At Hot Shots Grille,

Spring Is Up With Summer On Deck

A number of changes have occurred at Hot Shots Grille over the past year, since Bill Piccarillo, Jr, purchased the building at 130 Mt Pleasant Road where his restaurant and sports bar has been located for the past five years.

“We added a large deck and can now seat up to 115 on the decks, which was greatly enjoyed last summer,” Mr Piccarillo said. “Our original smaller deck only accommodated 30, although we had been able to have parties for 75 by combining inside with part of the deck.”

New menus were added that emphasize family dining.

“We are doing a lot of meals,” Mr Piccarillo said. “Originally people tended to think of us as just a sports bar. They didn’t realize that we have a full menu.”

With its proliferation of television sets, satellite packages, and sports memorabilia, Hot Shots Grille certainly does draw sports fans each season, with March Madness soon to begin. Others enjoy the two large pool tables just off the deck.

“We do barbecues and raw bars on the deck in the summer,” Mr Piccarillo said. “We’re really looking forward to starting that up again.”

Hot Shots Grille is known for smoking its own meats including baby back ribs and pulled pork for its popular sandwiches.

The restaurant is open seven days a week with a menu that features more than a dozen appetizers, deli sandwiches, hot sandwiches, salads, burgers, dinners, and side dishes. Appetizers, $4.95–$8.95, range from seven different styles of chicken wings, smoked baby back barbecued ribs, and fried calamari to combination platters with such combos as chicken tenders, buffalo wings, mozzarella sticks, and jalapeno poppers.

Dinners ($12.95–$17.95) include signature dishes like Chicken Margherita, Teriyaki Combo (marinated chicken and an 8-ounce New York strip steak), grilled salmon, pastas, and ribs. There are daily specials, too. On a recent weekday the specials included an appetizer of lobster ravioli in a crabmeat sauce ($9.95) and four entrees including a mixed grille of swordfish, salmon, and shrimp served with mashed potatoes and vegetables ($21.95). Dessert specials, $4.95, included apple tart a la mode, turtle cheesecake with raspberry sauce, and Death by Chocolate cake.

Homemade soups are made daily. Hot Shots is known for its own three-alarm, three-bean chili that is served topped with melted cheddar cheese and corn chips for dipping, $4.95. There is a kids’ menu with meals that include soda and fries for $4.95. Happy hour in the bar from 4 to 7 pm includes half- price appetizers from 4 to 6 pm. There is a separate banquet menu.

Hot Shots Grille is open for lunch at 11 am daily except Monday when it opens at 3 pm. The kitchen serves until 9 pm daily except Friday and Saturday when it serves until 10 pm. Appetizers are available until 10 pm Sunday through Thursday, 11 pm on Friday and Saturday.

The bar, where antique saws, old wagon wheels, and other items that once hung in the Newtown General Store decorate the walls, is open until 2 am on weekends; 1 am during the week. There is karaoke every Tuesday and Saturday night, plus appearances by area bands.

Upstairs is a private party room, which can accommodate 40 sit-down dinners and buffets, with its own bar, pool table, and restrooms. It was renovated last year, Mr Piccarillo notes.

Mr Piccarillo also owns Hot Shots, a small sports bar in Ricky’s Shopping Center on South Main Street. Before he owned it, it was called the Question Mark Café, and had been owned by Mike and Doris Bornyak. The Bornyaks went on to open the Taunton Tavern at the site that later became Sweetbriar, then Sogno, then Hot Shots Grille. Chef Israel Cruz started with Sogno and is still with Hot Shots Grille. For more information call 270-3373.