The South Side Soup Crawl is an annual event to benefit the Brashear Association in the South Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Being prepared for the afternoon ahead is critical for aspiring soup crawlers to get the most from there experience. As a multi-year veteran of the event, here are 5 tips to success for the South Side Soup Crawl.

1. You CAN DO IT

Don’t let the distance between two soups get between you and finding the best. The host locations for the crawl will have you making the the approximately 16 block trek along East Carson Street from 10th street to 27th, with several stops off the main street. Look at the crawl as an opportunity to get those FitBit steps in reach your step goal all the while sampling soup. It is quite manageable to make it from one end to the other (and back) within the 3 hours of the crawl. If you have to, treat it like a challenge. See how quickly you can do it all.

2. Plan Your Route Wisely

The list of host locations has been announced, so if you have an extreme planner in your group like we do, be sure plan your crawl route wisely. Side streets will be less crowded and may make for a faster route, but don’t forget the trusty saying “the straightest distance between 2 points is a straight line.”
Check out the list of participating restaurants and host locations.

3. Don’t forget to VOTE

The soup crawl uses a text-voting solution from JA Interactive which is quite wonderful. There are multiple categories. Follow the instructions closely to vote. The winners will be sent to you after the results are tabulated and you can savor in the satisfaction knowing that your voice was heard.

4. Look for Discounts & Offers

The restaurants aren’t just participating for the philanthropic aspect of the event, though that is the heart of the event. They also want to entice you to visit them after the event. Many will distribute coupons or offers for free appetizers, drinks for after the event or to be redeemed through the month of February. Be sure to leave room in your pockets to collect these offers and support the restaurants that you loved most.

5. Reputation Isn’t Everything, Be Open Minded

Have you been to some of the restaurants and not absolutely enjoyed it? That doesn’t mean there soup may not be out of this world. Branch out and attack the list of soups like they are all new, exciting offerings. What if a Mexican restaurant did an Irish Stew … for one day only … just because they can. It’s exciting creativity like that which has been able to capture the popular vote in the past. If you were to avoid the restaurant just because you thought you wouldn’t like it, then you would be a very a good judge.

Enjoy the Soup Crawl and let us know if you have any other tips to add.