The Perk, established in 1850, is a staple eatery for the Perkasie area. Originally called the South Perkasie Hotel, with clientele of farmers and merchants on their way from the Lehigh Valley to Philadelphia. In 1908, the hotel was transformed into a cattle mart, shipping and selling livestock across the country. This went on for 40 years until Russel Cramer bought the business in 1947, and operated it for a bit over 10 years. George Nacarella purchased the South Perkasie Hotel in 1975 and made it into the Perk that we’ve come to know today. Unfamiliar with the local hotspot, Aidan Crozier, Dom Santos, and I decided to give the Perk a try.

Upon entry, the vibe of the establishment was evident: a cozy, at-home feel. We were greeted by our hostess who took us to our seats. A waitress was with us quickly, and we were provided with our menus. The menu itself was simple, which is not necessarily a bad thing. There were the classic pub items: burgers, chicken fingers, sandwiches, but there were also some creative additions to the menu. Take, for example, the shrimp tortellini or maple salmon. These creative twists are what allow repeat customers to continue to come back.

Angela Santos, a Pennridge community mother, frequents the Perk “around three to four times a year”. She cited the menu as a reason why she continues to go back, along with the homey feel of the establishment. With so many different options we opted to go for variety. I went for the buffalo chicken tenders with Old Bay Fries. Dom opted for the Perk Burger, while Aidan got a cheesesteak. While waiting for our food, we noted the decor around the Perk that gave it its homey feel. Take, for example, the baseball memorabilia or the vintage paintings that were seen throughout the building. It was also interesting to see just how many familiar faces from the high school worked at the Perk. The Perk seems to be a popular place for high school students to work because it’s “a friendly place to [be], and is always busy” notes Pennridge High School student Jared Hess. Not too long after placing our order, our food was brought out to us. The portion size was remarkable and made the pricing well worth it. Not even 15 minutes had passed, and the food on our plates was no more. We asked for our check and prepared for the worst. To our disbelief, the final amount was much less than we had expected.

The consensus on our drive back to our houses was quite simple: the Perk is a quality restaurant within the Pennridge community. Being from Dublin, I never understood the hype around the Perk, but I now see that the Perk is a well-run place with some great food. With that being said, I can confidently say that the Perk is in my top three favorite restaurants in the Bucks County area, and I, along with Aidan and Dom, will continue to frequent the Perk on Thursday nights.

Sources:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-perk-perkasie

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g53430-d780671-Reviews-The_Perk_Perkasie-Perkasie_Pennsylvania.html
http://www.attheperk.com/view_menu.php?file_id=164857 – appetizers, salads, and kids menu.
http://www.attheperk.com/view_menu.php?file_id=164858 – burgers, sandwiches, melts, tacos, and more.
http://www.attheperk.com/view_menu.php?file_id=164859 – classics, main courses, desserts.
Menu:
http://www.attheperk.com/the_perk_history.htm