PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

The dumbwaiter at the Original Oyster House in Market Square has been through nearly two centuries of ups and downs.

Co-owner Renee Grippo (known as Mrs. G) believes the contraption is a relic from the Bear Tavern that opened on the site in 1827.

For nearly 155 years, it’s delivered breaded oysters, jumbo fish sandwiches, clam strips, crab cakes and other elevated pub fare from the upper-floor kitchen to the street-level dining room, where, if you’re a fan of 20th century pop culture, you’ll be dumbstruck by myriad photographs of boxers and beauty queens.

There’s a larger-than-life image of heavyweight champ Rocky Marciano, five decades worth of Miss America Pageant group portraits and candid snapshots of everyone from Frank Sinatra to Santa Claus. You can even see late-President Jimmy Carter stuffing his face with a signature sammie.

It’s like a museum that serves I.C. Light!

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

The Oyster House isn’t just the oldest continuously operating bar and restaurant in Pittsburgh; it’s the most quintessentially Pittsburgh bar and restaurant in Pittsburgh. If you arrive a tourist, you’ll leave a yinzer.

In addition to receiving a historical marker from the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, the Oyster House has appeared in 25 movies, including “Night of the Living Dead,” “Striking Distance,” “The Cemtery Club” and “Innocent Blood.”

But the real stars of the show — the pearls of the Oyster House, if you will — are the people who run it.

Jennifer Grippo took the reins of the institution when her father, Louis Grippo (aka Mr. G), passed away in 2017. The mom-and-daughter team kept the place afloat through the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to smile through construction headaches related to the $15 million Market Square refresh that should be finished by next April.

To celebrate the 155th anniversary of the business on Sunday, they’re offering food and drink specials and giveaways throughout the week. They won’t resurrect Zombie Den, a collaboration with ScareHouse that was one of the city’s first Halloween pop-ups when it debuted in 2018. I plan to recreate the seasonal thrill by sipping from my commemorative Zombie Den cup while staring at Tom Savini’s autographed picture behind the bar.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

Ask anyone in the place, from the bartenders to the cooks, and they’ll tell you Mr. G’s story is the stuff of Hollywood legend. As a kid, he was caught stealing from the Oyster House by then-owner Louis “Silver Dollar Louie” Americus, who took over the joint in 1918.

Before he was forced to vacate the premises, the streetwise Strip District native — who went on to become a Marine, a Duquesne University graduate, a criminal defense lawyer and a Screen Actors Guild member — stood in the doorway of the establishment and vowed to buy it one day.

On Oct. 12, 1970, the bar’s 100th anniversary, he kept his promise.

Now, that’s the movie I want to see!

The new owner also kept the Miss America portraits and the menu. Ol’ Silver Dollar Louie attended every Atlantic City beauty competition through 1968 to amass the one-of-a-kind collection. Meanwhile, his wife, Mary Americus, came up with the batter recipe for the famous breaded oysters and fish.

Not to be outdone, Mr. G met the future Mrs. G outside of the Oyster House. The couple added mirrors to the backbar, expanded the seating area by taking over the two neighboring spaces and, at one point, operated nine satellite locations throughout the Pittsburgh region.

But, it’s the original Original that holds the most memories — for the Grippo family and for generations of Pittsburghers.

“People bring in pictures of their family and share stories,” Mrs. G says, her eyes glistening. “It’s worth everything we’ve gone through — every bit of blood, sweat and tears. I hope they leave with love, not only for our city and our establishment, but for other places they visit.”

As if on cue, a man seated at the next table leaned in to say he was an expatriate visiting from Floria. His parents hailed from the McDonald area and later started a coal mining business in West Virginia. The Oyster House was his Pittsburgh home.

“My dad would always get the buttermilk and we would get Iron City beer,” Thomas Alexander says. “No matter what we went to Pittsburgh for, the Oyster House was always a stop. I went there when I was a kid. My wife and I went there before and after we were married. Then, after our daughters were born, we took them there. Now we are taking our 8-year-old granddaughter and hopefully she will take her children to carry on the tradition.”

When he asked to get a photo with the Grippos to match the one he had taken a lifetime ago, they dabbed their eyes and happily obliged.

In addition to an array of pictures of Mr. G rubbing elbows with Hollywood’s elite, there’s a portrait of the patriarch in the upstairs office that brings his wife and daughter comfort, especially during tough times.

“I feel his energy,” Mrs. G says, “and that gives me a lift.”

The Original Oyster House is at 20 Market Square. Hours are Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday noon to 8 p.m. It will be open on Sunday, Oct. 12 from noon to 7 p.m. for the anniversary party.