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Gooski's
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 2 am
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Music:
- Live, Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Yes
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
37 reviews for Gooski's
Review Highlights
"Great beer selection, good prices."
(in 10 reviews)
"Cheap drinks, with a wide selection of beers and liquor."
(in 7 reviews)
"Best jukebox in Pittsburgh."
(in 4 reviews)
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37 reviews in English
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Review from Stephanie T.
Pittsburgh, PA
9/20/2011 ROTD 11/2/2011
Gooski's is one of my favorite bars in Pittsburgh!
Why, oh why, would I enjoy such a small punk dive as Gooski's, you ask? For one, service is amazing, beer selection fantastic, shows there are great, they have the best jukebox in the city (maybe even in the state!?), and their prices are decent. Only setback - smoking's still allowed here, so I wind up having to shower immediately after every visit. (Not that I don't shower already after a sweaty night at a bar, but you know what I mean!)
For a (very) amateur beer connoisseur, their fridge sends me to heaven and back. They have a full supply of pretty much all the Unibroue beers, Delirium, Lambics, and a whole slew of other imported beers I've never even heard of. More importantly though, their usual weeknight bartender is amazing! To be honest, he looks to be an intimidating character, but in reality, he's super nice, patient, mad efficient, and helpful in selecting my next brew of choice. A+ for service!
Definitely check out Gooski's if you don't mind a bit of smoke and some Polish Hill punks. -
Review from Rob I.
10/28/2011
Who doesn't love going to a dive bar and grabbing some cheap drinks?
I'm not gonna lie. I usually love a good dive bar every once and a while, but after a recent trip to Gooskis I'm starting to question my allegiances.
I checked out Gooskis last night with a friend and was surprised they were charging a $5 cover just to get in the door. Look - I'm fine paying a cover if a band or DJ is playing, but there was nothing of that sort going on.
Paying $5 just for the privileged of entering a smoky dive bar in Polish Hill? Ok - no. That is absurd.
Would I pay $5 to go to Jacks in the Southside? Never. So why would I pay to go to some divebar in Polish Hill that is even worse?
That seems like a bit much. As far as the interior, it's pretty much your standard dive bar with dim lighting and a no-frills atmosphere. The crowd was smoking a bunch of cigarettes and were generally kinda smelly and gross, so after 1 beer I was pretty much tapped out.
I know Gooskis has a reputation for really cheap drinks, but I thought $2.75 for a Yuengling wasn't exactly that much to brag about. That seems like a pretty standard price for a Yuengling at a normal bar/restaurant (that doesn't smell).
The bartender was somewhat of a jerk too - I was overcharged by $3 for a 6 pack to go, which definitely rubbed me the wrong way.
Jerk bartenders? $5 cover for no band or live music? Cramped and smoky? Smelling like an ash-tray after only being there for 5 minutes?
Ehh... I won't be visiting Gooskis anytime soon. -
Review from Mark G.
Pittsburgh, PA
10/20/2011
Can you get more of a dive bar than Gooski's?
Admittedly I've only done some day drinking here on a few occasions so I can't comment on the night crowd, but it's a good place to relax and have a few beers if you're passing through Polish Hill. They have a good selection of beers on tap with some quality brews, and their prices are lower than average for most.
If you enter during the day, you have to wait a few minutes for your eyes to adjust. Gooski's keeps it Dark inside. The first time I entered I wasn't sure they were open. But give it 5 minutes and you get used to it.
There's also a pool table in the back room and I've even seen the room used to show some very odd movie scenes, which tells you they like to mix it up there too.
Gooski's won't dress up for you, but it's the right place for good beer and some good people if you're in Polish Hill. -
Review from Rachel C.
6/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Can I admit something?
I'm really not a dive bar person. I know, I know....it doesn't make sense! I'm cheap, I love cheap drinks, and this is the mecca of cheap drink places. I like to mix and mingle at bars, I like to drop it like it's hot. If I dropped it like it's hot here I may get slapped.
I know this place is like thee dive bar spot in the Burgh, but I was just...meh. I think the fact that smoking is still allowed makes a huge difference for me. I go home smelling like an ash tray and yearning for a dance party.
