Pistol Pete’s aims for a taste of the Old West
Nov, 09-2009 5:59 pm
By SUZANNE MARINO
Staff Writer
PLEASANTVILLE – The cash for clunkers program may have been a shot in the arm for the auto industry, but Pete Quarelli, owner of Pistol Pete’s Saloon and Steakhouse, has his own stimulus plan.
Quarelli is running what he calls his “sizzling stimulus” to generate new customers and to give his regulars a few more reasons to treat themselves to a meal out.
He says he is practically giving the food away.
“Any sandwich on the lunch menu along with fries is only $5.99 Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. On the weekend we are just about giving away some of our best-sellers like baby back ribs, all you can eat for $14.99,” he said.
There is hardly a more visible location in all of Atlantic County than Pistol Pete’s, located at 1000 Black Horse Pike across the street from Sam’s Club and adjacent to Kmart, right where Pleasantville and Egg Harbor Township meet.
“So many of my customers come in here and say, ‘Pete, I have driven by this place 100 times, and I kept saying I was going to stop in and never did for a long time, and now it’s my favorite place.’ I hear it all the time,” Quarelli said.
“You can’t miss us. I have to be the only guy that follows through with my décor all the way into the parking lot.”
The big purple neon cowboy hat, wagon wheel and the longhorns out front are a giveaway that Pistol Pete’s offers a taste of the Old West.
Quarelli comes by the restaurant business naturally. He is half Italian and half Greek, he said, and has been around kitchens and food almost his entire life.
As a kid he lived at Eighth and Catherine streets in Philadelphia, just a block from the South Philadelphia Market. From there his parents moved to Merchantville and ran the popular Colonial Room Beef and Beer in the Pennsauken Mart.
“It was a blend of cultures. The Mart was really a unique place where there was a farmers market, amusement rides and a pig roasting all at the same time. It was like Ninth Street under a roof,” said Quarelli.
He worked with his parents until they sold their place in the late 1970s. After trying different adventures he finally came back to his roots in 1999 and opened the beef and beer restaurant in what was formerly The Press Box.
Quarelli admits he was a bit of a pistol as a kid. An aunt asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, and like most boys in the late 1950s he wanted to be a cowboy. Along came the name Pistol Pete.
The restaurant décor has two distinct dining areas; however, the same savory slow-cooked food is available throughout. Downstairs is a more casual atmosphere that looks like a saloon in the Old West.
“I wanted the place to look like John Wayne just might walk through the door to come in for a drink, something to eat – but that is downstairs. I also wanted to have a fine dining restaurant where customers can enjoy a great meal in a wonderful atmosphere, and that is upstairs,” he said.
“I always loved Zaberer’s as a kid because it always had the feel of a holiday. And that is how I want my customers to feel – like every day is a special day.”
“We are not fast food. Everything we serve is cooked to order, so everything is fresh,” said Quarelli.
Running the kitchen is the chef Willie Lewis of Brigantine, who has worked in some of the finest dining rooms in the area: the Ram’s Head Inn, Fred and Ethel’s, and the Claridge Casino, where he spent 20 years. Quarelli said Lewis was also a chef educator and president of the South Jersey Chefs Association.
He said the chef’s secret – at least one he is willing to share – is slow roasting and hand-rubbing the meat to bring the flavors together. The baby back ribs are prepared and marinated each day to be cooked the next.
“They are slow-cooked, and the meat falls off the bone. They are incredibly juicy and full of flavor,” Quarelli said.
The bar features drink specials, live entertainment, DJ and karaoke.
The Black Horse Pike restaurant is the sole location, but Quarelli and Lewis have big plans.
“We want to open Pistol Pete’s Bar-B-Que and Rodeo Saloon at Bally’s Wild West Casino,” Quarelli said. “We are looking to create a country and western style sports bar.” To that end, he aims to boost his customer base, hence the sizzling stimulus to get people hooked on his food, he said.
“I know once they try it, they are going to want to come back for more.”
Customer favorites
Lunch (served 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
Pistol Pete’s Buffalo Chicken Salad ($11.99) Romaine lettuce tossed in homemade bleu cheese dressing, topped with chunks of chicken breast dipped in Pete’s signature mild buffalo sauce.
The Pistol Steak ($5.99) An 8-ounce beef cheese steak with fried onions, mushrooms and tomatoes. Topped with strips of bacon and glazed with a secret dressing.
French Onion Soup ($5.99 special) Chef Willie’s own recipe blended with sherry, tender sweet onions and fresh croutons and topped with melted provolone and Swiss cheese and baked in a crock.
Appetizers
Nachos Grande ($7.99) Fresh-fried corn chips layered with shredded lettuce, Texas chili, shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, diced Roma tomatoes and sliced jalapeños and served with pico de gallo.
Bang-bang Shrimp ($9.99) Seasoned, lightly battered and deep fried shrimp tossed in a sweet and spicy chili sauce and served over lettuce.
Dinner (served 5 to 11 p.m.)
Red River Rib Eye ($9.99 weekend special/$24.99 regularly) A 14-ounce black Angus steak in a mushroom-smothered demi-glaze or topped with crispy fried onions. Includes two side dishes.
BBQ Ribs (1/2 rack $13.99; full rack $23.99 and all you can eat on weekends $14.99)
Chef Willie’s blue ribbon award-winning recipe. Hand-rubbed with a blend of seasonings and marinated all day in the chef’s barbecue sauce.
Grilled Chicken ($14.99) Covered in seasonal peppers, sautéed onions and smothered in pepper jack cheese. Comes with two side dishes.
Crab Cakes (19.99) Two crab cakes tossed in a special sauce with red and green peppers, grilled and topped with homemade tartar sauce.
If You Go
Pistol Pete’s Steakhouse and Saloon
1000 Black Horse Pike, Pleasantville
(609) 484-1000
Open 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. (kitchen until 1 a.m.) Sunday though Thursday and 11 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. (kitchen until 2 a.m.) Friday and Saturday
Takeout available
