PITTSBURGH - After nearly eight years of serving modern Italian fare and craft cocktails on Penn Avenue, Fish Nor Fowl has permanently closed its doors. The high-end restaurant in Pittsburgh's Garfield neighborhood—operated by the legally embattled restaurateur Richard DeShantz and the Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group—quietly shut down operations over the weekend.
On Monday morning, November 2, 2026, the restaurant's official website was replaced entirely by a brief farewell message from the staff.
The Official Statement
The closure notice posted to the Fish Nor Fowl website expressed gratitude to the community and the restaurant's employees:
"Fish Nor Fowl is now closed. After nearly eight years on Penn Avenue, we've served our last plate. Thank you to everyone who joined us for pasta, cocktails, and long dinners upstairs. Thank you to our team, who made every night what it was. It's been an honor to cook for you. With gratitude, The Fish nor Fowl Family."
The restaurant, which originally opened to much fanfare and later survived a multi-year closure during the pandemic before reopening in early 2023, was known for its stylish interior, elevated pasta dishes, and robust bar program.
Context Surrounding the Closure
While the official statement did not specify a reason for the abrupt closure, it comes amidst a turbulent period for the restaurant group's founder. Richard DeShantz has recently faced serious, ongoing legal and personal controversies.
Despite the closure of Fish Nor Fowl, the Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group still maintains a large footprint in Pittsburgh's dining scene. The hospitality group continues to operate more than a dozen highly visible venues across the city, including Poulet Bleu in Lawrenceville, Golden Gai in Bakery Square, Pre Amp Coffee Studio in Squirrel Hill, and a dense cluster of Downtown restaurants such as Meat & Potatoes, Täkō, Gi-Jin, Sally Ann's, and the recently reopened Butcher and the Rye.