The only draw for me is the wide selection of beers and the DIRT CHEAP prices! I just lean over the counter and stare at the huge beer refrigerator, scan my eyes over the bottles until the holy beer spirit hits me and I go....THAT ONE! It's almost like my own personal beer tasting.
Will I go back? Probably. Will I like it? With enough drinks...YES!Listed in: Best Bars in the Burgh, Cheap Eats, Burgh Beer
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Review from Scott A.
Charlottesville, VA
4/18/2011
The beer selection is vast, the prices are low, and the bartender understands Polish pronunciation - as Charlie Sheen would say, this place is tri-winning! Also, Saturday's live band, while not really all that great, fit in pretty perfectly in the back room of this place. The only negative - call me high maintenance, but I'll never be a fan of smoking in bars, which means minus one star.
10 months into the Pittsburgh chapter of my life and I finally made my way over... I kind of feel like I've wasted at least 12 days of those months by not going to Gooski's on a regular basis. I look forward to returning on a non-live show night to see what this place is like with the back room offering the full array of bar room funtivities - perhaps they will make me forget the smoke and offer up a full-fledged five stars. -
Review from Mary V.
Pittsburgh, PA
7/31/2011
I went here alone when I first moved to Pittsburgh. Maybe it would've been a better experience had I not been alone, but I go out alone a lot, and I've never felt as awkward as I did when I walked into Gooski's. Everyone turned to look at me as I came in the door, and their eyes followed me until I took a seat in a booth by myself (do I have something on my face?). I grabbed a beer, sat and drank it and decided to leave rather than stay. It didn't feel very friendly to me.. but maybe I'll give it a second chance, based on some of these other reviews.
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Review from Courtney L.
Los Angeles, CA
12/5/2009
I LOVE THIS BAR! I wish that I could put it in my pocket, and take it back to Los Angeles with me. Gooski's has hands down the best jukebox that I have ever had the pleasure of bullying.
Side note: jukebox bullying is when you put in a crap ton of money in to guarantee listening to your own tunes while drinking. This can annoy other bar patrons, but you can be assured that you will be listening to good music.
Back the review, I bullied with Talking Heads, ELO, Pixies, Beck, MGMT, Bo Diddly, Ray Charles, The Clash, and much much more. Maybe no one else wanted to hear Road to Nowhere, but I had a fantastic time.
On top of the eclectic jukebox, the drinks are incredibly cheap!! Jameson and Gingers for 4 bucks? SOLD! I hear the beer selection is great as well, which I am not surprised in a city like Pittsburgh.
I will be making many repeat appearances in the next couple of months. I love you Gooski's!!Listed in: Lost In Pennsylvania
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Review from bettina e.
Los Angeles, CA
1/9/2006
By far the best bar in Pittsburgh. Quite possibly the best bar ever? Incredibly strong cheap drinks, great friends, great music, and the best pool tournaments ever. I pretty much don't even remember the first time I ever went to Gooski's. I don't even know what bars I went to before I started coming here.....hmmmm.
The first great thing about this place is location. It was about 5 minutes' drive from my old apartment. I think I got lost going to this place probably the first 10 times I went. It's located in the heart of Polish Hill, but I really don't think any Polish people ever went there.
I'm pretty sure this place served food because I think I was even friends with some of the "cooks" there, but I honestly don't remember ever eating anything there besides the free pretzel rods. I don't think they even have lime or lemon wedges to garnish cocktails.
Probably the best about this bar was its locals. I don't remember anybody's name except this dude named Bob. He is always in the back room playing pool with a tall can of Busch in his hand. I think he's retired, but I'm not exactly sure from what occupation? But he always had super funny things to say and he always had these skinny little joints he'd smoke with us at the bus stop a couple of doors down. Nice guy.
Somehow I even have a Gooski's t-shirt, which I still proudly wear from time to time in sunny San Diego. Everyone is always like "WTF does your shirt mean?" and I don't even bother to explain because they'll never understand the greatness of Gooski's unless they attend in person to experience the unbelievably smoky ambience and all the hand-written decor in the bathrooms. -
Review from Sarah S.
Pittsburgh, PA
11/9/2010
Gooskis YAY!!!
Love you Marcus and Timmy! -
Review from Marci L.
