at our event on yesterday. Everyone loved the food and Chuck was wonderful. I look forward to working together again in the future.
    Nikkilia L., WPA Political Director|32BJ SEIU
  • Lorraine H.
    EVENT: Many thanks to you, the folks at Bistro who planned and prepared our food, and especially to Wendy, Stephanie, Chad, and Patrick for the flawless setup and service!  Everyone commented on how delicious the food was!  Wendy, Stephanie, Chad and Patrick took care of every detail-- which allowed us to focus on our guests and enjoy the time. We are grateful!  Please know Bistro to Go will be our first choice for future events. Thanks for your kindness and responsiveness throughout.
    Lorraine H.
  • Rob & Sam N.
    WEDDING: Thank you for the wonderful food and service for our wedding celebration last Saturday. Everything was perfect! People raved about the food and devoured nearly all of it. And your staff were consummate professionals. Many people inquired about who catered the event, so I am happily passing along your info. Thanks again for everything. You helped make our big day a truly memorable one. Now off to Europe!
    Rob & Sam N.
  • Erin M. Associate Manager, Heinz North America
    CORPORATE EVENT: Everything was awesome! You received a ton of compliments and you’ll probably have some folks contacting you for future events.  Thanks again for helping me make this work!
    Erin M. Associate Manager, Heinz North America
  • Linda C., Tucker Law, PPG Place
    PICNIC: I can’t say enough about the two men who worked at the picnic from Bistro. Steve was amazing and there was NOTHING that he could have done BETTER! Both guys were absolutely wonderful!!!!! As for the FOOD itself
 DELICIOUS and there was 100% agreement by everyone who attended the picnic!!!!! That is RARE!!!! I was so impressed and so pleased!!! Our day was perfect!!!!
    Linda C., Tucker Law, PPG Place
  • Catherine A.
    EVENT: Thank you for the wonderful job you and your staff did to cater our event yesterday. The food was beautiful and delicious! You were a delight to work with, and everything went very smoothly. Our guests raved about your food, and several picked up your business cards, so hopefully you’ll be hearing from them in the future!
    Catherine A.
  • Jessica T.
    WEDDING: I wanted to say a huge thank you for the amazing job you did at my Oct. 16 wedding. I have heard nothing but raving reviews of how great the food was and I was so happy to be able to say the Bistro catered. Thank you so much for the huge blessing you provided by being there with your staff and doing such an incredible job. It made the day so much better.
    Jessica T.
  • Becky R., Group Sales and Audience Development Manager Pittsburgh Public Theater
    CORPORATE EVENT Nikki, they loved it! They all thought the food was great and so did I, since there was some left over. In fact, there was enough left that the cast of our show and some of our other staff got to enjoy it, too. Thanks so much! Our season is almost over but I know I’ll have more business for you when we start up again in the fall.
    Becky R., Group Sales and Audience Development Manager Pittsburgh Public Theater
  • Sally G.
    This is a well-overdue thank you for the beautiful food you provided for my daughter’s graduation party.  The food was absolutely delicious.  Everyone loved it.  I know that we will order from you again.  We were able to share the leftovers with the East End Cooperative Ministries homeless shelter, so they enjoyed it, too.  Thank you for providing us with such a splendid spread for our daughter’s big day.  Thanks so much!
    Sally G.
  • Marlene R., PPG Industries, Inc.
    CORPORATE EVENT: I really enjoyed the food you prepared for our event at the Pittsburgh Public Theater. I will keep you in mind for future events.
    Marlene R., PPG Industries, Inc.
  • Patti B., Program Coordinator Internal Medicine Residency, Allegheny General Hospital
    CORPORATE EVENT: Just wanted to follow up with you regarding our event on Friday, June 10. Everything was perfect. Food was great and my residents and guest had nothing but good comments. I definitely will be using you in the future for other events. Thanks so very much.
    Patti B., Program Coordinator Internal Medicine Residency, Allegheny General Hospital
  • Terry O, mother of the bride
    BRIDAL SHOWER: Just wanted to thank you, Joe, and the whole team at Bistro for all  you did to make Jenny’s bridal shower a huge success!  The food was delicious and our servers went above and beyond to meet our every need!  Kathy also worked hard the night before with us on setting up—and the room was truly amazing. Everyone commented on the delicious food, beautiful venue, and professionalism of the staff! Thanks again for working with us to make a treasured memory and event for us all.  We would highly recommend Bistro’s event room to all!!
    Terry O, mother of the bride
  • Caitlin T., Office Manager, The Forbes Funds
    CORPORATE EVENT: Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!!  I can’t express enough how great the food was and great the service was and is! Everyone at the event just had nothing but wonderful things to say about our “spread”. I will definitely be contacting you in the future for upcoming events/meetings and will recommend your services to anyone who asks.
    Caitlin T., Office Manager, The Forbes Funds
  • Priscilla O., Allegheny Center Alliance Church
    CHURCH EVENT: First of all, the food was OUTSTANDING.  All I heard was how wonderful the food was, and how delicious and excellent it was
 I heard it both days, and over and over. I think we can conclude it was a big hit!
