By Carson Folio | Staff Writer

*Editor’s note: This article features several corrections from its print version. See correction below.

During the Allegheny West Civic Council’s monthly meeting on Feb. 11, one of the most contentious topics was Lefty’s Northside and how, according to the residents present, the bar prides itself on being a “nuisance bar.”

The bar itself was not set as a main topic of the meeting. Rather, it was brought up by residents on their own after one spoke out about what they described as problems they saw around the neighborhood.

Sally Graubarth, a resident at the meeting, was one of the first people to mention Lefty’s, which was originally located in the Strip District neighborhood.

According to Graubarth, the new location in Allegheny West is already causing problems despite only being in the neighborhood for less than a month.

“Their people are out on the street on the corner and they’re just putting their glass beer bottles there in the street,” Graubarth said. “They’re on our stoops and they’re a nuisance.”

The issue of “nuisance bars” is not new, according to Tom Cihil, of the civic council’s Housing and Planning Committee. Shamrock Inn, which has since closed, was cited as an example of a previous problem bar by Cihil, who said the solution is to take direct action, including the involvement of the Liquor Control Board (LCB) and undercover state police.

“I would like to suggest that the council begin now to build their case against Lefty’s,” Cihil said. “Lefty’s prides itself on being a nuisance bar — it is a raucous place and that is their concept.”

The bar is not referred to as a “nuisance bar” by the owner or in any of the bar’s marketing. It is called the “#1 dive bar” on its social media pages, but does not have any mention of purposely being a nuisance.

Additionally, Lefty’s new location used to be Yinz Locos, which was also owned by Rick Krist, the owner of Lefty’s.

Because of the problems the residents described, it was suggested by Cihil that the members of the civic council work to get Lefty’s removed from Allegheny West as quickly as possible.

“I think it is important that the LCB understands that we knew from day one that Lefty’s would be a problem,” Cihil said. “[Lefty’s owner] needs to know that we intend to shut him down.”

Krist has stated to the Allegheny West Civic Council that he “does not want any trouble” and wants to serve those in the neighborhood well. However, this did not sway members at the meeting.

As for buildings owned by the civic council, Aaron Bryan, chair of the Property Committee, talked about progress on the renovation of an apartment complex at 806 Western Ave. Bryan said that $40,000 the council received from selling a lot on the same street will assist with renovations as well as correcting citations placed on the property. The topic then shifted to getting help from the magistrate judge, who was quoted as saying he would like to be present at the next meeting.

The idea to invite the magistrate to the March membership meeting was proposed as a motion, which passed.

Additionally, representatives from the Department of Public Works (DPW) were present at the meeting to discuss trash pickup, new recycling rules and announcements within the department. Anna Bagwell, the Environmental Enforcement Coordinator of the DPW, said that the city’s 2025 budget includes enough funding for eight anti-litter inspectors — currently, the city has two. She said that this change will help residents see action taken against problem spots much quicker.

“Last year, we had around 8,000 311 requests just for refuse violations,” Bagwell said. “Two inspectors will go out for multiple inspections and that totaled about 14,000 inspections last year.”

The next Allegheny West Civic Council meeting is on March 11, at 7:30 p.m. inside the Calvary United Methodist Church on Allegheny Avenue.

*Corrections:

In an article in the March edition of The Northside Chronicle about an Allegheny West, Lefty’s Northside was identified under two incorrect names. Further, the opening of the business was misidentified. Lefty’s Northside started as Yinz Locos in June 2023, and changed to Lefty’s Northside in August 2024. Finally, Lefty’s Northside was identified as operating in the former location of Monterey Pub. This was incorrect and Monterey Pub is still open and is located at 1227 Monterey St., while Lefty’s is located at 900 Western Ave.

The Chronicle apologizes for these errors.