Hubz Kitchen, renowned for its cheesesteak hoagies and 25 varieties of french fries, will open in early November at the site of the former Gigi’s Place and Ida’s restaurant at 2803 Leechburg Road in Lower Burrell.

Hubz is well-known in the city, as it operated out of Just JAK’S bar in Lower Burrell’s Kinloch section. While serving out of JAK’S since late 2021, Hubz owners Matthew Serena, 45, and his daughter, Natasha, worked with DoorDash for food deliveries and racked up loyal customers with a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars.

Just JAK’S closed earlier this year, and the Serenas had to find a new location.

“I wanted to stay in Lower Burrell because we are one of the most loved restaurants on DoorDash,” he said.

The site of the former Gigi’s Place and Ida’s restaurant was available. Longtime restaurateur Ida Peluso retired in October 2021, and Gigi’s opened soon after before closing this year.

Lower Burrell Councilman Chris Fabry invited Serena to a council meeting to introduce him to officials to announce the new restaurant.

“Lower Burrell is gaining momentum in terms of businesses,” said Councilman Dave Stoltz. “Hubz is another example of that. We’re working hard to keep the momentum going.”

Serena looks forward to opening his new Leechburg Road location with the prospect of a lot of walk-in traffic and to-go orders. There wasn’t much traffic passing by his old location in Kinloch, he said.

Serena describes his menu as not just bar food, but really good bar food.

The East Vandergrift native and Lower Burrell resident has worked in food service since he was 18, from the kitchens of McDonald’s to the Pittsburgh North Hills Holiday Inn.

He developed Hubz’s signature entrees from his culinary experience and knowledge of customer tastes.

“Our specialty without a doubt is our cheesesteak hoagies because we use real steak — sirloin tips, not Steak-umms,” Serena said.

He stuffs the sliced sirloin tips with onions, other vegetables and cheese into a 9-inch Cellone’s bun, which can barely hold all the ingredients, he said.

He offers 25 flavors of french fries using dry seasoning and other toppings. The most popular are the specialty dinner fries, such as loaded fries, slop fries with gravy and cheese, taco fries and other varieties.

“The salted maple fries, believe or not, are popular,” he said.

He offers bountiful salads as well.

All of Hubz’s food will be takeout. However, patrons can sit in the small dining room with four large television screens to watch sports, including NFL matchups and pay-per-view wrestling.

“Think of it as a sports bar without the alcohol,” he said.

Patrons will have the option to place to-go orders by telephone or the internet as well as through delivery services.

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