Hill District bar reopens with new style and same charm

Fifty years after first opening her Hill District bar, Roberta “Mrs. Bert” Brassell is once again behind the counter following nearly a year of renovations.

At 83, she’s reopened the neighborhood staple as Black Beauty Bar & Grill, proving that while the name and the seating may be new, the soul of the place hasn’t changed a bit.

The bar held its grand reopening on Oct. 14, on the patio located next to the side of the building covered by a large-scale mural celebrating the work of August Wilson.

“I can’t describe how I felt last week,” Brassell said Thursday about the grand reopening. “I’ve been here a long time, and it was something like a cheers bar where people meet and talk at the happy hour. But I think with the renovation, I’m hoping that it’ll be more upscale.”

Black Beauty Bar & Grill, formerly Black Beauty Lounge, closed in March 2024 for renovations.

The revamped space includes a new bar that now runs parallel to the wall — replacing the previous horseshoe shape — along with fresh paint and black-and-white photos that commemorate the property’s old look.

To help with the renovations, The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh provided Black Beauty Bar & Grill with two grants. Brassell and her family received $91,515 as part of the Avenues of Hope American Rescue Plan Act Program and $39,900 for outdoor dining, which totaled to just over $131,400, according to Dana Bohince, a spokeswoman for Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh.

Black Beauty Bar & Grill is owned and operated by Brassell and her three children: Frank Terry, Kimberly Terry and Tracy Terry.

A plaque dedicated to Brassell’s late aunt and uncle who gave her the money to first open her business hangs on the wall.

“I look back and remember how the bar was … I’m so grateful that I was able to see this. I’m really grateful to be a part of this Hill District coming back,” Brassell said.

Adeziah Hughes, 30, started as Black Beauty Bar & Grill’s daytime bartender earlier this month, after leaving her job at TGI Fridays.

“I was suggested through a friend of the family to work here, because I’ve been in the industry for several years … working in my community, working with my people, and, you know, just giving them a good experience, because we deserve to have nice things too,” Hughes said.

Brandon Austin, 35, who owns a restaurant in Maryland, has been working as a consultant to Black Beauty Bar & Grill.

“One thing a lot of Pittsburghers lack in is a lot of successful African American restaurants. So I wanted to take what we’re doing so well back home and try to kind of integrate that here,” he said. “I see Black-owned businesses in Pittsburgh, restaurant-wise, but I don’t see any of quality. And I think what’s missing is just that schooling.”

Brassell said Austin was a huge help in crafting the bar’s new menu, which features several dishes served with “mumbo sauce” a sweet, tangy and slightly spicy taste, that Austin brought to the kitchen after being inspired by Washington, D.C.

Longtime customer Jerome “Dollar Bill” Maynor sat at a bar stool on Thursday.

Maynor, 75, of Friendship, has been going to Black Beauty since it first opened.

“I wouldn’t give it up for nothing in the world … there’s a lot of history here, up here on this Hill District,” Maynor said.

“They did a good job in here, and Bert (Brassell) deserves it,” he said.