The Mighty Oak Barrel
Nied's
Fish and family in Lawrenceville
by Joseph Sabino Mistick
Neighborhood Joints
Illustration by Jennifer McNulty
The orange neon fish sign at the corner of Butler & 55th in Lawrenceville is the gastronomic version of the beacon atop the Grant Building. Nied's Hotel Bar has held this corner since 1941 and, like all great joints, it's a neighborhood within a neighborhood.
The starting point at Nied's is the "world famous fish sandwich." Fresh fish, cut to order, lightly breaded and deep-​fried to a golden brown, it is crunchy and moist and sets the bar high for this Pittsburgh favorite.
When the mills were booming, fish sandwiches were delivered by the hundreds. These days, the hospitals place the big orders. On an average Lenten Friday, Nied's goes through 600 pounds of fish.But the great fish sandwiches are just the back-​story. The people of Nied's set the place apart, starting with the owners, Paul Nied and his son, Jim.
Paul, soon to be 90, started tending bar in Homestead at the end of Prohibition, but has spent most of his life at the mill-​town hotel that he founded. When Paul celebrated his 75th year as a bartender a while back, he had "spent more time behind bars than Al Capone," said Jim.
Jim, now 57, visits customers in the hospital, sponsors activities for the kids, works the bar and organizes trips for his patrons. Providing a weekly payment plan for those on fixed incomes, Jim has led this happy troupe of neighbors to Atlantic City, Aruba and Las Vegas.
And, as proof of their faith in Jim, two busloads of patrons signed up for Nied's Mystery Trip, without knowing the destination. For a little misdirection, Jim had the buses stop momentarily at the train station before heading to Mystic Seaport, Conn.
Every Friday during the busy season, "Rat" Rauhecker, a retired Air Force Colonel whose former business was AC-​130 gunships, returns from Virginia just to help Jim, his friend since their freshman year at Duquesne.
Ask Nancy Miller and Theresa McArdle about Jim and they'll respond in unison, "there's not a better guy in the world." Nancy, whose father was Pittsburgh Police Sgt. Harry Miller, says her dad always told her that Nied's was the only bar on Butler Street where she could drink, because it's a "no cussin', no trouble" family place.
Longtime Lawrenceville activist Jim Foley will tell you about famous devotees of Nied's, such as Air Force General and former CIA Director Michael Hayden and former Steeler Coach Bill Cowher, who stopped for a lucky fish sandwich before winning the Super Bowl.Ray Halyak grew up next door to Nied's. His mother cut fish there for 35 years and when the family home was being sold, the only purchaser Ray considered was Nied's. The former Halyak back yard is now the outdoor venue for John Vento's Nied's Hotel Band.
This place celebrates everything. For St. Patrick's Day, the bar was awash in green. Overnight, the green shamrocks were replaced with red shamrocks, to mark the feast day of St. Joseph, a Polish favorite.
Nied's opens at 7 a.m., in homage to the days when the bar opened for the shift change at the mill. These days, Paul and Jim just want to make sure their customers get a decent breakfast.This much is certain: If you don't know Nied's, you don't know Pittsburgh.
Nied's Hotel Bar, 5438 Butler St., Lawrenceville, PA 15201, 412−781−9853.
Category : Food & Wine
nied
Joseph Sabino Mistick
A lawyer, law professor and public commentator, Mistick has spent much of his professional life in and around government and served as Executive Secretary to Mayor Sophie Masloff. A passionate home cook, he takes special pride in finding those off-​the-​beaten-​path eateries that are at the heart of our region's character. Just about any weekend, you can find Joe at home, puttering with an old Alfa Romeo Spider and cooking in his wood-​fired oven.
What's Missing in Pittsburgh Dining?
The Pittsburgh Quarterly Restaurant Review Board has been tasting and testing local cuisine for 25 years. We asked our mavens to weigh in on what they'd like to see in Pittsburgh's culinary future. Their responses foll…
Strolling the Streets of Classic Pittsburgh
Take a walk around the Pittsburgh of yesteryear in this photo collection by David Aschkenas. Although the photographs were taken between 1978 and 1982, some look like they could fit into the 1940s with old neighborhood sto…
Essential Dining: Winter
While Pittsburgh winters often begin with sparkling lights, a gentle first snow and holiday splendor, they can quickly become slush and ice. The constant threat of the wintry mix, the steady stream of gray days, and scat…
Other stories in this category: « Square Café The Pie Place »