A troubled Harrisonburg restaurant yet again faces charges from the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

It's the third time in less than a year The Pub in Harrisonburg is in trouble with the ABC.

The restaurant faces five charges including inability to demonstrate financial responsibility; attempting to defraud the ABC Board, the City of Harrisonburg Department of Revenue and the Virginia Department of Taxation; failure to submit an accurate annual review report; ceasing to qualify as a restaurant; and having an inappropriate ratio of alcohol-to-food sales.

The restaurant's owners were in Staunton Wednesday defending themselves before an ABC hearing officer.

"We were happy to be able to present our case. We presented all the evidence. We think everything we laid out is favorable, and we feel good about it," says co-owner Bill Royer.

After an audit of the restaurant's books, the ABC charged The Pub, saying it under-reported sales of alcohol.

Royer's attorney questions the accuracy of the audit. During the hearing, he argued the auditors used incorrect numbers when trying to estimate how much money The Pub should have made on alcohol sales.

Bartenders testified they pour almost twice as much alcohol in drinks as the industry standard. The owners also say their average drink price is less than what the auditors used in their calculations.

The Pub is popular among young people, especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The owners say discounts on those nights account for why their sales appear lower than they would otherwise be.

"We feel comfortable. We feel good about it. And, we're looking forward to a favorable outcome and get this behind us and move on," says Royer.

In Virginia, restaurants may have a 55-percent alcohol to 45-percent food sales ratio. An ABC special agent says The Pub sold 73-percent alcohol to 27-percent food from September 2007 to August 2008. The Pub's attorney agrees that sales are not where they should be, but says The Pub is not off by as much as the ABC alleges.

Some background on this case:

In August 2008, The Pub's owners admitted to a violation of after hours drinking laws. They paid a fine and their liquor license was suspended.

In February 2009, the ABC charged the restaurant with the same violation. It is currently serving out a ten-day license suspension on that charge. The violation came to light during an investigation by the Harrisonburg Police Department into an ex-bartender who is charged in the hit-and-run death of Sherry Anderson.

In May 2009, The Pub was slapped with five charges including fraud. A ruling is expected from the ABC within 45 days.