Primanti Bros.
Long-running Pittsburgh-born eatery is known for its overstuffed sandwiches piled high with coleslaw and french fries. It’s an edible Pittsburgh institution. You can get it with salami. Or with turkey. Or roast beef. Or even with no meat at all. But it's not a Primanti Bros. signature sandwich without a generous serving of crunchy, tart coleslaw, tomato slices and crisp french fries piled high on top of soft Italian bread. Onions are available on request. The eatery was born in 1933 during the height of the Great Depression, when Joe Primanti opened a cart in Pittsburgh's Strip District selling sandwiches to hungry truckers. Encouraged by sales and positive feedback, Joe expanded to a small storefront on 18th Street, where he was joined by his brothers, Dick and Stanley, and their nephew, John DePriter. Open 3 a.m. to 3 p.m., the brothers fed hard-working truckers and shift workers “good food for a fair price.” According to John, "One winter, a fella drove in with a load of potatoes. He brought a few of 'em over to the restaurant to see if they were frozen. I fried the potatoes on our grill and they looked pretty good. A few of our customers asked for them, so I put the potatoes on their sandwiches." The rest, as they say, is history. Jim Patrinos bought Primanti Bros. in 1974, which now stays open 24 hours.
