#6427 - Park House, Pittsburgh, PA - 12/10/2025

Park House, Pittsburgh, PA

Ever since we moved to the Pittsburgh area I've been waiting and hoping that the historic Park House bar, in the Deutschtown neighborhood, would reopen. Well on Repeal Day (12/5) of this year, it finally did, and the new owners have done an excellent job.

The Park House opened shortly after prohibition ended and some say it has the oldest and one of the first liquor licenses in Pittsburgh - with a past owner claiming it had the 2nd license issued by the county, on June 1, 1933. (I would love to see a primary source or other source of evidence for this?). In any case, city guides feature it under the "Park House" name starting in 1934. I do not have data for 1933, but a Pittsburgh Press article described it as a "restaurant since 1933 when predecessor of the Park House opened."

As for it's previous lifetime, the building appears to have been constructed in 1892, and the same Pittsburgh Press article says that it "Opened as a hotel in 1893." However, if it ever featured a bar before the end of prohibition - at least a legal one - this must have been very briefly. The liquor license data from the pre-prohibition era, available from newspaper archives, is quite comprehensive. The records do show that on Dec 7, 1908, Louis W. Stahl successfully transferred to Patrick Brennan, the owner the Park House address, the liquor license Stahl had obtained for 621 Ohio St., after he failed to secure the lease on the property for which he was authorized. However, the following April Brennan was refused renewal of the license, and neither he nor anyone else appears to have ever applied again for the property. (Most of the 279 refusals for that year in Allegheny County were on the basis that there was "no necessity" for new liquor retailers at the time.)  As for illegal bars (here in the city that coined the term for "speakeasies"), I can't rule that out of course, but there were raids of hundreds of these in Pittsburgh and I've found no evidence for this location so far.

During the several decades preceding and during prohibition, the property hosted a number of retail businesses, in addition the available living spaces on the upper floors of the 4-story building, most notably several years as the Park View Theater, a nickelodeon featuring singers and professional acts of a wide variety.

Where the Park House ranks among the oldest bars in Pittsburgh relies primarily on one's personal views on some fairly arbitrary questions about what constitutes a single bar. Primary among these is whether you allow for bars of entirely different names. The Pittsburgh city limits contain a good 20 or so bars that operate at addresses (and usually the same buildings) that hosted bars before prohibition, with at least eight of these dating back to the 19th century. For my part, I feel it's necessary to have basically the same name over a bar's lifespan (e.g. it's fine if it changed from using "saloon" to "tavern" to "cafe" to "bar and grill"). Given that, and my current state of knowledge, I would tend to put Park House second to the Original Oyster House, which opened in 1871, and was named as some kind of "Oyster House" for most if not all of that time. (And according to Rick Sebak, the space hosted the Bear Tavern as early as 1827.) The Squirrel Hill Cafe (AKA "Squirrel Cage") may also be a contender, as it opened sometime in 1934 (again, I don't know exactly when the "Park House" name was adopted during that year or possibly 1933). My visit to the Park House has made me commit to myself that I must post a good working page on the Oldest Bars in Pittsburgh sometime early next year.

Owner Michelle, The Park House, Pittsburgh, PA

Finally, to the current incarnation of the Park House: Seeking to avoid the crush of the opening weekend, I made it to the bar on the evening of Wednesday Dec 10. I had a very pleasant dinner discussing the old version of the bar with local Tim, running into bartender friend Bradley, and especially chatting with owner Michelle Lynch about all the work she and partner Patrick Edson have done on the place.

It looks beautiful now. Their prodigious work cleaning and remodeling is accentuated by a new antique back bar, obtained from the great Wooden Nickel Antiques in Cincinnati, and extended by a local craftsman, as well as lamps and wallpaper perfect for the vibe of the dark wood and old space. Even the flatware was thoughtfully researched and chosen. It's certainly more formal than the old days Tim described of free popcorn and peanuts, with shells strewn across the floor, but remains a comfortable neighborhood joint. As the new owners catch their breath a bit, Michelle plans to work on putting up old photos of the place, and collecting verbal histories from long time patrons (the stories were flowing at the grand opening, I was informed) and a sort of homage to previous owner Zamir (and his falafels). 

