Piro is a great place to sit back have a cold tiger and a delicious and reasonably priced burger. The staff is friendly, even if they may be inexperienced, but its not a gourmet restaurant, its a burger joint, and a delicious one at that. They keep the beers and the peanuts coming and thats all that matters. Burger selection is great, much more inventive that most places. In'n'out style burger, juicy lucy, etc..

Most of the complaints seem to be focused on brunch, which i havent tried, but I eat at Piro a few times a month and always leave satisfied.

We went to Piro as a group of four last Sunday for brunch. We were seated promptly and got our drinks as requested, but soon after things started to fall apart. The one-hour mark was fast approaching and there wasn't a dish in sight. We were told by the assistant manager that our plates were up next and he apologized for not informing us earlier. About 15 minutes later, plates started showing up at our table, however when they were given to us we were told by the staff member, "uh, sorry I don't know what this is, but here" and he set our plates down. We were really disappointed by the lack of presentation and preparation, especially after they had more than hour to get the food ready. The "frittatas" we ordered were browned, overdone, unseasoned and all-around bland. They were, in fact, not even fritattas. They were overpriced 55 rmb omelettes! My friend's chicken salad was dressed with a dressing he didn't request and didn't come with the side of fruit that they already came back twice to ask him about. We were informed by a staff member that we would be given an order of french toast as an apology and after we accepted we were told that it was just an order of french toast that never went out because "another table of customers got up and left." A few minutes later the same staff member came out to tell us that he "lied" and that the french toast already went to another table. Okay... The last dish that was supposed to be on its way out was a "grilled cheese sandwich." Rocket science, right? Well, it never came... we're still waiting for it. We asked to talk to the manager and she offered us free food but we refused in fear that'd we be stuck at the restaurant waiting even longer for more food. She acknowledged the problems and offered to give us brunch on the house as a consolation. We honestly regret our decision to try Piro out for brunch. Not recommended, really.

This weekend's a bit confusing since it's technically a weekend, but also a working day. On the website, Piro is marketed as serving American brunch starting today, which was my main reason for going. Well not this Sunday. No pancakes or French toast but all other items were available.

Ordered the chicken/bacon sandwich lunch set while my friend got the salmon fritata. Hash brown and my sandwich bread was hard as a rock! It was a workout trying to eat it so eventually gave up on the bread. The rest was alright and my friend's fritata was decent, nothing special.

Tempted to try the brunch for real next time, but not sure it'll be worth the trip if they don't ease off the toaster. Friendly staff, however.

Piro-drama (urban dictionary that one folks!)

Burgers? here? If it's Monday, you might as well stick to Malones for their 50rmb burger and beer deal. Went here and didn't get a beer until I was more than half way finished with my burger. And I asked 3 times before they started acting on it - service a bit slow, perhaps it's the language barrier? The burger meat was not that great - there was just nothing spectacular about it. It was like rain on the 4th of July in Virginia Beach - not okay.
My friend however got pancakes and Wow did they come out well! Maybe Piro should change their angle and go for breakfast food instead of trying to promote a special burger deal.
There's nothing too special about the decor, but the number of animals they have laying around that place makes me question the sanitation. There are cats and dogs running in and out of the place and just passed out all about. It is nice they have an outside area to relax though.

I've never felt so compelled to write a restaurant review until now. This place seemed more like a family eatery than anything else. Both times I came here, the manager and staff were playing with the family cat, which they allowed to roam all over the place. (I didn't see anybody washing any hands anywhere.) Food came horrendously slow, about half an hour's wait, on a night when there was hardly anybody else. Even the water came at turtle pace. The cheeseburger, I have to admit, was exceptional, and well worth the money (58RMB) and at least half the hassle. It tasted very "fresh" -- freshly grilled (patty), freshly toasted (bun), freshly cut (vegetables). Aside from the cheeseburger, the other half of my plate was heaped generously with fruit salad (my choice of side), which contained no less than six different kinds of fruit. The mozzarella sticks, on the other hand, tasted like rubber and probably came out of a box. The poultine came in a huge platter and was served with plenty of melted cheese and gravy -- I expected no less for an appetizer that cost just about as much as my burger. As for dessert -- well, I asked for a dessert menu, and they pointed me to the pancake section. Go figure. The servers here speak very little English. We asked for the check (in Mandarin) and after ten minutes, when there was still no check forthcoming, we had to go up to the register ourselves. In short: come here with a healthy appetite and an even healthier mindset and you'll be good.

I confess that my title is a bit of misnomer, as I was actually living across the street when this place opened in its first incantation: "mingle" I vaguely remember signs about the "Fat Bitch" sandwich with the word "Fat" written huge, which, well, reduced my desire to try it out.

