Social Profile: 
✔️Lunch ✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in ✔️Take out
… View more
Relaxed hangout serving a small menu of European-inspired vegan plates, plus cocktails & beer.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 4606 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15224
Phone: (412) 251-0189
Website: http://aptekapgh.com/
Menu Photos
Photo Gallery
Related Web Results
Apteka: Home
Vinoteka every Thursday 5-9p // Regular dinner service Fri-Sun 5-10p 🙂 Apteka Logo … Pittsburgh, 15224 (412)251-0189. Other inquiries: Email Us. © 2026 Apteka.
Apteka (@aptekapgh) · Pittsburgh, PA – Instagram
Central + East European kitchen+bar / retail wine/ all vegan : Hours Thu – Vinoteka 5-9p. Fri – Sun dinner + bar service 5-10p …
Apteka | Pittsburgh PA – Facebook
Apteka, Pittsburgh. 8114 likes · 27 talking about this · 4365 were here. APTEKA is a Central & Eastern European cuisine focused restaurant +bar +…
Reviews
Erin Karpich
A 100% vegan menu, yes please! The food was quick from the kitchen even though it was very busy. Everything we ordered was delicious and fresh. The cocktails were also lovely. I would definitely go back to try more dishes.
… moreJillian Vordick
I’ve been wanting to come here since it was recommended to me last April. We arrived around 4:30 on a Saturday and there already a few people in line. You order at a counter right when you walk in before you sit down. This was a bit odd and created somewhat of a bottleneck of people trying to enter, but the employee who took our order was very kind and helpful as we ordered.
My boyfriend and I ordered two small plates and two large plates. It ended up being a bit more food than we could eat, partly because the dishes we chose were quite carby and dense. For the small plates, we got Barszcz Ukrainski (red beet borscht) and obwarzanka nadziewana (pretzel). And for the large plates, we got smazone pierogi and placek ziemniaczany po wegiersku (fried potato pancake with stew). I must admit that the flavors were very intense, leaning mostly towards bitterness, tanginess, and some salty umami notes. The food was extremely flavorful, almost to a fault as I tried to move between the dishes and felt like I needed a palate cleanser. I wish that the creamy sauce that came with the two large dishes and the borscht had a more neutral flavor, as that could’ve been helpful.
The pretzel and the borscht were most surprising. The borscht was delicious and had nice notes of dill and I enjoyed it more than I was expecting. The pretzel, however, was a bit dry and crumbly, although the saltiness was appreciated and tasty when mixed with the vegetables that came with the dish.
If you’re looking for an all-around unique dining experience with fresh ingredients and flavors you won’t find elsewhere in the city, I’d recommend coming here, although it’s not for everyone.
… moreMy boyfriend and I ordered two small plates and two large plates. It ended up being a bit more food than we could eat, partly because the dishes we chose were quite carby and dense. For the small plates, we got Barszcz Ukrainski (red beet borscht) and obwarzanka nadziewana (pretzel). And for the large plates, we got smazone pierogi and placek ziemniaczany po wegiersku (fried potato pancake with stew). I must admit that the flavors were very intense, leaning mostly towards bitterness, tanginess, and some salty umami notes. The food was extremely flavorful, almost to a fault as I tried to move between the dishes and felt like I needed a palate cleanser. I wish that the creamy sauce that came with the two large dishes and the borscht had a more neutral flavor, as that could’ve been helpful.
The pretzel and the borscht were most surprising. The borscht was delicious and had nice notes of dill and I enjoyed it more than I was expecting. The pretzel, however, was a bit dry and crumbly, although the saltiness was appreciated and tasty when mixed with the vegetables that came with the dish.
If you’re looking for an all-around unique dining experience with fresh ingredients and flavors you won’t find elsewhere in the city, I’d recommend coming here, although it’s not for everyone.
Damian Butler-Buccilli
First experience at a vegan restaurant, first vegan experience in my life. Easily some of the best of pierogies in Pittsburgh. Fried to perfection and served with delicious cabbage and a dollop of cream. The dumplings and are amazing and the dessert is incredible. Fantastic assortment of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Amazing service. Make sure to come about 15 mins before opening.
… moreMegan Venglik
This is a one of a kind…congrats on winning the James Beard Award! It is well deserved for a restaurant the focuses on authenticity and creativity. It always has a line out the door to await for giving you a time to come back usually 1-2hrs later depending on where you were at in line when opening. I truly wouldn’t do that for any other restaurant. Everyone is very kind and the service for food is so fast once the wait is well worth it. Thank you Apteka!
… moreAnna Shank
I LOVE Apteka! The menu is entirely vegan and has so many exciting things to try. I’ve brought many meat lovers here too, and they all had a wonderful time trying all of the Eastern European dishes! I like to order a bunch of dishes for the table and eat family-style when I visit with friends and family. The atmosphere is great, complete with a lovely outdoor seating area in a garden with heaters for when it’s chilly out. If you plan on dining here though, you have to be prepared to wait outside of the building in a line that forms prior to 5PM when they open! I so wish they were open full-service on week nights, but they are so great that it’s worth waiting for the weekend!
… moreR R
Wonderful vegan restaurant. Very interesting dishes that are awesome. I also liked how they space out the dishes when serving it. Good idea to make a reservation. Good food means waiting time.
