Elrama Tavern reopens three years after fire destroyed popular restaurant
In the nearly three years since the Elrama Tavern burned down, owner Susan Grimm wasn’t always sure they’d be able to rebuild and reopen the popular restaurant.
There were ups and downs along the way with three different builders and six unique designs, all while money was tight with her family losing its main source of income.
But Grimm persevered, and she received hugs and plenty of praise from loyal customers Monday when the new Elrama Tavern officially opened its doors to the public for the first time.
“I really didn’t think this was going to happen,” Grimm said as she looked around at the lunchtime crowd packed into the brand new restaurant with nearly every table filled and the bar lined with customers. “This is amazing. It’s emotional.”
It was on March 31, 2022, that fire quickly engulfed the restaurant along Route 837 in the Elrama neighborhood of Union Township a few hundred feet southwest of the Allegheny County line. The building was a total loss, although all of the staff members and customers were able to escape, with one worker suffering minor burns while trying to put out the fire.
The rebuild was costly, Grimm said, and she was unsure whether her family would have enough money to finish the work. But they were able to open the sparkling new building – located on the same property as before – that can accommodate up to 150 people, with two main dining areas and a third room that can host parties, along with two outdoor decks that will open when the weather improves. A soft opening was held for family and close friends several days last week before beginning normal operations Monday with people walking in the door before they officially opened at 11 a.m.
“What we have is the community, their support and a beautiful place,” Grimm said.
That was evident by the reception Grimm receives from customers who affectionately call her Susie. Roy Duttine and Norm Zak immediately gave her a hug as the two regulars from the old place took their seats in the dining room.
“I’m so happy to see you,” Duttine told Grimm. “This is great.”
As Duttine and Zak settled down for lunch, both raved about the restaurant’s soups while also being thankful that Grimm and her family found a way to rebuild.
“When it burned down, you wondered if it was going to come back,” Duttine said. “Then you see the progress (during construction) and you think, ‘Yeah, they’re going to do it.'”
That sentiment was echoed by Vince DiAngelo of Clairton, who was a regular and found a seat at the bar to enjoy a sandwich and bowl of beef stew. DiAngelo said he’s made many great friends along the way at the Elrama Tavern, and was always hopeful that it would reopen. He walked in the door five minutes before it officially opened, but he wasn’t even the first customer there.
“I just think Susie does a great job. They serve great food,” DiAngelo said. “I come for the food, but I also come for the friendship.”
For now, Grimm and her staff are still getting acclimated with the new surroundings. Grimm lamented the restaurant is a work in progress, since the former location had a certain charm about it being an old house built in 1900. But it’s already off to a good start with a cozy atmosphere that Grimm expects will be made even more personable as they work to decorate it in a similar fashion as before.
“The hard part is trying to make it feel that way again,” said Grimm, whose family has owned the restaurant since 2006. “We’ll get there in time.”
Go to www.elramatavern.com for more information about the Elrama Tavern, including its operating hours.