About 25 die-hard soccer fans lined the bar at Piper’s Pub to watch Manchester City take on A.F.C. Bournemouth in a Premier League soccer match on Feb. 25.

Though the match was fine – Man City won 4-1 – it was where they were watching that was most important. Whichever team you were rooting for, the fact that you could do it at Piper’s Pub was a win for fans of Pittsburgh pub culture.

Since Drew Topping opened Piper’s in 1999, his Scottish pub has earned a spot as one of Pittsburgh’s most believed watering holes, particularly among soccer fanatics, whisky and beer aficionados and lovers of British Isles cuisine.

To that end, “Will Piper’s ever reopen?” and “When will Piper’s reopen?” had been burning questions for a lot of people on the South Side and beyond.

That’s because it hadn't been fully operational since the onset of the pandemic and many wondered if it ever would be again.

Piper’s shuttered for indoor dining in March 2020, and although the pub offered takeout and delivery specials until mid-2021(and its adjacent Pub Chip Shop and Just Good Donuts have continued to offer their popular menus), the East Carson Street establishment had remained closed for regular indoor service until that February soccer match.

Here’s the caveat: Piper’s Pub is easing back into its regular operations with an extended soft launch. Think of it as a Piper’s pop-up in the Piper’s space. And it mostly revolves around soccer. So be kind and exercise patience if you visit as the small staff works to get the pub back to running at full steam.

According to the Piper’s Pub website, the establishment is open for regular hours on Fridays from 4-10 p.m, and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., as well as mid-week for soccer matches. Updates are offered on the “football” section of the website and on Piper’s social media.

As of press time, seven taps are working, and there are plenty of beers by bottle and spirits for sale, including one of the better Scotch whisky collections in Pittsburgh. The Piper’s Friday menu is limited to a few items such as Scotch eggs, sausage rolls, fish and chips, cottage pie and vegetable curry. The weekend brunch menu lists four versions of boxty (Irish potato pancake), waffles and Scotch egg benedict.

1828 E. Carson St., South Side; piperspub.com

Hal B. Klein: hklein@post-gazette.com, Twitter @halbklein and IG @halbklein.

First Published: April 13, 2023, 9:30 a.m.
Updated: April 13, 2023, 5:24 p.m.