Doc, meet Mario. Mario, meet Doc.
Long-time Shadyside establishment Doc's Place has a new sign on its front door -- Mario's East Side Saloon. A few week's ago, the doors at 5542 Walnut St. opened under new management and a new name.
Michael Beck, owner and manager of the "new" Mario's, says he and his partners began talks of expanding the South Side location in 2008.
"We'd been hounding Doc about it for years," Beck says. "It's such a great location, we thought, 'Let's just buy this place.' "
Three years of saving up and negotiating led to paper signing in June. In just one month, Mario's trademark stained-glass windows, new sound equipment, outdoor televisions, deck re-modeling and a shuffle board were added.
"Doc's Place was great, we just gave it a face-lift," says Beck.
The updated East Side location has been overwhelmingly popular so far.
Pitt student Rachel Lenchner, 21, who lives in Shadyside, is among the crowd happy to have a new local hangout.
"I love it -- it's been packed," says Lenchner, "which is nice because it's bringing a lot more people into Shadyside and we're not always going to the same place anymore."
Beck's happy, too.
"We're doing South Side numbers; it's actually ridiculous," he says. "It took us two years in the South Side to get where we are in just a month."
To keep customers flowing in, the saloon features Tuesday night Team Trivia, the NFL television package for the upcoming Steelers season and an updated lunch, dinner and late-night menu -- all while staying true to the company mission.
"We're trying to get the same service as in the South Side. It's all about service, service, service," Beck says.
Everyone wants pizza, he says, so they've added a selection ranging from pesto chicken (with onion, tomato and mozzarella) to BBQ (barbecue sauce, pulled pork, onion, roasted corn and smoked gouda) to Mexican (salsa, seasoned ground beef, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onion and jalapeños).
"It's not just bar food, it's good food and I'm not just saying that," Beck says.
However, not everyone is jumping to give the new place a try. The clout of the original location has caused some disparaging remarks and prejudgments by passers-by.
"The South Side can have a bit of a bad reputation," Beck says. "I hear people outside saying things like 'Oh, this is the epitome of South Side, why is this in Shadyside?' "
Opening weekend, a girl and her three friends walked by making these types of judgmental comments. Beck stopped them, offered a free drink and convinced them to give it a try.
"I told them if you don't like it, you'll get a free drink out of it," he says. An hour later, he went inside and the new customers were still at the bar.
"So, what do you think?" he asked.
"We owe you an apology," they said..
Guess it wasn't so bad.
