EASTON, Pa. – Eight months after a fire led to extensive water damage in its basement, a beloved restaurant is once again serving up French toast, frittatas, fried egg reubens, and other breakfast and lunch specialties in Northampton County.
The State Cafe and Grill held a soft reopening on Thursday at 14-16 S. Fifth St. in Easton, owner Bill Sneeringer told 69 News.
The restaurant had been temporarily closed for repairs since late February, when runoff water used to fight a blaze at the nearby Hotel Hampton building led to six feet of water in its basement.
The State Cafe and Grill operates at 14-16 S. Fifth St. in Easton.
Ryan Kneller
“Everything had to be totally replaced – our hot water heaters, the alarm system, camera system, walk-in cooler and all of its contents and our electrical system,” Sneeringer said.
Due to the restaurant’s months-long hiatus, Sneeringer had to hire some new employees to fill positions left vacant by former staff members.
The soft opening this weekend is meant to work out any potential kinks, and Sneeringer asks the community to please be patient as new team members become fully acquainted with operations.
“We’re happy to be back and seeing so many of our old friends again, but we just want everyone to be understanding with us in the beginning as we get back into the swing of things,” Sneeringer said.
“About four members of our kitchen staff found new jobs after the fire. So, we have some new people who joined our team, and we’re just trying to help them get their footing.”
The State Cafe’s soft-opening phase will continue this weekend, operating 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sneeringer said.
The restaurant’s team will then take a few days to regroup before the restaurant’s official grand reopening on Thursday, Oct. 29, Sneeringer said.
Starting Oct. 29, regular hours of 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday through Monday will resume, Sneeringer added.
The State Cafe and Grill operates at 14-16 S. Fifth St. in Easton.
Ryan Kneller
The State Cafe’s dining room is mostly the same, with the team having implemented some repainting and other minor cosmetic updates, Sneeringer said.
The restaurant features an open kitchen surrounded by counter seating, booths and tables with chairs. There is also seasonal outdoor dining on a front patio.
“We have a lot of customers who come with their dogs and eat outside,” Sneeringer said.
The State Cafe is known for its made-to-order breakfast and lunch specialties, prepared with local ingredients as much as possible.
Meat, produce, and other items are sourced from local vendors such as Breakaway Farms, Easton Salsa Company, Homestead Coffee Roasters, The Flour Shop Bakery, Country View Farms, Bank Street Creamery, Scholl Orchards, Anthony & Son’s Bakery, Twin Maple Farms, and Cabbage Throw Farm.
Guests can enjoy a variety of egg platters, breakfast sandwiches, and signature and create-your-own stir-fries and omelettes, including a Steel City Omelette (smoked bacon, caramelized onion, tomato, mushroom and smoked gouda) and Madre Stir Fry (bacon, red pepper, red onion, tomato and home fries, available with or without egg and cheddar Jack).
Other breakfast menu highlights include a wide array of French toast selections, pancakes and old-fashioned oatmeal. Breakfast dishes are served all day.
The State Cafe and Grill operates at 14-16 S. Fifth St. in Easton.
Ryan Kneller
Sneeringer labels the buttermilk pancake (one thick pancake with real butter and powdered sugar), fried egg reuben (fried egg, corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island on marble rye), breakfast dip (pastrami, scrambled eggs, Swiss cheese and horseradish mayo on grilled sourdough, with au jus for dipping) and all of the stir-fry selections as customer favorites.
A variety of lunch options (served from 11 a.m. on) include classic favorites such as a BLT and grilled cheese; salads and rotating soups; and pressed sandwiches and wraps such as “The Dreamliner” (thick-sliced roasted turkey, bacon, Swiss, tomato and honey mayo on grilled sourdough) and “Bill’s Favorite Steak Sandwich” (6-ounce flat iron steak, cheddar cheese, mushroom and sautéed onions on a roll or wrap).
For the latest State Cafe and Grill updates, follow the business’s pages on Facebook and Instagram.
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