New Eatery Opens In Former Landmark Pittsburgh Restaurant Space

PITTSBURGH, PA — A new restaurant has opened in the space that was occupied for decades by a beloved Pittsburgh eatery.

Wok Hei Asian Kitchen has debuted on Forbes Avenue in Oakland on the University of Pittsburgh campus. It occupies a majority of the space the Original Hot Dog Shop once called home.

According to the restaurant website, Wok Hei translates to "breath of the wok." It describes the smoky aroma, deep flavor, and subtle char created when fresh ingredients meet an intensely hot wok."

The restaurant offers standard Asian fare such as General Tso chicken, beef broth, fried rice and lo mein. It also offers non-standard dishes such as pig ears, squid salad and beef and ox tripe.

The restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m.-3:59 a.m.

Wok Hei has opened barely three months after the closure of Viva Los Tacos, the first restaurant to open in the Original Hot Dog Shop space. Viva Los Tacos went out of business after a four-year run.

The famed Original - or "The O" - as it commonly was called - opened across the street from Forbes Field during the Pittsburgh Pirates 1960 World Series Championship season. Over the years, the two-story eatery was featured on various TV programs such as The Food Network's "Unwrapped," the PBS special "A Hot Dog Program" and others.

The O closed in 2020.

Another portion of the building initially was occupied by Capriotti's Sandwich Shop and is now occupied by a Melt'd eatery.