… moreLaurel Yoho
Food is absolutely incredible, but this place is hard to get into, and the atmosphere is bland (just not for me.)
Ordering was a bit confusing, but I didn’t even know this place existed or how it worked exactly. I used to live in Pittsburgh but visited from Ohio when I came here. You have to go up to the counter café style, order your food, and each person in the group grabs their utensils including water.
It was in the winter, and there was no seating indoors or any designated wait time, but we were offered a table outside. It was dark, cold, only lit by candles, and honestly it felt like I was eating in a Half Life 2 tent, but to be fair to the workers, I don’t really think they expected us to say “Yeah sure” to us sitting outside when it was well below freezing. So many people I know had talked about this place that I felt I should put up with it to see what the talk was about.
Multiple courses is the way to go here. I had a lot of trouble reading the menu, just because I couldn’t recognize what language it was in at first, and I felt a bit patronized when I was struggling to read it when giving my order. There are hand menus, but some of it when we went was just pencil written on paper on the wall near the entrance. It gave me a vibe that this place was pretentious, and that was the appeal to a lot of the customers. I personally just don’t enjoy that. I don’t even care if the waiters or chefs are rude either, I have had bad days at work or simply just wanted to do my job and get through the day, but it was overwhelmingly so. Inside was small, but full of people. The hallways to the restrooms were plain, dark, and cramped.
The food did not disappoint me. I apologize for not remembering exactly what it was I ordered, I started with a beet soup, the table shared an order of their pierogis, there was a sauced potato dish and the portions were more than enough. Most vegan food is very filling even with smaller (by America standards) portion sizes, this was much of the same. You will not leave unsatisfied with the food. The soup was rich, delightful. The pierogis were so delicious and had a creamy sauce that I was desperate to have more of. We had a few cocktails too, not too heavy on the liquor and nothing too sweet. All about working different unique flavors together, exactly how it should be.
As much as I’d want to try more of the menu, it’s incredibly busy and hard to get into as I said. If the atmosphere was more relaxed, I’d go back. No reservations, no parties greater than 4, and you have to really assert yourself for service. Don’t go in and be made a fool of like I was for not knowing what to expect either— It’s some of the best vegan food in town.
… moreOrdering was a bit confusing, but I didn’t even know this place existed or how it worked exactly. I used to live in Pittsburgh but visited from Ohio when I came here. You have to go up to the counter café style, order your food, and each person in the group grabs their utensils including water.
It was in the winter, and there was no seating indoors or any designated wait time, but we were offered a table outside. It was dark, cold, only lit by candles, and honestly it felt like I was eating in a Half Life 2 tent, but to be fair to the workers, I don’t really think they expected us to say “Yeah sure” to us sitting outside when it was well below freezing. So many people I know had talked about this place that I felt I should put up with it to see what the talk was about.
Multiple courses is the way to go here. I had a lot of trouble reading the menu, just because I couldn’t recognize what language it was in at first, and I felt a bit patronized when I was struggling to read it when giving my order. There are hand menus, but some of it when we went was just pencil written on paper on the wall near the entrance. It gave me a vibe that this place was pretentious, and that was the appeal to a lot of the customers. I personally just don’t enjoy that. I don’t even care if the waiters or chefs are rude either, I have had bad days at work or simply just wanted to do my job and get through the day, but it was overwhelmingly so. Inside was small, but full of people. The hallways to the restrooms were plain, dark, and cramped.
The food did not disappoint me. I apologize for not remembering exactly what it was I ordered, I started with a beet soup, the table shared an order of their pierogis, there was a sauced potato dish and the portions were more than enough. Most vegan food is very filling even with smaller (by America standards) portion sizes, this was much of the same. You will not leave unsatisfied with the food. The soup was rich, delightful. The pierogis were so delicious and had a creamy sauce that I was desperate to have more of. We had a few cocktails too, not too heavy on the liquor and nothing too sweet. All about working different unique flavors together, exactly how it should be.
As much as I’d want to try more of the menu, it’s incredibly busy and hard to get into as I said. If the atmosphere was more relaxed, I’d go back. No reservations, no parties greater than 4, and you have to really assert yourself for service. Don’t go in and be made a fool of like I was for not knowing what to expect either— It’s some of the best vegan food in town.
Emi Smith
The food at Apteka was to die for!!! Some of the best if not -the- best vegan food I’ve ever had. Service and ordering system was a bit chaotic but I’m more than willing to overlook it given the quality and uniqueness of all the dishes we tried.
… moreJon Reilley
This is was one of the best restaurants I have been to! Their food was incredibly delicious and very unique! The drinks were pretty good as well with good options to pair with the food! The style of the resturant seems very intentional and the style works really well it really fits the ambiance! Bathroom was clean and also fits the style of the resturant 6/10 (one of the people I went with had extensive allergies to ingredients on the menu and the staff was polite and knowledgeable ended up speaking to the owner and got a modified menu with everything they could have in a fast and efficient manner. Cannot recommend this place enough
… moreSam Richardson
There will probably be a wait, but hey, that’s a good thing. That means the food must be really good, and it was amazing. I cherished every bite. Amazing flavors that I never knew were possible. Real and unique food.
… more