Best Romantic Restaurant
Arby’s on McKnight Road
4810 McKnight Rd., Ross. arbys.com
This piece was originally intended to be a joke. How could it not be? If you’re reading this, I probably don’t need to explain the history. But just in case: Thanks to a viral Craigslist missed connection, the Arby’s on McKnight Road has been a Pittsburgh-area meme for years now, including in the pages of this esteemed publication. If you’ve been on Pittsburgh internet over the past five or so years, you’ve likely come across it. There are the song versions. There’s the merch. And last year, it was voted the best place to cry in public.
This year, the McKnight Road Arby’s has been bestowed that same honor by Pittsburgh City Paper readers, but additionally, it’s now deemed the best romantic date spot in town. I was asked to write something about this achievement, and because I love sandwiches, romance, and the McKnight Road commercial corridor, I gleefully accepted. What a funny piece this would be!
Here’s the thing, though: There’s nothing funny about how romantic the McKnight Road Arby’s actually is. I’d never been to this location. Based on the jokes, I expected something sad and shabby, with blinking fluorescents and peeling yellow walls — you know, a good place to cry in public.
I’m not saying it’s going to win any design awards, but this is not a bad-looking establishment. I’d describe it as Olive Garden-lite — wooden columns, room dividers, and tabletops; filigreed metal railings sectioning off the line area; decorative glass pendant lights. The wall behind the soda fountain is plastered with quotes about the joy of eating by the likes of late opera singer Luciano Pavarotti and iconic chef James Beard. The booth cushions and wall art depict the inoffensive, soothingly abstract designs commonly found in medical offices.
The Arby’s faces west, and during our 6 p.m. visit, the dining room was bathed in a warm glow as the sun dipped toward the buildings across McKnight. Other than one person seated in a far corner, my date and I were the only customers present. No music played over the restaurant's loudspeakers. It was a peaceful, dare I say, romantic, setting.
The point of this piece isn’t to review Arby’s food, but I was pleasantly surprised by my Reuben. (I twice asked ChatGPT whether a Diet Coke or a Diet Dr. Pepper would pair better with my sandwich. I received a different response each time. In my opinion, Diet Dr. Pepper’s blend of 23 signature flavors cut through the richness of the corned beef and cheese quite well.) My date wasn’t thrilled with their Classic Beef ‘N Cheddar, which tracks with my own experience eating one 16 years ago at the Crafton location. The Jalapeño Bites were fire.
I’m not going to argue that the McKnight Road Arby’s is actually the best romantic date spot in Pittsburgh. (That, obviously, would be the South Side fake Burger King.) But if you’re a teen taking your crush out for the evening, and you need to save on dinner because you blew your allowance on D-BOX seats for the newest Marvel movie in XD at the Cinemark North Hills, you could do a lot worse.
