The Saloon of Mt. Lebanon

Beer/Wings/Friends

622 Washington Road Pittsburgh, PA, 15228

412-531-5666

The Saloon of Mt. Lebanon opened its doors on November 1st, 1976 Similar to Cheers, the Saloon quickly grew a reputation for being the place in the South Hills where everybody knows your name. The Saloon has attracted many of the same patrons over the years, while at the same time inviting a new generation who are eager to pull up a bar stool as well. We pride ourselves in maintaining an atmosphere that our loyal customers have come to expect, and our new customers will be excited about.

With a relaxed and casual atmosphere, The Saloon of Mt. Lebanon has been quenching thirsts since 1976. Our beer selections can be mind boggling, we have expanded our draft beers to 30 and over 50 bottled beers. Of course, we also have a fully stocked bar with liquor and wine. As for food, our menu consists of a wide variety of appetizers, sandwiches, wraps and salads. Favorites include our buffalo-style chicken wings and burgers. We have our own special recipe sauce for the wings. Once you try our wings you won’t want any others.

We have 24 HDTVs surrounding the bar and along the walls, with the sound on for the big games. We carry Big Ten Network, ACC Network and SEC Network, plus the NFL games streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. If there’s a game you want to see, chances are you can catch it at The Saloon.

We are easy to reach and just 3 ½ miles from Downtown Pittsburgh (South). Drive or take a short trip by public transportation (LRT or bus) to get to us on Washington Road in Mt. Lebanon. The Saloon is a great place to take a break, see friends, and have some fun. We hope to see you soon!

 

50 Years of The Saloon: Mt. Lebanon's Neighborhood Bar Since November 1, 1976

The Saloon of Mt. Lebanon opened on November 1, 1976, at 622 Washington Road in Uptown Mt. Lebanon, making 2026 its 50th year. Jim Sheppard opened it with a partner in a former kitchen-supply store, and his son Keith now runs it day to day. Jim, now 84, still works at the bar. Over five decades it has been a hangout for Penguins and Steelers players, the South Hills' Thanksgiving Eve reunion spot for college students home for the holiday, and a bar that was "Cheers before Cheers."

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Join us Sun., Nov. 1: 50th Anniversary Party, 5–8 PM after the Steeler game →
The Saloon of Mt. Lebanon's red storefront on Washington Road in the 1980s, with period cars parked out front

Washington Road, 1980s. Fifty years later, we're still here.

How The Saloon started (1975–1976)

Mt. Lebanon gets liquor licenses

For 36 years, beer was the strongest drink you could order in Mt. Lebanon. As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette put it on March 14, 1977, "martinis and Bloody Marys were illegal, and beer was the only alcoholic beverage sold outside a state store."

On May 20, 1975, voters changed that. Only five new liquor licenses were up for grabs, and The Saloon got one of them.

From "Kitchen Sales" to The Saloon

Our building at 622 Washington Road used to be a kitchen supply company called Kitchen Sales. By the time Jim Sheppard and his partner took it over, letters had fallen off the sign, and it read "itchen ales." We opened on November 1, 1976, in America's bicentennial year.

Church pews, a bank counter and two taps of Stroh's

Inside, we built the bar from old church pews and a bank teller's counter, in dark wood and stained glass. The 1977 Post-Gazette traced where it all came from: "the church pews come from McKees Rocks; the stained glass from a funeral home in the West End; the wooden sideboards, from a bank in New Castle, Lawrence County."

It was an Old West saloon through and through. From day one, the staff dressed the part: six-guns, top hats, bowler hats, striped ties and saloon-girl dresses.

622 Washington Road in Mt. Lebanon when it was still the Kitchen Supply, Inc. store, before it became The Saloon Wood framing going up inside the future Saloon, labeled 'View from front door toward bathrooms' The Saloon's wooden booths and bar nearly finished during construction, with a man relaxing in a booth The Saloon's finished raised dining area with a turned-wood railing and brick walls
Building The Saloon: from Kitchen Supply to a high class place.
The Saloon's original staff in Old West costume at the bar, 1976
The Saloon's original staff in Old West costume, 1976.
The Saloon's original 1976 staff in Old West costume, posed in front of the brick wall and stained-glass windows
The original crew, 1976. A year later the Post-Gazette called The Saloon 'a bouncy, shot-and-a-beer saloon from the six-gun-shooting West.'

