Two Downtown Locations Close for Good

Written by Arlo Grey MacFarland

After eight years of calling Liberty Ave. home, a beloved downtown Korean bistro and its sister cafe are saying goodbye. After opening in 2017 under Edward Lai and Ashley Bae, the locations are permanently closed as of November of 2025. 

Bae Bae’s Kitchen was the downtown spot for Korean cuisine. In 2019, they opened a second location called Bae Bae’s Cafe, located just a few doors down. They won Best Korean Food in Pittsburgh City Paper’s Best of PGH Readers’ poll. The pandemic brought about the hardships that the restaurant faced up until its closing, even after its 2021 restructuring into a bar/supper club.

“As time went on, we also made business decisions that we didn’t realize would affect us so deeply.  Some choices, although made with good intentions, led people to turn away from our business.  Admitting this is painful, but it is part of our story,” said owner Ashley Bae in an Instagram post.  “The years that followed were filled with challenges, fear, financial stress, and moments that felt impossible to overcome.”

I remember stumbling across Bae Bae’s in 2019 while I was downtown for a convention.  My mom, friends and I went, and absolutely loved it.  In a way, that restaurant became a symbol of our friendship and all the good memories we share together. We are truly sad to see the restaurant close, but grateful for the memories and delicious food they served.

The Instagram post concludes with, “Thank you so much to everyone who was part of this journey. I will always cherish the people and the memories.”