Landmark Pittsburgh Restaurant Space To Be Filled By New Eatery

JEFFERSON HILLS, PA — For nearly 70 years, patrons not only were treated to the fine food inside the Blue Flame restaurant on Route 51. They also got frequent chuckles from the witty messages posted on the message board outside the eatery.

That ended in March when the Blue Flame closed after a 68-year run, but the space was not destined to sit vacant for long. The prominent roadside restaurant is slated to reopen in the next several months under new ownership and with a new concept as the Steel Grill 51.

Steel Grill 51 is owned by the husband-and-wife team of Rob and Perity Timm. The couple runs the successful West E Diner in Lincoln Square (formerly Lincoln Elementary School) in West Elizabeth.

"We're very excited about this," Perity Timm told Patch about taking over the Blue Flame location. "It's a fantastic opportunity in a great old building."

The Timms started off in the corporate world before leaving in 2016 to start their own business, Movable Feast Pittsburgh Catering.

The diner opened four years ago, and the Timms hope to build off of its success in the new eatery. The West E menu will make the move to the Steel Grill, which will add appetizers and other items such as wings.

The restaurant's three dining areas are getting a facelift that Perity Timm said includes a slightly industrial look and some new flooring. The ice cream bar in the middle room has been removed and replaced with a gourmet coffee bar.

"We've also made some upgrades to the kitchen and the restrooms are receiving a cosmetic refresh."

It's a considerable amount of work to put in while running an existing business. But asked if she and her husband were up to the challenge of getting the Steel Grill 51 up and running Perity Timm said, "Oh yeah."

She then chuckled and said, "It's too late to go back now."