In the 1860’s, during the height of the American Civil War, the ambitious Waidler family realized a noticeable lack of temporary housing or hotels on the Allegheny River side of Fort Pitt’s Arsenal region. Construction on the Round Corner Hotel & Bar was completed in 1864. Opening that same year as the newest hotel-saloon in the neighborhood, it also moonlighted as an underground safe-house for military personnel during the war.

The Round Corner Hotel & Bar has seen only a handful of ownership changes since its original construction. Legacy owner-operators have kept meticulous care of the historic property, which is said to still house the spirits of generations past. In 2009 the Round Corner Bar became the Round Corner Cantina, at the earliest phase of Lawrenceville’s revitalization. Cantina’s singular goal has been to respect and continue the legacy & history of this iconic property on the bustling esquina (corner) of 38th & Butler Streets, in the heart of Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville district.

The Cantina, as it has become known, continues to drive the neighborhood forward as a community staple. The Esquina Cantina, as we like to call it, is now in its 14th year inside the infamous Round Corner Hotel. Please join us, and be a part of the historic stories that have been created and the legacy that continues within these walls, at the Esquina Cantina.