3 Christmas Bars in Pittsburgh to Visit During the Holidays

Miracle on 6th

Miracle on 6th is the epitome of holiday bars. This international pop-up can be found in many states as well a few other countries around the world. The Pittsburgh iteration does its best to have almost every single inch of bar space covered in decorations (in fact, probably the most out of any bar in Pittsburgh), and for that we can't get enough of it- although their delicious cocktails don't hurt, either.

The Miracle bar has a rather popular following behind it, so when you visit be prepared as there may likely be a line!

The pop-up Miracle on 6th is located at 137 6th Street in downtown Pittsburgh in 2022 and opens November 23rd. We had visited this popup in previous iterations.

The Tipsy Elf

The Tipsy Elf is located just next to Hough's Taproom in Greenfield and is a different kind of pop-up bar experience as you have to purchase a ticket with timed entry to enjoy this one. Each $13-$20 ticket includes a welcome drink (which for us was a very poor mulled wine) and 90 minutes inside the space where you can then purchase additional cocktails (which were much more enjoyable despite being somewhat small) or shots at varying prices.

One thing we like about ticketed pop-ups like this is that the crowds are better managed than at other bars which may have long, long waits to get into. This allowed us to enjoy the two themed rooms quite well (one was an outdoor winter wonderland and the second, larger room was a cozy cottage decked out for Christmas- both tastefully done and not over-the-top) while being spaced out from other guests.

Beyond the beverages, the hosts also engage in some fun holiday activities like a challenge at the bar to win a free shot, an emoji-based word game to win candy canes, limbo, and more. Suffice it to say, the 90 minutes here went by a whole lot faster than we thought it would!

The Tipsy Elf is located next to Hough's at 563 Greenfield Avenue and starts on November 30th in 2022. Tickets can be purchased here.

Bob's Garage

To wind down this list, we end on a bar that is not a pop-up, but instead changes its decorations for the holiday season. This is what is often considered to be the original Pittsburgh Christmas bar, Bob's Garage.

Bob's Garage is known as being a dive bar that is covered with decorations from floor-to-ceiling just about everywhere you look. The only difference is that this one has been doing it for years, well before the pop-up holiday concept even was a thing. This one may not have a specially curated menu and only serves a limited selection of draft and canned beer, but the decorations more than make up for the limited offering!

Bob's Garage is located at 1372 Freeport Road in Blawnox, PA- just east of Pittsburgh off of 28.

Other Holiday Popup Bars in Pittsburgh

The above pop-up bars are the holiday bars we've personally visited. In 2022, there will be many more holiday popups that we hope to visit over the course of the season.

These include:

• Barcadia is hosting Eddie's Christmas Vacation Pop-Up Bar.
• Butcher and the Rye is being transformed into an Apres Ski bar popup for winter (note: the restaurant is likely to re-open in the spring).
• North Star Restaurant in Imperial
• Good Cheer at Ruggers Pub in South Side
• Lowkey Taco is running a Margs & Mistletoe popup until January 6th
• The Hilton Garden Inn University Place will host a “Whoville” Pop-Up Bar from December 2nd to 23rd.
• Jingle Bar is returning with a new location on East Carson Street in South Side.

So, where will you be drinking this holiday season? Comment below to let us know!