Popular barbecue restaurant to reopen on Pittsburgh’s North Side years after devastating fire

PITTSBURGH — “Ribilicious”: It’s all in the sauce and it’s all coming back. After four long years, Wilson Bar-B-Q is finally reopening. It has a new location on Perrysville Avenue, just a few blocks from its original North Side location.

Chopper 11 was over the scene back in 2019 on the devastating day that Wilson Bar-Q’s original North Taylor Street location caught fire.

“Something that’s been around for over 50 years shouldn’t go away so easily,” said family member Ira Lewis.

Flames engulfed the entire building soaring into the sky, and with no insurance, the fire left nothing but ashes and decades of fond memories behind — until now.

Previous coverage >>> Fire destroys popular barbecue restaurant on Pittsburgh’s North Side

“When I am inside doing work, you know the phone is ringing off the hook [with] people asking if we’re open,” Lewis said.

Lewis, a younger cousin of the original owner, has decided with the family’s blessing to make a comeback, opening a new Wilson’s Bar-B-Q on Perrysville Avenue.

“To start we will be more of a take-out place, but we plan on transitioning into a sit-down restaurant to keep up with the times,” Lewis explained.

Lewis told Channel 11 News, he plans to buy the lot next door and expand to include indoor and outdoor dining options, live music, and provide two affordable housing units above the restaurant. But he said outside of the physical changes, everything else will be the same — especially their popular vinegar sauce.

“Anything we put the sauce on is a good order. And everybody will be in there that worked there before, so it will still taste the same and be the same,” Lewis added.

The restaurant will have its grand opening Friday, August 11.

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