    Priscilla O., Allegheny Center Alliance Church
  • Cate on Urban Spoon
    CORPORATE EVENTS: I’ve used BTG twice for catering events, once for dinner and once for breakfast. Service and food has been outstanding. Nikki is excellent to work with and is there to meet your needs 110%. They are my No. 1 caterer for planning events/meetings. The veggie lasagna, chicken marsala and fresh granola stuck out to me and were incredible! I can’t wait to try the restaurant!
    Cate on Urban Spoon
  • Maureen K, Pittsburgh Public Theater
    NONPROFIT EVENT: The Good News: Everyone L-O-V-E-D the food – particularly the coconut shrimp.  The Bad News:  It’s one hell of a big act to follow!  Scrimping on the next few meetings is going to make me look really bad!  Thanks for the huge success!
    Maureen K, Pittsburgh Public Theater
  • Ashley on Urban Spoon
    WEDDING: Our wedding was at the Aviary this April and I’m so happy we found Bistro To Go with Nikki and Joe to help us with our event! They worked with us at every moment and with every question. They never said no to anything and always kept us within our budget. The food was Spectacular and everyone raved about it at the event! We had the Salmon and Beef with the Summer menu. I will be going back to them for all of our catering occations in the future; we couldn’t have asked for better service, food, experience and people to work with. Joe was a great planner for our event as well letting us know what would and would not work for our timing. Also, he gave us peace of mind that everything would be put together and set up just as I had in my mind for the event. I would highly recommend these wonderful people and their wonderful food to anyone getting married or having an event they need catered and arranged!
    Ashley on Urban Spoon
  • KDT on Urban Spoon
    WEDDING: We had our wedding catered by Bistro To Go and it was fantastic. The staff was very friendly and efficient. Nikki was very helpful in putting everything together and making sure we had everything we needed. We had beef tenderloin and stuffed mushrooms which were absolutely fantastic. The beef was incredibly tender and delicious. Everything was delivered on time and as promised. I would not hesitate to recommend their catering services for any event!
    KDT on Urban Spoon
  • anonymous on Weddingwire.com
    WEDDING: I can’t rave enough about Bistro to Go! Nikki was so kind and helpful when we were planning our menu and met with us several times to figure out ways to stay within our budget. She emailed us a copy of each draft of our menu, too, with estimated costs. Joe, who was the on-site coordinator, was absolutely fantastic. He made sure my husband and I had full plates of food waiting for us at our table, so we got to eat on our wedding day, too! (All of my friends were telling me that finding time to eat is one of the most difficult things on your wedding day!) And needless to say, the food was phenomenal. My husband’s family always compares the food at a wedding to the food at every other wedding they’ve been to, and we won hands down! Even my husband’s grandpa was raving. :) I also want to add that Bistro to Go excels at all the little touches, like providing special meals for guests (gluten-free and soy-free), giving us about a dozen different options for pierogi fillings, providing signs so guests knew what was vegetarian or not. And all of the servers were incredibly nice. My husband and I actually had people come up to us during the reception to tell us how friendly the servers were and how good the food was! I can’t recommend Nikki and Joe and everyone at Bistro to Go enough. They’ll do a perfect job for you.
    anonymous on Weddingwire.com
  • Eric B., Director of Operations, Desmone & Associates Architects
    CORPORATE BREAKFAST: In honor of Boss’s Day, our office had breakfast catered by Bistro Catering. It was, in a word, delicious! We had never used Bistro-to-Go before, and our entire firm was impressed with the quality of the food. The french toast was fantastic – undoubtedly some of the best in Pittsburgh. The meal was a bargain considering the variety of food and exceptional service. Our firm will definitely use Bistro Catering again, and we suspect our employees will be making frequent lunch runs to Bistro-to-Go on the Northside!
    Eric B., Director of Operations, Desmone & Associates Architects
  • jigs2979 on Weddingwire.com
    WEDDINGS: These guys were probably one of my best wedding vendors! Not only was the food phenomenal, but the service and flexibility was excellent as well! I had a very different wedding day in that I needed food for a luncheon, a few dishes for the reception as well as service for both. Joe was absolutely amazing in accommodating everything that I needed. As the wedding started to near, there were some serious glitches with the venue where we had the wedding and reception. I mentioned these things to Joe, and he handled the entire situation in providing us with everything that we needed that day with patience and ease. He really did save the day! Not only did they provide excellent service, but we had rave reviews about the food from all of our guests! Nikki, the chef was also very accommodating in creating a menu for us that we envisioned, but also helped us with creative ideas of how to stay within our price range. She was wonderful to work with as well! I would recommend Bistro-to-Go for any kind of event you are having that would need to be catered! :)
    jigs2979 on Weddingwire.com
  • Julie A.
    WEDDING: This Sunday is Art’s and my 1st wedding anniversary. I wanted to tell you again, a year later, how much we appreciated all you did for us. Just last week someone told me how great our wedding food was — we get compliments about it all the time. You outdid yourself.
    Julie A.
  • Jennie and Josh D.
    WEDDING: I just wanted to send you a note to tell you what an awesome job Bistro did with our wedding. Everything was absolutely perfect! We heard nothing but compliments on how delicious the food was, and how nice the staff was from our guests. We really can’t thank you enough! I’ll be recommending the Bistro to everyone!
    Jennie and Josh D.