RIEGELSVILLE, Pa. – A new restaurant in upper Bucks County represents a full-circle moment for a Riegelsville couple, along with a dream fulfilled for a longtime Lehigh Valley chef.
Hagan’s Restaurant & Bar, specializing in contemporary cuisine showcasing local ingredients and international influences, held a soft opening on Oct. 7 at 1274 Easton Road in Riegelsville, co-owner Brandee Hagan said.
The building was the longtime home of Bowman’s North tavern, where Hagan and her husband, Jason Hagan, met in 2019 while working as the pub’s general manager and executive chef respectively.
In 2022, the Hagans left Bowman’s North to establish a catering company, Hagan Catering & Hospitality.
The catering business, located about a mile north of Hagan’s Restaurant on Easton Road, has expanded over the past year to include weekly meal-prep service and on-site event hosting.
At Hagan’s Restaurant & Bar, the couple is partnering with their friends, Eric and Vanessa Kline, who have supported the Hagans since their days at Bowman’s North.
“It’s actually a full-circle moment in a few ways,” Brandee said.
“Vanessa and Eric used to be customers at Bowman’s North, and they’re the ones who encouraged us to start the catering business. They’re also the ones who encouraged us to add the meal-prep service, which has turned out to be a huge success. So, they have been our biggest supporters since day one, and when this space became available, we thought it only made sense to open a new restaurant together.”
In addition to holding sentimental meaning for the Hagans, the restaurant’s opening represents a culmination of years of hard work and dedication for both Brandee, who’s held a variety of food-service positions in the area, and Jason, a graduate of Northampton Community College’s culinary arts program who’s longed to own and operate his own dining establishment while working in the kitchens of other local restaurants.
For more than 20 years, Jason has fine-tuned his culinary chops at several top Lehigh Valley restaurants – including Apollo Grill in Bethlehem, Grille 3501 in South Whitehall Township and River Grille and the former Ocean in Easton.
“This has definitely been a dream of mine,” Jason said.
“… I’m finally bringing my own vision to life. Don’t get me wrong, they were great experiences, and I learned a lot along the way. But now I’m able to do something completely different. It’s a fun menu, with international influences, twists on traditional favorites and fresh, local ingredients. We have a really strong sous chef and team that are also giving input, and together, we’re offering a really unique dining experience.”
Hagan’s, with seating for around 75 customers at high-top tables in the bar area and low-top tables in the dining room, is sourcing fresh meats, cheeses, produce and other ingredients from local farms and businesses such as Frigid Freeze Lockers in Riegelsville, Nello’s Specialty Meats in Bushkill Township and Traugers Farm Market in Durham Township.
Customers can enjoy starters such as 1-pound wings with choice of sauce, ribs (gochujang barbecue, charred scallions, crushed peanuts, togarashi and kimchi) and tacos (smoked pork, cabbage, mole rojo, radish lime crema and cotija); dips (served with crostini) such as hummus, whipped feta and n’duja (toasted pine nuts, lemon confit and maldon); and hand-helds such as a Jamaican jerk pulled pork sandwich, grilled PB&J (house-made bourbon pecan butter and smoked blackberry jam on Texas toast) and various burgers, including a BBQ burger with bacon jam, chipotle barbecue aioli, smoked gouda and an onion ring.
“So far, our smash burger has been one of the top sellers,” Brandee said.
“The patties are 50% beef and 50% pork belly, and they come with cheese, caramelized onions, pickles, lettuce and a special sauce. Our beef barbacoa empanadas have also been very popular.”
Large plates include options such as ramen, seared salmon, steak frites and fried chicken (served with hot n’ honey, pickles and slaw).
A unique offering is “omakase,” modeled after the traditional Japanese dining experience where the chef selects and serves a freshly prepared meal of their choosing for the customer.
“It’s chef choice, which means you don’t know what you’re getting until it’s served,” Jason said.
“It’s a complete surprise, and then we explain the entire dish when we serve it to you. We put it on the menu as a fun feature, not knowing how many people would order it, but it’s become our fifth most popular item. It’s a great way to keep the offerings fresh because we have a lot of regulars, and we don’t want them to become bored. It’s also great way for our cooks to explore new dishes and showcase their talents.”
Hagan’s menu will change periodically to include new dishes, and if certain offerings aren’t selling well, they’ll be dropped from the menu, Jason said.
“The goal is to keep the menu fresh and give the customers what they want,” he added.
“I was a chef here previously. So, I already know the area’s clientele and what they like. I’m just looking to take everything to the next level. We could’ve very easily opened a restaurant that is similar to most other places within a 15-mile radius, but we’re looking to have fun with our menu and keep people excited.”
The restaurant’s menu showcases several international influences, including Mexican and Korean, with many other selections reflecting Jason’s favorite type of cuisine: Southern.
Customers can enjoy Southern staples like mac and cheese, fried chicken and shrimp po’ boys. There also homemade desserts such as apple cobbler and bread pudding.
“Personally, I love soul food, smoked food and Latin American food,” Jason said. “We also put fun twists on some dishes, like with our totchos, our variation of nachos with tater tots instead of tortilla chips.”
Hagan’s occupies an updated space that previously housed other dining establishments, including the Riegelsville Tavern and, most recently, Boman’s North, which closed in the spring after about eight years of business.
The Hagans and Klines added minor cosmetic touches, including new wall paint, furniture and framed family photos.
Jason also hung framed photos of famous chefs, including Anthony Bourdain, Gordon Ramsay, David Chang and Marco Pierre White, who have inspired him.
The restaurant features a full bar, offering classic and signature cocktails, wines by the glass and bottle and a wide variety of beers, including canned and bottled selections and 16 rotating drafts.
“We have some really great cocktails, including our pickletini, which features our house-made pickles,” Brandee said.
Hagan’s, which also offers takeout, is open daily, with kitchen hours being 3-9 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays, noon to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays.
The bar stays open until midnight Monday through Saturday and 5 p.m. Sundays. Happy hour, featuring discounted drinks and small pates, is 3-6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
For the latest updates, follow Hagan’s Restaurant & Bar on Facebook. Info: 610-510-3030.