PA State Police Shut Down Historic Pittsburgh Bar

PITTSBURGH, PA — Pennsylvania State Police Liquor Control Enforcement officers on Wednesday raided and shut down Shale's Cafe, a near century-old bar located on Fifth Avenue in the city's Uptown section across the street from PPG Paints Arena.

Liquor Control Enforcement officers were on the scene and nailed a large piece of wood across the front door handle to prevent it from being opened.

An official report on the closure was not yet available, but the shuttering was confirmed to Patch by Eric Swartzwelder, a supervisor in the state police's Pittsburgh liquor enforcement office.

Swartzwelder said the bar was shut down because it was selling alcohol without an active liquor license.

To reopen, the bar owner would have to renew the license and pay any back taxes that might be owed.

Shale's is a popular hangout for those attending Penguins games, concerts and other events at the arena. The bar first opened in 1934, according to the bar's Facebook page.