By Frank D. Quattrone
At Johnny Apples, one of Bucks County’s most beloved watering holes, conviviality reigns supreme. Laughter permeates the dining rooms—partly from the tables, partly from the bar, a sure sign of the (good) times (patrons are having).
Perhaps they noticed, as they arrived, atop the restaurant’s roof—the jolly flag of Ireland swaying in the warm evening breeze. Perhaps it was the traditional Gaelic welcome on the front door, or the lighted four-leaf clover adjacent to the TV screen dominating the bar. Not to mention the ten other screens facing each other, five on each side, above the long rectangular bar seating two-dozen lively patrons.
Although it’s not, strictly speaking, an Irish restaurant and bar, there’s no denying the grand Irish tradition of hospitality keenly palpable at every turn. Our charming server, Michele Pomponi, greeted two first-time visitors with genuine warmth, no doubt a vestige of her twenty-years’ enjoyment in her role at Johnny Apples.
It’s a family restaurant, with generations of the same families returning again and again since the restaurant opened in 2001. The co-owners are siblings Mary Barb, who enjoys mixing fine cocktails tending bar, and Executive Chef Patrick Bell, a raconteur who claims he owes his passion for cooking from his mother, who turned him loose in the family kitchen, not to mention the many other chefs he’s worked with through the years. His training? He says, with a wink, “I was taught on the streets!”
The business is in the blood. Their parents owned and operated the Hathaway Inn in Germantown for more than a quarter-century (1971 to 2001), and their brother John still owns and operates the Princeton Tavern in Northeast Philly. And at Johnny Apples, a gastropub named after their fathers (their dad and their stepdad), the blood runs hot and cool.
Chef Patrick has fashioned an accessible, affordable menu with familiar favorites and neat twists on contemporary American cuisine. Drawn to a table of four lively patrons enjoying each other’s company as well as the restaurant’s warm ambiance, we asked about the generously laden appetizer filling their table. On their second visit to the restaurant, siblings Dylan and Bella Pontarelli and their friends Mackenzie Gillen and Nicole Davis had ordered “Johnny Apple’s Sampler,” an amazing array of upscale comfort food featuring hot wings, chicken tenders, potato skins, mozzarella sticks, and mini chicken tacos (with side servings of marinara sauce, blue cheese dressing, honey mustard, and sour cream).
We thanked them for their recommendation and ordered our own “Sampler” to start our meal that evening (and the next two, for good measure!). And then, for our entrées, came two more pleasant surprises.
From the “Hand Helds” menu, Eve thought she was ordering one of her favorite sandwiches—a Reuben. Little did she know that, far from being a sandwich, far from being possible to hold in her hand, it was a generous, scrumptious plate of corned beef sitting atop a huge slice of rye bread, cradled with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut, smothered with Thousand Island Dressing, all grilled to perfection and accompanied (like all “Hand Helds”) with French fries, coleslaw, and a pickle. Man! Add half of that to our dinner the next night! Dee-lish!
But my favorite dish of the evening was clearly my sautéed Sausage and Shrimp Louisiana, the chef’s deft variation on Jambalaya, served in a spicy Creole sauce over (my choice of pasta) linguine. Okay, okay—more zesty fun to reprise in our next evening meal!
We had no room left for dessert, but took home delectable portions of Key Lime Pie and Tiramisu for our feast the next day.
Although it’s hard to believe the restaurant could be any livelier than our Thursday night visit, we learned that Johnny Apples offers an evening of karaoke every Wednesday and brings in live music every Friday and Saturday night.
Mary Barb says, “Our guests are like family. They have such a good time here.” Patrick adds, “Some were so happy we never closed during the pandemic, but still offered takeout, so they could still enjoy their favorite meals at home. They never forget that we didn’t forget them.”
There are so many favorites on the menu. But the owners say that everyone raves about their Clams Casino, their 14-ounce seasoned and grilled pork chop, and their “steakhouse quality” 16-ounce New York Strip Steak, which is a weekly special every Thursday. Other weekly specials include half-price burgers and $2.00 chicken tacos all-day Tuesday, and Happy Hour drink specials Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m.
Dining is also available on the patio when the weather is kind; but anyone who passes through that front door, listening to the happy buzz emanating from the dining rooms and bar can’t help knowing that that’s the place to be. For the food. For the drinks. For that legendary Irish hospitality. Sláinte!
Johnny Apples Restaurant is located at 184 Buck Road, Holland, PA; 215-953-9900; https://johnnyapplesrestaurant.com. Open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch/dinner served to 10 p.m. daily; light fare daily until 11 p.m. Happy Hour: 4–6 p.m., Monday –Friday, bar area only. Available for catering on- and off-site. Live music Friday & Saturday evenings. Call for reservations.