PIYOLA

"We recently had dinner at PIYOLA in Mount Lebanon, and the atmosphere immediately stood out. The dining room is beautifully decorated with soft lighting, elegant table settings, and a calm, welcoming feel that made the experience relaxing from the start. The authentic music added to the ambiance and fit the style of the restaurant perfectly. The food was truly impressive and presented with care. We started with the hummus and warm bread, which had excellent flavor and a smooth texture. Our main dishes were colorful, fresh, and tasted every bit as good as they looked on the plate. Dessert was a highlight -- beautifully plated with fruit and one of the best I've had, naturally sweet without being heavy or overly sugary. The only real drawback was the service. For most of our visit we were the only guests in the restaurant, yet we still had to ask for drink refills and there were long stretches without seeing our server. There was a bit of a language barrier, which we understood, but the long periods without attention were disappointing given how quiet the restaurant was. Based on our experience, plan on being there for an extended amount of time under the current level of service -- it's not a quick in-and-out meal. Overall, PIYOLA offers excellent food and a beautiful, relaxing atmosphere. With more consistent and attentive service, it has the potential to be an outstanding dining experience from beginning to end."

"Definitely a strong recommendation from me. Place is deep once walk in, they have a big room at the back and it's very nicely designed. Foods are fantastic if lamb noodle and kabab are top quality and very authentic UZ flavor. Dessert is delicious though a bit too sweet. I like their service, more like family style."

"This is authentic restaurant with a very friendly atmosphere. Samosas are delicious! Plenty of seating area, attentive service. You can sit in the front and enjoy the street view, or in their back dining room. Everything they serve is fresh and authentic. The restaurant is very clean and is very charming and has a nice character added with posters on the wall and national dresses everyone is wearing."

"Beautiful restaurant, with a pleasing decor and excellent staff and service. The food matches their style and is delicious and presented beautifully. We really enjoyed the pelmini and the luyula kebabs. We also tried the noodles with the lamb shank - the lamb was tender and falling off the bone - I found the broth to be a little salty for my taste but it was pretty flavorful. We ended the meal with a slice of their San Sebastian cheesecake which was excellent. Highly recommend for a fine dining experience"

"This is the best food experience I've had in Pittsburgh in a while. Firstly, the staff are just SO nice. Genuinely pleasant people who just want you to have a good meal. Secondly, the store front looks small, but the back of restaurant is massive and fancily decorated, but feels comfily homey too. Most importantly, the food was simple and straightforward, but packed with flavor and beautifully presented. And the prices are more than reasonable for what you get. Highly recommend this as your next new restaurant!! Definitely going back myself. Get the raspberry cheesecake dessert!!!"

"Great meal and unique food experience in Mt. Lebanon! I've never had Uzbek food before so this whole experience was somewhat new for me. I went into this with no expectations. The fried potatoes as a starter was crispy, flavorful, yet fluffy inside. Perfectly done! The entree I ordered was the lamb shank. It is certified halal, which implies a certain level of quality. I enjoyed the lamb. It's true, the meat was so tender it was falling off the bone and basically melted in the mouth. The flavor was very delicate and subtle with hints of cumin. I found the meal to be very well done, but was missing something (salt, acid...something I can't put my finger on). Overall, though, very enjoyable and I don't regret ordering it. My partner put it best, his meal tasted like something his mom would have made - meaning, good home style cooking. I'd definitely go back to try different dishes. The restaurant is deceiving in that it looks small upfront but there's a larger dining area in the back. The entire place is extremely clean and well managed. Service here was bar none. Truly some of the best service I've had in a very long time. The servers genuinely care about your experience and it really shows. Go give this place a try!"

"Let's start with how beautiful this restaurant is. The design, the presentation are top-level quality. They serve authentic Uzbek food which was absolutely delicious. We tried almost everything on the menu. Every single dish was cooked to perfection. The servers are very attentive. This place is a true gem "