Café Momentum - Pittsburgh

We had dinner here last night and the food was phenomenal. I love a crispy flatbread and these were absolutely perfect. We were shocked at the size of the "side" of Brussels sprouts and they were amazing. The soup of the day was pumpkin bisque and was also delicious. Our friends enjoyed the risotto and one of the salads as well.Not only was the food great, but we got wonderful service as well and I love the mission of Cafe Momentum. We will definitely be back!

If you haven't been to Café Momentum located in downtown Pittsburgh yet, then you're missing out! I've been wanting to go back since last fall because I've been dreaming about their butter board so I made reservations for yesterday night. Café Momentum is part restaurant and part culinary training facility. It's their mission to equip Pittsburgh's justice-involved youth with life skills, education, and employment opportunities - an amazing mission that will make you feel good about dining there. The food itself was incredible. The butter board was just as good as I remembered! I also really loved the duck spaetzle and NY strip entrees as well as the two desserts we got. I thought everything was really reasonably priced and the portions huge. It's also BYOB. Multiple members of the staff stopped by during the meal to see how we were doing and to chat and they were so lovely. I can't say enough good things about this place! One thing to note is that a lot of the staff there is in training so be patient; your patience will definitely pay off.

We had a great dinner here on a Saturday night. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. We made a reservation in advance, but it looked like they had plenty of space for walk-ins. The concept of Cafe Momentum is really cool. Many of the employees are youth that have been involved with the justice system that are there as part of a paid internship. They also provide counseling and other services to the youth while they are in the program. Very cool!There are only 3 in the US - Dallas, Nashville, and PITTSBURGH!! We're so lucky to be one of the 3 cities!They accept donations to their program in lieu of tips. The receipt shows this. They are BYOB.

I made reservations for a Wednesday evening as Cafe Momentum had been on my list for a while to try. We were seated in a cozy booth and found the space large and welcoming. The open kitchen had us looking at the beautiful oven. It's BYOB and the corkage fee is $5/person. We love the mission of the place, helping to equip young people with new skills. The staff was pleasant and helpful.Food wise, hubs really wanted the pickled plate. We shared that and found some interesting pickled veggies. The broccolini was my favorite, more lighter on the fermented flavors. The tomato was very acidic. It was a fun way to start the meal.I had the smoked fried chicken for the main. The hint of smoke was a nice touch. It also comes with a flaky biscuit, mashed potatoes, and collard greens. Yes, it's heavy but lovely.Hubs ordered not your grandmother's gnocchi. It was very rich and quite flavorful. The mix of meats used for the meatballs intrigued us both.We were really full and didn't try dessert. Hopefully next time!

This was my first time here and I will definitely be back. All of the staff were extremely friendly and kind!We ordered: Butter board: This board was no joke! Three house made butters accompanied with focaccia and biscuits hit the spot. 'The cure' Flatbread: This flatbread was delicious. It had cured meats, whipped goat, lemon vinaigrette, and balsamic. All my favorites Fried Brussel Sprouts: These were the best brussel sprouts of my whole life!!! If you love brussel sprouts you NEED to come here and order them. Not only do they have great food, but they are serving a greater purpose. They work with Pittsburgh's justice-involved youth and teach them life skills while also aiding them with employment opportunities.

Cafe Momentum has a few restaurants across the United States, and its unique mission is to provide support for youth who are coming out of the criminal justice system. Youths participate in a paid internship to learn about the restaurant industry, and they also receive mental health services, financial education, etcetera. I first heard many months ago that this restaurant would soon open, and I felt excited to try it out. I made my reservation on OpenTable's website. On the day of my reservation, my table was ready on time. Here are my reviews for the food and the service:Service - 4 stars - I understand that these youths are developing their social skills personally and professionally, and overall they did complete their jobs.When my husband and I entered the restaurant, the intern did not smile or say hello, and a manager helped him to use the computer to figure out our seating. Later, when we were departing the restaurant, the intern wished us a good night. Our waitress promptly took our order, and a manager had to tell her to take back our menus. When interns brought out our foods, they did not say the names of the foods or otherwise talk much. The waitress did check in with us a few times to see if we were OK. We asked for more water, and she poured more water for us. At the end of our meal, we waited a long time for our check.Food - 4 stars - The menu listed several appetizers (e.g., cheese board, meat board, and chef salad), several entrees (e.g., swordfish, ribeye, drunken noodles, and pork chop), and some sides (e.g., mushrooms, collard greens, smoked vegetables, and popcorn grits). I was still fasting for Lent, so I felt happy to see vegetarian and vegan options. The Butter board ($9) had three butters--honey, smoked onion, and plum-blueberry--as well as focaccia and sourdough breads. The Veggie Flatbread ($15) had a thin, crispy crust and was topped with ricotta cheese, microgreens, and other vegetables. The Beet Salad ($13) contained mostly arugula but also a good amount of beets, ricotta, walnuts, carrots, and balsamic dressing. The Smoked Fried Chicken ($27) contained fried chicken as well as mashed potatoes, gravy, and a buttermilk biscuit. My favorite food was the Beet Salad. My husband did not like the flavor of his fried chicken. The other foods were good.

Cafe Momentum is definitely an experience you will never forget. I'll start with the mission of the establishment being geared towards helping our youth become responsible citizens. The youth are your servers during your visit. The atmosphere is inviting, intimate, and relaxing. It's everything you think of when you envision a 5 star restaurant. The food is nothing shy of a chef's kiss; just absolutely incredible. You don't have to add or take away anything during the course of your meal. Literally everything from start to finish was exceptional. The space can definitely hold a family gathering while providing intimacy for a date night. So when you think of fine dining include Momentumto your list!

"Eat, drink, change lives"For food and service this place gets all fivesA warm, cozy atmosphere that can't be beat, Salad, flatbread and gnocchi, we did eat. An appletart for dessert made in their gorgeous kitchen, Transforming young lives is this restaurant's mission. Tucked away in market square, what a hidden gem, Stop in and show the crew that you believe in them. - AM

Café Momentum pairs an amazing mission with amazing food offerings, it's an all around feel good experience. Our group split several appetizers, entrees, sides, and a dessert (not pictured). My favorites were the butter board, brussel sprouts (with what tasted like honey), and drunken noodles, however the tofu was overly salty. When answering a question about the ingredients in the panna cotta, Chef Peter also explained how the restaurant operates sustainably by converting apple peels into jam for example. Remain open minded and gracious when it comes to the service. Overall, the only potential barrier that I see to the restaurant not attracting more business as part of the downtown landscape is the absence of a drink menu. I personally don't consider that an essential feature however given the immediate proximity of cocktail bars.

Had an extraordinary meal at Café Momentum last night. Challenging dishes done perfectly with great balance and nuances of flavors. All four of us agreed that our meals were fantastic. They source everything locally. Their appetizer of three breads and flavored butters (all made in the kitchen) were phenomenal. I had Jerky Spiced pork chop over popcorn grits (yup ) with corn and shishito peppers. Flavors were excellent with just the perfect touch of heat from the shishitos. The restaurant is BYOB, which is another plus.Now the best part!!!!! They are a non-profit organization providing paid internships to troubled youths ages 15-17, where they learn life skills and front and back operations. Executive Chef Peter Henry is VERY talented and a great mentor and has a very interesting background. At age 26, he was working with Alice Waters (of Chez Panisse fame) when he had some serious health problems. After much difficulty, he came out the other side and wanted to give back, so he is working with Café Momentum in Pittsburgh.We spoke with several of the interns and they have very rough stories but are working through Café Momentum to get their lives together and headed in the right direction. Alex was working the grill and cooked my pork chop to my exact specification of doneness.The restaurant is on Forbes Ave by Market Square and there is parking at the Hilton Garden Inn garage two doors down from the restaurant.Do yourself a favor and sample this excellent food while also contributing to a great cause!