Cattivo

Pleasant slightly punky/alternative dive bar and music venue smack in the middle of a sleepy residential street. I had spent a lot of time since moving to Pittsburgh looking for somewhere comparable to my old haunts (926 and Waterworks) that I used to frequent in Tallahassee. Cattivo was it. Namely, a friendly bar where you can go to dance to all the classics and weird music for sensitive, artsy types of a darkly poetic inclination, admirers of the likes of the late Anne Rice's (R.I.P.) Lestat and the crew from The Lost Boys. A place to feel the energy of '80s New Wave and Post-Punk, classic Gothic Rock, Darkwave and Industrial, and so on. The features of the first-level bar are pleasant. Quality sound system, at least two pinball machines, a digital jukebox, round bar table lined with illuminated glass tiles, and decent selection of cheap beers and standard bar cocktails at about the prices you'd expect. Bartenders are pleasantly cheery and talkative, and will sometimes cue up a series or movie on Netflix (another similarity to my former haunts of long ago that I appreciate) to provide background visuals. Much like one of the former haunts I was looking for a substitute for, Cattivo has an ambiguous and possibly vestigial reputation for being a space that attracts LGBT+ clientele. On that: a few of the reviews here are slightly old and from a time that Cattivo advertised itself as a gay bar oriented mainly towards women dating/seeking women. To my knowledge this is no longer Cattivo's "main thing", although it is at the very least queer-friendly and does still sometimes sporadically host events intended for people who date or are seeking others of the same sex. Should anyone ask, however - I have no idea at present even from hearsay what someone's chances would be of hooking up with someone or finding a one-night stand here based on their own gender and sexual orientation, or the gender or sexual orientation of who they might be looking to meet. Another review by another reviewer may be able to speak to that. The upstairs/main floor mostly hosts dance nights of the types mentioned above. The downstairs hosts a variety of events, ranging from EDM nights packed with people wearing kandi and glow necklaces to local DIY punk acts. As a result the main level/upstairs (chill and laid-back) and downstairs (always filled with a raucous din) give off two completely different energies. As a bit more of a hobbit than a dwarf, let me say I greatly prefer the creature comforts of the upstairs to the party animal attitude of the downstairs. This is clearly going to be a matter of individual inclination, however. At the moment Cattivo is open relatively limited days/hours and the kitchen is closed. That may be subject to change in the future. If this place sounds like somewhere that matches your energy, highly recommend.

You want comedy? Flea market? Drag queens? Karaoke? Goth and Industrial nights? Cattivo offers everything. Decent drink prices, great staff. I've been here for so many different events and they're always packed.

This place is great! It's not really by anything else, so if you're going with a group maybe have a designated driver. I've usually done that and haven't had trouble finding parking. Definitely go to their theme nights. My friends and I go and we've had such good times there! Britney Gaga night was my favorite.

This is a great venue to catch a show (I've been here for drag shows and punk shows) or just hang out at the bar. Drinks are reasonably priced and the bartenders are friendly. I've been hearing luscious things about their food and the last time I visited, I finally got to try some menu items. The pizza is fantastic and the Stromboli was the size of a toddler. I was beyond impressed. Love finding a dive bar with good food. I'm going to be a lame-o and complain about the whole smoking inside thing, though. I know it's appealing to a lot of people, but my virgin lungs always need to step outside for a few fresh breaths throughout the night. Ventilation seems to be better than most smoking bars in the city, so that's a plus!

I was there for night 2 of their annual Howl-o-ween bash! I freaking ROCKED out to some amazing cover bands (like B52s, The GoGos, AC/DC). They had alternating shows upstairs and downstairs and this event was non smoking. I had some tasty brews and the buffalo chicken pizza was DELICIOUS. My friend got a burger and that looked amazing, too. Overall the place did seem kind of "divey" but man, I love dive bars haha and especially ones with such great food. The service was good and everyone else there was SO nice and friendly! Bathrooms were a bit cramped and left something to be desired but they weren't disgusting. Overall I had a really really fun time here and would definitely go back again!

This is a good place if you have friends who enjoy different types of bars. Want to dance? Eat Pizza? Chill at the bar? Play darts, pinball? There is something for everyone. I personally am not into the dancey-club scene, but a lot of my friends are, so this place is a good compromise for us. There is usually a cover if they have a DJ doing a theme night-- Beyonce night, Drake night, etc., but it's usually only $5. Drinks are priced for the neighborhood, not as cheap as some of my favorite dive bars, but not too ridiculous either. The bar area is pretty large and they usually have a few different bartenders on duty, so I've never had to wait that long for a drink.They also serve pizza. Never had it myself, but have heard great things from friends who have had it!

I cannot wait to review this hot garbage of a 'club' when I have time next week. Upstairs: affordable drinks, smoking section, and a farce of a music collection. Downstairs: the backup dancers of the music industry for an overly high cover charge in the Pittsburgh area. All around, don't waste your fucking time.

This place has it's good and bad and I'm not quite sure which way that I lean toward. I've been here a handful of times for various events including a drag show, a DJ themed night and a concert. As far as the good.. It's a dive for sure which always scores points and it's completely unpretentious and the drinks are decently strong. The bad.. the place is definitely a little worse for wear and the smoke is a big, big issue. I don't mind smokers and a bit of smoke in a bar, it's to be expected but this place is on another level. Entering the downstairs bar you are hit with a cloud of smoke so thick you can't even see where you're going. Overall there isn't anything about the bar itself that makes me want to go back but for the right event it's perfectly fine for what it is.

Well, this bar isn't amazing but it's not bad. I wouldn't say it's as classy as 5801, but I don't think it's meant to be. If you're looking for girls though, this is your place. There are some guys that hang out, but it's mostly a lesbian bar. Beware if you hate the smell of smoke. This bar is a haven for those who love to smoke and you will leave smelling like an ashtray. Good luck if you're new to the city and trying to meet people...everyone that goes here seems to know each other. There's so many cliques and I can't say I've ever had a hard time meeting people until I went to this bar. I am a very down to earth person, but if I may, my fiancee and I are a pretty cute couple and I'm surprised no one had ever bothered to say "hi" when we are there. She's the quintessential hot androgynous type and I'm the girlie one....we're not overly-affectionate and we would talk to anyone who would talk to us...but everyone is too busy meeting up with people they already know. We are the farthest thing from stuck up and neither of us have EVER had an issue meeting friends at a bar EVER until we went here. Go to 5801 if you're looking to meet a friend.There is an occasional girl that comes in to host parties...she flaunts around like she's a wannabe Dawn Denbo and it's kind of a buzz kill.I will say that drinks are cheap and food is great if you have a good buzz going...

This must be a joke.. 4 stars? The bathrooms are disgusting. Rings around the water lines. Looks like it hasn't been properly cleaned in a while. Be warned - smoking bar.