Washington, Pennsylvania's Hidden Treasure: The Union Grill

Hidden on the corner of South Main Street and East Wheeling Street in Washington, Pennsylvania is a treasure known as The Union Grill. When you go into the restaurant you go down stairs into something like a basement which give it a unique quality when compared to other restaurants in this small city. It has been on the Top 20 Independent Restaurant list for western Pennsylvania for many years now, and there is no questioning that it belongs there. The Union Grill is owned by Michael Flynn, and has been for over 30 years. When a guy wants to take his girlfriend on a romantic date, this is the place to go.

The establishment could be considered Italian because they serve many Italian based dishes, but also have other items that anyone would enjoy. The staff is very attentive and will not let something go. If you are are just under halfway done with your drink another one will appear at your side, and you wouldn't realize it. It may take a little while to get your food depending on how busy the place is, which it is pretty busy often. Your food will be hot as if it was freshly cooked, and the quantity of food is like no other. Three people out my party could not finish their meal and had to take a box home. There was so much food, it could have been two meals instead of one. Everything not only smelled good, but it tasted good as well.

While the prices may be a little expensive, you will appreciate what you spent and what you get. The least expensive things on the menu are the salads or sandwiches. Meals are a little more pricey, but well worth the extra expensive. The chicken Parmesan that I got had two or two and a half pieces of chicken instead of one that you would get at other places like Olive Garden. The chicken took up the entire plate and my side had to be on another plate. The chicken was well cooked and crisp. The outer breading did not taste as if it was sitting for a while or as if it were frozen. The sauce for the chicken itself tasted as if it was homemade, not from a jar or can. The salad was also impressive. Many places generally use the pre-made lettuce and other vegetables, but not The Union Grill. Everything tasted fresh as if it was bought that morning.

The seating is a little cramped together and if you have claustrophobia, this restaurant at their busiest may not be a good place to go. They are so willing to accommodate anyone and seem to go out of their away to make sure the customer is happy no matter what could be bothering them. The staff all were professional in appearance, no one looked as if they just got out bed or as if they had something going on in their personal lives. Everyone was very friendly and courteous even if they were not our waiter/waitress. It has a romantic atmosphere to it as well with the hard wood tables and chairs. Very intimate settings which makes it perfect for a prom date, anniversary date or even the first date.

The Union Grill in Washington Pa is one of the hidden treasures that you have to pay attention in order to find. I personally have been going to the coffee shop down the block for years and never noticed the Union Grill until the evening I went. It looks elegant on the outside as well, very inviting. Parking would be a little hard as it is curbside parking, but I believe there are parking lots located throughout the block that customers can park at to go to dinner. The Union Grill is one of the top restaurants in south western Pennsylvania and there are many different reasons why. Michael Flynn the owner should be proud of his accomplishments.