View from above: Pittsburgh restaurants and bars opt for rooftop seating

From atop roofs of Pittsburgh restaurants, patrons are enjoying the latest craze in dining: roof top bars and restaurants.

“Everyone in Pittsburgh wants to sit outside and drink,” said Tracy Konieczny, public relations manager of Carson City Saloon. “[The roof top] adds another dynamic.”

Carson City Saloon, located at 1401 East Carson St. in the South Side, is currently in the process of opening their new roof-top area, with a grand opening this weekend. They have been unofficially opening the roof-top with test runs the past couple of weeks. Konieczny said the unofficial openings had gone “better than anticipated.”

According to Konieczny, Carson City Saloon wanted a change in atmosphere from a sports bar, but there will still be tailgating parties on the roof-top for all Steelers fans on game nights. Konieczny believes the roof-top dynamic will make the Carson City Saloon “like a whole new bar.”

The roof-top dining area will be open Thursday and Sunday from happy hour to closing at 1:45 am and on Friday and Saturday all day from 11:30 am to 1:45 am. As Pittsburgh approaches fall and winter, the rooftop will stay open weather permitting and as long as the temperature stays above 30 degrees.

However, Konienczny did mention the staff was thinking about hosting a snow party.

“[We] want to get everything up and running smoothly day-to-day before planning [anything official],” Konienczny said

While Carson City Saloon will most likely close down in a harsh winter, the Steel Cactus Authentic Mexican Restaurante & Cantina, located at 5505 Walnut St. in Shadyside, will be open year round. The rooftop includes a retractable roof and will be heated, so Pittsburgh winter will not be able to penetrate the seating area and the roof-top will be comfortable year round.

“No matter where you go people will gravitate toward that, [people] like being outdoors,” said David McEachern, general manager of the Steel Cactus. The restaurant has been opened since August and the roof-top bar is expected to be finished in a week, which will be open Monday through Sunday, 11 am to 2 am.

The best part of the rooftop, to McEachern, is the aesthetics, noting the open ceiling and view of Shadyside.

In contrast to the Carson City Saloon and Steel Cactus, the Six Penn Kitchen and Roof-top Bar has a much different atmosphere. Shrubbery surrounds the fence enclosing the rooftop.

“Everyone likes the roof, it is our one of our most preferred areas,” said Six Penn Kitchen and Bar manager David Fortunato.

Slightly more formal, the Six Penn rooftop serves a full menu for dining and tables are set with glass ware. According to Fortunato, the glass ware and full dinner menu are new changes to the roof-top, now open for seven years.  He and the staff have noticed a “fantastic” effect on business as a result.

The Six Penn Kitchen and Roof-top Bar is located in the center of downtown Pittsburgh’s cultural district, right around the corner from Heinz Hall and Pittsburgh’s many theaters.

The Six Penn Kitchen and Roof-top Bar is open weather permitting 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Friday through Saturday and are open for Sunday brunch at 10:30 a.m. through 2:30 p.m.