The Panther Pit in Oakland will be closed for at least a year.
That's the ruling from a judge after the Sheriff's Office padlocked the doors of the bar last weekend.
DA Stephen Zappala said the Panther Pit has been a chronic problem spot where alcohol was served without a liquor license, ID's were not checked, and fights were frequent.
In September, the bar was raided by the State Police Liquor Enforcement Agents for the third time this year.
According to PA State Police, almost 350 gallons of liquor and 80 gallons of beer during that raid.
The Allegheny County Health Department also cited the Panther Pit with 15 violations including several considered “high-risk”.
Those violations include chicken tenders found in a “non-functioning” walk-in cooler measured at nearly 80 degrees. The tenders were spoiled and “covered in a black, mold-like substance.”
Black mold was also found in other areas of food contact surfaces and on the chute of an ice machine. Fruit flies, “too many . . . to count” were found in bar coolers on the third floor.
A sewage backup was found in the kitchen underneath a prep cooler, posing what the ACHD considers and “imminent hazard.”
The Meyran Avenue bar has also been cited about 20 times for underage drinking and has been raided two previous times.