Pittsburgh, PA
4/6/2011
Went there with a friend. The bar is pretty cool and the drinks were cheap, but nothing special that stands out about this place.
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Review from jess t.
Olympia, WA
10/9/2008
This bar is basically one of the most exciting and fulfilling establishments available in the Steeler Nation. I know people who have spent most of their adult lives in this bar. I know people with tattoos based on the logo of this bar. I know people that won't go anywhere but Gooskis, who mean "Gooskis" when they say "the bar." I know of relationships and marriages that have started and ended at this bar. I have seen hearts sing, and get broken in this filthy, smoky bar. I hesitate to even tell you how great it is because I don't want to mess it up.
Great bands & shows, with sweaty crowded dancing friends and strangers, excellent jukebox, amazing drinks, quality beer at ice cold temperatures poured out of clean(ish) taps, delicious bar food, prices frozen in 1981, and a diverse and interesting cast of characters seated at the bar & working behind it. Watch out, though. One time a trashed drunk dude grabbed my ass, and when I confronted him, his girlfriend got mad at me and tried to fight me. This is the sort of bar where neighbors bring over christmas lights to decorate for the holidays.
There's a bunch of dirty punks hanging around here, a crowd of meatheads, some normal working people, some of Pittsburgh's elite intelligentsia, and so on. Generally you don't find a lot of students (or "short-timers") at this bar. This is for those who bleed black & gold, with roots in the allegheny AND the mon, or at least people who can adopt a reasonable yinzer accent & attitude (without irony?). PLUS THERE IS SOME M-FING PINBALL OK?
This is more than a bar, really. It's not fair to call it that. It's a legend and an institution. -
Review from Damon V.
PA
1/29/2011
good: it's cheap, loud, every now and then a good band will play, good drink selection.
bad: the parking and the crowd.
it's fun to watch the young kids marvel in this new bar they've just discovered and is totally the coolest place, like, ever. funny stuff. -
Review from alan l.
12/28/2010
all the "hype" left me wanting a little more from this place, but you can't deny it's classic dive appeal.
ample space, cheap drinks and fast service is about all you can ask for in a dive.
the fact is, you know what you're getting with this place, and the quasi-isolated location keeps those who aren't into the scene out of your face.Listed in: Drinking in Pittsburgh
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Review from claire d.
Brooklyn, NY
12/14/2007
Obviously, Gooski's is the best bar in Pittsburgh. I played Joy Division on the jukebox there last night. The beer selection is great--$1.75 microbrews on Thursdays, including lots of Great Lakes, Boulder, Victory, Bell's, etc., etc. An added bonus? The bartenders have fun, talk to people, and (incredible!) smile--nothing like the dozens of snarky, aloof hipsters who bartend around the East End.
Also: The back room pool and ping pong tables are rad. And, if you go to Gooski's during the springtime, you might just make the Love Connection in a booth. Just saying. -
Review from Carey M.
5/26/2010
Gooski's is the best bar in Pittsburgh for several reasons:
1. Best jukebox in Pittsburgh.
2. Cheap drinks, with a wide selection of beers and liquor.
3. Awesome staff - people who are friendly, love their job and do it well.
4. The crowd is usually a mix of fun, nice, and interesting people.
5. 75 cent pool table, free ping-pong.
6. Great wings (the cajun wings are fantastic).
7. They have HDTVs for sports,
8. A backroom that doubles as venue for shows. -
Review from Jenney C.
Pittsburgh, PA
2/3/2008
Gooski's is my favorite dive bar in Pittsburgh though I tend not to go there when it's snowy or icy since it requires negotiating very steep hills.
They do have a surprisingly good beer selection and the bartenders are nice. If you ask, they will give you candy if they have it.
They do have perogies that are decent, but pretty expensive for perogies. You can get a pizza delivered there if the kitchen is closed.
It is pretty smokey, which is typical for Pittsburgh despite their attempts to pass no smoking laws. Fridays is a good night if you want to see live music(there is a cover). Sometimes the music is good and sometimes it's a strange hair metal band, which is also pretty awesome in it's own way. -
Review from Jennifer D.
