Facial hair is in.
At least at Primanti Bros. it is.
To honor Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, the restaurant will offer a free classic sandwich to any diner with a mustache at 8 p.m. during Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game.
Skenes was announced Friday as the starting pitcher for the National League.
Skenes (6-0, 1.90 ERA) is coming off a gem of a game Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers, where he threw seven no-hit innings while matching his career-high in strikeouts with 11. In 66⅓ innings, he’s struck out 89 with only 13 walks. Opposing batters are hitting just .202 against him.
The mustaches can be real or fake. But need to be validated by someone at the restaurant, so the offer is valid for dine-in only. It can be a handlebar style like Skenes’, or pencil-thin, or one purchased from a costume shop.
“There’s no better place to watch sports than at Primanti Bros.,” said Primanti Bros. CEO Adam Golomb in a statement. “With the amazing season he’s having — and the excitement he’s brought back to Bucco baseball — we wanted to honor Paul Skenes and his almost famous signature stache with our signature Almost Famous sandwich.
“What better excuse do people need for a free sandwich?” Golomb asked.
Last month, Eat’n Park announced a Smiley cookie called “Bucco Stache Cookies” with a mustache design to honor Skenes. The cookies are online ordering only.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region’s diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of “A Daughter’s Promise.” She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.