Type: Beer Bar

Remedy was Ray's Marlin Beach Bar and Grill

Overall: Awesome!    Score: 81.1 / 100

5121 Butler Street

Pittsburgh , PA 15201

United States

(412) 781-6771

Listed Since: January 2004

Last Updated: January 2008

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The menu has been cut back. Most of it is sandwiches and salads. I think there were 9 entrees and 4 of those were pasta. We had a burger and steak sandwich and both were excellent.

There seems to be a move toward organic and locally grow items.

The owner is always around and makes an effort to make sure everything is going well. I get the impression that everything on the menu is worth a try. Service on my visit was very good.

I think you can still smoke there.

I walked in and instantly felt like I had found a place to spend my hard earned in the future....keep in mind I had not eaten a thing yet or even was seated. This place is just what the Pittsburgh hum-drum overpriced, chain, self-important for the sake of bringing in the money joints should be concerned with. If folks only knew what they were getting at those places. The P&L (profit-loss) driven climate of most of the eateries most of my friends and family enjoy is cause for concern.

Ray's is a great experience to the core. No one aspect of my visit was overlooked.. the folks are friendly (not just the usual smiling-give me your money fakes I am seeing more all the time, but genuine happy to meet you and learn more about you type of people}. I learned that the woman who waited on us is half of the husband & wife team. She was a pleasant gal, who was a big part of what made my trip so different and interesting. She was very involved in every aspect of the place and it showed.

She started by giving us the specials of the day. There were a number of interesting mixes of flavors for the choosing. A little something for everyone. I chose the tripple decker turkey yacht (or similarly named). As it turns out this was a great choice. What at first seemed to be the ordinary turkey club turned out to be a wonderful surprise. While starting with the usual club rule of 3 slices of bread and some thin slices of turkey, the similarities end there. The sandwich had some sort of fruit mayo, and another thin layer of a mayo, spicy brown mustard type mixture. These were a great mix of flavors. Add the apple bacon and you've got yourself one very tasty sandwich. Sure beats any club I have ever eaten. This was served with a large portion of what I must describe as the tastiest fries I've ever eaten...really. They were cooked to a dark brown, not overcooked, just cooked right. This gave them a much richer potato flavor. This may sound stange to go off about some regular old fries...but that's just it..at Ray's everything I saw was a step or two beyond the norm.

Listen, do yourself a favor if you are in the general area of Lawrenceville (heck take a drive...it's worth it). Stop by Ray's Marlin Beach Bar and Grill. Also worthy of note..this is not the usual beach themed joint. It's much more diverse and eclectic than that. Aside from a hint of coastal flair, and a number of menu items leaning that way..this is far from the boardwalk type beach spot.

So if you want to have a meal with a little change from the Friday's or Applebee's type fare..Try Ray's and like me may find a new place to willingly spend your hard earned.

All the good stuff I said last time- well that stuff continues.

Ray's now has a coin to play pool table in the room next to the main bar on the first floor. Dining is done on the second floor which is also rich feasting for the eyes. It's a second floor large flight walkup so if stairs challenge you stay at the main bar and enjoy things from there. The second floor has interesting wall decorations, cool with in-touch paint colors and some tables made from old signs. There is a decent sized bar on the second floor so drinks are just a few steps away.

On Saturdays they have a lounge on the third floor which was just opened about a week ago. It has a true alternative 80s theme - I'd expect to hear Depeche Mode, Siouxsie and Banshees and The Cure to name a few. The third floor lounge has interesting design touches as well...

Ray's continues to impress. I am becoming a regular. This is certainly now my favorite eatery with good beer in the Pittsburgh metro area. My taste can't be wrong. Last Friday a 9:00pm visit landed me at the bar for about 20 minutes while a table became available. I wish I could photocopy Ray's and put one in other needing neighborhoods. Pittsburgh could use the improvement.

Lawrenceville, (the neighborhood where Ray's is located) unfortunately, only recently seems to garnered any positive press and attention. Also unfortunate is the type of business and business owner invading a pristine working community of Lawrenceville - this place is full of charm in it's left alone state. The great increase of 'I work there but live far away' and the inflation of property values through questionable valued rehab is driving Lawrenceville into a new different sorry state.

--Well don't tell the folks at Ray's this. Ray's is a prime example for all the Grant Street politicians grasping for straws about what Pittsburgh needs and about what real development is. All the local politicians ought to spend an evening at Ray's examining the real soul of Pittsburgh. Real development is respecting the neighborhood and reviving a lifeless building and providing a useful and cherished space that the neighbors can frequent and are proud of.

The kind table, cleared from personal belongings of the very petite and well liked co-owner Keri Fisher allowed me the space to sample a bit of what Ray's is all about. Instantly when seated I had a keen view of the bar back area, trinket notables for sale area and the long aisle of tables and bar stools. I then realized this place is something special. Ray's suceeds in mixing vintage old-Ray's-bar discoloration and original fixtures with more modern elements. Yet this is all done without lots of polish and sparkly stuff. It's certainly best described as ecelectic.

The patrons were a widely varied bunch, some hyper intellectual university personalities with some walking locals plus all the odd and ends and nearly extinct population types Pittsburgh seems to have otherwise caused to flee to 'better' cities.

Now onto the food and beverages...

Ray's stocks a pretty hefty beer selection when it comes to micros - much to my surprise. They had all my usuals - Victory, Troegs, Stone. They probably carry 30 if not more micros and some nifty imports. Applause please for their ambitious and varied tastes.

Ray's Marlin Beach & Grille name leads you to say what about the fish? This isn't a fishery, but they do have several fish items on the menu. They seem to take pride in their fish and when we tried ordering a specific fish item we found it was not available and there had been a shortage in getting the fish fresh.

See that's the part where I say wow! Fresh fish and a shortage? You don't rush to get the frozen stuff in? Filler? That's the really down to earth honesty that is Ray's. Best part is they tell you why, they don't leaving you grasping for explanations or leave you with a lousy dish of otherwise normal Pittsburgh fare.

I downed an appetizer, plus some very good seasoned fries (nice and thick) and a fine vegetarian burger...

Indeed this place is sensible, the waitstaff is concerned and attentative and overall the prices are rather affordable.

The only problem I can see and I experienced is Ray's might be too much of a good thing. Too much demand can equal need to expand or some obvious problems in orders (I never received my salad - but paid for it).

I hope to see Ray's, this new revitalized replacement of a neighborhood bar that probably existed at least 50 years before this new version, go on to exist and thrive for another 50 years.