And while I confess I forget what I was told about the background of "Chef Issac," I loved the food. I started with a burrata bruschetta that was delicious, and then much enjoyed the meatball sandwich (in a town that features a lot of very mediocre Italian food at bars). I have added the Park House to my list of favorites in Pittsburgh and look forward to going back many times.

403 E Ohio St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 - (412) 224-2273

Est. 1933/1934 - Building constructed: 1892
Previous bars in this location: Possibly Patrick Brennan bar, 1907-1908
Web sites:  parkhouse412.com - facebook - instagram 
Articles: pghcitypaper - patch - yelp - tripadvisor - pittsburghhappyhour 

#6414 - Pickle Bill's, Grand River, OH - 11/22/2025

Pickle Bill's Lobster House
Grand River, OH

Yesterday we stopped for lunch at Pickle Bill's Lobster House in Grand River, OH, hard by the eponymous river and just a few blocks south of Lake Erie. Pickle Bill's started in 1967 in "The Flats" in Cleveland, which I was lucky enough to visit in its rocking heyday. "I virtually started the Flats," founder Jerry Powell once said.  (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Dec 16, 1991)

Eventually the originally business foundered, apparently based on problems with a ship called the Flying Cloud which Powell converted to a floating restaurant and which eventually led to a punishing set of building inspections. 

Powell worked odd jobs for six years, until a friend gave him virtually free access to a building at the current location, which he refurbished with the help of family members and some financing help from an old high school friend. The new Pickle Bill's (named in homage to the perennially pickled W.C. Fields) opened in 1982, originally seating 50 to 90 people (the number varies by source). With continued additions over the years, including a floating barge bar, rooftop bar with swings for seats, boardwalk seating, etc. is now said to seat nearly 700 patrons, and serve up to 1,000 meals on sunny days in Summer, boosted by Jerry's "all you can eat" features. The new place has demonstrated its resilience by rebuilding after being leveled by fire in 1998, and pounded by floodwaters in 2006. (Ibid)

A printed history in the restaurant itself, describes the concurrently blooming relationship with his wife:

"In 1984, the beautiful and brilliant Marianne Benkowski began working at Pickle Bill's as a lunch server and bartender. Within 2 months, her business savvy mind and passion for the restaurant earned her a manager position. While bonding over their enthusiasm and visions for Pickle Bill's, Jerry and Marianne fell in love. In 1998, Marianne became Jerry's co-captain and partner in life when they married in Scotland. For over two decades, Jerry and Marianne Powell ran Pickle Bill's side by side, creating fun and unique ways to continue ever-elevating the restaurant's architecture and dining experience. Unfortunately, Jerry passed away February 8th of 2021, but Marianne continues to maintain ownership and keep Jerry's vision and golden standard of service for this iconic All You Can Eat Lobster House alive."

101 River St, Grand River, OH 44045 - (440) 352-6343
Est. 1982 (1967 in original location) 
Web site: picklebills.com
Reviews: link - link - link

#6415 - Hoff's (Reithoffer's), Auburn Township, OH - 11/22/2025

Reithoffer's, Auburn Township, OH

Today Trista and I took a mini road trip up to Lake Erie, making several interesting stops, with my favorite being Reithoffer's craft cocktail bar, music venue, art gallery, and event center (AKA "Hoff's"). The facility lies in Auburn Township, Ohio, just southeast of Cleveland and Chagrin Falls, and is named for longtime resident and junk collector John Reithoffer. John, whose parents bought the 1906 building in the 1930s, passed away in 2016, and in 2018 the property was purchased by artists Jason and Debby Wein, who have transformed it into a lovely and unique space for lovers of bars, art, and design.

Hoff's, Auburn Township, OH

The building hosting the bar -- actually 3 of them -- and the galleries upstairs, is comprised primarily of Jason's work, his furnishings and decor, and in particular his glasswork. Jason, the founder of Cleveland Art whose work is found everywhere from Vegas casinos to various private homes and buildings, is a welder and glassblower, with particular eye for melding industrial salvage into beautiful new furnishings. Along with arts events, the bar now serves craft cocktails and hosts musical events. The scene we stumbled into this afternoon seemed to me some kind of neighborly open mic night with a large and friendly set of guitarists and other performers laughing and comparing notes as they took turns performing.

