A brewery is getting ready to pour its first beers for the Coatesville community this spring.
Steel City Brewing, owned by acclaimed Pennsylvania restaurateur Philip Ferro, will open at 132 E. Lincoln Hwy. Ferro is partnering with Mark Milanese of Milanese Remodeling on the project.
“I met Mark Milanese, who owns the Steel City Brewing building. He has had the building for over 30 years, and he envisioned from day one, when he bought it, making it into a brewery, but he just didn’t have the right operator,” Ferro told What Now Philadelphia.
With Ferro at the helm, that vision is finally coming to life. Construction on the project began in 2023.
“It was a big job, the renovation, because it wasn’t set up for a restaurant or a brewery. It needed everything. Once we started on it, I fell in love with the building,” he said.
The transformed space spans two levels with a rustic design throughout. The upstairs will serve as the main dining area, while the downstairs will be reserved for events such as comedy shows and R&B nights.
“There’s a hundred foot long bar with concrete polished floors, red accent walls, and black booths,” Ferro said. “In the basement, we left it real rustic with all the brewery equipment, dart boards, and pool tables.”
The name pays homage to the Lukens Steel Company, which was based in Coatesville and is recognized as the oldest continuously operating iron mill in the United States.
“Without the steel mill, there would be no Steel City Brewing,” he said.
The brew list will feature Lukens Lite, an American light lager; Steel Wheels, a heavy imperial stout; C-Ville Cerveza, a Mexican-style lager; West End IPA, a West Coast-style IPA; Mission Wheat, a smooth, cloudy Hefeweizen; Steel Lady Pilsner; Lukens Lager; and Red Raiders Red Ale.
For every Lukens Lager sold, $1 will be donated to the Steel Museum. Similarly, a portion of proceeds from each Red Raider will go to the Coatesville School District.
Steel City Brewing will also feature a curated cocktail program led by Ferro’s wife, Kate.
To pair with the drinks, the menu will highlight classic bar fare, including shareable plates, handhelds, salads, wings and burgers. Standouts include the “Steel City Dog,” a bacon-wrapped ¼-pound hot dog topped with chipotle chili, Steel City queso and crispy onions; the “Gettin Figgy Wit It” burger with fig jam, caramelized onions and smoked gouda; and the Nashville hot chicken sandwich with a buttermilk-brined chicken breast, dill pickles, lettuce and secret sauce.
The brewery will have a wing challenge, where competitors earn a spot on the wall if they finish six Hells Bells wings made with ghost peppers, Carolina Reaper peppers and scorpion chili peppers.
As the brewery nears completion, Ferro hopes to help reshape perceptions of Coatesville.
“I’m most excited about proving people wrong. With the brewery, the bank building, the sports complex across the street, the train station—it’s all coming together,” he said.
An official opening date has not yet been announced; however, Ferro is targeting an opening within the next 30 to 60 days. Follow along on Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates.
