Wolfie's fulfills its premise as Point Park pub

By Mick Stinelli

Point Park University is a downtown campus, and because of its location, it’s different from other colleges in Pittsburgh. There are no college bars à la iconic Pitt locations like Hemingway’s or the Garage Door Saloon. There are places to drink and eat all around Downtown, especially considering Point Park’s proximity to Market Square, but until Wolfie’s Pub opened, there was never a spot targeted specifically at the Point Park community.

Bob Wolfinger, the owner, opened Wolfie’s in March with the mission to fill that niche. And according to executive chef Correy Johnson, it’s been a success judging by the dozens of Point Park discounts he enters into the system every week.

From the décor to the programming, Wolfie’s dove straight into its identity as a bar celebrating the history of the nearly 60-year-old university. Archival photographs of the school’s past students and faculty line the walls, as well as memorabilia. And every Thursday night, the location hosts Pioneer Records, the record label run by the Rowland School of Business. That residency gives Pioneer Records a chance to show off their roster of talent and brings live music into the space – something that has been a success at Nola on the Square, a nearby restaurant also owned by Wolfinger and his business partner, Ron Molinaro. 

When Johnson was developing the menu, he sought to create food that was “from students to students,” so he reached out to Point Park and had some undergraduates give feedback on what dishes they liked best. “Variety is the key,” Johnson said, and he executed that with a menu featuring bar food staples like House Smoked Wings ($12.99) and Buffalo Chicken Dip ($11.99), as well as specialties like Pan Seared Salmon ($18.99) and the Wolfie’s Burger ($13.99).  

Besides a few exceptions, most of the options are relatively affordable, especially after the 15% discount. For upperclassmen and faculty, there’s also a solid cocktail menu, plus a nice beer selection including local favorites like East End Big Hop ($6.50) and oddities like Pabst Blue Ribbon Hard Coffee ($9).  

The space, itself, is very student friendly. A private room can be rented in the back for meetings with on-campus organizations. And the pub itself has plenty of tables that can be used for lunch meetings between lectures or a study session over food and drinks after a long day of classes.  

Altogether, Wolfie’s Pub has proven itself a Point Park favorite in just a few short months. Between the dozens of students and faculty who come in each week and the pub’s collaboration with Pioneer Records, Point Park and Wolfie’s have forged a solid bond far beyond what other nearby spots have tried to do. 

Photos courtesy of Jordyn Hronec