#6518 - Beck-Ringland Tavern, North Bethlehem Township, PA - 4/11/2026

Beck-Ringland Tavern, Scenery Hill, PA

In 1811, following an act under President Jefferson, the country started what became the National Road, starting in Cumberland Maryland, reaching Wheeling, West Virginia in August of 1818, with subsequent legislation eventually extending it through Ohio and Indiana to Vandalia, Illinois, some 70 miles east of St. Louis. The road replaced footpaths and wagon trails with a 66-foot wide "stone-surfaced, cambered roadway, masonry bridges, culverts and cast-iron mileposts that set standards for antebellum turnpikes." (Wikipedia) 

Of course privately and locally funded services followed along the highway's 620-mile path, with the most essential of all these being taverns, established approximately one every mile, where weary passengers of Conestoga wagons and stage coaches could rest and refresh, along with their horses and livestock. And as was the norm in colonial and early independent America, these taverns often became important community hubs, centers of politics, legal proceedings, trade, and sometimes armed rebellions.

Beck-Ringland Tavern, Scenery Hill, PA

Among these, in the community of Hillsboro, PA, later Scenery Hill, was a tavern erected and opened by bridge builder James Beck in 1827. The building was two stories, primarily brick, constructed in the rectangular Federal style, "like all National Road taverns" (NRHP), facing and directly adjacent to the National Road. There it offered travelers "lodging, meals at around 12.5 cents each, and stabling for horses in spacious yards typical of roadside inns." (grokipedia)

Beck ran it for only approximately one year, before selling to George Ringland, who would run it until 1840. From that point, a series of owners, many documented by Thomas Searight, ran the business to approximately the end of the century, as the mode of use evolved. 'In a nutshell, The National Road began transporting first wagons and then stagecoaches in the early-to-mid 1800s, and then took a pause when trains became popular, and then enjoyed a revival once the automobile became a thing, in the early 1900s.... the rise of the automobile restored it, and by 1926, most of the original National Road and its extensions were renamed “US Route 40."' (Cole) 

Beck-Ringland Tavern, Scenery Hill, PA 

It transitioned to a private residence probably sometime around the turn of the century, and by the next turn of century had fallen into considerable disrepair. Despite being designated a historic residential landmark and farmstead by the Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation, and being named to the National Register of Historic Places, by the early 21st century not only was the front porch rotting, walls crumbling and roof blown off, but it was threatened to be condemned with the crumbling central brick chimney presenting an ongoing health hazard by randomly sending bricks flying onto the street below.

It was to the great fortune of the place that an ambitious, history-minded local had had his eyes on the place since the 1990s, and was informed by a friend a couple decades later that "Your building is for sale."  Brian and Kathy Allen had not only taken on the prodigious challenge of restoring the old tavern, but would soon find another project as well, having spotted a 200-year-old cabin under multiple layers of subsequent siding and deciding to move it away from the busy highway to his 28-acre farm in Scenery Hill:

'The former field biologist is dissecting the cabin, log by log, and is determined to give it new life on his expanse in North Bethlehem Township. Allen plans to move all of the wood to his property within a month before beginning the rebuild, near a forested area on his land. “I want birds and deer at my front porch, not tanker trucks,” Allen said.'  (Observer-Reporter)

Brian was described as "a hydroponic farmer and much more. He also works with the Greater Washington County Food Bank, and is a baker of bread and cookies, daytime overseer of the kids and a renovator of buildings." (Observer-Reporter). He and Kathy swung a deal in 2014 to take over the old tavern and the hardware store next door. A while many special services needed to be hired during the project, the bulk of the work was done by Allen himself, with help from friends and his "team," of three young sons. Scrolling through tavern's Facebook site history provides some of the details of the immense project that would eventually result in the tavern opening in October of 2023.

The tavern grounds have seen considerable use as a sort of events center through several years preceding the completion of and official tavern opening. Prominently among these, at least for the historically minded, is probably becoming a key stop in the annual National Road Pike Days Festival. The stage and patio out back would seem to provide an especially appealing setting for these arts, musical, and historical events, in addition to the beautifully restored and redecorated rooms inside. He's also creating an even larger venue in the old hardware store next door, now Scenery Hill Brewing.