A cross-stitch made by one of our original waitresses, reading "A high-class place," still hangs inside. And the draft choice back then? "Stroh's or Stroh's": two taps, one beer.

Cover of an early Saloon menu reading 'The Saloon, A High Class Place,' with addresses for Green Tree (2351 Noblestown Road) and Mt. Lebanon (622 Washington Road) Back page of the early Saloon menu: a sepia photo captioned 'Our founding fathers,' two men in period costume at a table
Inside of an early Saloon menu: burgers from $2.95, the 'Handsome Jim' 12 oz. filet for $12.95, Sunday brunch, and the line 'We shaft the other guy and pass the savings onto you!'
From the archives: an early Saloon menu, "A High Class Place."

The early years: lines out the door (late 1970s)

About four and a half months after we opened, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ran David Guo's story "Two Bars Busily Quenching Thirsts In Mt. Lebanon" in its March 14, 1977 "On the Scene" section. It covered The Saloon and the Sunken Cork, and called them "probably the fastest-growing bars in town."

Jim was quoted by name, and what he said still sums up the place:

"Drinking is part of therapy these days with the jobs people have. Any town needs them—not a sleazy dive, but, well, a comfortable place."

— Jim Sheppard, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 14, 1977

The Sunken Cork's co-owner, Wayne Pritchard, told the paper what Uptown was like before: "They used to roll the sidewalks up here at 9 p.m."

The crowds came fast. Regulars shared these memories with Mt. Lebanon Magazine for its 50th anniversary feature:

  • "When it opened, on Friday nights there would be a huge line to get in. That was half the fun." (Donna Ulrich)
  • "When they opened the doors in 1976 my friends and I walked in, and we've been there almost every Thursday night since." (Bob McCrory)
Close-up of The Saloon of Mt. Lebanon's red storefront with the 'The Saloon of Mt. Lebanon' sign, 1980s
Our red storefront on Washington Road, 1980s.
A yellow trolley passing The Saloon on Washington Road in Mt. Lebanon, 1980s
A trolley passes The Saloon on Washington Road, 1980s.

Steelers, Penguins and the Stanley Cup

Steel Curtain regulars

In the late '70s, the Steelers found us too. Jim told Mt. Lebanon Magazine in 2015:

"We had an occasional football player like Jack Lambert, who I'm proud to say came in here… We'd get a lot of linemen. They'd come in on Monday or Tuesday, when they were off, to unwind."

— Jim Sheppard, Mt. Lebanon Magazine, 2015

Patrons also remember Lynn Swann and Terry Bradshaw stopping in during the '70s, as they told Mt. Lebanon Magazine.

The Penguins years (1980s–early 1990s)

In the 1980s and early 1990s, Penguins players hung out here, back "when the hockey team practiced in Mt. Lebanon and Mario Lemieux lived here," as Mt. Lebanon Magazine put it in 2023. Jaromir Jagr, too young to drink, "chugged Cokes and played video games."

Kevin Stevens, Lemieux's linemate, remembered it this way:

"We'd take 25-30 guys, even in the playoffs, to eat fried chicken and then go to drink at the Saloon in Mt. Lebanon."

— Kevin Stevens to The Athletic, 2021, via Mt. Lebanon Magazine

The night the Stanley Cup came to the bar

On May 31, 1991, less than a week after the Penguins won their first Stanley Cup, Penguins forward Troy Loney brought it to The Saloon. Jim Sheppard drank from it in the back office, and a young Keith got his picture taken with it at the bar.

