No Gelato Nearby? I Don’t Want to Drive Downtown.

The Solution for Where to Find Gelato Nearby

So, I decided to Google areas south of where I lived in Allegheny County.

I searched Gelato near Washington, PA.

Angelo’s Restaurant popped up on my cell phone screen.

I saw those all-too-familiar bright colors from the gelato jump out at me.

Great! Only 30 minutes away! The opposite direction from downtown. Yeeeessss!!

I looked at their Google reviews and noticed something. 4.5 out of 5 stars and 848 reviews.

WOW! This place must have some excellent Italian food. I thought to myself…

It’s almost dinner time. Italian food DOES sound good.

I’m so glad I did stop by to eat at this restaurant.

I hope you can see why further down in my post. But first–gelato.

What is Gelato

Gelato is not just any regular ole ice cream. In fact, it’s not at all like your typical American-style ice cream!

I think it’s better.

According to this page on Angelo’s Restaurant’s website, gelato contains less butterfat than American ice cream (about 4-8% less). It is made with whole milk and not a combination of whole milk and heavy cream.

Also, gelato is made from natural ingredients such as fresh fruits and nuts.

Another major difference between American ice cream and gelato is gelato contains less air. American ice cream can contain 50% to even 150% air. By comparison, gelato only contains about 30%. This results in a much flavorful experience! 

So, trust me, it’s better lol (That is … if you like sweetness).

About Angelo’s Restaurant

According to their About Page, Angelo’s Restaurant was founded by Angelo and Giacomina Passalacqua in 1939. It was originally called The West Chestnut Spaghetti Inn, probably because it was located on 955 West Chestnut Street.

Angelo and Giacomina began serving and selling Italian spaghetti and bread. It eventually became a very popular spot for local workers in the area to come eat.

Soon, they started getting customers from all over since the restaurant was located near a very popular highway at the time (Route 40).

After Angelo passed away, Giacomina continued to run the restaurant and got some help from other family members.

In 1958, the restaurant was handed down to the current owner’s (his name is Michael) dad and aunt and the name of the restaurant changed to Angelo’s and they added more items to their menu.

Angelo’s continued to grow and was eventually turned over completely to Michael’s father.

The menu grew again and the current owner’s father allowed him to add more Italian dishes of his own.  

In 1992, Michael’s parents retired and he became the new owner of Angelo’s Restaurant that we know and love today. I’m so glad I found this place!

The Ambiance

The ambiance – relaxing! Angelo’s is dimly lit, but not too much to where you will have a hard time seeing what you are eating

At the time I went, they were playing smooth jazz over the radio.

I personally think it would have been incredible if they had played traditional Italian music or music sung by well-known Italian singers, but could just be me. Although, I do love smooth jazz, too!

The temperature–it was at a comfortable 72 degree Fahrenheit despite the 85-degree weather that others were feeling outside.

The colors on the walls were a light brown and they had plenty of pictures hanging on the walls of people unknown to me–typical of other Italian restaurants I have been to.

Keep This in Mind

My husband and I were almost told they didn’t have any tables for us because they had so many reservations. However, this could have been because I arrived later in the day on a Saturday and it was Homecoming season for the local high schools. 

We made it right before the 4 pm cut-off. This place is very popular. It’s not a bad idea to consider making a reservation if you plan on eating later in the evening.

Gelato Selections

Toward the end of my dine-in experience, (I had a scrumptious lasagna and my husband had an incredibly delicious meatball sandwich) and even though it was extremely hard, I made sure to leave some room in my stomach for some dessert!!

I had to have what I originally came to Angelo’s for! Gelato!

They have a great variety of flavors from which to choose. The waitress handed us a flyer with the following options:

• Almond Joy (coconut, almonds, chocolate)
• Dangerous Stuff (Toffee House toffee)
• Death By Chocolate (brownies, chocolate chips, fudge sauce)
• Lemon Sorbetto
• Peanut Butter
• Peanut Butter Oreo
• Pistachio
• Salted Caramel with Chocolate Flakes
• Stracciatella (Italian chocolate chip)
• Strawberry Sorbetto
• Fior Di Latte (sweet cream)

• Wild Fruits (raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, blackberry)
• Tiramisu
• Coffee
• Menta Verde (mint chocolate)
• Cotton Candy
• Pumpkin
• Apple
• Mama Mia (sweet cream with cherry and chocolate)
• S’mores
• Banana Cream Pie

They also have Spaghetti Gelato! It actually looks pretty delicious. The title makes it sound gross, but I suspect it’s actually very good.

They use two scoops of Fior Di Latte and Death by Chocolate is formed to look like meatballs. It is topped with a raspberry sauce.

As you can see, some flavors were their own while others were more traditional. Also, some are vegan or gluten-free.

I went with a flavor I have always loved–Stracciatella (chocolate chip).

Can NEVER go wrong with that!

Before We Go

I gotta add this one detail before I leave; this was such a nice touch.

Not only does the staff box your leftover food for you, but they also wrap the box up in saran wrap!

I personally have never seen this before. To me, this just shows how they take care of their customers.

I assume they do this so that the sauces don’t seep through and make a mess in your bag.

Whatever the reason, this was a nice touch. I was very happy to see this special care.

In Conclusion

So, in the end, I was able to find my gelato nearby without having to drive into downtown Pittsburgh with a little help from a Google search.

 So happy I did!

I recommend you visit Angelo’s Restaurant if you’re ever in the greater Pittsburgh area and don’t want to drive through downtown traffic.