PHOTO COURTESY OF BURGHERS BREWING

Burghers Brewing has big expansion plans, starting with its tiny new space at The Highline. 

The business, which has restaurants in Zelienople and Lawrenceville and a soon-to-open flagship store in Millvale, opens the doors to its long-awaited, 700-square-foot South Side location on Dec. 29 at 319 E. Carson St. The historic building is only 7-by-4-feet wide, so the interior was designed to resemble a railroad dining car. 

All aboard for smash burgers and beer! Opening weekend hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with Downtown fireworks starting at 6 p.m. on Dec. 31. 

There are several small tables with built-in cup holders (designed by Headbrewer Neil Glausier, who has a background in engineering) and wide window ledges where you can stand up to chow down. The Burghers Beer Garden has seating for 125 and a unique view of the city it is named after. 

The food and beverages are made with ethically and sustainably sourced ingredients.

I recommend pairing the Southside burger (cream cheese, tomato, fresh jalapeños, onion) with a Coltivare, an Italian-style pilsner Glausier created for co-owner/chef Fiore Moletz’s 40th birthday. It’s also available at Zelienople’s Della Terra, the Italian bistro Moletz co-owns with his wife Michelle. 

It’s been more than three years since the Burghers team joined The Highline project. McKnight Realty Partners purchased the historic site – once considered the largest cargo warehouse between New York City and Chicago – in 2016.

Since then it has slowly morphed into an office and retail complex with businesses such as Unison Bike Lab and Sly Fox Brewing Co., an indoor parking garage with bike storage, a fitness center and more than an acre of green space. Three Rivers Heritage Trail runs parallel to the development, making it a popular destination for cyclists and hikers.  

In the fall of 2020, Burghers provided grub for Lagerlands Socially Distant Beer Garden, a multiple weekend pop-up held at The Highline and organized by Hop Culture Magazine, Cinderlands Beer Co. and De Fer Coffee & Tea to help pandemic-weary beer lovers get back in the game.

After years of red tape, Burghers is finally finding its groove. A 13,000-square-foot restaurant and production facility is slated to open at 400 Grant Ave. in Millvale next summer. The two-story building, a former PNC Bank, was constructed in 1941. 

The first floor will feature a taproom, kitchen and 15-barrel brewhouse. On the mezzanine level, there will be a bar, seating, games and event space. There also will be an outdoor, dog-friendly area. 

Glausier, a graduate of Siebel Institute of Technology’s Advanced Brewing Theory Program, says the goal is to open 10 locations over the next decade.

In other words, Burghers plans to take over the ‘Burgh.