Beck-Ringland Tavern, Scenery Hill, PA
Owner Brian Allen

Of course due to its historical significance, the tavern was among the highest priorities in my bar to-do list from the moment I learned of it. But frankly I had no idea how great the interior looks now, as you can see from the photos much better than I could ever describe them. On my visit I was lucky enough to catch Brian, who was kind enough to fill in some of the stories and history of the tavern and its restoration. One anecdote I recall was workers finding under some old floorboards an old leather child's shoe between two cat skulls. Brian explained that through early European traditions and into the 1800s in the U.S., these shoes and cat remnants were buried in the walls and floors to ward off evil spirits and bring good fortune to the premises.

Mostly just seeing the place, but also talking to Brian and the bartender that day gave me a number of reasons to be coming back. Of course I need to bring Trista to see it, and it would be fun to swing through during the National Road Festival. In addition, I want to be seated by the fire on a cold winter day, and on the patio with music playing on a warm summer evening. In addition to seeing some of their live music on Saturdays, I'd like to drop in on their Open Mic night on Thursdays, and at some point sample the dinners coming out of their Beck-Ringland Tavern Scratch Kitchen.

Standard hours for the tavern are Thursdays and Fridays 4-10pm and Saturdays 2-10. Highly recommend.

'Sufficient is it for the present subject that the Cumberland Road was the most important "stream of human history" from Atlantic tide-water to the headwaters of the streams of the Mississippi. Its old taverns are, after the remnants of the historic roadbed and ponderous bridges, the most interesting "shells and fossils" cast up by this stream. This old route, chosen first by the buffalo and followed by red men and white men, will ever be the course of travel across the mountains." - Archer Butler Hubert, Historic Highways of America, Vol. 10

2206 E National Pike, Scenery Hill, PA 15360
Est. Oct 20, 2023 (1827 as a tavern) - Building constructed: 1827
Previous bar owners in this location: George Beck 1827, James Ringland (1828-1840), David Railly (1840-), James Noble, John Taylor, Henry Taylor, Jesse Core, William Robinson

Web sites: beckringlandtavern.com - Facebook - Instagram 
Articles: grokipedia - National Register of Historic Places - observer-reporter - observer-reporter - yelp - roadtrippers 

#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 - 

#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.) Shale's Cafe claims to have opened in 1934, and I while I have found it listed in a 1935 list of liquor licenses, it does not appear in the 1934 Polk directory. 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). In any case, my visit to the Park House has inspired me to create a more detailed working page on the Oldest Bars in Pittsburgh.

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 

#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 

#6163 - Weedville Hotel, Jay Township, PA - 4/22/2025

As far as I can tell, from online sources and chatting with current owner Jeremy Rippey, no one knows how long the Weedville Hotel and bar have been here. (I hope to make it to the Elk County Historical Society's Robinson Museum in a future trip to see if I can find more.) The Dec 30, 1904 issue of the Brockway Record indicates that there has been a Weedville Hotel serving liquor here since at 1903. But old sources didn't find it necessary to list the exact address, and the Weedville Hotel structure appears to have been destroyed by fire at least twice -- once in 1908 and again in 1933. The former conflagration was described as "cremating"  one Samuel Dutsy, who was in a hotel room and purportedly drunk.

Weedville Hotel, Weedville, PA

So it is difficult to date the current building, and it does not seem to show any obvious vestiges of the pre-prohibition business. However it does have features that harken back to shortly after prohibition, including the antique back bar and the murals painted throughout the restaurant portion, which Rippey said were done in 1941 by a resident in exchange for room and board.

Weedville is an unincorporated community within Jay Township, ins southeastern Elk County, some 120 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, in an area best known for its elk viewing. According to Nancy Piper the first white settler in the community was John Boyd in 1816, who built a sawmill there which he sold the next year to Frederick Weed and Captain Weed. 