After 6 months or so, more than a few of my friends had spoken well about the burger, and the place is right around the corner from my work, so I figured it was good a place as any for a late lunch and some wifi. I got the All-American Breakfast sandwich and was quite impressed. No, this is not the finest meal I have ever eaten, nor could it be described in any way as "gourmet," "ground-breaking," or "creative." It can however, be described as really tasty. I've since tried the burgers, the pancakes, and a couple other things. There are, to be sure, some misses, but the food is overall good American grub, with healthy portions and a healthy helping of nostalgia for my college-era self. Beers, sodas, coffees are all well priced, and their drinks selection is admirable for such a small shop.

The staff is definitely green, but very helpful and very friendly. They could definitely use some training in the specifics, but it's clear that when these guys were hired they were told something akin to: "the customer comes first, always be helpful, polite, and smiling, and if you can't help the customer, grab a manager who can." This is all excellent advice and a good start to good service staff.

As with everything and everywhere else, it's not perfect, but it's a great place for a mid-day brew, an odd-hours meal, or a serious e-mail session with wifi and coffee.

Ever seen "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly"? Italian director, filmed on location in Spain, yet somehow those elements melted into something quintessentially American.

If Piro were a film, it would share that dynamic with the 'Man With no Name' trilogy: Hong Kong owners, the restaurant's black signage set in one of the French Concession's newly polished-up strip shopping malls (@Changle Lu/Changshu Lu), and yet the restaurant-bar's flaming heart burns fervently Americano.

I've indulged in the restaurant repeatedly now (the film too, for that matter), and would tell everyone to give both a try-- they may not be your thing, but you could also quite likely find yourself hooked. Based on my five-odd trips there, my reasons why.

The Good:

-Kitchen open daily until 11pm (at the earliest).

-Juicy meat cooked-to-order: Cheeseburger with caramelized onions for RMB58 (incl fried potatoes, salad or fruit bowl); Roast Beef and Guac sandwich for RMB 85 (same sides as the burger) that makes for a happy leftover treat the next afternoon; and my fave, a Thursday-night-special offering RMB138 for a serious and filling Aussie steak, fries, salad and a pint of Stella (or glass of wine).

-Stella always on tap for RMB45, and outdoor seating around which to guzzle.

-My bowl-of-chili cravings (RMB35) can stop reminiscing about City Diner evenings of beer, beans and spicy meat after a day at the office. That said, Piro's chili isnt thick enough or up to that quality yet (hint: a dollop of sour cream and grated cheese on top go a long way).

-All-day breakfast, including the decidedly un-Cowboy "Happy Buddha Fluffy Frittata" (eggs with veggies baked in:tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms, etc...) for RMB55 (incl fried potatoes, salad or fruit bowl). I also snagged tastes of my girlfriend's scrumptious full-stack (that's 3 discs) of Queen's Crown pancakes for RMB45.

-Fruit bowls with diced, rather than cubed, fruit pieces, which allows for more fruit in the cup than you find at many other places around town (maybe a minor point, but it makes me happier to get extra fruit with my brekkie or slab of meat).

The Bad:

-Ok, so just like the film, certain aspects of Piro need be judged with patience and understanding. I've experienced a few service slip-ups (syrup wasnt served with pancakes; one bill showed a charge for beer that should have been included with the special), and occasionally the resto-bar hasn't decided onto which side of that combo it wishes to lean (a trite example: music sometimes too loud for my taste, other times no music at all). BUT, every problem was very satisfactorily handled, and with a smile, immediately upon it being brought to the staff's attention. This place is constantly improving!

-The breakfasts just aren't comprehensively up to the standards of the lunch/dinner meals. For example, the whipped cream served with pancakes and french toast is not sweet enough. Also, the french toast and pancakes are good (and available all day long) but not "So light and fluffy it's like biting into a cloud", as the menu proclaims.

-Tex-Mex offerings are decent, but don't satisfy this Texan.

-What's with the toasted slices of bread with the meals? Where are some quality rolls, now that they're finally available from numerous bakers around town?

The Ugly:

-I understand that the All-Day Breakfast will soon be offered only on weekends.

-Um, and they have a sandwich about which I am not yet initiated that is truly called "The Fat Bitch", which envelops into an RMB88-priced wrap, rotund as a junior-sized American Football (that's NFL not FIFA), ALL of Philly Cheese Steak, Grilled Chicken Breast, Bacon, Mozzarella Sticks, French Fries, Caramalized Onion and Avocado, with cheese sauce on top (and still served with the regular sandwhich sides). Ahh, Blondie!