A beloved Pittsburgh watering hole is under fire after an unwelcome visitor was caught on camera enjoying a sip of beer. The Urban Tap, nestled in the city’s bustling south side, has found itself in hot water following the sighting of a rat beneath its beer taps.
The incident came to light after a customer shared a shocking video on February 28, prompting the establishment to issue a public apology. The footage reveals a sizable brown rat comfortably perched beneath a row of taps, directly across from unsuspecting patrons enjoying their meals.
John DeMauro, the owner of The Urban Tap, opened the bar in 2013, quickly gaining popularity among locals for its extensive selection of draft beers and classic American fare. The venue has since become a staple in the community, renowned for its vibrant atmosphere and diverse menu.
The unsettling encounter was visibly surprising to one of the bar’s employees, who was caught off guard by the sight of the rodent casually sipping from the drip tray. The video has since gained traction on social media, first making waves on a Pittsburgh-based Reddit thread.
An employee noticed the rat and appeared to be visibly shocked by the filthy creature sipping from the tray.
The video initially circulated on a Pittsburgh-based Reddit thread.
‘Apparently, according to employees there, there is a rodent problem,’ the original poster said.
‘They are attempting to poison the rats, but the rats are instead running around going onto the beer taps.’
A rat was spotted drinking underneath a wall of beer taps at a popular gastropub in Pittsburgh
The Urban Tap has two locations and is owned by John DeMauro (pictured)
It attracted thousands of interactions. Disappointed bar-goers chimed in on the comments, expressing their disgust.
‘If a rat is that comfortable in public, it just means there’s a large amount of others around. Or drunk. Either one works,’ said one person.
‘The fact that you were able to film this means those rats are comfortable around humans, which is disgusting,’ another added.
‘Jesus, Ratatouille really let his drinking problem get in the way of his career,’ a third joked.
The owners of the tap house, which has two locations in Pittsburgh, said the rodent problem was the result of nearby construction.
In a statement on social media, the bar’s owners and management team called the incident ‘unacceptable.’
‘We want to personally address the video circulating from our southside location,’ they wrote. ‘A rat was found inside our restaurant.
‘That is unacceptable. I am not going to minimize it, deflect it, or make excuses for it. If you’re upset or disappointed, we understand. We would be too.’
The bar contacted the Allegheny Health Department as soon as they noticed the filthy intruder.
The Urban Tap is a popular gastropub that serves food, drinks and boasts dozens of drafts
The restaurant underwent a full inspection and professional pest control was brought in.
All potential points of entry were reinforced, and the restaurant reportedly increased sanitation procedures as a direct response.
‘Urban Tap has been part of this community for years. I care deeply about our staff, our guests, and the standards we operate by,’ wrote the owners.
‘Right now, my focus is on handling this thoroughly, transparently, and the right way. We will earn trust back through action — not words.’
Representatives for the Urban Tap uploaded a post of their own to Reddit, addressing the glaring food safety issue and calling it an ‘isolated incident.’
The gastropub also uploaded a copy of the health inspection they ordered immediately after the rat problem was unearthed.
The document listed the restaurant as ‘high risk’ for its pest management violation.
According to Quality Assurance and Food Safety, at least 35 viruses, parasites and bacteria are carried indirectly by rodents.
Fortunately, the department did conclude that the Urban Tap had ‘no evidence of an infestation.’
Customers were disappointed after the appalling video circulated, calling out the restaurant
Still, commenters weren’t sold. Some joked the restaurant had written the apology using ‘RatGPT,’ while others told horror stories of their own.
‘My wife got food poisoning so bad at your establishment in 2024 that she now has permanent damage to her stomach and esophagus,’ said one person. ‘You’ve clearly been doing absolutely nothing about the state of your restaurant for a while now.’
‘A f***ing rat the size of a small pet was not just drinking from your drink system, but from the part of the system that cleans the glasses,’ added another.
‘I can appreciate you hitting the backlash head-on by coming to this sub, but I don’t see myself going back.’
Owners apologized once again and promised to improve in the future.
‘We’ve seen the negative reviews and comments. We understand people are upset,’ they wrote.
‘All we can do right now is own it, be transparent, and take action. That is exactly what we are doing.’
The Daily Mail contacted the Urban Tap and the Allegheny County Health Department for comment.
