Wow - well, I seriously doubt your sampler cost $25.....more like $6.95.

Overpriced beer? What kind of swill do you regularly drink? You pay for what you get, which is some of the best micro-brewed beer in Pittsburgh.

The food is decent - I know a lot of people who rave about it, but food's food to me.

I've been going to this place since August 1997 when it opened and rarely have bad service, and I love the atmosphere most of the time. It's dark and cozy.

I disagree about it being some of the best micro-brewed beer in Pittsburgh. I would choose the Church Brew Works 10 times out of 10 over this place because they simply have better beer and a more unique atmosphere. I am usually all about supporting local micro breweries, but since this place isn't even specific to Pittsburgh, I don't really care about it.

Jess drinks 100% mass produced in America swill. I chastise her regularly for it. Julie and I once attended a beer festival where they rinsed our glasses with the kind of beer Jess drinks (rather then waste water).

Though in her defense she can purchase a case of beer for less then $10. If she drinks more then 8 of them in one sitting she might even get drunk.

haha - you guys are getting rather snarky! at least wait until jess is back from vacation to rip on her beverage choices.

Not sure about picking Church Brew over this place 10 out of 10 times. I'll take the Blast Furnace Stout or IPA possibly, but every Church Brew beer has a signature taste to it, that gives them all the same quality. Don't get me wrong, it's good stuff, but John Harvards has some beers that are just as good, if not better. Obviously you won't be going back there, but they currently have a Robust Porter on tap, and I love their IPA too. As for atmosphere, of course Church Brew is more unique, but John Harvards has a cozy feel about it that reminds me of English pubs.

Ha I'll say snarky for sure! Everyone here should be entitled to their own opinion and it is good that many people have differing opinions because I sure wouldn't want all of Pittsburgh depending on my opinion. Then they'd all be at Applebees or Eat'N Park cramping my style. So go to John Harvard's PLEASE! Drink your maple syrup beer and pay NOT $6.95 for beer samplers. I'll dig out the receipt to prove it. Regarding Nate's comments - I taste, I like, or I don't like. At least I drink beer and I taste all your stuff and I usually like most of it. Just can't drink that brown ale or Irish stout. The yellow stuff is good though. Excuse my ignorance if those aren't real names of beers, but not everyone in the world is a beer guru. If it tastes good to me I drink it. One should be able to enjoy getting drunk. Perhaps I should be banned from posting reviews when it is obviously not my place to have an opinion! Geesh!

Haha - your beer names reminded me of something - this weekend I decided I was going to open my own brewery and name all the beers after things that kill you, like "The Plague Pilsner" and "Black Lung Stout." And if that fails, I'm going to base my names on computer terminology like the "TCP/IPA" and the "3 1/2 Floppy Lager."

I'm surprised to see anyone talk about John Harvard's in superlatives. To me, it's just another one of these upscale chain restaurants with a hook that you see all across the USA. The hook at JH is the beer, and for a chain restaurant, it's pretty darn good. If the Scottish Ale or the Strawberry Blonde were sold in bottles, I'd buy them. Overall, places like The Church and Penn Brewery kick JH's butt, but the beer is better than Rock Bottom by miles. The food is consistent and typical of this kind of place: big, spicy, and greasy. I tend to like that sort of thing.

JH has a definite atmosphere. I agree that the IPA is their best beer. Defintly go there if you want a good brew and an app but their menu doesn't lack either, The Ranch Spiced Steak is probably one of the best i've tasted. i also suggest the stout dark beers because they have a chocolate overtone which few of the breweries in pittsburgh have. Diffrent and good. Cheers to JH