It’s been almost a year since East End Brewing Company first announced plans to open a taproom and pizza restaurant in Mt. Lebanon, and the wait for the opening is almost over.
Owner Scott Smith says that they’re expecting the South Hills taproom to officially open in March.
“It’s been a long burn on this one,” he says. “I don’t recommend trying to put in a taproom and a kitchen where one hasn’t been before, but we’re happy that we’re finally here.”
The taproom, which will be located at 651 Washington Road, is only about a mile from where Smith and his family have lived for the last 18 years. It’s been a long-held dream of his to have a location closer to home, in addition to East End’s original brewery in Larimer.
When the taproom opens, it will feature East End’s full lineup of beers on tap, and they’ll also have their complete line of ciders, cans, and their own non-alcoholic Barmy Soda Company’s sodas, fruited seltzers, and Hop Seltzers available. The food menu will feature East End’s rustic, thick-crust pizza, which Smith says is unique for the neighborhood.
“It’s somewhere between a focaccia and a sour dough,” he says. “There’s already a lot of great pizza in the area, with Badamo’s and Il Pizzaiolo, and they’re sort of operating in their own pizza corner, and our pizza is operating in our own weird corner, too.”
They’ll round out the menu with assorted beer-friendly snacks and sides, plus some soups, and lots of vegan and vegetarian-friendly items.
“We weren’t originally sure if we were going to be able to do food at first, because we were projected an astronomical number to build out a kitchen,” Smith says. “But we were able to work with our contractors and architect to get a pizza oven that’s vent-less, which basically cut the costs in half, and is a huge, huge win.”
East End Brewing Mt. Lebanon will have bar, booth and table seating, and dog-friendly sidewalk seating when the weather is nice.
Smith says that right now, it looks good for an early March opening (he’s excited that that taproom just received their final plumbing approvals), and will post updates on their social media when an official date is announced.
East End Brewing Company (651 Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon)
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