William Penn Tavern   

One of the very few college hot spots in chic neighborhood Shadyside -- where bar and restaurant prices are some of the highest in Pittsburgh -- the William Penn Tavern scores passing grades in service, affordability and atmosphere, the holy trinity of watering-hole aptitude. The main room features a wooden horseshoe-shaped bar (very well stocked) while a bevy of sports-bar kitsch hangs from the walls, the shelves and even the ceilings. A row of tables fills the rest of the room; posters hanging above advertise the generous daily beer specials: $1 for a domestic draught or $2 for 20 ounces. At the rear of the bar, a small room quickly fills up with grad students and frat types playing darts, and during the summer months an outdoor patio opens, complete with shaded tables and bar of its own.