When you go to a bar, you don't ask for much. A cold beer, a good time, maybe some football. But what you certainly don't ask for is rats!
A Pittsburgh bar is under fire after a viral video exposed alleged terrible hygiene standards, as reported by People. The video showed a rat moving across the draft beer taps behind the bar of The Urban Tap, located in the South Side of Pittsburgh.
The alleged clip proceeded to go viral, drawing unwanted attention to the bar. The bar's owner addressed the situation in an Instagram post.
The statement read, "A rat was found inside our restaurant. That is unacceptable. I am not going to minimize it, deflect it, or make excuses for it."
The statement continued, "We conducted a full inspection of the building with the Allegheny Health Department."
The Allegheny County Department inspected the building after the video went viral. Although they didn't find evidence of a rat infestation itself, they did find that the critter had made themselves at home. They found rodent droppings near the beer tap tower, and in other parts of the building.
They issued an ultimatum to the bar, saying the issues must be addressed before a follow-up inspection, which is set to happen on March 16.
The gastropub's statement concluded with a message to its customers, "We will earn trust back through action — not words"
Videos by Wide Open Country
The Reaction to the Bar Rats Online Was Mixed
The response to the bar's post was mixed, with both criticisms and support surfacing.
One comment read, "As someone who has worked in the restaurant industry... every single restaurant has rodents... Props for the accountability".
Another comment took a comedic approach, giving possible rat names based on beers. "Hoppy Harvest Mouse IPA" and "Rat on tap Pilsner" were two of many mentioned.
These messages of support were not shared by everyone. A comment criticised, "if you really think that every restaurant in this city has rats you're not going to the right places. I've worked in older places and brand new ones and never saw any sort of pests".
Whether the rats are as widespread in the industry as people say, one thing remains true. I don't want rat droppings in my IPA!
