Dining: Verona's Rivertowne Inn can boast itself as the origin of a Pittsburgh original

BACKGROUND

Thanks to presences added at PNC Park and Consol Energy Center, Rivertowne raised its profile to grand heights in 2013.

These are proud times for the still-growing brewing and restaurant enterprise, but Rivertowne co-founder/owner Lisa Fyke and her family members easily recall their low-key beginning in Verona in 2002.

“It was completely empty for a long time down here,” Fyke said. “There wasn't very much business when we bought the building.”

After years of working at Applebee's, Lisa and her husband, Christian, decided they wanted to start and run their own dining destination. Christian Fyke began with a small sandwich shop on the North Shore but soon decided he wanted a larger operation.

Lisa Fyke's parents, Joe and Amy Boros, joined the ownership mix and helped get the Inn off the ground. Joe Boros, a carpet installer, wanted to start a new career and longed to own a bar, Fyke said.

Together, they opened the Rivertowne Inn on Jones Street in July 2002.

“(The property) was within the right price range, and we could see what could grow out of it,” Fyke said.

Rivertowne now consists of restaurants in North Huntingdon and on the North Shore, as well as a restaurant/brewery in Monroeville. There's also the Rivertowne Brewing Hall of Fame Club in left field at PNC Park and a Rivertowne bar behind Section 106 at Consol Energy Center.

“We knew you really have to have an identity and a concept,” Fyke said. “So, Christian said, ‘Let's roll with this. I really like this idea, and it just seems to really fit.'”

Lisa Fyke noted that she and her co-owners continue to reinvest in all the communities where their restaurants exist, including Verona. The Rivertowne Inn holds a Monte Carlo night in the spring to raise funds for the local fire department, and Oct. 12, the Inn coordinated a Zombie Bar Crawl with other Verona businesses to generate money for Verona's revitalization fund.

“From the very beginning,” she said, “it was important to us to build relationships with the community and be a part of it.”

ATMOSPHERE

Of the four Rivertowne restaurants, the Inn arguably is the coziest and quietest of the bunch.

The Inn has nine televisions and offers a wide variety of craft beers, just like its larger brethren, so patrons in search of a sports-bar setting or a place to sample brews won't be disappointed. But the building, a house-like brick structure that's among the oldest properties in Verona, retains a certain pub charm with its wood-trimmed walls and small dining room that's set away from the larger bar area.

Decor does not change much from one Rivertowne to the next — posters and other propaganda from European and American craft beers hang on the walls, which also bear a fair amount of Pittsburgh sports signage. Lisa Fyke and Rivertowne's other decision-makers strive to provide about the same experience, no matter the location.

“It's just different communities,” she said. “But every place is definitely very diverse in age groups, and it's a lot about the beer.”

MENU

In its effort to replicate the dining experience at each of its four restaurants, Rivertowne offers the same menu at all locations. The same heaping helpings of food found at the North Shore before a Steelers game are available on a Tuesday afternoon in Verona.

Appetizers are separated into two categories: bait and tackle — both homages to Rivertowne's mascot, a cartoon fish named Wylie.

Lisa Fyke identified the pound of steamed mussels ($10.99) in the spicy buffalo cream sauce as her favorite appetizer. The mussels, which can come with a beer-and-garlic sauce, as well, are served with flatbread.

Patrons who want a crispier appetizer might prefer the supersize pub pretzels ($2.49 or 3 for $5.99). And those who lean toward cheesier choices can debate whether to go with Old Wylie's beer cheese dip ($7.99), which is infused with Rivertowne's IPA, or the buffalo chicken dip ($7.99), which is topped with gorgonzola crumbles and fresh jalapeno slices.

From burgers (most are $8.99) to wraps ($7.99) to steak ($17.99) to the baked Italian sub ($7.99 for a small, $11.99 for a large), portions are daunting.

“We wanted to make sure people get value for their money and that they don't ever leave hungry,” Lisa Fyke said.

Rivertowne showcases its willingness to make hearty dishes best through its pizzas, which come in 8-inch small, 12-inch medium and 16-inch large sizes that range from $6.99 to $19.99. Sliced Italian meats and/or steak fight colorful veggie toppings for space atop many of the pizzas, which are held together by sturdy, yet soft, crusts that seem like deep-dish cousins. More adventurous pizza eaters might want to try the pierogi or Reuben pizzas, both of which include sauerkraut.

“Even when we first started, we wanted our pizza to have more substance to it than like a New York style,” Lisa Fyke said. “And we do have deep-dish — if you get a deep-dish pizza, you might be able to finish one piece.”

Bill West is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at wwest@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BWest_Trib.