The Saddest Restaurant Closings of 2017

While 2017 saw the opening of some truly fantastic Pittsburgh restaurants (Ki Ramen and Merchant Oyster Co. come to mind), it also meant that we had to say goodbye to some of our favorites. Here are a few that we’ll miss in the coming days, weeks and years.

Bloomfield Bridge Tavern

After 32 years, rising insurance costs forced the the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern closed for good in October. The restaurant, which served “the second best Polish food in Pittsburgh,” and regularly featured live music, was a classic spot in town for kielbasa, haluski, and their famous ‘Red’ and ‘White’ Polish Platters.

Thin Man Sandwich Shop

One of the city’s best (and most unique) sandwich spots, Thin Man Sandwich Shop, closed its Strip District doors in September, after owners Dan and Sherri Leiphart made the decision not to renew their lease. The good news? You can still get Thin Man’s famous chicken liver mousse for holidays and other special occasions through their Facebook page.

Dish Osteria and Bar

Another heartbreaker this year was the closure of South Side staple Dish Osteria and Bar in April. As Pittsburgh Magazine’s Hal B. Klein wrote, “it [was] a place where regulars feel like they’re at home and newcomers quickly feel as if they are regulars.” Owners Michele and Cindy Savoia said that after 17 years in business, they were ready to take time off to travel, and spend time with family.

Block 292

Mt. Lebanon’s Block 292, a restaurant-market hybrid closed for good after being open for a little less than a year. In an online post, owner Brooks Broadhurst wrote that the complexity of trying to manage locally raised animals, sourced in the fields, paired with trying to get people to change their shopping habits was a contributing factor.

Amazing Cafe

Amazing Cafe, the vegan/vegetarian restaurant that was attached to the Amazing Yoga studio on East Carson Street in the South Side, closed abruptly this past April after a one-day employee strike (Pittsburgh City Paper covered the story in-depth.). The space is now the second location of Espresso a Mano, which debuted its new cafe in October.

James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy

North Side music venue and tavern announced that it would be shutting its doors in November, after an ongoing dispute with neighbors over noise levels. The venue’s final performance was on Saturday, November 11, though its Facebook page is updated with notes on where to find some of the musicians and events that regularly performed there.

The Livermore and the Pines

Hip cocktail bar The Livermore closed quietly closed this September, with owners citing its closure as a business decision to Pittsburgh Magazine. being openThe Pines, an attached bar and event space (in the former Shadow Lounge space) closed at the same time, after only for a few months.

Tender Bar + Kitchen

Lawrenceville’s Tender Bar + Kitchen, known for their inventive cocktail menu, closed this spring after four years in business. Owner Jeff Catalina cited Pittsburgh’s increasingly competitive eating and drinking scene in the city as one of the reason’s for the bar’s closure.

Habitat

Habitat, which was located on the second floor of the Fairmont Pittsburgh for more than seven years, closed earlier this year in order to make room for fl. 2, a bar and restaurant with an entirely new concept (and a killer circular bar).

G&G Noodle Bar

G&G Noodle Bar, formerly Grit & Grace, closed its doors earlier this year in its downtown location. Owners S+P Restaurant Group soon opened another one of their concepts in the space, which is now BRGR Downtown.

Other notable closings: