some downtown fun!

On June 1, 1902 the cornerstone of St. John the Baptist Church on Liberty Avenue was laid. In early January 1915, a fire broke out in the sanctuary and caused major damage to the church. New floors, altars and paint were required. The building served as a spiritual sanctuary to its members during the first and second world wars. Those wars also marked the loss of many enthusiastic, energetic members - the young men who died and did not return from these wars. Even with booming industrial giants at its back door, the parish was often plagued by lack of money. When St. John's seemed to be getting out of debt, the depression struck. There was a stop in the growth and a gradual decline in the industrial strength of the area. On the 6th of August in 1993, the church was put under an act of suppression by the Bishop of Pittsburgh. The building lay dormant until the construction began in early 1996. It was almost three years to the day when The Church Brew Works reopened the doors of St. John the Baptist for business on the 1st of August in 1996.


Once walking into the main doors you feel that you are underdressed to be going to a church service. But once through the doors you feel that you are walking into another world. The insides look like a church...it looks like the naive of the church with an alter in the back...only theirs one twist. Where the pews would be there are chairs and tables and in the back of the church where the alter is there is a big brew house in the alter where they brew 4 types of beers. Two Lagers and 2 Ales who have won Awards at TheGreat American Beer Festival™ in 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2005!

The main reason why people go there is for their American Cuisine. They have a wide variety of pizza's including their Infamous Pittsburgh Pierogie Pizza. They also teamed up with Dave and Andy's Ice Cream to make the only ice cream that is made from the brewing process and boil it down into a molasses like syrup and make small batch Ice Cream. The joint venture in ice cream making brought the attention of USA TODAY who voted Dave & Andy’s the 5th best ice cream in the country.

The food is wonderful...the service was great...and the atmosphere was very inviting. It is a great place to hangout with friends and to have a good time!