South Side's Urban Tap has food, drink delicious enough to override parking worries

The “Saahside” oftentimes gets a bad rap, mostly for the shortage of parking. If you can find a spot on one of the many narrow streets, park and head to The Urban Tap. I promise it will be worth the aggravation.

The Urban Tap is only a couple years old, replacing a few other restaurants that have tried to survive in this location, including one of my old-time favorites, Old Europe. I can safely say, with the inventive bar grub and extensive beer offerings, it will become a permanent fixture on East Carson Street for years to come.

After ordering one of the many beers, craft cocktails or wines on tap, you don't want to overlook the small-plates menu and head straight for the larger ones. The small plates are honestly where it's at.

Start off with one of the housemade bowls of popcorn, which is a great accompaniment to any alcoholic beverage, especially beer. The Next Level Popcorn comes in three flavors: kettle corn, truffle-bacon and parmesan (the most popular), and toasted-sage and maple. I ordered the latter per my waiter's recommendation and for its unique flavor combination. The popcorn was popped perfectly, with a tiny hint of sage. Though it could have used more of the sweet-maple flavor, it was still devourable, as popcorn usually is.

The best dish that I ate here was the Curried Wildwood Tofu: tender pieces of tofu served with sweet caramelized pineapple slices, spicy poblano and red peppers and sauteed onions tossed in a creamy coconut-and-red-curry sauce. The sauce is so good you will want to lick the plate clean. The sweetness of the pineapple balances out the heat from the peppers and the creamy sauce is savory and sweet. Truly, the perfect dish in my book. The only downside is large sprigs of cilantro are used as garnish. So, if cilantro tastes like soap to you, order this dish without.

My second-favorite dish here is the Korean barbecue fries: crunchy fresh-cut shoestring fries piled high with crispy pork chunks and quick pickled carrots and cucumbers, then smothered in a sweet chilie sauce. Again, topped with sprigs of cilantro.

Loaded fries with orange nacho cheese and bacon bits are a bar-food staple. These Korean Barbecue Fries put all other loaded fries to shame. First off, the cut of fries is perfection. It's not too thick and not too thin and substantial enough to hold up to the toppings. The spicy-and-sour pickled vegetables balance nicely with the sweet chilie sauce. And the crispy fried pork adds a savory, meaty element. It was comforting and exotic, and one of the best fry dishes I've had around town.

Other small-plate options include smoked-gouda mac and cheese, chicken, pork or battered fish tacos, roasted-pork nachos, and deep-fried Brussels sprouts served with bacon lardons and topped with parmesan cheese and a tangy balsamic reduction. I don't always eat vegetables, but when I do, they are deep-fried and served with bacon and cheese.

You truly could just order a few small plates here to share, but if you want to tackle the larger plates, there are many variations of burgers (including beef, turkey, bison, steak and a black bean and smoked-poblano burger for vegetarians) and a few other sandwiches, as well as entrees.

If you are going for a handheld sandwich, head straight for the Alaskan Cod: a thick piece of cod handbreaded in an IPA cracked-pepper batter served on a toasted brioche bun with crunchy coleslaw and spicy tarter sauce accompanied with a side of crisp fries. Outside of a church basement during Lent, this is one of the better fish sandwiches around town. My only complaint would be that I didn't have enough (or any) of the spicy tarter sauce. I wanted more on my sandwich and a side of it to dunk my fries into.

For less bar-type food and more of a heartier entree, larger plates include pan-seared salmon, pork chops, roasted half of a chicken, hanger steak, and ravioli. On the night I dined, the ravioli was filled with mascarpone cheese and sundried tomatoes and served in a flavorful broth made from sauteed onions, red peppers, garlic, corn stock, heavy cream, spinach and taleggio cheese. It was a solid dish, but didn't stand up against the curried tofu, Korean barbecue fries, and cod sandwich.

I was shocked how delicious The Urban Tap was.

I hope you discover the same thing the next time you're on the South Side. With many large-screen TVs, it's a great place to consider watching the next Pirates or Steelers game.

Sarah Sudar is one of the food-savvy ladies of eatPGH.com, who contribute a weekly Dining Out column to Trib Total Media.