The Panther Pit Sports Bar and Grill, located on Meyran Ave., was raided by liquor enforcement officers and issued a closure on Tuesday morning. State Police said the location was operating without a liquor license. Multiple local news outlets have reported that law enforcement seized around 350 gallons of liquor and 80 gallons of beer.
The Panther Pit violated fifteen food safety and general sanitization health policies, according to the Allegheny County Health Department. The violations include “too many fruit flies to count” near “unidentified spilled liquids,” “fresh rat dropping” in a corner of the basement, “evidence of a sewage backup in the kitchen” and a “black, mold-like substance” on chicken tenders, the chute of the ice machine and in walk-in coolers, among other violations.
Since opening in 2022, The Panther Pit has been the subject of multiple raids and closures, including in February 2023 when the bar was forced to close for about one week after it received seven health code violations. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that this most recent raid marks the third police raid on The Panther Pit in the past year. It is unclear if and when the bar may reopen.