A bowl of red soup garnished with herbs sits on a table, with a sandwich and a rolled pastry in the background, all set against a yellow border.
Chaykhana's mastava for $15 is a hearty and satisfying soup with braised beef, rice and vegetables. (Photo by Jasmine Cho/Pittsburgh's Public Source)

🍽️ Restaurant: Chaykhana
📍 Location: 410 S Main St., Pittsburgh
⏱️ Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun & Tues-Thurs | 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fri-Sat | Closed Mon
🌐 Links: chaykhanapittsburgh.com, Instagram, Facebook

❤️ Best $15ish meal(s): Mastava, Achchik-chuchuk paired with Samsa (Beef or Pumpkin), Chicken Shawarma, Chaykhana Do’ner

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Why go?

A yellow graphic with a faint city map background reads: “$15ish Meal Map. Explore the map,” with a right-pointing arrow.

Chaykhana (pronounced chay-HA-na) translates to “tea house” in Uzbek and features traditional foods from Uzbekistan that blend Turkish, Chinese and Arab influences. As Pittsburgh’s Uzbek community has grown and the region has welcomed refugees from neighboring Afghanistan, diners have more opportunities to experience Central Asian cuisines like plov (a spiced rice dish with meat) and lagman (hand-pulled noodles topped with stir-fried vegetables and meat). They also feature a full pastry case of desserts, including honey cake and Dubai chocolate bites.

A sandwich filled with meat, melted cheese, and tomatoes on a sesame-topped bun sits on a white plate.
Chaykhana’s Do’ner, $13. (Photo by Jasmine Cho/Pittsburgh’s Public Source)

What to order 

A close-up of a sesame-topped wrap cut in half, filled with pieces of cooked chicken and sauce, served on a small plate with a sandwich in the background.

The chicken or Chaykhana (beef) shawarma and do’ner are each $13 and feature a tomato garlic mayo sauce that really elevates these dishes.

The mastava is a hearty and satisfying soup with braised beef, rice and vegetables.

Vegetarians will especially enjoy the Achchik-chuchuk (ah-CHEEK-chook-chook), a tomato and cucumber salad, paired with pumpkin samsa (made with fresh pumpkin filling).

A bowl of fresh cucumber and tomato salad with basil, two puff pastry turnovers on a dish, and a metal sauce jug with red sauce, all set on a leather placemat.

Good to know before you go

If you’re hoping to go with a larger party, the restaurant has two separated dining rooms. It has an extra warm vibe during the evening with their string lights and plants.

Know a Pittsburgh-area restaurant with a great meal around $15? Email us at social@publicsource.org.

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