Welcome to the photo series Eater Scenes, in which photographers visit some of the world's great restaurants to capture them at a certain, and very specific, point in the day. Today, photographer Stephanie Strasburg visits a Pittsburgh institution that's been slinging iconic sandwiches for more than 80 years.
Pittsburgh's Primanti Bros. sandwich shop boasts a James Beard Award as one of its America's Classic restaurants, but among locals, it's best known for two things: Its overstuffed sandwiches and its status as the city's top late-night haunt. Since 1933, Primanti's been serving its now-famous coleslaw and french-fry topped sandwiches to night owls — originally, founder Joe Primanti operated his cart from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. to cater to late-night workers. By the 1970s, when the restaurant became a 24-hour operation, those early-morning sandwich-seekers were joined by crowds filtering out of nearby bars.
On a recent Sunday morning (from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m.), Eater stopped by the original Strip District location to capture the folks looking for sustenance after last call. Unsurprisingly, the high-energy room saw many double-egg-and-cheese sandwiches, cheese-topped french fries, and bottles of Bud Light hitting the tables. Watch Primanti's early morning unfold in the gallery above.