Along the river

Location, location, location.

The owners of Redfin Blues are the first to admit the restaurant's almost secret location is the key to its success.

In many ways, they are right.

This hidden gem is in a casual, cheerful, welcoming spot along the Allegheny River, just off the marina on Washington's Landing.

It's the same place where it's been the last 10 years, but now it's under the new ownership of Mirric Entertainment.

The company remodeled the restaurant, once known as Troll's, and re-opened it in early April.

Its focal point is a massive wooden deck filled with plastic tables and umbrellas, and buzzing with customers in shorts, flip-flops and sunglasses.

It is an inviting setting that almost makes you forget you're in Pittsburgh -- if you can ignore the decrepit 31st Street bridge a few feet away.

Manager Paul Tebbets says most of the Redfin's clientele -- including Steelers quarterback Ben Roethliesberger who lives nearby -- come to kick back, relax and enjoy the atmosphere while sipping on a tropical drink or a Corona -- if you can get a table.

On most weekends, there's a long wait for tables, sometimes of up to two hours.

We were fortunate. On a recent sunny Sunday, we didn't have to wait at all. Although the place was packed, from what we could tell there are no bad tables at Redfin. From virtually every table, you can see boats cruising or rowing crews practicing.

Our friendly waitress told us what we suspected: Most Redfin diners go for the bar food, or as chef Chet Garland describes it, above-average bar food.

"We're not a fine-dining restaurant," says Garland, 31, the former chef at Halo's on the South Side. "We're just trying to have good food in a fun and great atmosphere."

That means most customers tend to skip restaurant-like entrees and order sandwiches, pizzas and appetizers.

On two visits during the same week, both on pleasant, sunny evenings, we discovered you can't go wrong with either a sandwich or an entree.

The Seafood-Artichoke-Cheddar Dip ($9), a Redfin favorite, was served on a festive platter with flatbread and red, white and blue tortillas.

The dip is a punchy blend of cheddar, Monterey jack and cream cheeses, baked with baby shrimp, crabmeat and lobster.

It was rich and complex, and it could have served as an entree, along with our rum and cokes.

The Calamari with Marinara ($9) was an unusual but welcome version with cornmeal breading. It was a pinch bland but generally tasty. Garland says he has tinkered with the recipe, but some of Redfin's regular customers quickly complained.

The Redfin Bisque ($6), a velvety cream-based soup, surprised us with generous tidbits of crab, shrimp and lobster. It came piping hot, the way a soup should be served.

There are about a dozen burgers and sandwiches on the menu. The Redfin Beer Battered Cod ($8) is the most popular. Beneath the golden brown crust, the cod was moist and fresh. It came with a side of fries that were adequate but not crispy.

Redfin customers also are big on pizzas, which sell at a pace of about 200 a week. The best-seller is the Marguerita ($8 for a 10-inch, $11 for 16-inch), which is the Redfin version of a white pizza with fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and oven-roasted tomatoes.

There's more to Redfin than pizzas and french fries.

Indeed, the Crab Cakes ($14) are reminiscent of the simple, richly rewarding versions offered at high-end restaurants such as Luma and Monterrey Bay.

They are made on site daily and loaded with jumbo lump blue crab and little filler save a pinch of hot sauce, freshly parsley and home-made bread crumbs. They are highly recommended.

We also were impressed by several other choices.

The Chilean Salmon ($14) is served with a pineapple teriyaki puree that was both salty and sweet, a nod to the Asian-influenced menu items many restaurants are offering.

We defied the recommendation to order the Ahi Tuna ($17) rare and didn't regret it. It was only slightly pink in the middle and bursting with the flavors of Redfin spice, the restaurant's version of Old Bay Seasoning, with about 15 spices. It was perfect.

Our service the second time was a bit spotty, but that's probably because everyone's attention was on Steelers Coach Bill Cowher, dining a few tables away with his wife. No complaints really, we were gawking, too.

Redfin has a huge outdoor bar behind the deck, surrounded by tiki lights and smaller tables, and stocked with local and imported beers. Desserts are not made on the premises but they are delicious and large enough to serve a party of four. The Cheesecake ($5) and Carrot Cake ($5) were fresh and worth the calories.

The dessert menu is not extensive but this is, after all, a party place.

Additional Information:

If you go

Cuisine: Casual American

Entree price range: $8-$24.

Hours: Lunch and dinner served 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays-Tuesdays; 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays; 11:30 a.m.-midnight Fridays-Saturdays.

Notes: Live music Thursdays-Sundays; Island Thursdays, from 7-11 p.m., feature John McDonald & The Mango Men, all summer

Location: 100 Waterfront Drive, Washington's Landing

Details: 412-322-5837