Pittsburgh, PA
2/8/2010
I love Gooski's. I love it so hard. Sadly, it's been about three years since I've paid a visit -- unwisely moved out of the state -- but as soon as this blizzard clears up and I can get on a bus, I plan to remedy that. Best jukebox in town, great beers for cheap, awesome bartenders, and a giant Oriental carpet that has "F*** YOU" chalked onto it back by the pool tables; what more could you want?
They used to have the best wings I've ever eaten anywhere, and that particularly includes at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo (those sucked). But I see below that someone said they've stopped serving food so they can still allow smoking. Can this be true? I might cry, or at the least have a moment of silence for the Old Bay wings. Many are the nights when a Straub and a basket of those wings served as dinner after a too-long shift at work followed by a too-long bus ride and walk up the hill.
At least the last time I was there, it was cash only, but they have a convenient ATM located near the bar. The bathroom graffiti is legendary. -
Review from Nelson T.
Pittsburgh, PA
6/9/2010
Gooski's is a great bar. One of my favorites and the best for what it is. A small, dark, smokey bar lit with red lights and filled with people who are chilling and doing their own thing. On weeknights it can be quiet conversations but it can get loud if someone turns on the jukebox. There's also a backroom that's well lit and has more space and 2 pool tables and pingpong. On weekends bands play back there and the place is packed! Finally, if you're a beer lover then there's a lot of microbrews for very cheap prices (ie, dfh 90 min ipa pints for $4). I highly recommend this bar. Check it out on Monday or Tuesday when it's not packed to see if you dig it.
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Review from steve m.
Pittsburgh, PA
10/1/2007
Reminds me of the places I hung out at in Boston. No frills, no crap, good 'ol honest bar. I love the ping pong and pool table. Bartender with the beard and baseball cap is cool. Great beer selection, good prices. Nice people hang out here. Good fries. Amazing juke box.
If you're a fake tan, frosted tips, popped collar, filp flop wearing,low cut sweat pants with words on the butt wearing, bud light drinking, cargo short wearing, tribal tattoo having type person stick to the south side. Leave Gooski's to the rest of us. Thank you -
Review from Ben S.
7/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
As you approach Gooski's for the first time, surrounded by nothing else commercial at all, you're probably thinking "wow, this place is nestled DEEP in the neighborhood." As you walk in, the good time vibe greets you, as does an utterly solid beer selection, including plenty of interesting picks from good cans to upscale bottles. It can be a little hard to see the selections available on the mirror menu, so take your time deciding - just approach the bar with your order after you've chosen. Saw a live show in the back here recently and dug the acoustics both in the back room and flowing into the pass-through to the bar. The jukebox selections were dyn-o-mite, too. Be prepared for indoor smoking, which almost feels like a throwback now. The crowd can be hit or miss, but more likely to be an agreeable mix, and if you're able to get a seat, they're comfortable. Really, if you make your way to Brereton, you're going to be rewarded with a good time and an enjoyable drink. PS - if you drove over, just remember to disengage the parking brake at the end of the night before moseying home.
Listed in: Top Outposts
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Review from Colin W.
Pittsburgh, PA
5/31/2010
This dive bar on Polish Hill is known for its cheap beer and live music. It's also, in my opinion, known for rude patrons, extremely loud noise levels, and rooms so crowded you can't walk, even when no band is playing. Other reviewers definitely seem to find this incredible crowding appealing, but I guess I prefer to have room to sit, stand, and move around. I'll not be visiting Gooski's again.
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Review from Mike M.
Pittsburgh, PA
7/7/2010
Gooski's is an awesome dive bar. Low lights, grime, little booths, bands, cheap beer. This is one of my favorite spots in Pittsburgh.
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Review from Devin W.
Pittsburgh, PA
4/7/2010
Take an awesome dive bar with cheap drinks, dim lighting, incredible jukebox, great staff, and good location and you've got Gooski's. The best of the best. Everyone loves this bar. People from out of the city want to go there because they've heard about it. They have a great menu, the food is awesome, and did I mention the jukebox is sublime? Oh, and on sundays... bloody mary specials. Who could ask for more?
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Review from Jessica M.
