Visit Bucks County launches its first-ever countywide Restaurant Week
By Samantha Bambino
The Times
Get those taste buds (and stretchy pants) ready…more than 60 restaurants are about to join forces for the first-ever countywide Restaurant Week hosted by Visit Bucks County. The week-long event, which kicks off Sunday, April 29, and runs through Saturday, May 5, allows locals and visitors alike to sample the county’s finest cuisine for a discounted cost.
Spanning more than 20 towns throughout the county, the participating restaurants, pubs and bistros promise an unforgettable dining experience for avid foodies. Each eatery will offer three-course, prix fixe dinner menus featuring appetizers, signature dishes and delectable desserts for a special rate of $25 or $35 per person.
At Southampton’s SteamPub, located at 606 Second Street Pike, patrons can enjoy a variety of made-from-scratch classics that landed the pub on Bucks Happening’s 2018 “The Happening List.”
“We’re showcasing the best and most popular items for those who have never been here,” said owner Martin Hoeger.
For $35, Restaurant Week-goers can choose an appetizer (spicy crab chowder, Asian calamari or a mozzarella wedge), entree (pulled pork mac and cheese, fish taco, Tuscan chicken or Mandarin salmon) and dessert (brownie sundae, fried cheese cake or tiramisu).
Hoeger, who co-founded SteamPub in 2012, is thrilled to welcome both tourists and Bucks residents who were previously unfamiliar with the restaurant. Though he has participated in numerous large scale food events in Philadelphia, such as Burger Brawl, there’s something special about showing all SteamPub has to offer from its own backyard.
“It’s nice to see it’s been brought here,” he said of Restaurant Week.
At its heart, according to Hoeger, his eatery is a restaurant/bar/gastropub that serves beloved American dishes with a slight Steam spin.
“We didn’t try to recreate the wheel,” he said. “It’s just an all around good time, from the environment, to the staff, to the food. We just want to create a good experience for our customers.”
Meanwhile in Bristol, co-owners Brian Erwin and Francine Rementer are preparing a very different yet equally robust menu selection at The Borough Pub, located at 1800 Farragut Ave. Boasting a casual family-friendly atmosphere, the restaurant/bar opened its doors a little more than six years ago, currently serving as locals’ go-to spot for sporting events, large-scale private parties and a relaxed evening out with friends.
According to Erwin, The Borough Pub is a regular participant of Bristol’s restaurant week, which was held for the first time in 2016. He explained Bristol patrons will always hold a special place in his heart, but just like Hoeger, he’s excited to showcase the pub to a new clientele.
“They get to see what a big city restaurant is like in a small town,” Erwin said. “They’ll be blown away.”
The Borough Pub will offer a $25 menu from which guests can choose an appetizer, entree and dessert. The appetizer selection will include lobster & crab bisque, house or caesar salad, or shrimp cognac (sauteed shrimp in a cognac pink sauce). Entrees will be stuffed flounder (broiled flounder stuffed with shrimp and crabmeat in a garlic white wine beurre blanc, served with mixed vegetables and choice of potato), shrimp scampi (linguini pasta tossed with baby shrimp in a white wine garlic butter sauce), or mixed grill (grilled beef, pork and veal tenderloin medallions topped with a port wine demi glaze). For dessert, the options will be chocolate cake with raspberry cream cheese icing or cherry cheesecake.
Dozens of other Lower Bucks eateries will offer their own unique dining options, including Parx Casino’s Liberty Bell Gastropub, Bambu Noodle House and Parxgrill, Atrium Bistro in Trevose, Bella Tori at the Mansion in Langhorne, Carrabba’s Italian Grill in Bensalem, Cosmos Restaurant & Bar in Fairless Hills, El Barrio Cantina & Tequila Bar in Southampton, Santucci’s Square Pizza and Restaurant in Warminster, and Bristol’s Historic King George II Inn and Itri Wood Fired, among many more.
Reservations are strongly encouraged. Patrons can utilize the official Bucks County Restaurant Week OpenTable page at opentable.com/promo.aspx?m=13&ref=17786&pid=11264 to secure their seat at the county’s most popular restaurants.
This is a BYOB event, which allows guests to bring their favorite brews or wines to complete their meals. Visit Bucks County has partnered with Lyft to give existing and new users a 25 percent discount off one ride when using the code EATINBUCKSCO throughout the week.
Visit Bucks County also invites foodies to make Restaurant Week a getaway by staying overnight in a local B&B or hotel. Special offers, including lodging deals, are available.
For an up-to-date list of all participating restaurants and to learn more about Bucks County Restaurant Week, visit visitbuckscounty.com/restaurants/bucks-county-restaurant-week. ••
Samantha Bambino can be reached at [email protected]
