Pat and Nancy McDonnell have been feeding Pittsburgh for nearly a century, and this spring they made their most ambitious move yet. On April 1, 2026, Restaurant Holdings LP opened three distinct venues side by side at 2350 Railroad Street in the Strip District: Juniper Grill, Atria's, and 1930 Cigar Bar. Together, the spaces span 11,000 square feet of fresh construction and mark the McDonnell family's first flagship presence in Pittsburgh's urban core.
The trio is more than a restaurant opening. It is a statement of confidence in the Strip District's evolution from a weekend produce market into a year-round residential and dining destination, and a homecoming for a family whose roots in Pittsburgh hospitality stretch back to 1930, when Italian immigrant Joe Atria opened a grocery store in Mt. Lebanon that would eventually give way to one of the city's most beloved restaurant names.
"The Strip District is Pittsburgh at its most alive. We wanted to be part of what it's becoming."
Pat McDonnell, Restaurant Holdings LP
Three Concepts, One Address
The anchor of the 2350 Railroad Street build-out is Juniper Grill, a contemporary American restaurant built around California-inspired flavors and wood-fired scratch cooking. The concept, which already has locations across the Pittsburgh suburbs from Cranberry to Pleasant Hills, finds its most striking expression in the Strip District. Floor-to-ceiling accordion-folding windows open the dining room to an alfresco patio, and the bar pours 50 bottles of wine alongside freshly squeezed margaritas and a deep bourbon lineup. Signature dishes range from Ahi Tuna Wontons and Brisket Quesadillas to a Chipotle Skirt Steak that speaks to Juniper's kitchen-forward ethos.
Beside Juniper sits Atria's, the comfort food institution that spent 17 years operating at PNC Park before returning to a standalone location. The Strip District reopening reunites loyal guests with the Pot Roast Nachos, Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, and Chicken Pot Pie that made Atria's a Pittsburgh rite of passage, and the McDonnells brought the original bar from the former Murrysville location along for continuity. The Strip District address also now serves as the home base for Atria's Specialty Catering, handling off-premises events across the region.
Completing the trifecta is 1930 Cigar Bar, a refined lounge named for the year the family traces its origins. Open daily from 4 p.m. to midnight, the space offers premium cigars alongside craft cocktails, bourbons, and a menu of shareable dishes inspired by the Atria's kitchen. Private event reservations make it a destination for corporate gatherings and celebrations alike.
Why the Strip District, Why Now
The Strip District has undergone a genuine transformation over the past decade. What was once primarily a Saturday destination for specialty groceries and Eastern European imports has become one of Pittsburgh's most densely developing mixed-use corridors, with residential construction rising on nearly every block between the Pennsylvania Macaroni Company and the river. The McDonnell family recognized that a neighborhood acquiring thousands of new residents needed places to become regulars, not just visitors.
Restaurant Holdings LP now operates across six Pittsburgh-area neighborhoods and one Charlotte, North Carolina location, a portfolio that has grown steadily under Pat and Nancy McDonnell's direct ownership. The Strip District opening is the group's tenth establishment and its most complex, combining three distinct concepts, a catering operation, and a cigar lounge under one roof. It is also the group's most visible. At 2350 Railroad Street, the windows face the action of one of the city's most trafficked food corridors, and on any given Saturday morning, the Strip District draws more foot traffic than almost anywhere else in Pittsburgh.
For a city that takes its food seriously and its family businesses even more so, the arrival of Atria's in its own house after years at a stadium concourse feels significant. Pittsburgh's Strip District is built on this kind of continuity: businesses with deep roots, operators who have spent careers learning what this city wants, and a willingness to keep investing when the neighborhood earns it. The McDonnells have done exactly that, and the three venues at Railroad Street are the result.