Around the World 1 - The Pitts-burger - The Standard

I am going Around the World on the Primantis menu, through every sandwich, in order.

You have to start somewhere, and the top of the menu is Primanti's #2 best seller (What's #1, everyone asks? Iron City Beer, of course. You have to wash that sammich down with something), the Pitts-burger.

This is the sammich, on the heel:

It's not the prettiest presentation, but it's all there.

The Pitts-burger often gets labeled as a cheesesteak, but I don't think that's very accurate. It's a burger, a rather thick, very dense burger. Everything in it is finely ground, and whatever binder they use is fantastic, because this patty does not fall apart. It's a wonderfully meaty thing, with an interesting smoky, peppercorn flavor that pops up every few bites.

This sandwich has an extremely well-balanced profile. You taste the burger, french fries, coleslaw, and bread equally. Nothing overpowers anything else. In many other sandwiches, the meat shines and the flavor is all there. This accentuates the rest of the sandwich. This is a beautiful example of what Primantis sells.

Split it open and look at that profile!

If you've never been to Primantis before, and you want a sandwich that will tell you what the restaurant is all about, this is the sandwich for you. This will let you enjoy the Primantis experience in a single sitting, and that's something worth celebrating.

That said, there are things that are much more delicious, where the meat truly shines in its Primantis trappings, there are much better sammiches here...but nothing encapsulates the entire experience quite like this one.


Taste: 7 - Extremely solid. Not a darn thing wrong with it, but there is definitely room for improvement.
Satisfaction: 9 - It's filling, and you feel like you had a really full sandwich with some heft to it.
Flavor: 7 - Again, it's there, and it's good, but you can't give this a 10 when there are other things that are more flavorful
Enjoyable: 10 - The balance is great, this is a great sandwich.
Pittsburghness: 10 - It's a Steel City staple, it reflects the city so well, this is Pittsburgh.

Overall: 8 It's a darn good sammich, but there is better at Primantis.

Should I get this sandwich? Yes. Absolutely. Especially if this is your first time.