Folino’s Ristorante

Folino’s is no longer in business. This was also known as Tom’s Diner and Penny’s Diner.

We came into the bar for a few pre-​dinner drinks. The place smelled like a sewer. We left immediately.

Folino’s (or Youngs) is a Southside go-​to for my friends because its centrally located and pretty devoid of the typical SS crowd.
The place is big enough you can normally grab a table to spread out, and they always have good drink specials.
We normally don’t stay here all night, but it makes a great place to meet up and get some drinks before wandering into the danger zone… aka 99% of Carson Street.

This was a pleasant find on a Saturday evening. An Italian restaurant with delicious food for reasonable prices. It also has a wonderful breakfast menu. The dining area is quiet, and has an open area during the summer time. The waitresses are classic, friendly Pittsburgh ladies, and the service is prompt and informal. A really well spaced place that never feels too crowded, and has a pretty large menu. The bar area is not super great, and if they have Long Island Iced Tea on special, prepare for a roller coaster of an evening that could possibly end with you aggressively defending a movie you hate to strangers.

This was a pleasant surprise on an all too common Sunday afternoon. This was the third choice on the list of lunch spots for Sunday. We first thought we would try amalfi on 5^th (old bruschettas at holiday inn), but they were closed… odd, for a hotel bar, then we drove by 17^th st. grille and found them to be closed as well. We are drawn into folino’s initially by the outdoor seating and crowd. I’ve been by this place multiple times and had planned to check it out for a while especially after I had heard that sienna miller (of sh*tsburgh fame) was denied entry. So, we end up at Folino’s… too hot to sit outside Annie and I walk in pass a big bar and friendly tatooed gal bartender to duck into the dining room on the right, get a good table in the back. I’m not sure how to describe the atmosphere, but I really liked it. There were real paintings on the walls. THe colors of the wall were very loud, plus there were a few plasmas and everyone seemed to have a smile on their face. Len joins us minutes later. The menu is pretty big, I guess it should be mentioned that this family also owns tom’s diner or vice versa and you have full access to the toms’ diner menu as well as a few more upscale options. THe gal waiting on us is pretty good, your typical yinzer (in a good way). She steers Annie away from some dish and seems to have an opinion on most things we ask. I never order liver and onions, so when I do I want to make sure they are up to par. I ask the gal about these and from the expression on her face I can tell she’s not a fan. Now, as an aside I think I actually will try them because I’m thinking this has more to do with her disdain for this delicacy than the relative goodness of this liver and onions compared to another. I settle on a gyro… It’s fine, just like any other gyro I’ve ever ordered for the most part. Len settles on the peach salad with some chicken. He says it’s good. It sounds good if only I liked salads. Annie has the chicken romano. I’m typically not a fan of this dish, however having sampled this one I may need to re-​evaluate my feelings. It’s moist and lightly coated with the egg. I’m a bit surprised at how much I like it and think I’ll have to try again. I intend to back to this joint if for nothing more than to enjoy the al fresco dining, people watching, live music and to try those darn liver and onions…

this place is the perfect blend of a dive & mafia front. we went here, after walking into a packed and smokey Jack’s (
) looking for a little bit of a dive the night after Christmas. it wasn’t too smokey, and they had a place to sit. They have a great selection of beers including my girlfriend’s favorite, Lindemann’s Framboise, Lambic Ale.

Went here thinking we were going to Tom’s Diner, but I guess it has been absorbed by Folino’s. We went Saturday morning for brunch. Sat out on the «indoor patio» which was open air. It was very nice. Ordered the farmer’s breakfast, which included just about every breakfast item you could ever want or consume in a single sitting for $ 9. Excellent. I loved it.