I immediately added Hoff's to my favorite bars list, and am looking forward to many future visits on our trips to the greater Cleveland area.

17711 Ravenna Rd, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023 - (216) 246-7644
Est. 2018? - Building constructed: 1906
Previous bars in this location: None known 
Web site: reithoffers.com - facebook - instagram
Articles: guaugamapleleaf.com - voyageohio.com 

#6343 - Sons of Hermann Hall, Dallas, TX - 9/10/2025

Sons of Hermann Hall, Dallas, TX

I'm not sure how old the bar at the Sons of Hermann Hall is, but it appears to have had a bar and a ballroom right from the start, i.e. when it opened in 1911* for the Dallas chapter of the fraternal organization created to preserve German traditions and ease the transition of German immigrants into American society.

Looking at the building today, I see no reason to doubt that the bar and ballroom started out in the same segments of the building as they do today?  Indeed, given its private status (and home to so many Germans) during prohibition, one assumes that its life as a bar barely slowed during federal prohibition. 

It is said to be the last remaining all-wood structure in Dallas, and it gradually transitioned from a private fraternal club to being open to the public, including hosting bands and swing dances in the ballroom upstairs. It is now a treasured venue, particularly for country music, with artists who have played there including the Drive-By Truckers, Wilco, Dixie Chicks, Arlo Guthrie, Townes Van Zandt, Whiskeytown, James McMurtry, The New Bohemians, Junior Brown, Lost Highway, Son Volt, and Slobberbone.

*Some sources say it opened in 1910, but the history page for the site itself says 1911.

3414 Elm St, Dallas, TX 75226 - (214) 747-4422
Est. 1911? - Building constructed: 1911
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: sonsofhermannhall.com
Reviews: dallasobserver - centraltrack.com - dallasobserver - nbcdfw 

#6324 - Lucky Frank's Irish Pub, Braddock, PA - 8/27/2025

Lucky Frank's Irish Pub, Braddock, PA

A lot of people assume Lucky Frank's Irish Pub is no longer open, and that's what I had done until a local informed me that it's one of those places where you have to ring the doorbell and hope they let you in. Standing on the main drag of Braddock, PA, with an attention grabbing "Harper Whiskey" ad painted on the side, it's not that you'd miss Frank's, but from the front doorway there are no signs of lights on inside, and not knowing about the doorbell, my previous attempts ended when I found the door locked. This time, however, the door was actually slightly propped open, and I entered and took a seat at the bar, in front of two interesting old back bars, and amidst some curious stares.

Lucky Frank's Irish Pub, Braddock, PA

The borough of Braddock, just southeast of Pittsburgh, was name for the British General who died here in a failed mission to take Fort Duquesne from the French (his aide-de-camp Lieutenant-Colonel George Washington would live to fight another day). It has been a struggling community ever since the Carnegie steel mills closed down in the 1970s and 1980s. It was named a "financially distressed municipality" by the state, and in 2006 elected a hulking, shorts and hoodie wearing mayor named John Fetterman, who initiated various revitalization efforts. On this day, in addition to Frank's, I was able to visited the recently reopened and still being remodeled "Carnegie One," the very first of the over sixteen hundred libraries erected with funding from the steel magnate.

It should go without saying that inside Frank's is a classic dive bar, and it was tended by a woman who told me her name was Henrietta, but was curiously called "Mary" by all the patrons. Mary/Henrietta examined my ID carefully, quizzing me about whether I worked for a lawyer or was an inspector of some sort. The bar has a posted policy of not allowing anyone under the age of 35, a policy that is not so much enforced anymore, esp. since COVID. Mary told me she's a tough broad, and informed me that "There's something wrong with you and I'm going to figure it out." When I asked her if it was okay if I took some pictures she called Frank, who gave the okay.

