Popular Pittsburgh Restaurant Reopening Soon

Richard DeShantz’s Butcher and the Rye will reopen on July 8 at 212 Sixth Street in downtown Pittsburgh, ending a closure that dates to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group said the restaurant and whiskey bar is returning to its longtime Cultural District address after years in which the space was used only intermittently for pop-up concepts. Reservations are already being accepted for parties of up to eight, according to local reports and the restaurant’s booking page. The reopening restores one of downtown’s better-known restaurant bars, a spot that built its reputation on rustic American food and an extensive whiskey list. ### Which Pittsburgh restaurant is reopening, and when? Butcher and the Rye announced on June 1 that it will reopen on Wednesday, July 8, at its former home on Sixth Street. Local television outlets WPXI, CBS Pittsburgh and WTAE each reported the date and address, identifying the reopening as a return to the restaurant’s original downtown location. (wpxi.com) The 2026 business listing on Butcher and the Rye’s website shows the address as 212 Sixth Street, Pittsburgh, with hours of Wednesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The site also includes links to reserve a table and view the menu. ### How long has it been closed? The restaurant closed in 2020 during the pandemic, according to WPXI, TribLive and CBS Pittsburgh. (wpxi.com) Those reports said the business did not operate as a full-time restaurant during that stretch, though the space was used for pop-up concepts. TribLive said the downtown space later housed the Après Ski Bar as a pop-up. (butcherandtherye.com) CBS Pittsburgh reported that the site had been used only for pop-ups since the pandemic-era shutdown. ### What is coming back with the reopening? Hundreds of whiskeys from around the world will return to the bar program, according to CBS Pittsburgh, TribLive and WPXI. (wpxi.com) Those reports also said the reopening will bring back cocktails and a food menu centered on the restaurant’s established style. (cbsnews.com) Butcher and the Rye’s website describes the restaurant as built around barrel-aged spirits, dry-aged cuts and “old-world technique.” CBS Pittsburgh said menu items include rabbit and dumplings, steak and frites, and schnitzel, describing the food as rustic American cuisine. ### Why was Butcher and the Rye notable before it closed? Butcher and the Rye was the first Pittsburgh bar nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Bar Program, according to CBS Pittsburgh, WPXI, TribLive and WTAE. (wpxi.com) WTAE also said the bar had previously been named among the country’s 21 best cocktail bars by Thrillist. (butcherandtherye.com) The restaurant opened in 2013 under DeShantz and the Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group, TribLive reported. CBS Pittsburgh said the group’s other Pittsburgh properties include Tako, Coop de Ville, The Rib Room, Gi-Jin and Sea Monkey. ### What have the owners said about the return? Ownership said in a statement carried by several local outlets that the restaurant has “always been about more than food and drinks” and called it a place for gathering, stories and discovery. (wpxi.com) The statement ended: “We are thrilled to welcome Pittsburgh back through our doors.” (triblive.com) WPXI said the owners described the reopening as the return of a concept that helped shape Pittsburgh’s modern dining scene. That characterization was attributed to the owners’ statement, not independently assessed by the outlets. ### What happens next for diners? July 8 is the scheduled reopening date for Butcher and the Rye at 212 Sixth Street. (wpxi.com) As of June 2, the restaurant’s website shows reservations are open and lists regular hours from Wednesday through Saturday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. (butcherandtherye.com)