A longtime hangout for food, drinks and sports is finding new life in North Catasauqua.
Grove Street Pub & Grill, a neighborhood pub offering craft beer, wine and cocktails along with casual American fare like burgers and cheesesteaks, is expected to open in October at 1094 Howertown Road, bar manager Megan McFadden said.
The building, which is undergoing extensive renovations, previously housed other dining establishments, including Dockside Inn and the Blue Monkey sports bar and restaurant, the latter of which closed in 2020 after 15 years of business.
Grove Street, named after the pub’s cross street, will feature 21 taps showcasing a rotating selection of import and domestic beers, including some locally produced varieties, along with a few hard ciders and seltzers.
“About 11-12 drafts will be available to start, and then we’ll grow our selection from there,” McFadden said. “We also want to take suggestions from customers and give people what they want.”
The refaced bar also will serve a wide array of bottle beers as well as wines by the glass and classic and signature cocktails.
“Everything’s going to be made-from-scratch, including artisan cocktails featuring fresh fruit,” McFadden said. “We’re going to focus on fresh sangrias, with one red, one white and one seasonal sangria always being available. So, if we open in the fall, there will likely be a sangria that has a cinnamon or pumpkin aspect to it. In the summer, there may be a watermelon option.”
Grove Street, with seating for around 170 customers, will serve “elevated pub food,” including various sandwiches, steak and seafood entrees and appetizers like chicken wings and quesadillas, McFadden said.
Local ingredients will be sourced whenever possible, and food and drink specials will be offered daily.
“Mondays are going to be Mexican Mondays,” McFadden said. “So, we’re going to run margarita and Mexican food specials — made-to-order chimichangas, fajitas and so on — for lunch and dinner. The atmosphere will be very laid-back, and we’re going to do our best to keep everything high-quality and affordable at the same time.”
The pub will occupy a renovated space that features new epoxied flooring in the bar area and industrial vinyl flooring (made to look like hardwood) in the dining room.
Other improvements will include new booths, LED lighting, kitchen equipment, remodeled bathrooms, granite counters and tabletops and locally made, wooden high-top tables.
More than 20 high-definition TVs, including an 80-inch model in the bar area, will be mounted on the walls, and the bar plans to carry NFL Sunday Ticket and other sports packages to show several different games at once, McFadden said.
Other entertainment will include a jukebox and pool table.
“We will have every sports game that customers want to watch available for them,” McFadden said.
The property’s parking lot has been repaved and other exterior improvements such as new landscaping and facade repainting — the top of the building will be repainted black and the bottom will be repainted two shades of gray — are expected to be complete in the coming weeks.
Grove Street, which has a tagline of “your neighborhood place,” will be open daily for lunch and dinner.
Hours are still being finalized, but tentative hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. The kitchen would close one hour before the bar closes.
