‘A Hidden Gem’ Celebrates 60 Years

Tillie’s Restaurant continues to delight locals, visitors to city

By Jason A. Mignanelli
The Tube City Almanac
March 01, 2022
Posted in: Announcements

A portrait of restaurant founder Matilda DeMarino Teti Smith — better known to everyone as “Tillie” — graces the dining room at Tillie’s Restaurant in McKeesport. The restaurant is celebrating its 60th anniversary this month. (Jason A. Mignanelli photo for Tube City Almanac)

On a recent Saturday night, a steady crowd of McKeesport regulars — along with others who were visiting for the first time — funneled into the tiny entrance of Tillie’s Restaurant on 36th Avenue.

Some were aware that Tillie’s was approaching its 60th anniversary. Others had no idea. But people who frequent Tillie’s have many fond memories of the restaurant throughout the years.

“I remember coming here with grandma when I was just young. She’s no longer living but it brings back memories,” said Robyn Lewis of McKeesport, who was waiting to be seated with her husband, Wayne, and their daughter Taylor.

For Wayne, his favorite dish is plain old spaghetti and meatballs. For Taylor, it’s the homemade gnocchi. As for Robyn, she sticks with the giant raviolis made from scratch.

(Jason A. Mignanelli photo for Tube City Almanac)

What started out as a couple of Italian ladies cooking homemade recipes in a tiny kitchen attached to a bar has grown into a landmark restaurant whose fame has spread beyond McKeesport.

“They worked really hard. Back then, those Italian ladies that came here, they worked really hard,” said Rose Beeson, the eldest daughter of Tillie and sister to Angelo Teti, the restaurant’s current owner.

With nothing but $18,500 and some inspiration from her aunt Anna Teti, Matilda T. Smith — born Matilda DeMarino — took a risk and officially opened her own restaurant on March 1, 1962.

“They used to make homemade Italian food and just sell it on the weekends, here and there, then it just kept growing,” Beeson said. “More and more people asked for it and mom was doing it pretty much every weekend out of a little kitchen. Eventually, my aunt and some other people kept telling her that she should open up a restaurant.”

The name of that restaurant would be Tillie’s.

“Tillie was a nickname that some locals gave to Matilda many years ago and it just stuck,” said Beeson.

Finding a location was one of the more stressful decisions Matilda Smith had to make, especially since she had only $18,500 to spend.

Along with Beeson and family and friends, Tillie Smith visited a building in Christy Park that had previously been “Johnson’s Lunch Room” and “Portner’s Restaurant” and decided to buy it.

“It was in real bad shape inside but my mother decided it would work. For a women who didn’t have any formal education past the 5th grade, this was a big step,” said Beeson.

After purchasing the building and opening the restaurant, many of the same customers who used to buy the weekend spaghetti and sauce now came to the restaurant where Tillie was able to expand on the menu.

“She was the first person to sell thick crust pizza in the area,” as mentioned on the Tillie’s website.

Tillie ran the restaurant from 1962 until 1979 when her only son, Angelo Teti, purchased the business from her.

“Angelo is my little brother.  He bought the restaurant from my mom in 1979. I had worked there most of my life waitressing and helping at the bar but when my brother bought the restaurant, I retired shortly after. I guess you could say I tried to boss him around like a big sister does and it didn’t work real well,” Rose said laughing.

“I only live 120 steps from the restaurant even to this day. I always tell Angelo to call me if he ever gets in a pinch, but needless to say he hasn’t called me yet,” Beeson said.

“He’s done a great job growing the place. He added onto the building a couple of times and it’s much bigger than when my mom had it. She just had a little small place where people could come and get good food,” Beeson said.

What most people don’t know about Tillie’s, Beeson said, is that the restaurant almost never happened at all. When Matilda Teti was just 13 years old, she barely escaped death from carbon monoxide inhalation.

She was with a friend at a neighbor’s house when a malfunctioning gas heater made them both sick, Beeson said. A neighbor looking through a window saw the girls were unconscious and McKeesport firefighters rescued them.

“The girls were very lucky to be saved. Heck, I wouldn’t even be here either,” Beeson said, adding that her mother “certainly lived her life to the fullest” after the accident.

“Everybody loved her. She was a people person. She would talk to anyone. That’s why the business did so well,” Beeson said.

Tillie Smith died in 2003 at age 87.

Santino Mignanelli, 4, enjoys wedding soup at Tillie’s. (Jason A. Mignanelli photo for Tube City Almanac)

Aside from Tillie’s personality, customers said her commitment to making homemade food is what helped Tillie’s to standout, and the Teti family’s continued dedication to keeping those recipes alive brings them back, time and time again.

“Everything is homemade. It reminds me of my mom’s food,” said Janet Gavazzi, who was at Tillie’s recently with her husband Ralph to celebrate his birthday.

Many of the employees have spent years working at Tillie’s, as well. “It’s like one big family,” said employee Stacey Keller. Even the new employees see something special about the Tillie’s family-friendly work environment. 

“I love the people. I love being around the people and I love seeing their smiles,” said Alex Dawson, a waiter who has been working at Tillie’s for approximately six months.

Customer Wayne Lewis summed up Tillie’s three generations of success: “A hidden gem that never disappoints.”

Jason A. Mignanelli is a freelance writer from Pittsburgh’s North Hills and a student at Duquesne University. He may be reached at mignanellij@duq.edu.

Originally published March 01, 2022.

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