Emptiness of PDA without constructing the corresponding CFG
Quick Answer: Yes, there is a really lovely algorithm that solves non-emptiness for pushdown automata that does not involve constructing the equivalent CFG.

Possible Drawback: Correct me if I am wrong, but it doesn't appear to be more efficient than the approach where you convert to a CFG.

Basic Idea: It can be viewed as a sort of dynamic programming algorithm where you solve reachability without ever constructing the possibly exponential length paths that you need to consider.

You start with a state diagram for a Pushdown Automata. Let's call a transition that doesn't manipulate the stack a resting transition. You proceed with a series of stages. 

Start of Stage: You combine all compatible push and resting transitions. Next, you combine all compatible pop and resting transitions. Then, you combine all compatible pairs of resting transitions with each other.  Finally, you combine all compatible push and pop transitions.  Now, you throw in all of the new transitions into the state diagram.  End of Stage.

You go through stage after stage repeating this process.  There are only so many possible transitions.  Eventually, you either get a transition that leads from the start state to a final state or you must run out of possible transitions to add.  At this point, you know whether the automata's language is empty or not. 

Question: Can you provide me with any books or papers that give a good exposition of this algorithm?  Whenever I searched for it several years ago, it seemed that this algorithm is unpopular or not well known.  I personally really like it.

Thanks for asking the question!  I really appreciate it and I hope this helps a little bit.  Have a nice day!  :)