Weedville Hotel, Weedville, PA

Today the bar is a pleasant small town stop, serving Italian dinners, pub standards, and a small but quite adequate selection of spirits and beers.

As a random historical note, here is a list of past owners that I have found in primary sources:

David Thomas (-1904-1908-, d.1911)

William J. Thomas (-1914-) (son of David)

Frank Frarie (1916-)

Sam Betta (-1940, d.1940)

Raymond Parisi (-1956-)

Alice Demonte (-1965-)

Robert Larkin (-1976-)

Rick Crocco (-1983-)

Jeremy Rippey (2000-2025-)

Weedville Hotel token, author's collection

625 River Rd, Weedville, PA 15868 - (814) 787-8079
Est. 1904 OE - Building constructed: 1933?
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: facebook 
Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor 

#6147 - Penn Brewery, Pittsburgh, PA - 4/6/2025

Penn Brewery, Pittsburgh,PA

They built a brewery here in 1870, when the Eberhardt and Ober families, who dominated Pittsburgh brewing from around mid-century, merged into the Eberhardt & Ober Brewery. In 1899 they merged with Iron City Brewery and 12 other local breweries and renamed the conglomerate Pittsburgh Brewing Company.

The Pittsburgh Brewing Company operated well into the federal prohibition years (as the state of Pennsylvania was in no rush to close breweries or saloons) then restarted after prohibition, finally closing in 1952 after a long dispute over labor contracts. Over the following four decades the building was largely abandoned, hosting a fruit juice company and furnish storage space behind broken windows and fading trims. But then in mid 1989, after lobbying the Pennsylvania state government to modify laws to allow brew pubs, Tom Pastorius revived the structure with the Allegheny Brewery & Pub, which in 1994 would change its name to Penn Brewery. Pastorius' ancestor, Franz Daniel Pastorius, founded Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1683. The new brewery produced lagers and other German style beers, "adhering to the strict quality standards of the 16th-century Bavarian Reinheitsgebot purity laws."

Penn Brewery was thus the first brewpub and craft brewery in the state, and what Pastorius referred to as "the first tied house since prohibition." While the term was primarily used in pre-prohibition days to denote a saloon tied to a particular brewery or distiller, Penn Brewery means it is the first to have a brewery and restaurant in the same location. It is also now the city of Pittsburgh's oldest operating brewery. Pastorius would sell the majority of his operation in 2003, and then retired and sell his remaining 20% in 2008. The brewery would subsequently stumble in both business and quality of beer while owned by a private equity group, and would even close the restaurant and move brewing operations out of town. Partners Sandra well Cindrich, Linda Nyman, and Corey Little would take over in 2009, starting by bringing Pastorius back as as well as much of the former staff, restoring the brewing operation and restaurant, and producing award winning beers and also profitability.

Since August 1, 2022, the brewery has been operated by Austrian Stefan Wolfgang Nitsch, who has said that "It’s the most authentically European beer I’ve had over here. It reminds me of the beers I stole from my grandpa’s basement when I was younger." (pittsburghmagazine)  The brewery and beer garden will often be packed for events these days, but it was very open when we visited right at noon opening time on a rainy Sunday. The buildings are impressive, the beers are quite good, and the restaurant still focuses on traditional German cuisine. But the most striking feature is surely the lagering caves. These caves actually riddle the entire hillside, and were used for keeping beer cold before the days of refrigeration -- which for this brewery arrived in 1885.  You can view and even drink in the first portions of a couple of these tunnels, which didn't seem particularly inviting on a cold wet day (even if they were not adorned with skeletons), but which were still quite interesting to see, and must be particularly nice on a warm summer afternoon.

800 Vinial St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 - (412) 237-9400
Est. 1994 - Building constructed: 1870
Previous bars in this location: Eberhardt & Ober Brewery, Pittsburgh Brewing Co., Allegheny Brewery & Pub
Web sites: pennbrew.com - facebook - instagram 
Articles: theclio - pittsburghmagazine - wikipedia - phlf - brewersofpa - 150 years of Penn Beers (video) - northsidechronicle - yelp - tripadvisor