When the Houston Texans travel to Pittsburgh, they won’t just be playing the Steelers. They’ll be playing the entire city. With support from the Pittsburgh Penguins and Pittsburgh Pirates, even local eateries are doing their part to make the city hostile territory. Primanti Bros, famously known for its Pittsburgh roots and french fries on sandwiches, has banned cowboy hats this weekend. A nod to “no Texans allowed” who might be making the trip.
“Listen, according to my mom, it’s bad manners to wear a hat inside,” said restaurant spokesman Ryan Wilkerson in a statement as shared by WTAE.
Primanti’s confirmed the news on its Facebook page.
“The ban includes all styles of cowboy hats — cattleman, pinch front, brick crown, open crown, flat brim, rolled brim and 10-gallon style hats,” WTAE noted.
It’s not the first time local restaurants have put their own spin on playoff weekend. Ahead of the 2023 Wild Card game between the Buffalo Bills and Steelers, a Buffalo restaurant took its “Pittsburgh Taco” off the menu and renamed it after Bills’ fans. In response, a local Pittsburgh burger chain “banned” the sale of Buffalo Sauce until there was a postseason winner.
Due to a blizzard, the game took an extra day to be played. Buffalo came out on top. Primantis will hope for a better result this time around.
So far, there’s not been any word of Houston restaurants responding in kind. Primantis has expanded beyond Pittsburgh but does not have a location in Texas.
Clearly, this is all in good fun and a little bit cheesy. But it’s a reminder of how ingrained Steelers’ football is throughout the city. A place that came alive during the 70s dynasty and has carried that through today. A town that puts on an annual Super Bowl song that always tops the charts. And a stadium that will be rocking come Monday night.