St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral

Sorry but the gyro I had yesterday (chicken) was terrible. Bland chicken, sad tomato and lettuce. I would have gotten lamb but they said it wasn’t 100% lamb. Not into mystery meat. I’ve tried this food every year for about 3 yrs, and I’ve never been impressed. I seriously don’t get the draw. Probably the same people who think Primanti bros is amazing. Not going to this again.

If you enjoy homemade Greek food, the annual Greek Food Festival at St. Nick’s is a must. I’ve gone every year I’ve lived in PGH, and the food never ceases to amaze. At this point, I’ve tried almost everything on the menu that doesn’t involve beef or lamb, including the gyros,* entrees, sides, and desserts (oh, the desserts…), and it’s all absolutely mouthwatering!
Since the other reviewers have provided a good rundown of the offerings, I’ll provide some tips concerning the underrated/​lesser known aspects of the festival.
Convenience: In need of a quick lunch, but tired of the same old options? Never fear: the Greek Food Fest accepts online orders on their website for take out so you can skip the line! You can order gyros, entrees, pastries, etc. – almost everything that’s sold there. They also accept credit cards both for take out and eat in orders.
Entertainment: There is traditional Greek music and dancing on a nightly basis. Watching the not-​so-​slightly awkward teenage males bust a move folk style is particularly endearing. :-)
Drinks: If you’re eating in the banquet hall, try the anise soda. If you’re getting a gyro outside, try the lemonade. (Also, don’t forget about the fresh cut Greek feta fries…)
Desserts: IMO, the pastries are the best part of the Greek Food Fest. I’ve tried most, but not all of them (I’m working on that, though…), and they’ve all been scrumptious. My favorite is the galaktabourenko (the cream filled filo pastry). I just tried a baklava sundae last night, and it was amazing – I’m definitely planning to stop by for another (and more pastries…) before the festival wraps up!
The people who volunteer for the event are super-​friendly, so don’t hesitate to ask them questions if you’re confused. The church itself is quite beautiful, and they give tours during the event, so if you’re religious or appreciate beautiful artwork, check it out! Basically, everything about this event is great, so be sure to take advantage now – otherwise, you’ll have to wait another year to try it!
*EDIT: Unfortunately, I have to reduce my rating by half a star due to the skimpy portion of chicken that I received in this year’s gyro. They tried to hide it by putting more veggies on, which made the pita soggy. I’m not sure if the chicken was down to the end or if the person shaving my meat was stingy, but CM’s lamb gyro didn’t have this problem. Thus, 4.5 stars.

Few things exasperate me more than people who spend ~5 weeks in a country and consider themselves experts on the culture — so I’m about to incriminate myself by saying I have snobbishly high expectations for karithopita after spending ~5 days in Greece. I KNOW, I’M THE WORST.
But you know that’s not the worst? The karithopita the cathedral sells during its week-​long Greek Food Festival each spring. On the contrary, IT’S THE VERY BEST THING EVER. Like most of the food at the Festival, it’s the sort of authentic, no-​nonsense fare you’d expect from your grandma, as she bemoans the state of Americanized cultural cuisine.
The outdoor portion offers MONSTROUSLY LARGE gyros (or gyro salads for those of us who soothe our consciences by throwing lettuce on top of grossly unhealthy food.) The line for the gyros tends to stretch around the block, but here’s a little Pro-​Tip: stop by the loukoumades and/​or lemonade stands first, and munch/​sip on that while you wait for your gyro.
The lower level of the cathedral houses EVEN MORE delicious Greek food! The portions are smaller here (squares of moussaka, individual grape leaves, skewers of souvlaki) and the food is set up in a pay-​as-​you-​go buffet format. This is also where they keep the desserts, which is my personal favorite part of the festival. Think: rows upon rows of DELICIOUS, SYRUPY KARITHOPITA, baklava, finikia, etc. There’s also a stand for baklava sundaes just outside the indoor eating area. The line here is always short (which makes no sense to me… how does it not attract throngs of children?) so it’s a great, quick fix for your sweet tooth if you don’t want to wait around for the other desserts.
Overall: I’ve been consistently impressed by everything about the Festival — it occurs yearly just as Pittsburghers are breaking out of their icy cocoons and remembering the feel of sunlight (aka early May.) It’s great opportunity to enjoy the weather, mingle with the community, and embrace a delicious culture.

Held only two times a year. Once in the Spring (around May) and once in the Fall (around September). I’m so sad I only went to the Greek Festival my last year in Pittsburgh. This is a great place just to mingle with the local community. Everyone is extremely friendly and you get a lot of families, college students, and individuals of all ages.
The food is home-​cooked and delicious. They sell more well-​known Greek items outside the church such as gyros, fish sandwiches, fries, and Loukoumades. The gyros are huge and stuffed for only $ 8. Lots of gyro meat, tzatziki, lettuce, tomato, and onion.
If you venture inside the Church, you can try more of the homemade traditional Greek dishes. In the first room, you can line up for takeout if you’re in a hurry. Venturing deeper into the church will lead you to a large dining hall with ample seating. Here, you will find buffet bars with manned by servers in a setup similar to a high school cafeteria. Lines are long and tables are crowded, but you can usually find a place to sit if you don’t mind mingling with a few strangers. My favorite is the dessert bar which sells ten different delicious Greek desserts, most I’ve never heard of.
Here is what I remember getting:
Pasta Flora — Greek lattice tart with strawberry filling. Very delicious buttery tart. I remember this being very sweet. Not as sweet as a baklava though. They give you a huge slice for only $ 1.75.
Greek Roast Chicken — not very memorable and nothing too special, but I remember this being juicy
Moussaka — Very creamy and rich. The serving lady gave me an extra big piece for some reason.
Rice pilaf — I think it’s probably the butter, but the rice was very addicting. After I finished my own, I finished the leftovers on everyone else’s plates.
I haven’t tried it, but they also sell baklava sundaes outside the large dining hall. Not a good place to go if you’re on a diet, but definite must-​go if you want delicious homemade (which means they’re not stingy on the butter) Greek food.

HANDS DOWN, THE BEST GYROS EVERRRRR!!!
Yes, they are worth the wait from the back of the line that trails all the way down the block.
Yes, they are worth the cost of getting extras to take home and eat later.
Yes, THEY ARE THE BEST GYROS EVER!
You can ask for extras of your favorite toppings (tzatziki sauce!!!) and they will give it to you.
So messy, so delicious. You’ll need a fork for these babies!
***Oh, guess I should mention that I’m reviewing the St. Nicholas Greek Festival… not the cathedral itself (which looks beautiful from the outside and is spacious on the inside!)***

such a beautiful cathedral! I was here last month for the Enthronement of Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh. It was a beautiful service and an amazing event. The architecture, iconography and location of the church is just perfect, so beautiful! They have an amazing parish center with a large dining/​catering hall. Really beautiful here!

This Greek festival is also held in the Fall, this year a Thursday thru Saturday in September. All around, really great experience taking into consideration the food that’s prepared fresh by all the church members and the lively atmosphere. Definitely try the roast Greek chicken (be sure to ask for a couple passes of drippings), dolmades (stuffed grape leaves with rice, mint and lemon among other flavorings, and the ouzo… of course if you’re of age. Another fun one to try is the baklava sundae! Everyone in the neighborhood seems to be involved-​church members, Pitt/​CMU student and so many others. Don’t miss out.

Every spring the Cathedral runs a Greek Food Festival, for a week or so. Now, I consider myself well-​versed in mediterranean foods, at least, the vegetarian ones. I have eaten spinach pie and stuffed grape leaves all over the place, and I can honestly swear that the food at this festival is THE BEST I HAVE EVER HAD. All the food is home-​made by the people from the church – seriously, there is an army of little Greek grandmothers who spend months preparing everything. There are subtleties of flavor in their cooking that I have never tasted anywhere else. Anything you get there will be delicious, and do NOT forget to hit up the pastry section for dessert. They are open for lunch (everything is served cafeteria-​style) and you can totally do take-​out, but in the evenings they have a Greek band perform, with traditional dancing, and they even have a bar with Ouzo and stuff. It’s so much fun. Plus, all the money benefits the Cathedral, which is really beautiful. There is just no bad thing about this food fest, except that it’s only available once a year.