Pittsburgh, PA
6/21/2009
Previous posters have done a lot to explain why this place rocks. HOWEVER, in spite of its crucialness, I found myself going there less and less often, and I say this knowing that it sounds totally weak, because I couldn't deal with the smoke. (I know I am not the only one.) Sure, it's a dive bar, but we all know that it was pretty next-level here. But this has all changed with the implementation of a new ventilation system that actually led to my going home on Friday night wondering whether they had banned smoking there, because I hadn't noticed any smoke. They did not ban smoking. All Hail Gooski's!
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Review from Anna J.
Lakewood, CO
8/19/2010
Suitable for anyone who enjoys avoiding sunlight. Red light bulbs, black walls, cheap drinks, great posters, jukebox and possibly Viking or Norse bartender. If I lived in Pittsburgh I would be a regular. This place is great and also is the only place I've ever seen the INSIDE of a toilet tagged. Perfect for drinking whiskey and beer.
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Review from Erica G.
Pittsburgh, PA
6/10/2010
Polish Hill dive bar of the highest caliber.
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Review from Seth M.
Washington, DC
12/27/2009
3 shurgs, 2 blinks and an "i dont know"
we went based on yelp reviews. i thought this place was going to blow me away.
this might be the coolest bar in pittsburgh. im not sure. ive only been to a few. -
Review from Evan M.
2/15/2010
I really enjoy this place. It's always a good time, with a great juke box and surprisingly skilled bartenders for what most would consider a dive bar. If you like bloody marys, I'd recommend them. This is an excellent place to meet up with people to chat, and it's usually pretty low key. I think all neighborhood bar owners should have to visit here to see what they should be doing. The crowd is usually so varied that people watching is excellent and it's never so loud that you need to shout. It can get incredibly smoky towards the end of the night, almost uncomfortably so, but it suits the atmosphere.
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Review from Kevin A.
5/3/2009
Hipster central, but they've got a good beer selection, nice ambiance, and that perfect dive bar noise level in the front room - with a band in the back, it's loud, but not so loud that you can't have a conversation - just right.
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Review from kathleen t.
Bowling Green, KY
10/16/2008
i have such a fine time here whenever visiting good ol' pittsburgh.
the best/funniest was back in '02, when visiting friend todd, and meeting his roomate. said roomate got so sozzled he actually pooped himself, then passed out. when he awoke, covered in crap, he simply wanted to know why anybody would put all that poop all over him...
yeah. good times. -
Review from Kat S.
Pittsburgh, PA
1/20/2009
Oh Gooski's. How I love you. I am married to the Park House, but I would cheat on it with you more often if only you weren't in Polish Hill. I love your rank smoky dive-bar stench, your incredibly strong mixed drinks at garage-sale prices, your penchant for punk rock... You might be the best dive bar in the history of the universe.
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Review from JP F.
Pittsburgh, PA
9/16/2008
Without question, my favorite Pittsburgh dive bar. Good jukebox, decent beer selection, and the cheapest prices on good beer I've yet found in Pittsburgh. Plus, it has a canonical dive-bar atmosphere that warms my cockles. I haven't tried the food, though it has been repeatedly recommended to me. My only complaint is the relative inaccessibility of Polish Hill.
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Review from Eric C.
Dormont, PA
11/20/2009 2 photos
I love this place. Started hanging out there on what would become the first date with my now wife. Introduced to the place by a fellow musician.. the place has a great vibe for all types of people. It's dark, not pretentious, they have a great (cheap) selection of beers, killer tunes on the jukebox, and the most amazing honey BBQ wings ever.
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Review from Ted W.
Pittsburgh, PA
8/7/2009
yeah, it's that good. don't trust me. go. I wish I lived inside this place. maybe they'll hire me as a part time bar back and pay me in cheap delicious beer and crackling spicy wings. god if only didn't have rent and a hugely materialistic bent..
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Review from Cotton C.
Claremont, CA
10/7/2008
The greatest bar of all time
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Review from clare m.
Jamaica Plain, MA
8/31/2008
oh gooski's. your music is loud. your beer is cheap. your pool tables are bountiful. and your bathrooms are disgusting. you are everything i could possibly want in a dive bar. when i return to my homeland at x-mas time, i will be paying you a visit, my love.
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Review from b k.
Pittsburgh, PA
1/4/2011
love this bar! kind of "a hole" but a gooooood hole. love the free ping pong table and the beer selection
