#6494 - Presto Hotel, Collier Township, PA - 3/24/2026

Presto Hotel, Presto, Pennsylvania

Recently a friend posted photos from inside an old hotel/bar not 7 miles from our house which I would have made a very high priority had I not the impression that it was permanently closed (a status that Yelp maintains to this day, which is perfectly fine with the owner, who is not casting out for a wider range of customers). The place was made all the more intriguing by the antique Brunswick bar in Lisa's photos! We made it out there Wednesday night, and had a long chat with the old hotel's interesting owner Linda.

Linda has run the bar and hotel since 2011, when her mother passed away. Her father Stanley A. Holeva Sr. and mother Dolores purchased the hotel in 1959, with Dolores running it by herself after Stanley passed in 1966. Linda is an artist and an actress, who goes way back with Michael Keaton, and who has herself played in a number of stage dramas (the bar includes a photo of her in the role of Honey Bruce, wife of the legendary comedian Lenny) and is perhaps best known for her television role as a member of the Farrell Clan in "Outsiders" from 2016 to 2017. 

Presto Hotel, Presto, PA

Linda's art also graces the bar inside and out, perhaps most strikingly in her version of a painting in a Tombstone Arizona saloon, which covers the central mirror of the Brunswick bar, with the mirror behind sporting a large crack from an errant beer bottle out of the hands of a drunken biker. But her touch also shows up in various paintings throughout the bar, from the bar walls to the bathrooms and even the exterior signs. But as far as my own interests go, some of her most striking work is the job she did in stripping and staining the antique Brunswick. This is a Brunswick model I've identified in a handful of other bars around the country, but never in a condition quite this nice. Linda said there is some oral history that the bar was acquired by Thomas Park, the original builder and owner of the bar, who had it shipped up from the borough of Carnegie.

Various sources have it that the Hotel was first constructed by Park in 1900, and the bar added a couple decades later.  Indeed, I have found Park's applications for liquor licenses for the place in the years from 1920 to 1923 (yes, Pennsylvania saloons kept being granted liquor licenses well into the first few years of federal prohibition, ostensibly to sell only "near beer," 2.5% alcohol or less (wink wink).

However, whatever the actual construction date of the current building, I also found records of liquor licenses for this location, under a string of different owners, from 1895 to 1929. The owner of the liquor license in 1929, a Victor Redinger, died Nov 6, 1920, and Thomas Park had possession of it by the first quarter of that year. I do not know if the information that Park constructed and ran the hotel from 1900 may be inaccurate, or perhaps he owned the hotel but leased the bar business for the first two decades? (And if the construction date is correct, some other building at the same address must have been  treating the tonsils of the miners and other thirsty locals.

I'm sure that I do not have to explain that I always feel a great deal of gratitude to people like Linda, who preserve and keep alive these great historic bars, particularly when they attend so much to the history and maintaining the spirit of the place, even as they add their own unique contributions. Linda strives to maintain the beer and shot spirit of the bar, and as mentioned, she does not regret that Yelp lists her as closed, as she prefers the locals and small number of people who discover the bar in other ways. We were happy to hear that we would be welcome back soon.

5224 Thoms Run Rd, Presto, PA 15142 - (412) 221-9970
Est. 1900? - Building constructed: 1900?
Previous bars in this location: Unknown
Web site:
Articles: link - link - link

#6502 - Chinatown Inn, Pittsburgh, PA - 3/31/2026

Chinatown Inn, Pittsburgh, PA

I finally made it to the Chinatown Inn, the last living vestige of Pittsburgh's Chinatown community, which thrived in this area of town particularly in the period of 1910 to 1940, until the construction of the Boulevard of the Allies and other urban renewal efforts drove out the vast major of residents and tore down many of the buildings.

While the restaurant has been on my to-do list since virtually the day we moved here, I confess that I only recently noticed that it has a small bar at the rear, and that this moved it up my priorities. I do not know how long they have had a bar, but the restaurant opened on Labor Day (Sep 2), 1946. It was founded by Tong Yee, who had worked the transcontinental railroad after immigrating from Taishan in the Guangdong province in the early 1900s, and has remained in the family ever since. In 1948, Tong handed management over to his son Soo Lim Yee, just returned from duty as a U.S. Army truck driver in WWII.  After 40 years at the helm, Soo Lim Yee passed ownership to his stepson Jonathan. In 1988, Soo Lim Yee passed ownership to his stepson Jonathan Yee and his wife Wei, who run it to this day.

