Galley Bakery Square's 4 new restaurants officially open for business
Pittsburgh’s East End received a dining infusion Tuesday.
Four restaurants officially opened as part of Galley Group’s latest endeavor: Galley Bakery Square.
The options are as diverse as the restaurants themselves: City Fresh Pasta, Bubba’s, Somi and GG’s Cafe.
The timing comes on the heels of the state lifting capacity restrictions for restaurants and other businesses, but even that wasn’t at the top of mind for those enjoying lunch at the food hall.
“This is a growing area on the East End,” said Ginny Beck of Swissvale. “As someone working at a nonprofit that puts spotlight on diverse types of businesses, if something like Galley brings more folks to the area, I think that is a great thing.”
Beck works as operations manager at Ascender, a nonprofit close to Bakery Square on Penn Avenue that helps entrepreneurs start and build companies. She stopped by Galley during the opening day — she opted for a jalapeno popper grilled cheese from Bubba’s — and said she plans on returning Friday to spend a happy hour there with her team.
“There are so many different options. There is something for everyone,” Beck said. “I love that there’s indoor and outdoor seating.”
Galley Bakery Square was developed by the same company that launched Smallman Galley in 2015 in the Strip District. Smallman Galley closed last summer as Galley Group eyed a move to the East End. The group also operates Federal Galley in the North Side.
Galley Group CEO Chad Ellingboe said he was relieved to open.
“We have been working on this project for quite some time and it’s awesome to see it in action,” Ellingboe said. “We started the conversation with Walnut Capital in late 2019 and a lot of work went into making it a reality.”
Liz Wymard of Walnut Capital Management, which is developing Bakery Square, said the restaurants held a soft opening in May.
“Everyone was really supportive,” said Wymard, Walnut Capital’s social media and marketing specialist. “All the chefs were excited because it was their first time open.”
Walnut is hosting live music Fridays through Sundays at Bakery Square and plans to showcase local artists on site.
“Opening a location in the neighborhood gave us the opportunity to connect with it on a personal level by choosing operators who have their own personal connections with the East End,” Ellingboe said. “Bakery Square has an established history in the neighborhood and we are excited to be able to be part of it.”
Those familiar with City Fresh Pasta’s cafe and food truck will find an expanded menu. The pasta vendor offers a variety of pasta dishes such as the “Crab Mac Attack” or “Bob Ross” create your own option, along with sandwiches, salads and soups.
Somi serves progressive Asian-style cuisine. Restaurant-goers can try various types of stir fry or rice bowls.
For Bubba Snider, a local radio personality, Bakery Square marks his third location, in addition to ones in Southpointe in Washington County and Triadelphia, W.Va.
When asked what diners can expect, Ashley McCoy, who is Bubba’s regional training director, said, “Real food. I mean that’s huge. Everything’s fresh. We offer variety, flavor and family.”
Her favorite item: the Fire in the Hole, one of their signature burgers with a deep fried jalapeno popper and a house-made ghost pepper ranch.
Sisters Christine and Meredith Galloway are familiar with the East End. They have owned Sugar x Butter, a Point Breeze bakery, for about three years.
The Galloways wanted to bring their love of baked sweets to their Galley café, offering homemade cookies and carrot cake. But their Bakery Square location also will be offering comfort-style food, with big portions made from scratch from a menu they say will be ever-changing.
Two staples they plan to keep around: Pittsburgh salmon salad topped with fries and slow-roasted baby-back ribs.
The Galloways not only draw inspiration from their local Pittsburgh roots, but they said they also intertwine a Hawaiian feel from time spent living there. They use Native American flatbreads for global inspired sandwiches.
“Everybody can make a good chicken,” said Meredith Galloway, who serves as head chef. “But the sauce is the key.”
Jordan Schmitt is a Tribune-Review digital producer. You can contact Jordan by email at jschmitt@triblive.com or via Twitter .
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.