New Eatery Brings 'Garbage Plates' To Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH, PA — The meal is a called a Garbage Plate, which seems appropriate. It sits on a plate and it looks, well, like garbage.

And it's a featured menu item at PileZ, the new eatery that recently opened in the space formerly occupied by the original Mad Mex on Atwood Street in Oakland. The restaurant is a venture of Zechariah Vanzo, who wants the meal that originated in his native upstate New York to catch on here.

What exactly is a Garbage Plate, you ask?

According to Visit Rochester, a traditional Garbage Plate is a diner's choice of hamburger, cheeseburger, hot dogs, Italian sausage, chicken or grilled cheese. It's served on top of any combination of home fries, french fries, baked beans and/or macaroni salad. Ketchup, mustard and onions are optional additions on top.

“The meal is a large meal meant to be shared by two people,” Vanzo, a former member of the Mero Group,which owns Chik’n, Stack’d and Melt'd, recently told The Pitt News. “[It] gives the opportunity for people to share food whether it’s a late night or breakfast.”