The Stanley Cup on The Saloon's bar beside the beer taps, under the stained-glass ceiling, with a 'Let's Go Pens' sign, 1991
The Stanley Cup on our bar, 1991.
A young Keith Sheppard with Pittsburgh Penguin Troy Loney and the Stanley Cup at The Saloon's bar, May 31, 1991
A young Keith with Penguin Troy Loney and the Stanley Cup, May 31, 1991.
Saloon founder Jim Sheppard and Penguins legend Mario Lemieux sharing a beer at The Saloon, early 1990s
Early '90s: Jim with Mario Lemieux at The Saloon.
Keith Sheppard and his sister Kirstin as kids at The Saloon's bar in front of the Stanley Cup, with a 'Let's Go Pens' sign behind them, May 31, 1991
1991: Keith and his sister Kirstin with the Stanley Cup at the bar, days after the Penguins' first championship.
Pittsburgh Penguins winger Phil Bourque in a Southwinds T-shirt guest bartending behind The Saloon's bar, early 1990s
Early '90s: Penguins great Phil Bourque, the old #29, guest bartending at The Saloon.
Saloon founder Jim Sheppard posing arm in arm with Penguins Hall of Fame defenseman Paul Coffey at The Saloon, early 1990s
Early '90s: Jim with Penguins Hall of Famer Paul Coffey.
Saloon founder Jim Sheppard drinks from the Stanley Cup in the bar's back office while Penguin Troy Loney holds it, May 31, 1991
Jim Sheppard takes a sip from the Stanley Cup, held by Penguin Troy Loney, May 31, 1991.
Penguin Troy Loney with two men, the Stanley Cup and 1991 Stanley Cup Championship pennants at The Saloon, May 31, 1991
Troy Loney and the Cup at The Saloon, May 31, 1991.
A man in glasses holds the Stanley Cup at The Saloon's bar, 1991
The Cup at the bar, 1991.

Still a hockey bar

We never stopped being a hockey bar. In 2014, CBS Pittsburgh wrote, "There's no better place to get your hockey fix in the South Hills than at the Saloon." And on Feb. 22, 2026, as one regular recalled to Mt. Lebanon Magazine, a packed house was chanting "U-S-A" at 8 a.m. for the men's Olympic hockey gold.

"Cheers before Cheers"

We opened six years before Cheers came to TV, and like the bar on the show, The Saloon quickly became the place in the South Hills where everybody knows your name. Wing Addicts calls us "Cheers before Cheers."

Plenty of couples got their start here. Jim, in 2015: "I've met so many people who have said they met their wife or husband here, and I told them, 'Don't blame me.'"

The night before Thanksgiving

Since at least the '80s, the night before Thanksgiving has been homecoming night at The Saloon. As Mt. Lebanon Magazine remembered it, "everyone met on the night before the big holiday at the Saloon in Mt Lebanon… packed to the brim with college students." It's still one of our two busiest days, along with St. Patrick's Day. Keith's advice to CBS Pittsburgh in 2023 still stands: "Uber is your friend tonight."

This year, we're open Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday, Nov. 25, from 3 PM to 2 AM. We're closed Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 26. See our hours and holiday hours.

Keeping up with the times (1990s–today)

Keith worked in our kitchen at 16, tended bar at 18 on breaks from Penn State, and started full time the Monday after graduating in 2005. By 2015, Jim was "ready to pass the torch," and today Keith runs The Saloon day to day.

We opened with one draft, Stroh's. Today we pour 30 drafts and carry more than 50 bottles, plus a full bar with craft cocktails and mocktails. See what's on tap, or check out the wings, smash burgers and the full menu.

In 2019, just before the pandemic, we put in big front windows that open to the street. When the pandemic hit, we stayed open selling food to go "until customers could come back in." Keith remodeled the booths, and he and his wife, Danielle, refinished the original wood floors.

The Saloon's front entrance in 2020 with mask, occupancy and stay-6-feet-apart signs, QR-code menus, a 'Please wait to be seated' stand and plexiglass along the bar
2020: Masks, plexiglass and six feet apart. We adapted and kept the doors open.

We added the rooftop deck in the early 1990s, and in 2022 we renovated it. It has turf, portable heaters, a retractable louvered roof that closes when it detects rain, and what Mt. Lebanon Magazine called "one of the best sunset views in the South Hills." Deck rentals have a minimum spend; request a table for your group or rent the deck.

Today, in the words of Axios Pittsburgh in January 2026, "Known locally as just 'The Saloon,' this multi-room bar is crowded all the time." We're open seven days a week, with 24 HDTVs, the sound on for big games, and the Big Ten, ACC and SEC Networks.

Jim Sheppard, still behind the bar at 84

Fifty years after he unlocked the doors, Jim Sheppard is 84 and still working at The Saloon.

"We been here a long time, pal… I've had a lot of good times and bad times up here… Not too many bad."

