Braddock’s Rebellion Shares History in American Cuisine
By Layla Joseph
Braddock’s Rebellion located inside the Renaissance Hotel on Sixth Street offers unique meals produced with high-quality ingredients, drinks that are hard to find and a side of historical nuance.
With live music on Wednesday evenings and events like the restaurant's “Pour Me Another”, Braddock’s allows for a casual dining atmosphere while simultaneously holding a place for intimacy.
Whether customers are looking for a date night or need a satisfying meal before sporting events, there is room for all occasions and unique meals to accompany a knowledgeable staff.
Executive Chef Nicholas Saxon said that with every dish, there is a story.
Saxon said that customers should not only expect great food, drinks and service, but to learn something new during their meal.
“We don’t just take an order and put it through the system,” he said. “We embellish it. We talk about it. Customers are going to learn the history.”
With a recently updated menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Saxon said part of what makes the menu attractive is the honorable features every week. Customers are invited to try a different house-made ravioli, fresh caught fish and a different steak cut each week.
“People like features,” Saxon said. “You can always get a piece of salmon, but it might be harder to find Escolar or Yellowfin Tuna.”
The cocktails at Braddock’s are hand-crafted with historical themes and bourbon that is sometimes inaccessible to the public. Saxon explained that along with their cocktails, their bourbon flights are in high demand.
“We specifically look for the special order bourbon,” he said. “We want the stuff you can’t get at the state store.”
Saxon shared that a bourbon club is in the works for those who appreciate the drink and would like to taste something they haven’t tried before while gathering, making friends and enjoying the atmosphere.
“It gives people the opportunity to grow and enhance their education with bourbon, but also try things that are rare,” he said. “It gives people an avenue to try new things.”
For customers who seek a more elevated dining experience, Braddock’s once a month event curates a menu filled with modern takes on traditional meals.
Pour Me Another started at the end of COVID and Saxon said the goal was to get people out again to enjoy food and drinks, allowing customers to forget about what's going on in the world and focusing on having a good time.
Patrons who participate in Pour Me Another get to learn even more than regular diners. Tickets can be ordered online and those in attendance are served cocktails and given the skills to create them again at home.
July’s theme for Pour Me Another will include a menu curated around the food and drinks that built Pittsburgh. Saxon said that more than half of people who attend once, attend again, and their excitement to participate is shared with his staff.
“It’s a chance for my staff to get out of the kitchen and be creative outside of the standard menus,” he said.
In addition to the organized events, potential and returning customers should keep their eyes out for a new brunch concept that Saxon said is in the making. He explained the hybrid brunch will have chef attended stations and fresh à la carte items in place of an original buffet.
“My next goal is to be the best brunch spot in the city,” he said.
Saxon’s passion is evident in the menu he creates and his knowledge of the city. The Chicago native has adopted Pittsburgh and its history, and is always looking to grow his knowledge of the city and the food that he provides for his guests.
“Where I work and wherever I go, I want to know the people and what they want,” he said. “I am like a sponge in the way that I absorb and utilize things I learn from others so I can feel confident putting something in the community that I know about.”
