A longtime Atwood Avenue watering hole has a new name, a new menu and a fresh coat of ambition. Mr. Biggs Bar & Grill opened at 1463 Atwood Ave. in Johnston at the end of September, taking over the space once occupied by Mr. Biggs Saloon, and the new owner says the response so far has exceeded expectations.
Owner Alex Tomasso held a soft opening about a month before the restaurant's debut was detailed by the Johnston Sunrise, and he said that trial run received a very positive response. Tomasso described carrying on the Mr. Biggs tradition while crafting a new menu alongside executive chef Juan Fernandez, and he said he wants the community to call the revamped spot their own.
From Saloon to Bar & Grill
The business formerly known as Mr. Biggs Saloon has been reborn as Mr. Biggs Bar & Grill, with Johnston Sunrise describing it, per state Sen. Andrew Dimitri, as a revived Johnston restaurant classic with a revamped setting and menu. The restaurant is aiming to be family oriented, offering a relaxed atmosphere that blends pub energy with sports and bar games, according to the same report. Karaoke nights are now a weekly fixture, scheduled for Fridays and Saturdays.
The food lineup leans into comfort-food staples alongside heartier plates. The report notes stacked burgers, grilled thin-crust pizzas and sandwiches on the menu, along with ribs, steaks, chicken parmesan and shrimp scampi. The restaurant's online menu lists specific items and prices, including a platter of 24 hot honey chicken sliders for $55, a sausage, pepper and onions sandwich for $13.95, and a chilled jumbo shrimp dish tossed in spicy Tajin seasoning and lime juice over mixed greens, per the restaurant's online ordering menu.
Seasonal Cocktails Join the Lineup
Mr. Biggs Bar & Grill is also rolling out a fall drink menu to go with its food offerings. Among the seasonal cocktails are a pumpkin pie espresso martini made with Skyy vanilla vodka, Pennsylvania Dutch pumpkin cream liqueur, Bumbu cinnamon creme liqueur and ground cinnamon, as well as a fall sangria featuring Stoli salted caramel vodka, white wine, apple cider and cinnamon sugar-coated apples and pears. The lineup rounds out with an apple cider old fashioned built on Woodford Reserve bourbon, maple syrup, pumpkin puree and the same pumpkin cream liqueur.
Town Officials Turn Out for Grand Opening
The restaurant's grand opening on Oct. 14 drew Johnston's mayor and a state lawmaker. Mayor Joseph Polisena Jr. cut the ribbon at the ceremony, saying he welcomed another new business to Johnston and that new businesses benefit owners, employees and consumers alike. State Sen. Andrew Dimitri, who represents District 25, also attended and said small, locally owned businesses have long been an important part of the community, welcoming the Mr. Biggs owners and wishing them well as they revived a Johnston classic with a reimagined setting and menu.
Municipal records show the groundwork for the transition was laid earlier, when the Johnston Town Council approved a restaurant license transfer, entertainment license and BV full liquor license stock transfer for Mr. Biggs Saloon at the same Atwood Avenue address, according to a prior council roundup from Johnston Sunrise. Older Better Business Bureau records for Mr. Bigg's Saloon list Dennis Fried as owner and note the business is not BBB accredited, though that listing predates the current Mr. Biggs Bar & Grill operation under Tomasso.
