For 90 years, Rossi’s Bar and Grill has carved out a serious reputation for good food and good times — first in Trenton’s Chambersburg section, and since 2014, in Hamilton.
The Rossi’s menu features many popular items, but none is as famous as the Rossiburger — regularly featured in Best-in-Jersey lists published in print and online.
Hal Rose never really got to enjoy the Rossi’s experience in its old home at the corner of Morris and Franklin Streets. But the Princeton Junction resident was a frequent customers at Marsilio’s, another classic Chambersburg eatery.
There, he got to know Alan Meinster, the owner of Marsilio’s, which has since moved to Ewing. Meinster had been a partner at Rossi’s since the move to Hamilton, along with Mike Rossi, grandson of the restaurant’s founder.
Meinster knew from discussions with Rose over the years that the latter had interest in owning a restaurant one day.
“We were in discussions on and off for a number of years. I’d told Alan that I’d really like to do something different next phase of my career,” says Rose, who spent most of his professional career in financial services. “One day Alan told me that Mike was thinking of retiring. He said, ‘If we advised you, would you have any interest in buying this place?’ And it got to a point where we said, ‘Let’s sit down and talk.’”
In October of last year, the parties made the transaction final. “I had some restaurant experience from early in my career, and always had an interest in owning a restaurant–bar. When the opportunity to own a landmark like Rossi’s arose, and knowing I’d have the support of the previous owners, I knew it would be a good move,” Rose says.
Rose’s first order of business was to respect Rossi’s long history and long list of devoted customers. Rossi’s first opened in Chambersburg in 1933, and though it has moved from the city, many of those long-time customers have followed it into the suburbs.
“One of the things I find incredible about Rossi’s is, numerous times a week I’ll have somebody coming in who’s somewhere between 60 and 80 and always tells me, ‘My grandfather used to take me Rossi’s since I was a kid, and now I’ve been bringing my grandchildren to Rossi’s for X number of years,” Rose says. “It’s such an important part of peoples’ lives and history. It’s enjoyable to continue to satisfy these customers and continue to grow the business in that sense.”
Rose says that when he took over, his goal as far as the menu was concerned was to retain all of Rossi’s most popular dishes while introducing modern additions now and again.
In addition to the legendary Rossiburger, favorites include Rossi’s tomato pies, chicken parmigiana, and of course, Rossi’s famous fried zucchini sticks.
“First, we have recipes from the Rossi’s family that literally go back generations, that go back to the ancestors in Italy. We really try to stay true to those recipes. We’re not taking short cuts — we really haven’t changed anything from what Mike Rossi had been doing for decades and decades,” Rose says. “And it’s important to me that the loyal customers continue ot get the same experience and the same satisfaction that they’ve gotten from Rossi’s all these years.”
At the same time, Rose says, he also wants to continue to grow the business and attrack a new, younger crowd.
“We brought back a very popular prime rib sandwich to the menu, but we also have new items like fish tacos, calamari and new salads. We have a lot of specials and if there’s something that is really popular, we’ll move it onto the permanent menu,” he says.
One example of a special that has earned a spot on the regular menu is Rossi’s fried chicken sandwich — regular or spicy.
“The feedback has been fantastic. A lot of people say something along the lines of, ‘You are a contender in the chicken sandwich wars,” Rose laughs.
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Rose knew when he bought the restaurant that one item on the menu could never be replaced: the 3/4-pound, flame-broiled Rossiburger, once called the best in the state by NJ Monthly magazine.
“We are often included in surveys of best burgers in New Jersey, and honestly, that was part of the attraction to me when we were first talking about purchasing the place. Rossi’s itself a landmark in the area, and a destination based on its history — there are not a lot of restaurants that make it for 90 years and have touched so many people,” Rose says. “But the burger itself, we have people who will tell me they are coming from over an hour away because they miss our burger so much. When I first came in, the most common question that I would get from the long-time customers was, ‘What are you changing?’ And I’d say, ‘Look we’re not looking to mess with success.’”
Aiding in the continuity is the persistence of many staff members from the previous ownership. There are still members of the Rossi family who work at Rossi’s, and Rose says a number of kitchen staff have been at the restaurant ever since the move to Hamilton. And Meinster and Mike Rossi are still around in an informal role of advisers.
All that is not to suggest that Rose has resisted making any changes at all.
“I want to continue Rossi’s tradition to offer great food and drinks, but we’re also focused on delivering a lot of fun and memorable experiences,” Rose says. “We are also adding a lot of new events.”
Events include Trivia Tuesdays and live music in Rossi’s outdoor space on Thursday nights. Performers have included popular local artists such as Ernie White, Meg Hansen and Lisa Bouchelle.
“We have added a few more nights of music each month and will continue to do so, including adding some artists who haven’t played here before,” Rose says.
Rose has also expanded the bar area with more high-top tables and more TVs, including an 86-incher in the dining room that is often tuned to big games.
During the pandemic, and like many restaurants, Rossi’s opened up a large outdoor seating area that it has maintained even since Covid’s threat has waned. “Obviously it’s been very hot this summer, but we expect it to get a lot of use in September and October,” he says.
He adds that, long-term, he is working on plans for a more permanent outdoor seating structure — most likely something that would be attached to the front of the building.
Rose has also added a regular brunch to the menu, Saturday and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Brunch menu items include French toast, waffles and pancakes, as well as steak and eggs, pork roll egg and cheese, and, naturally, a breakfast burger.
Rose says that he is enjoying this new phase of his career. “To me, I enjoy the challenge of doing so many different aspects of business, from the marketing to the management to the entire customer experience,” he says.
Rose spent many years as a national sales manager for a large financial services firm. He was based in Los Angeles for much of that time, even though he lived in New Jersey.
“I traveled quite a bit — I was always on the road,” he says. “I think that’s part of what attracted me to this as well. I wanted to be someplace close to home, not taking five-hour flights constantly. That was very attractive to me to kind of make this phase of my career totally different from what I was doing.
“I really enjoy meeting with people. It might sound corny, but making them happy and giving them a good experience seemed like something that I would really enjoy, and I am. It certainly has its challenges — the summer was a bit slow, for instance — but we’re well positioned for the fall and to continue to traditions of Rossi’s and begin some new ones.”
Rossi’s Bar and Grill. 2110 Whitehorse Mercerville Road, Hamilton. Phone: (609) 890-2004.
Hal and Amy Rose at Rossi’s in Hamilton, which they purchased last October from Mike Rossi and Alan Meinster.,