With a cold Yuengling in hand and my web page on the phone, I eventually convinced Mary that I was who I said I was and I was there because of my bar hobby. It turned out that Mary had a lot of information to share about the bar, its history, and people there and around the neighborhood, and we slowly become something like buddies. She dug out relics from the bar, including pulling out boxes of old bottles she'd founding digging in and around the building, unwrapping each one from the packing paper to show me.

It's clear that the Frank's building is pretty old, and that it's hosted bars for a long time, but I've only been able to find snippets of information, especially post-prohibition. There have been saloons at this address since at least 1889, under the following succession of owners:

Samuel R. Holmes (-1889-)

Patrick McKeown (-1890-1902) and John O. Lightner (-1892-)

Christian Echart (1901-1904)

Fritz Totzke and Peter Schmidt (1904-1905)

Matthew Marohnick (1905-1907)

Michael Kalina (1907-1908-)

Peter J. Caulfield (-1909-1919-)

Frank Skrabec (-1913-1921-)

From there the info becomes more sparse. In 1935 it was a tavern named the "Barcewicz Café," by 1949 it was the "Silver Grill," and it was "Lucky Frank's Irish Pub" by 1993. Around 15 years ago it was closed by the authorities for several years due to rampart drug activity. It was reopened in 2012, under a plan from owners Frank Evanovich and Charles Blon that included banning anyone under 30 and staying open only from 8am to 6pm.

As I left Frank's, Mary escorted me out the door, continuing to share information, until we each took a photo of the other in front of the place, and gave each other a departing hug. I'm really hoping I can dig out substantially more of the history of the bars here, and definitely plan to return.

312 Braddock Ave, Braddock, PA 15104 - (412) 545-2914

#6323 - Dante Club, Rankin, PA - 8/27/2025

Dante Club, Rankin, PA

The Dante Club is not a place you are likely to stumble upon if you are not seeking it out, tucked in the shadow of the Rankin Bridge in the old steel and wire manufacturing borough down the Monongahela River from Pittsburgh. Even the Google Street View images give no hint of business, showing instead the bridge flying over it. But one cohort who can find are movie producers -- flicks that were partially filmed here include "The Deliverance," "Last Flag Flying," "Mindhunter," "The Road," "American Rust," and "Out of the Furnace."

Owner and bartender Danielle Cioppa told me there were two types of people who find the bar without being locals/regulars: People who attended the local community high schools that are memorialized in the space, and movie people. She was surprised to find out I was neither.

Dante Club, Rankin, PA

The movie people obviously like the old, classic working man's bar vibe in the historic space - as do I. This neighborhood used to be heavily Italian, and as can be seen in an old book of club by-laws, rules, and regulations possessed by the bar owners, the "Dante Club" can be traced all the way back to 1924, when it began in the home of Mrs. Teresa Russo. The club began renting the current space in 1936 (shortly after prohibition), and became a chartered club with a liquor license in 1937.

It would remain the members-only Dante Club for more than half a century, because it was sold in 1998 to someone who opened it to the public renamed "Hidy's Cafe." But finally in 2022 Todd Cioppa purchased it for his (Italian) mother Anita, who was 80 years old at the time and returned it to the original name and ran it briefly before passing away two years later. It's now run by Todd and his wife Danielle.

Danielle noted that attendance at the bar varies widely, from very slow nights to big crowds. She hosts a lot of different sorts of events, bringing in old bar owners for interviews, staging a fish fry contests from the innumerable churches and volunteer fire departments that produce them every Lent, craft nights, live music, comedy shows, Steeler games, Pride week specials, and watch parties for the various films created here. The bar has also served as the hub 

As we were discussing my hobby, Danielle provided various historical notes on the bar, and quizzed me about other interesting local bars, adding a few to my to-do list. I'm following the club on Facebook now for future events.

  

Anita Cioppa's coats hang in an
abiding homage

115 W Braddock Ave, Braddock, PA 15104 - (412) 852-6919
Est. 1937 (first becomes a club and bar), 1998 (opens to public)
Previous bars in this location: Hidy's Cafe
Web site: dantesrankin.com - facebook - instagram 
Articles and reviews: yajagoff.com