The Union Grill | |
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| |
Restaurant information | |
Established | 1967 [1] |
Owner(s) | Michael Flynn [1] |
Food type | Italian-American cuisine |
Street address | 13 1/2 East Wheeling Street (corner of Wheeling and Main Streets) |
City | Washington |
State | Pennsylvania |
Coordinates | 40°10′9.7176″N 80°14′41.572″W / 40.169366000°N 80.24488111°W |
Seating capacity | 150 seats [1] |
Website |
theuniongrill |
The Union Grill is a restaurant in Washington, Pennsylvania, serving Italian-American cuisine. It is a popular location for the Washington County legal community. The location at the corner of Wheeling and Main Streets has been home to taverns/restaurants dating back to 1791, the beginning of the Whiskey Rebellion. It bears no relation to the similarly named restaurant in nearby Pittsburgh. [2]
The ambiance boasts a "frills-free Italian vibe." [2] It seats 150. [1]
The Union Grill is located in the bottom floor of the building, and because of its location at the top of a hill, part of the floor is below ground. [3] The main entrance leads down a short flight of stairs from Wheeling Street. [3] This rathskeller style entrance is the source of the restaurant's local nickname, "The Down and Under," or "D and U." [2] The bar room is filled with wooden booths, brick walls, and antique furnishings. [3] Other dining rooms split off from the main dining room, and feature Victorian oak furnishings. [3]
It is a local landmark in Washington, particularly attracting the legal crowd from the nearby courthouse that it is "almost a clubhouse for lawyers, judges and journalists." [3] It has been described as Washington's "Place To Be Seen." [2] The "back room" serves as a "gathering point for local bigwigs." [2] For example, During the 1992 Presidential primary election in Pennsylvania, then-longshot Bill Clinton visited The Union Grill. [4] [5]
With its proximity to David Bradford House and Washington & Jefferson College, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said that "[l]unch or dinner at the historic Union Grill would be an appropriate way to start or end an interesting day in Washington, Pa." [3]
The Union's Grill's location in Washington was the home of the White Goose inn and tavern, dating to 1791. [1] In 1806, it was sold to John Rettig who renamed it the "Golden Swan," also called "the Sign of the Swan." [1] On August 15, 1808, printers William Sample and William B. Brown opened The Reporter (now Observer–Reporter) newspaper in the basement. The first edition featured an advertisement for the Golden Swan. [1]
The original building was demolished in 1846 and replaced with a 3-story brick building called the Valentine House, which was itself destroyed by a grease fire in 1899. [1] The Siegel brothers rebuilt the building and renamed it the Siegel Hotel; it was renamed the William Henry Hotel. [1]
The current iteration, The Union Grill, was opened in 1967 by Michael Flynn, whose family still owns the restaurant. [1] It was named in honor of the stonemasons and union workers who frequented the tavern. [1]
In 2003, Michael "Mickey" Flynn Jr., his business partner, and 8 others were charged by Pennsylvania Attorney General Mike Fisher with running an illegal gambling ring out of the restaurant. [6] [7] Flynn was convicted and was granted bond in 2006. [8]
The Union Grill | |
---|---|
| |
Restaurant information | |
Established | 1967 [1] |
Owner(s) | Michael Flynn [1] |
Food type | Italian-American cuisine |
Street address | 13 1/2 East Wheeling Street (corner of Wheeling and Main Streets) |
City | Washington |
State | Pennsylvania |
Coordinates | 40°10′9.7176″N 80°14′41.572″W / 40.169366000°N 80.24488111°W |
Seating capacity | 150 seats [1] |
Website |
theuniongrill |
The Union Grill is a restaurant in Washington, Pennsylvania, serving Italian-American cuisine. It is a popular location for the Washington County legal community. The location at the corner of Wheeling and Main Streets has been home to taverns/restaurants dating back to 1791, the beginning of the Whiskey Rebellion. It bears no relation to the similarly named restaurant in nearby Pittsburgh. [2]
The ambiance boasts a "frills-free Italian vibe." [2] It seats 150. [1]
The Union Grill is located in the bottom floor of the building, and because of its location at the top of a hill, part of the floor is below ground. [3] The main entrance leads down a short flight of stairs from Wheeling Street. [3] This rathskeller style entrance is the source of the restaurant's local nickname, "The Down and Under," or "D and U." [2] The bar room is filled with wooden booths, brick walls, and antique furnishings. [3] Other dining rooms split off from the main dining room, and feature Victorian oak furnishings. [3]
It is a local landmark in Washington, particularly attracting the legal crowd from the nearby courthouse that it is "almost a clubhouse for lawyers, judges and journalists." [3] It has been described as Washington's "Place To Be Seen." [2] The "back room" serves as a "gathering point for local bigwigs." [2] For example, During the 1992 Presidential primary election in Pennsylvania, then-longshot Bill Clinton visited The Union Grill. [4] [5]
With its proximity to David Bradford House and Washington & Jefferson College, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said that "[l]unch or dinner at the historic Union Grill would be an appropriate way to start or end an interesting day in Washington, Pa." [3]
The Union's Grill's location in Washington was the home of the White Goose inn and tavern, dating to 1791. [1] In 1806, it was sold to John Rettig who renamed it the "Golden Swan," also called "the Sign of the Swan." [1] On August 15, 1808, printers William Sample and William B. Brown opened The Reporter (now Observer–Reporter) newspaper in the basement. The first edition featured an advertisement for the Golden Swan. [1]
The original building was demolished in 1846 and replaced with a 3-story brick building called the Valentine House, which was itself destroyed by a grease fire in 1899. [1] The Siegel brothers rebuilt the building and renamed it the Siegel Hotel; it was renamed the William Henry Hotel. [1]
The current iteration, The Union Grill, was opened in 1967 by Michael Flynn, whose family still owns the restaurant. [1] It was named in honor of the stonemasons and union workers who frequented the tavern. [1]
In 2003, Michael "Mickey" Flynn Jr., his business partner, and 8 others were charged by Pennsylvania Attorney General Mike Fisher with running an illegal gambling ring out of the restaurant. [6] [7] Flynn was convicted and was granted bond in 2006. [8]