Grandsons resurrect, relocate Carmody's Grille

The brand-new Carmody's Grille on Neville Island is not just a relocated restaurant from the North Hills. The new incarnation shares the name, a few menu items and a few people with the original, which spent more than six decades in Wexford, but otherwise is a whole new place.

This Carmody's opened in mid-February, and many old-timers from the original place — which closed two years ago when the owner retired — have come to check out the island location, says General Manager Eileen Sporrer.

“Every day, people come in and say, ‘Oh we love the old place,' and ‘We had our first date there,' ” Sporrer says.

Carmody's owners and staff have reached new customers through advertising and word of mouth, along with the restaurant's Facebook page and website. They reached out to some longtime customers, too.

The restaurant and bar, off the main drag on Neville Island, has the feel of a high-end, hip pub, while the old Carmody's had more of a nostalgic feel, Sporrer says. The eatery — expected to be a sports hangout with its many television screens — serves American casual cuisine with upscale pub food made from an all-scratch kitchen.

“Everything is hand-breaded, and no microwaving,” Sporrer says.

The restaurant's best sellers include Carmody's fried zucchini ($8.95), an appetizer from the original location cut into thin ribbons and served with homemade marinara sauce. Many guests have come in specifically for an original menu item — the turtle soup ($5.95), a rare dish popular in New Orleans.

Fried cheese balls ($8.95), with lightly breaded provolone, are a best-selling appetizer. And the slow-roasted house prime French dip ($11.95), which is thin-shaved, slow-roasted prime rib on a toasted Mancini's hoagie roll with au jus, is a popular entree.

“We could have opened a French dip restaurant and done fine,” Sporrer says. “We've been selling so many of them.”

Carmody's has a long list of sandwiches and similar items, including turkey bacon Swiss ($9.50), a black bean burger ($10.50), fish tacos ($12.50) and an 8-ounce steak blend burger ($10.25). Carmody's salad menu includes grilled chicken salad ($13.95), grilled salmon salad ($12.75) and black-and-blue steak salad ($15.95).

The kitchen — led by kitchen manager and chef Joy Knox, who worked at the old location — offers daily specials along with menu staples. On a recent day, the special was a salmon steak with raspberry glaze and veggies. Carmody's offers the same menu for lunch and dinner, although some dishes come in larger and smaller portions.

Homemade desserts change daily and range from $5.95 to $7. Treats include Key lime pie and peanut butter pie. Buns and flatbreads are available in gluten-free forms.

Carmody's has 10 indoor tables of four and a bar. An outside patio under construction will hold another 75 customers. Upstairs is a banquet room for private events.

Sean and Paul Carmody, the restaurant's owners, are the grandsons of the original owners of the Wexford place. Paul Carmody says he is happy to resurrect an old family business, and that Neville Island, though considered by many Pittsburghers to be just an industrial spot, was a good place to put a new eatery.

Island residents, Sporrer says, are “really excited that there's someplace good to go and eat and … hang out.”

Carmody's Grille, 4905 Grand Ave., Neville Island, is open noon to 10 p.m. Sundays, 11 a.m. to midnight Mondays through Thursdays, and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The kitchen closes at 9 p.m. Sundays, 11 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and midnight Fridays and Saturdays. Details: 412-458-1813 or carmodysgrille.com

Kellie B. Gormly is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.