Nowadays, gastropub fare is often dubbed as a cliche by foodies. How often do we sigh when we spot a burger topped with bacon jam or groan when we come across steak tartar tumbling out of a taco shell? But no matter how trite it seems, it’s certainly a cuisine that still dazzles food enthusiasts all across America, from cosmopolitan cities to teeny towns.This elevated bar food as many folks describe it, is a juxtaposition of the simple and complex. Familiar dishes appeal to even the least adventurous diner at the table, but twists in ingredients and methods suit a passionate gourmand.

Industry Public House, located in the hip and funky Pittsburgh nabe of Lawrenceville, does gastropub right. This stadium-sized restaurant doles out armies of local and far-flung beer on tap while it offers up a dizzying array of whiskey options. Dishes range from pot roast eaten as is or piled onto an order of fries, to a renegade burger made with the darling of all meats, pork belly. Unlike most restaurants of this kind, the industrial appearance at Industry is not-over-the-top. Velvet seats decorated with grommets, steel bar stools, heavy wooden bars and factory-style lighting give the atmosphere enough of that vintage style without looking like a cliche (speaking of cliches). Floor-to-ceiling windows open up to Butler street, allowing patrons at this time of year to feel the hints of fall.

My husband Matt and I met our friend Tara here for a post-work getaway. That night, Industry attracted a hodge podge of neighborhood yuppies, burgeoning families and awkward-looking students from Pitt who probably yearned to feel ultra-cool dining in such a bad-ass establishment. I’m always inclined to drink a cocktail with my dinner.It feels extra indulgent to be quaffing back an inventive concoction than just a beer or wine. I opted to snuggle with the “Autumn Shrub,” a refreshing rum-focused elixir that was ironically flavored with a non-fall ingredient of strawberry syrup. Tara audaciously embraced Industry’s signature “Smokestack.” It’s a daring number pieced together with bourbon, maple syrup and bitters – all infused with torched wood that gives the drink its undeniably smoky attitude. And what did Matt guzzle back? His straightforward and reliable Fat Tire beer.

We were surprised to find that our $4 orders of popcorn emerged as movie theater-sized portions rather than the puny bowls we envisioned in our heads. Benevolent amounts of shredded Parmesan cheese and drops of truffle oil brought this everyday snack to fashionable heights. While Tara munched away on her fries doused in pot roast and Matt settled into his traditional plate of pot roast, I took on a couple of rich dishes myself: an ooey, gooey mac and cheese made with smoked gouda and extra sharp cheddar plus a “side” of wild boar bacon. Oh yeah, I went there. Some folks would balk at such meaty extravagance, but I relished every minute of it. Wild boar bacon is not as salty as the classic pig version anyway, so what’s there to be ashamed of? Incidentally, Matt’s fried pickles arrived as giant spears and Tara’s salad of mixed greens, granny smith apples, Gorgonzola, dried cranberries, sliced red onion and candied pecans was sizable enough to be a meal. There’s definitely a bang-for-your-buck factor going on at Industry.

Partaking in a cliche isn’t always a bad thing, especially if that cliche is the delectable gastropub fare found at Industry. So what are you waiting for? Go and munch on a bouquet of wild board bacon, will you?