INGOOD TASTE
Mike Barrett , General Manager , Gateway Grill
Gateway Grill 4251 Northern Pike , Monroeville ; 412.372.2977 , gatewaygrill . net
Candid conversations with the dining scene ’ s most engaging chefs
On the Menu : Americana fare offering a variety of burgers , steaks , baby back ribs , seafood and pizza . Everything is house made and by scratch . For lunch there ’ s the Atomic Burger , Beef Brisket Sandwich , Turkey Club , Steak Fajita Wrap , Tuna Melt , Chili Burger and Personal Pizza . The specialty lunch dishes include a Turkey Devonshire and Steak Stir Fry , to name a few . Daily dinner specials range from prime rib slow roasted and cut-to-order , served with au jus and horseradish ; a Land & Sea 10 oz . center cut choice NY strip steak , grilled and served with five jumbo shrimp ; to wings , and a full rack of baby back ribs with two sides . There are more than 700 bottled beer selections , plus 34 draft beers . Breakfast is now served , too . Favorites include Mac ’ s-Style Breakfast , which is a choice of Sam ’ s Country Fried Steak , Steak & Eggs , Ham , or a Broiled Cod & Eggs . Other selections are a choice of omelets , breakfast sandwiches , breakfast specials , made-to-order eggs and hot-offthe-griddle waffles , French toast , pancakes or Stackhouse cakes .
Q A What led you to work at
Gateway Grill ? One of my friends knew Kevin McFadden , owner of Gateway Grill . He said he was looking for help at his restaurant . I worked something out
The staff at Gateway Grill ( front row , l-r ): Erin , Stefanee and Dasha ; ( back row , l-r ): Joey , Rich , Matt , Mike , Rob and Roland .
with Mr . McFadden and I was hired in 2000 . We developed a really good working relationship . Gateway Grill actually started as a pizza shop and then we converted it into a full-service restaurant , which is what you see today . The restaurant has been changed or refurbished about four or five times over the past 17 years . We keep growing and we ’ re still being discovered .
Our restaurant embodies all that is teamwork — it is what it is because the staff has pulled together for so long . We take pride in all of our jobs and what ’ s even more remarkable is that 70 percent of us are still here from when I started , almost two decades ago . This is what makes our place unique — there are not a lot of restaurants that can say that . It ’ s run by a collaboration of everybody that ’ s been here . The success is the team that we ’ ve created , and everyone from the bartender who comes up with drink ideas , to the cook who comes up with a menu item , we all work together — the restaurant is a team concept . Our goal is to always provide a delicious product that is locally sourced , including produce — the majority of our vendors are from Pittsburgh and the surrounding region . We try not to get too many frozen products in and everything we produce is labor intensive . At the end of the day , we all work together to make a place where the community can come , gather and eat well .
What ’ s a unique kitchen feature at Gateway Grill ? We are the only wood fire grill in Monroeville .
What kitchen tools can ’ t you live without ? I ’ m the general manager , but I have my hands in everything , so everything in the kitchen I really can ’ t live without . My staff being the most valuable . They are essential and I can ’ t do any of this without them . They allow me to do my job while they do theirs .
What is your favorite quick meal to make at home ? Anything on the grill .
Where is your favorite place to eat in Pittsburgh when you ’ re not eating at Gateway Grill ? Bella Luna .
Best advice for a novice ? Take good care of other people . By doing this you ’ re going to make people happy — and that ’ s what this business is all about .
What ’ s the next big food or dining trend ? I believe it ’ s more of the same trend we ’ ve experienced for a while now : Fresh ingredients that are cooked to order . Most people want fresher food with no preservatives — and the more locally sourced the food , the better . n
— Reese Randall
The Baby Back Ribs ( whole ).
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