When the Fleck siblings decided to open the Pittsburgh Chop House in the space last inhabited by the Red Bull Inn (also their family's venture), they substantially renovated the interior, but left the exterior intact. Whether or not this was a calculated move, the effect is successful. The restaurant is beautiful, but it is the contrast between the plain exterior and the opulent interior -- a cross between a classic steakhouse, with its black leather chairs, expansive tables and oversized menus, and an alpine ski lodge whose high ceilings, glowing wood and good lighting melds luxury with rusticity -- that makes it so striking.

With expectations raised, one confronts a menu that sticks to the classics, almost but not quite to the point of dullness. There is shrimp cocktail ($14.95), French onion soup ($6.95), a Wedge salad ($4.95) and the usual assortment of proteins with an emphasis on beef. My confidence wavered a bit with the arrival of "complimentary tapas" -- overtoasted crostini covered with dried-out herbs accompanied by a rotating variety of cheese spreads that were too salty.

The true appetizers are too good to be ignored, but every steakhouse lives and dies by the quality of the meat. At the Pittsburgh Chop House, the meat comes from the acclaimed Allen Brothers in Chicago, which also provides beef to restaurants such as Charlie Trotter's and Cole's Chop House in Napa, Calif., not to mention the contestants of the television show "Top Chef."

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Pittsburgh Chop House

2 stars = Very good
Ratings explained

5305 Campbells Run Road
Robinson
412-787-2525
www.pittsburghchophouse.com

• Hours: Monday-Wednesday, 4-10 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, 4 p.m.-midnight; closed Sunday.
• Basics: Superb meat is the bedrock of this independent steak house that also offers lovely interpretations of classic dishes such as shrimp cocktail and Crabmeat Hoelzel. It may be a bit off the beaten track, but it's worth a special trip.
• Recommended dishes: Shrimp cocktail, Pittsburgh's Crabmeat Hoelzel, Chop House salad, French onion soup, prime rib, filet mignon, pork chops, seven-pepper home fries, tiramisu.
• Prices: Appetizers, $4.95-$14.95; Entrees, $15.95-$42.95; Dessert, $7-$12; wine by the glass starts at $8, bottles start at $26.
• Summary: Wheelchair accessible, except for bar; non-smoking; park in lot; credit cards accepted; reservations suggested; corkage $25.
• Noise level: low.

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The prime rib (10 ounces, $22.95; 16 ounces, $28.95; 24 ounces, $28.95) is as smooth and perfect as pink marble, its color marred only by veins of glorious pale fat. It is served with a horseradish cream with a lively kick and a few fried onion rings to top it off.

A Delmonico (14 ounces, $26.95; 22 ounces, $31.95) showcased a beautiful cut with just the right amount of fat. Even more impressive was the filet mignon (8 ounces, $36.95; 12 ounces, $42.95) -- good enough to inspire a conversion. This cut of meat generally trades flavor for tenderness, and lately has gotten a bad rap from meat connoisseurs. At the Pittsburgh Chop House, an intensely crisp and crunchy crust created a breathtaking contrast with the perfectly cooked, tender, medium-rare flesh.

Another lovely touch is the availability of almost all of the entrees in several sizes. Not only does this option allow for different-sized appetites, it also encourages that lovely, old-fashioned notion of sharing an entree, not only as a way to spend less money or stay within your diet, but also as a way to enjoy the same thing at the same time as your companion. This kind of shared experience used to be standard, but has unfortunately mostly gone out of style.

For those not in the mood for steak, other meat offerings were more than just the second string. Moist, pleasantly gamey lamb chops came with a vibrant mint jelly in a silver gravy boat. Sadly, the lamb chops that were ordered medium rare were still a bit raw in the middle, making them more chewy than tender. But a double pork chop served medium with roasted apples and moistened cranberries and raisins was the best restaurant pork chop I've eaten in a long time.

A Wild Game platter is also on the menu, and includes a Bison steak, a double-cut Elk chop and a wild boar sausage on a bed of carrots, potatoes, fennel and celery ($39.95). Unfortunately, it wasn't ordered on my first visit and wasn't available on my second. Given the consistent quality of the rest of the meat, I can hazard a guess that game lovers will want to make a special trip, but perhaps they should call first to check availability.

With just these offerings, the Pittsburgh Chop House can be judged a fantastic addition to the dining scene.

But the restaurant is not without flaws, which must be duly noted.

An excellent Crabmeat Hoelzel (with a nod to the Duquesne Club, $14.95) and a stupendous shrimp cocktail ($14.95) suggested that seafood entrees would be able to stand up to their mammalian counterparts. Crab cakes ($35.95) were fine, even better than average, with zesty house-made remoulade. Unfortunately, two different fish specials -- sole with lemon cream sauce and walleye with citrus cream sauce -- were flabby and fishy.

Though the menu also lists fried shrimp ($28.95), garlic scampi ($27.95) turned out to be fried shrimp with garlic butter. The breading was a mess, too dry in spots, and soggy in others where it had soaked up too much garlic butter, and perhaps sat a few minutes too long.

Finally, there was the little matter of dessert. At the Pittsburgh Chop House, as at many restaurants, cakes are not made in-house and aren't special enough to merit the indulgence. The tiramisu is made in-house, and it was an excellent example of a dessert that I wish weren't on quite so many menus.

But none of these desserts, all fair to very good, are as memorable as the creme brulee trio of orange, lemon-ginger, and vanilla served on my second visit. All three were burnt. The orange creme brulee was so overcooked that the custard base had broken and was hard and grainy. None should have left the kitchen. When we pointed out the problems with the orange creme brulee to our server, she simply told us that she didn't know why it was happening, but the same thing had happened a week before, and she could bring us another one if we liked. We didn't take her up on it.

The kitchen could clearly benefit from improved quality control, but more impassioned service could also mitigate some of these problems. If the creme brulee is suffering, servers should try to direct diners to other options, or at the very least not over-share to this extent. Servers are the face of a restaurant, and at a fine dining restaurant they can and should play a far greater role than writing down orders and clearing plates; though, it should be noted that servers performed all the basic functions of their job consistently and efficiently.

The wine list is almost entirely Californian, with a few other entries from the western United States, and the markup appears to be on the high end. However, this is somewhat justified by truly exquisite Italian, hand-blown crystal glasses, and servers who were at least minimally comfortable recommending wine.

The Pittsburgh Chop House may not use the most cutting edge techniques or feature the newest dining trends. But what it lacks in outside-the-box thinking, it makes up for with sepia-toned charm. After all, classics never go out of style.