Why We Love Noodlehead

In our opinion, Noodlehead will forever reign supreme in the Pittsburgh Thai food scene. Their Pork Belly Steam Buns are so good that we have dreams about them on a weekly basis.

Image borrowed from Yelp

With their delicious food, affordable prices and cozy charm, who wouldn’t want to stop by for a bite (or a full on stuff fest) to eat?

Street-Style Thai in the Heart of Shadyside

Noodlehead is a unique restaurant located on South Highland Avenue in Shadyside. They don’t have a phone, don’t take reservations and are cash only, but there is an ATM inside for your convenience. At first, these might be a bit odd, but it all adds to the overall Noodlehead experience.

One of the major perks of going to Noodlehead is their affordable prices. All of their dishes are $9 and under. Their portions are big enough that you can share with friends or have a dish all to yourself. Noodlehead’s appetizers are big enough that you can buy two and make a meal out of them. So if you’re in the mood for an appetizer of Pork Belly Steam Buns with a main and side of Pork Belly Steam Buns, you can feast away.

As with most Thai restaurants, you choose a dish from the menu and then pick the meat you would like to have added. If you have vegetarian needs, they will happily serve the main as is or add tofu. Their food, as it states in their name, is all Noodles so you won’t find any rice here. Noodlehead serves recipes that are modeled after the street food that is found in Thailand which makes them unique amongst the myriad of Thai restaurants in the city.

Recommended Dishes

One of their tastiest dishes is Street Noodle #1. Crispy chicken is laid on top of a bed of thin rice noodles, baby bok choy and a zesty sauce that is so good, it may just make all of your past food relationships look inadequate. Their soups are just as delectable as their noodle entrees. Sukothai will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy on the inside with it’s lovely combination of ground pork, green beans, rice noodles and a hard boiled egg all in a savory lime broth.

If you’re a curry fan, then Noodlehead’s Chiang Mai Curry is your dish. Thin slices of chicken are cooked in a spicy curry coconut milk sauce with thin egg noodles and pickled mustard greens. It’s all topped off with crispy shallots and fried noodles. We think it’s so good that we long for it on a daily basis. You might think I’m joking, but once you taste it, you’ll see why.

You can’t go wrong with See Yew or or Kee Mao either. These two dishes consist of delicious flat rice noodles, your choice of meat, bok choy and other yummy ingredients. See Yew has a tamer spice level with broccoli and egg while Kee Mao is spicer and includes Thai basil.

Yinzer Tips

• If it’s your first time, or you haven’t already, you must order the Pork Belly Steam Bun appetizer.
• Noodlehead gets busy fast, especially from Wednesday on into the weekend. If all possible, do your best to show up before six o’clock to grab a seat.

Noodlehead is one of the best restaurants in Pittsburgh, hands down. Check out their website for their address and to browse their menu.