At least one account says that "the building itself was constructed by Chinese immigrants in 1933," (nextpittsburgh), but whatever the case it was a center of the Chinese community for many years before that. A March 1930 Post-Gazette article describes the temple there at the time:

"We went there recently with Yee Lee, head man of the On Leongs, who led the way from low-lit Third Avenue up two flights of narrow stairs past the numbered doors of the officers' quarters.... The shrine is a fantastic niche, in the center of which is a painting of the deified General Kwow Kong, to whom joss-sticks are burned morning and night. There is an ornately carved teakwood altar holding beautiful vases of Canton, China, nameless doodads crowned with artificial flowers, and solid lead incense burners inlaid with colorful enamel. Peacock feathers, embroideries framed in ebony inlaid with mother-of-pearl and odd lamps complete the picture. Rococo chairs line the walls, under paintings by Chinese, Italian, and American artists."

And like so many businesses in Pittsburgh, it also served as a speakeasy during prohibition. E.g. on Nov 29 1930, federal agents raided the building and arrested Yee King Lai, the president of the temple of the On Leong tong, and seized a quantity of gum opium and 25 gallons of moonshine whiskey. For those who hear "tong" and think "gang," this was primarily a large association of Chinese Merchants and Businessmen. It is true that, as with the Italian and other communities, in the prohibition and depression eras Pittsburgh witnessed sometimes homicidal clashes between the On Leong tong and the Hip Sing tong. But by about the mid 30s it had become an organization more similar to the Chamber of Commerce.

Today the bar here at the Chinatown is small (4 seats) and plainly secondary, and the food menu remains unapologetically classic Americanized Chinese done well:

'Meat is never frozen. Every cut is done by hand. Soups start with chicken bones and simmer overnight.... Their egg foo young is still hand-poured and pan-fried to order, its crispy edges soaking up a house-made brown gravy. The chow fun features wide, silky rice noodles stir-fried with beef and bean sprouts in a smoking-hot wok. And the chop suey, a dish that is often dismissed as Americanized, is proudly prepared with fresh vegetables and lean cuts of meat, just as it always was. While newer, trendier restaurants have emerged with bold flavors and modern flair, Chinatown Inn has stayed the course. "This is the food people came home to," Jonathan says. "And it’s still what a lot of them come back for."'  (nextpittsburgh)

You can certainly find some more extravagant and/or strictly traditional Chinese in neighborhoods like Shadyside. But the Chinatown Inn remains a solid, dependable place for both meals and history.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Nov 20, 1930
By the 1930s, opium was a social custom confined
to elderly Chinese, while the young preferred whiskey

520 Third Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 - (412) 261-1292

Est. 1946 - Building constructed: 1943?

Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: facebook 

Articles: nextpittsburgh - alexeatstoomuch - nashuproar - verylocal - wikipedia - entertainmentcentral - discovertheburgh - yelp - tripadvisor 

#6446 - Chambers Hotel, Apollo, PA - 1/14/2026

Chambers Hotel, Apollo, PA 

The Chambers House Hotel was constructed in the small Steel-town borough of Apollo, PA in 1889 and opened in 1890. It is doubtful, however, that this included a bar, as by early 1891 there was a local prohibition act in place, which seems most likely to have remained into the years of federal prohibition. I have not yet found any information in primary sources or historical works that would help provide an approximate date for a bar opening in the building (legal or not). But the current bar space certainly has the feel of being in place over quite a few decades.

Chambers Hotel, Apollo, PA - Date unknown
Here includes no longer existing top floor

On this visit I chatted with Jennifer Seniow who, with her fiance Walter, purchased the hotel within a month of their wedding in 2020. Jennifer and Walter had discussed dreams of owning a bar, and as the offer they had on this historical site where Jennifer had worked apparently would not wait for them complete their wedding event before closing a deal. If that wasn't enough of a challenge, after remodeling and upgrades, they opened in November 2020 for about a month before facing covid-related shutdowns mandated by the state.

A letter in the March 22, 1891 edition of the Pittsburgh Dispatch notes that the class of people who oppose the law are "unrepentant and cunning sinners, together with a few victims who are misguided and really the unthinking class of people who look upon every man as honest and no one with suspicion. These latter have merely taken the word of the would-be saloonists that it is for the best interests of the people ..." The same letter does opine that "It now appears that the movement for the repeal of our present law originated at the Chambers House," but adds "Two of the owners, however, were kept in ignorance of the scheme, because they were known to be opposed to it."

