Published by Angie. Last Updated on July 14, 2026.
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Butcher and the Rye is a whiskey bar and meat-forward restaurant located in downtown Pittsburgh in the heart of the cultural district. Shuttered during COVID, the restaurant recently reopened with a revamped menu. The massive wall of whiskey remains the focal point of the space, while the food is perfectly designed to pair with the spirit-forward drink list.
We made it in to Butcher and the Rye during their re-opening week and were happy to see that the space still has multiple dining nooks acoss each of its levels, creating a cozy and intimate feeling. We were seated on the second level in front of the den-like library complete with a giant stuffed black bear. The menu matches the vibe – think bourbon-focused cocktails, dry aged meats, lots of game dishes, and other hearty fare.
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Butcher and the Rye is Back With Meat and Whiskey
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We started off with the buckwheat focaccia served with roasted chicken fat butter, a seemingly simple dish that exploded with interesting flavors and textures. The focaccia itself was quite tender and moist with a nice crust. It also had a nice sweet-salty contrast with crunchy salt and maple drizzle on top.
The roasted chicken fat butter on the side was light and airy but with a rich, savory chicken flavor. My favorite part was the crispy bits of chicken skin crushed up and sprinkled on top of the butter, acting almost like a flaky sea salt. Delicious!
We also tried the stuffed mushroom starter, where the mushrooms were stuffed with crab and topped with a pan sauce. A hint of spice in the crab broke the richness of this delightful dish. Sweet, juicy crab and earthy mushrooms topped with a velvety sauce- what's not to love?!
Other appetizers on the menu included the likes of beef tartare, duck rillette, game lasagne, and bone marrow – hearty, meat-rich fare perfect for complementing the bourbon cocktails like the Oh Kitty My Darling and the Salinger's Sling.
The Salinger's Sling combined bourbon, Grand Marnier, demerara sugar, and coffee bitters for a spirit-forward drink with a hint of citrus and bitterness. Our favorite cocktail of the evening, though, was the Oh Kitty My Darling. This one was unique with Irish whiskey, rye whiskey, sherry, kummel, and bitters – think a Manhattan flavor profile with a punch of caraway and cumin from the kummel liqueur. We're still thinking about this one!
If you're here for the whiskey, make sure to ask for their tablet so you can browse the whiskey selection in their own app. You can do a search or browse by country, rye, etc. We came close to ordering a pour but the cocktails were so great that we decided to stay in that lane.
The entrees here, like the appetizers, are also meat-forward with a few seafood options. A dry-aged ribeye, roasted chicken, burger made with dry-aged meats, and an Iberico pork dish were just some of the options on our visit. We decided on the dirty pasta, and the rabbit and dumplings dish.
We really liked the tender rabbit in the dish, and the soft, pillowy dumplings; crisp snap peas, carrots, and mushrooms brought a nice freshness. The combination of sauced veggies and meat reminded us of a pot pie in all the best ways.
The dirty pasta was one of our favorite plates of the evening with tender casarecce pasta, duck sugo, chicken livers, sage, and pecorino romano. The duck sugo was so rich and creamy, and the chicken livers gave an extra umami boost to the whole thing. This one was so well-executed and delightful that we're still dreaming about it!
Dessert included rich classics like a Swiss chocolate cake, Eton Mess, and a Baked Alaska. We always love a good tableside presentation, so we chose the Baked Alaska. It came with beautiful meringue piping on the outside, and whiskey was poured and flamed at our table to complete the dish.
Under the meringue was a caramelized banana ice cream, and a dense, buttery cake for the crust; a hint of whiskey permeated the whole plate. This was one showstopper of a dish, and a great way to end the meal.
We're so glad that Butcher and the Rye is back, and that the concept and menu seems to have held up well. A massive whiskey list, excellent cocktails, rich and hearty meat-forward plates, and a dramatic vibe make this spot an excellent choice for dining out downtown.
Butcher and the Rye is located at 212 6th Street in downtown Pittsburgh.
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