Steel Town Blues

Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers
Sunday, Sept. 27, 1 p.m.
Acrisure Stadium

Cincinnati People’s Pittsburgh’s Top 10

Bengals v. Steelers at Acrisure Stadium
Walk across the river to the game
Eat breakfast in the Strip District
Try an original Primanti Bros sandwich
Ride the Duquesne Incline
Visit the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum
Walk the North Shore past PNC Park
Find a neighborhood Pittsburgh bar
Eat pierogies somewhere
Wear Bengals orange everywhere

There are road games. And then there’s Pittsburgh.

Just under five hours from Cincinnati, a Bengals/Steelers road trip is a must-do for every Who Dey fan.

Come for one of the NFL's best rivalries, but stay for a city of bridges, neighborhood bars, pierogies, and inclines. The Steelers have six (!) Super Bowl championships and a storied football history so event a Bengals fan has to be grudgingly impressed.

Friday: Cross The Bridge Into Enemy Territory

The options for your stay are Downtown or the North Shore.

Stay Downtown and you can walk across the river to the stadium or use Pittsburgh’s light rail. Stay on the North Shore and you’ll wake up within walking distance of Acrisure Stadium.

For maximum convenience, Hyatt Place Pittsburgh–North Shore and The Landing Hotel Pittsburgh put you right in the sports district. For a more stylish weekend Downtown, Kimpton Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh makes a strong home base.

Pro Tip: Crossing the river surrounded by Bengals and Steelers fans is part of the experience.

Saturday Morning: Eat Your Way Through The Strip

Skip the hotel breakfast.

Go directly to Pittsburgh’s Strip District, a half-square-mile neighborhood packed with markets, diners, coffee roasters, food shops and sports vendors. VisitPITTSBURGH calls it “foodie heaven.” Start at Pamela’s Diner for its famous crepe-style hotcakes or go old-school at DeLuca’s Diner.

Then walk Penn Avenue and Smallman Street. Stop at Robert Wholey & Co. Inc., browse the markets and enjoy being the person wearing Bengals orange in a neighborhood overflowing with black and gold.

For lunch, there’s one obligatory Pittsburgh experience: the original Primanti Bros. Restaurant and Bar in the Strip District. Yes, they put the fries and coleslaw inside the sandwich. Don’t fight it.

Saturday Afternoon: Pick Your Pittsburgh

Sports Fan: Visit the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum inside the Heinz History Center. It covers the region’s remarkable football, baseball and hockey history and includes the Franco Harris Sports Museum.

First-timer: Ride the Duquesne Incline to Mount Washington. The historic red cars climb the hillside to one of Pittsburgh’s signature views over Downtown and the three rivers.

Hiker: Head to Point State Park, then follow the riverfront toward the North Shore.

Pro tip: Take the requisite photo at the Roberto Clemente statue outside PNC Park. Some things are bigger than football.

Saturday Night: Find The Real Pittsburgh

Forget the chain sports bars.

Head into the North Side’s Mexican War Streets for Monterey Pub, a cozy neighborhood Irish pub tucked onto a residential street.

Want a legitimate Pittsburgh dive? Riggs Lounge is an old-school North Side neighborhood bar complete with a rare coin-operated duckpin bowling lane.

And for the committed dive-bar explorer, Gooski’s in Polish Hill is dark, inexpensive and thoroughly unpolished.

Sunday: Who Dey Vs. Yinz

8 a.m. | Get moving

This is a 1 p.m. kickoff, and Pittsburgh takes Steelers Sundays seriously. Grab breakfast, put on the stripes and head toward the North Shore early.

VisitPITTSBURGH notes that stadium-area parking is largely reserved and presold, so walking or public transportation is generally easier.

The best way to Acrisure Stadium? Walk. If you’re Downtown, make the river crossing with thousands of football fans and take in one of the NFL's best stadium approaches.

Pittsburgh’s light rail, known locally as the T, also connects Downtown with the North Shore, with free service in the Downtown/North Shore zone.

Want the coolest arrival? Stay around Station Square and check the Gateway Clipper game-day schedule. VisitPITTSBURGH specifically recommends riding the riverboat to Steelers games. A boat to Bengals/Steelers is tough to beat.

9:30 a.m. | Find Who Dey Nation

If you want a beer before heading into the stadium, Mike’s Beer Bar sits across from PNC Park and opens early for 1 p.m. Steelers home games. The North Shore also has plenty of larger pregame options within walking distance of Acrisure, including Southern Tier, Burgatory and Shorty'‘s Pins x Pints.

11:30 a.m. | Head inside

Don’t wait until 12:45! Acrisure Stadium uses a clear-bag policy, so check the current stadium rules before leaving the hotel.

On Your Feet