Austin’s Ale House Joins New City Dining Scene

Austin’s Ale House, New City’s newest restaurant, came together in record time, according to manager Laura Poli.

“I saw them do in 13 days what some restaurants do in six months,” Poli said.

The 13 days Poli refers to is the time it took for the former CB Kitchen and Grill to transform into Austin’s.

The bar and restaurant opened on June 7 after redoing everything from floors and furniture to bathrooms and the kitchen.

Before opening, Austin’s made sure to retain CB’s entire staff—including Poli, who was bartending at the now–defunct restaurant.

“I can already see Austin’s doing better than CB,” Poli said.

While Poli believes that Austin’s attracts a more mature crowd than competing restaurants, she said the eatery also caters strongly to families. The restaurant had a printing company make Austin’s coloring books for children, and Mondays are “Kid’s Night”—youngsters’ meals cost only 99-cents with the purchase of an entree.

Poli credits owner Mark Pavlicek with the bolstered business.

“Mark’s here a lot, he actually cares,” Poli said. “He’s always making sure people are happy, and that really matters.”

Austin’s is Pavlicek’s first restaurant, but he is ambitious, already planning more locations in Philadelphia and Connecticut.

“Austin’s is a casual but upscale place, and the owners want to make the community better,” Pavlicek said. “We’re just trying to make the patron’s experience enjoyable by providing a comfortable atmosphere, good food and a clean environment.”

Some of the most distinctive menu items include: chicken and waffles; the bacon, egg, and cheese burger; the lamb burger; the crab cake sandwich; and the pastrami Reuben. 

Poli said top-selling dishes are the beef brisket chili, the fried chicken sandwich, and their homemade mac and cheese.

“Everything down to the pickles is homemade,” Poli added. “The sauces, the dressings, the chili, everything.”

In order to attract customers and keep the coming back, the restaurant is holding nightly promotions. On the heels of Kid’s Night is Tuesday’s Dollar Taco Night. Wednesday evenings feature 50-cent wings, and on Friday and Saturday nights, Austin’s has live music and dinner specials.

“We’re continuing to build, and its really looking positive,” Pavlicek said.