Chambers Hotel Bar, Apollo, PA

The Apollo Area Historical Society has a nice web site with a few articles on the hotel's history, including this sequence of events:

"The Chambers Hotel was constructed in 1889 by a citizens group headed by Sheriff James H. Chambers, and was opened to the public in 1890 as the Chambers House.  The elegant hotel was built on the corner of First Street and Warren Avenue in the business center of town. In 1912, the building was bought by Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Hartman who changed the name to the Hartman House.  The name was changed back to the Chambers Hotel  in memory of Private Eugene L. Chambers of Apollo who was killed on December 7, 1941 during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

The Chambers Hotel Milestones

• 1889     The Chambers Hotel was built.
• 1912     Mr. & Mrs. C.A. Hartman bought the building & changed the name to   Hartman House. 
• 1942     Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Maraffi bought the building. 
• 1948     Fire destroys fourth floor.
• 1950     Name changed back to Chambers Hotel by the American Legion to honor Eugene Chambers. 
• 1953     Frank & Mary DeMeno bought the building.
• 1976     Fire again causes much damage to the building. 
• 1987     Jim & Maryanne Minnick bought the building.
• 2020    Walter & Jennifer Seniow bought the building."

Source:  https://apollopahistory.com/apollo-history/places-buildings-structures/the-chambers-hotel/

Footnotes: The 1925 Sanborn Fire Map still refers to the hotel as the "Chambers Hotel," which seems curious for such an important resource of the time, but primary sources do verify that it was officially the Hartman House by 1914, and remained under that name under subsequent owners through at least the late 1940s, although from various sources it may have been known at times as the "Weikert House" (while owned by Earl and Mary Weikart) and/or "Heritage House." Other owners not mentioned in the milestones above include James T. Klugh (from at least 1902 to the 1913 Hartmans purchase) 

As mentioned, the hotel and bar do a nice job of preserving the historic feel even as they add new amenities. While there is a range of food and drink choices, it retains the vibe of an old "beer and shot bar." I was grateful on my visit to have the opportunity to chat with owner Jennifer and patron Shawn. Bless the people who are keeping these great old historical places open and alive.

223 1st St, Apollo, PA, United States, Pennsylvania - (724) 478-3427

Est. 1890 - Building constructed: year
Previous bars in this location:
Web site: facebook 
Articles: apollopahistory - trubyfarmhouse - triblive - 

#6434 - Shale's Cafe, Pittsburgh, PA - 12/30/2025

Shale's Cafe, Pittsburgh, PA

Shale's Cafe (AKA Shale's Rinkside) is a neighborhood dive established shortly after prohibition, and in recent decades has been a sports bar, catering to fans of the Penguins hockey team and Duquesne University sports. It is located across the street from PPG Paints Arena, home of the Pens and popular concert venue, and near the previous Pens home in Civic Arena. Shale's is now open only when there are events in PPG, which means it is only open when nearby parking is really expensive. But it is the quintessential locals' sports bar, and although PPG hosts all kinds of events (we recently saw Paul McCartney there), I was glad to finally visit the bar in the right circumstances - i.e. before a Pens game.

The crowd there is friendly and the staff - perhaps tuned to timeliness of fans trying to pound a few drinks for a reasonable price before heading to the arena - are as attentive as any you'll find in the city.

Shale's doesn't appear in the 1934 Polk directory, but it does appear in the 1935 edition, so I have no reason to doubt that it was established in '34. Based on the information I have accessed, this makes it probably the 5th oldest bar in the city (for details on my data and criteria see my page on Oldest Bars in Pittsburgh). There do not appear to have been any legal bars in the location before that, although Saul Zarkin, the first owner of Shale's, was busted here in 1927 for a major bootlegging "cutting plant" operation here, with raiding prohibition agents finding whiskey ageing machine, labels, counterfeit stamps, 70 gallons of alcohol, 17 cases and 69 quarts of whiskey and gin.

Almost 100 years later, Shale's would be closed by another raid, as liquor control agents shut down the bar, nailing a piece of wood across the front to prevent re-entry, and charging current owner Jimmy Parey with operating without a current liquor license. The raid occurred on Jan 22, 2025, and the bar would resolve matters and reopen the following April 5th.

I do not know the age of the three story building (currently two floors for the bar and a third containing an apartment), but newspapers show rooms to let at the address by at least 1895. It was a grocery by 1899 and a restaurant by 1908. Saul and Myer Zarkin ran it with a few partners from the 1920s to the 1940s, with David Casper taking over in the 40s until 1980. For fans of hockey, hometown or visitors, and just fans of welcoming old neighborhood joints, it is not to be missed.

Shale's Cafe, Pittsburgh, PA

1208 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 - (412) 391-2949

Est. 1934  
Previous bars in this location: No other legal bars known
Web sites: facebook - instagram
Articles & Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor - thegreatpittsburghpubcrawl - patch - patch