The 99 Cent Chef: Pennsylvania

Showing posts with label Pennsylvania. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Happy Hour Lobster at Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar

OMG, right off the bat, my $10 Lobster Sliders for Happy Hour at Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar in Newtown, Pennsylvania, were fantastic!

My wife, Linda, took me to Harvest Grill when we visited Carol, her 98-year-old mother, in Newtown, Pa., at her assisted living facility. Her mother still likes to dine out, and since it was the afternoon, we sat on the patio for an early Happy Hour. I am always on the lookout for East Coast seafood...at the right price.

If you are familiar with my family food blog stories, I was raised on the Gulf Coast in Texas and Louisiana, where seafood is king. Jumbo shrimp, catfish, blue crabs, and oysters are in abundance, but one thing we do not have there is lobster (unless it is brought from out of state). Here are a couple of food blog examples: I made a slideshow video of Linda's visit to my Mom in Louisiana, and a couple of months ago Linda and I dined cheaply at Under The Pier seafood restaurant in her hometown of Levittown, Pa. (Click on any highlighted names to see my tasty blog posts.)

I never had the local East Coast specialty, Lobster Roll, until Linda brought me to see her family and friends in Pennsylvania (Levittown), New Jersey (Cape May), and New York (Fire Island and NYC).

A Lobster Roll filling is like a minimal Tuna Salad, but made with steamed, chopped lobster meat. The lobster is simply served on a hot dog bun. The lobster is plain, with butter, or mixed with mayo.

At Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar, the chopped Lobster Salad has barely any mayo; it is all lobster chunks. I detected a mix of claw and tail meat. The Lobster Sliders for Happy Hour were loaded, and two Sliders for $10 is a great deal.

I think the Lobster Salad was served in Brioche mini-buns (instead of a hot dog bun). A slab of Bibb (Butter) Lettuce completed the Slider.

The lobster flesh was tender and moist - the buns were light and fluffy. Nothing to the Lobster Sliders, really, and that's fine. And each bun was stuffed and stacked with Lobster meat - I think these two Lobster Sliders held as much as a normally priced $20 to $30 Lobster Roll.

With such cheap Lobster Sliders, I indulged in a full-priced mixed drink called Harvest Peach Old Fashioned, comprised of Basil Hayden Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Peach Puree, Organic Agave, Angostura Bitters, Soda, and Fresh Peach. The drink was a tasty mix of fruity, plus oak, caramel, and spiced flavored bourbon, and it went down smooth. I did finish the meal with a Happy Hour-priced beer.

Here is a photo of the Happy Hour menu from last month. Since the restaurant has a seasonal menu, some food specials come and go. Check with the restaurant before going to see what's for Happy Hour.

Click on any photo to see it larger.

Linda and I have gone here a couple of times already, and all the food we have tried is delicious, plus the wine and fruit Sangrias are quite flavorful. Click here to see Harvest Grill info and full menu. They have several locations - we went to the Newtown, Pa., one.

So, on the 99 Cent Chef's Cheap$kate Dining Scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best, I give Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar Happy Hour of two Lobster Sliders a...perfect 9.

On our next visit to Linda's mom, we are definitely hitting the Harvest Happy Hour to see what they are serving next. And, I hope $10 Lobster Sliders are still on the menu?

99 thanks, Linda, for turning me on to a cheap$kate Lobster Slider Happy Hour!!

Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar

2865 S Eagle Rd, Newtown, PA 18940

Phone: (215) 944-8469

Website: harvestseasonal.com

Hours of Operation

Monday-Thursday: 11:30 AM – 9:00 PM

Friday + Saturday: 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM

Sunday: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Happy Hour: Monday-Friday from 3pm-6pm in the bar area + outdoor patio.

Thursday, September 4, 2025

Under the Pier - Seafood Restaurant for Cheap$kates

When I accompany my wife to her childhood home in Levittown, Pennsylvania (26 miles from Philadelphia), I like to patronize local eateries. Under the Pier is a local restaurant landmark, opened in 1971 and still serving tasty seafood. Read on and take a culinary deep dive with Linda and me.

In these days of $50 (2 mixed drinks and 2 appetizers) Happy Hours, it's nice to just sit down at a local old school restaurant and find cheap drinks and seafood...any time of day.

Check out my tastful photo story below for a deliciously edible dinner tour of Under the Pier. And, continue reading to get all the details with yummy photo illustrations.

We started with a large platter of Steamed Mussels with a small container of melted butter. They were just enough for two. The Mussels were tender, plump, and briny. I find them milder and easier to eat than Fried Oysters and Steamed Clams. However, I do love raw Oysters and chewy Fried Clams.

We both ordered a platter of broiled and baked seafood. Being on the East Coast, I got a cool Long Island Iced Tea. Both servings were loaded with seafood, served simply with tartar and cocktail sauces. Nothing fancy here.

My wife's Broiled Flounder with Coleslaw and Fried Potatoes (Sea Chips) cost $13.95, while my Broiled Combo of Flounder, Cod, Scallops, Shrimp, Stuffed Shrimp, and Green Beans was an incredible $26.95. Plus, a Long Island Iced Tea for only $8.95 --- good value for tasty seafood and drinks.

Broiled Flounder

Broiled Seafood Combo

I especially liked the Scallops, which were large and tender. Same with the fillets of Cod and Flounder. Cod is firmer than Flounder. Shrimp two ways, broiled and stuffed, were done well.

The Green Beans were firm, of the frozen type, which means not mushy from the can.

I vowed to return for another meal. A week later, I had an appetizer of raw Littleneck Clams, followed by an Olde English Fish 'N Chips for $14.95.

The Littleneck Clams have little chewy nubs, unlike softer raw oysters. I'm not used to raw clams, but I'm learning to like them.

Made with Cod, the 3 crunchy batter fish fillets were flaky and moist. The fried potato rounds, or Sea Chips, were fine, crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

My meal was served with a side of Coleslaw that is light on the mayonnaise. I got a $2 mug of Yuengling draft beer to wash it down with. (Try finding a mug of beer anywhere else at this price, especially a local Pennsylvania beer like Yuengling, made by America's oldest brewery.)

Under the Pier has received "Best of" accolades from local publications and websites for its cuisine.

The decor has nautical tchotchkes and cute placemat art decorations on the walls. The service is fast and friendly.

They have an extensive menu - can't guarantee they will have everything listed, but you will find plenty to your liking. It is cash only, so leave your credit cards behind.

Daily Lunch Specials are very cheap, and draft beer is $2 a mug! I don't know how long these prices will hold, but I'll be back for more! It's like an all-day Happy Hour.

99 thanks to my wife, Linda, for turning me on to Under the Pier. If you are in the area, I highly recommend a visit -- tell them a cheap$kate called The 99 Cent Chef sent you.