— Jim Sheppard, Mt. Lebanon Magazine, 2023

Regular Joe Poplowski said it best back in 2015: "The man is here every day doing what he pays others to do."

Saloon founder Jim Sheppard and Keith Sheppard at the bar, smiling over anniversary cake candles
Jim and Keith celebrating a Saloon anniversary.

The Saloon timeline, 1976–2026

  • Until 1975: For 36 years, beer is the only drink sold in Mt. Lebanon outside the state store.
  • May 20, 1975: Mt. Lebanon voters approve liquor sales. Nineteen licenses follow, five of them for new applicants, and The Saloon gets one.
  • Nov. 1, 1976: Jim Sheppard and a partner open The Saloon at 622 Washington Road in the old "Kitchen Sales" building, with Stroh's on draft.
  • 1976: The original staff pose in Old West costume at the bar.
  • Mar. 14, 1977: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette features The Saloon and the Sunken Cork as Mt. Lebanon's fastest-growing new bars.
  • Late 1970s: Steelers players like Jack Lambert stop in on their days off.
  • 1980s: Our red "The Saloon of Mt. Lebanon" storefront on Washington Road, with trolleys running past.
  • 1980s–early '90s: Penguins players are regulars. Lemieux lives in town, and Jagr plays video games.
  • By the '80s: Thanksgiving Eve becomes the South Hills' college-homecoming night.
  • May 31, 1991: Penguin Troy Loney brings the Stanley Cup to The Saloon, less than a week after the Penguins' first title. Jim drinks from it, and a young Keith poses with it.
  • Early 1990s: We add the rooftop deck.
  • 2005: Keith Sheppard joins full time after graduating from Penn State.
  • 2014: CBS Pittsburgh names us the South Hills' best place for a hockey fix.
  • 2019: New front windows that open to the street.
  • 2020: Masks, plexiglass and six feet apart. We stay open for takeout and refinish the original floors.
  • 2022: The rooftop deck is renovated with a retractable louvered roof.
  • 2026: Jim Sheppard, 84, is still working at the bar he opened.
  • Nov. 1, 2026: Our 50th anniversary.

50th Anniversary Party: Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026

We turn 50 on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. We open at noon as always, with giveaways and throwback specials happening all day. Watch the Steelers take on the Browns at 1 PM on CBS, then stick around for the party from 5 to 8 PM.

  • Live acoustic guitar by Drew Moniot, 5–8 PM
  • Gift baskets raffle. Each basket includes a 50th anniversary T-shirt, a $50 Saloon gift card, a 50th anniversary pint glass and other small goodies. Ask your bartender for raffle tickets.
  • Free T-shirt giveaway, while supplies last
  • $1 Stroh's cans, an ode to our first draft beer
  • Giveaways and throwback specials all day, starting when we open at noon

Coming with a crowd? Request a table for your group.

Visit, book a party or give a gift card

Thanks for 50 years. Come see us:

FAQ

When did The Saloon of Mt. Lebanon open?

The Saloon opened on November 1, 1976, at 622 Washington Road in Uptown Mt. Lebanon. November 1, 2026 is our 50th anniversary.

Who started The Saloon of Mt. Lebanon, and who runs it today?

Jim Sheppard opened The Saloon with a partner in 1976. His son, Keith Sheppard, runs it day to day today, and Jim, now 84, still works at the bar.

Is The Saloon one of Mt. Lebanon's longest-running bars?

Yes. The Saloon has been open since November 1, 1976, making it one of Mt. Lebanon's longest-running bars. Liquor by the drink came back to Mt. Lebanon in 1975, and we got one of just five licenses open to new applicants, so we date to the very start of the town's modern bar scene.

Did the Penguins really hang out at The Saloon?

Yes. In the 1980s and early 1990s, when the Penguins practiced in Mt. Lebanon and Mario Lemieux lived here, players were regulars. Kevin Stevens recalled taking "25-30 guys, even in the playoffs" to the Saloon. On May 31, 1991, less than a week after the Penguins won their first Cup, Troy Loney brought the Stanley Cup to the bar.

Is The Saloon open on Thanksgiving Eve?

Yes. The night before Thanksgiving has been one of our busiest nights since at least the 1980s. In 2026 we're open Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday, Nov. 25, from 3 PM to 2 AM. We're closed Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 26. See our hours and holiday hours.

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