What are some of Pittsburgh's most-loved foods? Here's a list

• The Pittsburgh region is the birthplace of several nationally known food products, including Heinz ketchup and the Big Mac.
• Western Pennsylvania has its own distinct food vocabulary, with words like "pop," "dippy eggs" and "gob."
• The banana split and the Klondike bar also had an early start in western Pennsylvania.

Pittsburgh has a long food history filled with ingenious creators whose products have become national favorites (Heinz ketchup, the Big Mac, the banana split), as well as local brands that have fed western Pennsylvania folks for generations.

A visit to the city of steel and bridges would not be complete without a look, and a taste, of some of the foods that are part of Pittsburgh's past and present history.

Heinz is one of the brands that's most closely linked to the Pittsburgh food scene.

Since 1869, when Henry John Heinz started the H. J. Heinz Company, Heinz ketchup, pickles and other condiments have been an important part of the food environment in Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania, as well as the U.S. and even around the world. Although Heinz products are no longer made in Pittsburgh, the company's mark on the city continues and many Pittsburghers remain devoted to the Heinz brand, now part of The Kraft Heinz Co.

In fact, in March, the Kraft Heinz Co. announced it has entered into a five-year global partnership with the National Football League, making Kraft Heinz the NFL's first-ever condiment partner. The partnership officially begins with the NFL Draft on April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.

The Big Mac is also a western Pennsylvania invention, created by McDonald's franchise owner Jim Deligatti in 1967. Deligatti first served the double-burger-patty sandwich at his Uniontown restaurant about an hour east of Pittsburgh, and the McDonald's corporation added the Big Mac to its national menu in 1968.

For Big Mac fans, there is a Big Mac museum inside the McDonald's restaurant at 9061 Lincoln Highway in Irwin, along Route 30 east of Pittsburgh, that includes a Big Mac sculpture that's 14 feet tall.

Here are some other Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania foods that you may or may not have heard about or tasted before.

Not your average sammich

The chipped chopped ham sandwich: A staple at the former Isaly's restaurants in the Pittsburgh region, it's a deli sandwich made with Isaly's chopped ham, chipped (shaved very thin) and stacked on a bun or heated with Isaly's signature barbecue sauce and served on a bun. A new Isaly's restaurant is scheduled to open this summer in the city's Strip District, but in the meantime, you can order their chipped chopped ham and barbecue sauce online at Pennsylvania Macaroni Co.

French fries on a sandwich: While French fries are not uniquely Pittsburgh fare, adding fries to a deli sandwich is, and you'll find that at Primanti Bros. in the Strip District and at other Primanti Bros. restaurants across the mid-Atlantic region. Stacked high with meat, cheese, french fries, coleslaw and tomatoes, the Primanti Bros. sandwich is an entire meal tucked between two slices of Italian bread.

French fries on a salad: If salads are your meal choice, you'll find a similar Pittsburgh treatment at Eat 'n Park, a western Pennsylvania restaurant chain that serves French fries on its ClassicEat 'n Park salad.

Hoagie or sub: A deli sandwich served on a long roll rather than two slices of bread. It can be toasted or not, depending on the diner's preference, and the preferred term can also differ depending on the person or the size of the sandwich.

Dippy eggs: A fried egg with a runny yolk, sometimes called "over-easy" or "sunny side up" by non-Yinzers. A slice or two of toast is required to dip into the yolk and to clean up what's left on the plate afterwards. Some folks also enjoy their dippy eggs with a squirt of Heinz ketchup on top.

Pierogi, haluski and other ethnic foods are often prepared by local churches and served at community festivals or during Lent. A pierogi is a round circle of dough, stuffed with a potato-cheese mixture (or other fillings), then folded in half, cooked and served with butter and onions. Haluski is a dish of shredded cabbage and egg noodles that's also cooked with onions and butter.

Halupki: Another main dish favored by western Pennsylvanians, regardless of their ethnic background. Our version of "a pig in a blanket" has a ground beef and rice filling that's rolled up inside a boiled cabbage leaf and simmered slowly in a flavorful tomato sauce. It's a somewhat time-consuming process, but the final result is well worth the effort.

Foodies can find delicious choices from many ethnic cultures around the world in shops around the Strip District.

Need something to drink?

Pop: In western Pennsylvania, people drink pop, not soda. Beyond the national brands, you can enjoy the local varieties of Red Ribbon sodas, seltzers and Jamaican Ginger Beer made by Natrona Bottling Co., located just outside the city of Pittsburgh.

There's also Turner's Premium Iced Tea, dubbed "The Champagne of Pittsburgh" by Turner's Dairy and sold in paper cartons and plastic jugs around the city and across Pennsylvania.

You can also combine a Turner's iced tea with "an Arn" (an Iron City Beer) to make a "hard" tea, add a Red Ribbon cola or seltzer to your favorite spirit to make a mixed drink with a Pittsburgh twist, or try a craft beer from one of more than 40 breweries operating in the Pittsburgh area.

With the NFL Draft coming to Pittsburgh in April, Wigle Whiskey has created a limited-release bottled cocktail called "Pittsburgh is on the Clock," a premium bourbon old-fashioned that blends Wigle's signature bourbon with bitters and sugar that's ready to pour over ice and enjoy. Bottles of the specialty cocktail will be sold for a limited time at Wigle Whiskey's stores in the Strip District (2401 Smallman St.), at the Ross Park Mall and at a pop-up store outside PNC Park from April 22-26. Bottles can also be purchased online at the Wigle Whiskey website.

What's for dessert?

A cookie that smiles back at you: Eat 'n Park's 'Smiley Cookie' was awarded the 'Coolest Thing Made in PA' title in April 2026 by the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry. The round cookie with a broad icing smile has been an Eat 'n Park staple since 1986, and the restaurant has since added other versions that customers can order for graduation parties, holiday celebrations and other events.

A gob: Pennsylvania's answer to an iced cake that can be eaten with one hand. A gob is a cake "sammich," if you will; two small, round cake discs (often chocolate, but there are other flavors too) with a creamy frosting (not marshmallow cream) sandwiched in between. People in eastern Pennsylvania call them "whoopie pies," but here in the western part of the state, we stand by our own version.

The burnt almond torte and other baked goods from Prantl's Bakery have fed dessert lovers in Pittsburgh for generations. Featuring layers of sponge cake with a custard filling, buttercream icing and almond topping, the burnt almond torte is so good that it's been called "the best cake in America," according to the Prantl's Bakery website.

The Klondike bar had an early start in western Pennsylvania, too, although the square ice cream slice with a chocolately coating is now a national favorite produced by Unilever.

So did the Clark bar, which was born in Pittsburgh in 1917 and is now made by Boyer Candy Co. in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

The banana split was created in 1904 in Latrobe, just east of Pittsburgh. In fact, there's a Great American Banana Split Celebration held here every year in August to celebrate the local history behind this nationally loved dessert.

And for those who aren't acquainted with their existence, many western Pennsylvania communities have "ice cream stands" where customers can order soft serve ice cream cones, sundaes, banana splits and more at a walk-up or drive-through window from spring through fall.

One final piece of advice: When you're in Pittsburgh, ask for "Jimmies" if you want sprinkles on your cone!