Locals lamented the loss of a chill spot to enjoy cocktails, live music, and a rotating selection of vinyl when, in 2023, the owner of Whisper Nest announced that the Millvale bar would close after just three short but successful years in operation. Thankfully, two business owners quickly stepped in to continue the bar’s legacy.
Sean Enright and his partner, Andy Tepper, turned the former Whisper Nest space into the Poetry Lounge. The two combined their respective service industry backgrounds — Enright has managed or tended bar at various Pittsburgh establishments, and Tepper owns the now in-flux Friendship restaurant Spork — to deliver eclectic programming, delightful drinks, and inventive bar food.
Enright tells Pittsburgh City Paper they wanted to add their spin to the bar while keeping the dive-inspired aesthetic and commitment to music.
“I always wanted it to be a literary-themed bar, but we also wanted to pay homage to Pittsburgh's rich musical history,” Enright explains.
As the new name suggests, poetry and spoken word events are fixtures at the bar, alongside nights dedicated to karaoke, LGBTQ events, and mostly local music acts. Poetry Lounge patrons will see images of literary greats like Ernest Hemingway, Charles Bukowski, and Jack Kerouac, a gallery of concert posters Enright has collected over the last 25 years, and a custom mural, by local artist Rick Bach, that pays homage to Pittsburgh’s music scene.
“So, yes, music was always meant to have a place at the Poetry Lounge, but we also wanted to have a space where literary events could coincide with screamo-punk-rock and other genres of music,” says Enright.
Bibliophiles and wordsmiths will find a place to read and, possibly, publish their works; in addition to a weekly Open Mic Night with Pittsburgh Poetry Collective, local poets can publish chapbooks under Poetry Lounge Press, part of which, Enright says, includes book releases, signings, and readings. The new space also allowed Enright to relaunch yawp, a literary zine he co-edited in early 2000s.
Given Enright’s bartending background — he co-authored the book Pittsburgh Drinks: A History of Cocktails, Nightlife & Bartending Tradition — it stands to reason that creative drinks are a major part of the Poetry Lounge’s appeal. Enright says the bar’s most popular offerings are the Galeophobia and A Murder of Goth Chicks, both of which are tiki-inspired.
As the bar approaches its first anniversary on Oct. 1, Enright reflects on how Millvale has accepted Poetry Lounge “with open arms,” and hopes to ensure that the space serves as a place for him and Tepper to share their passions while welcoming everyone.
“We open at 3 p.m. every day, and the music events end by 10 p.m. weekdays, 11 p.m. weekends, so if you're looking for someplace to just relax, read a book, do some work, play some pinball, or just chill out, there's no better place than Poetry Lounge,” says Enright.
