As my fellow Washington Crossing residents know, there are very few options to eat out in town.  For years, the Lion’s Heart pub was one of the few local spots that unfortunately left a lot to be desired.  Thus, I was thrilled to see that a new restaurant was taking over the Lion’s Heart location.  Plan B Bar & Bistro opened on New Year’s Eve and last night, I got the chance to check it out.

A small group of friends & I set out around 8:30pm on a Friday night with our appetites & bottles of red wine in hand.  Since the restaurant is still pending its liquor license, it is currently functioning as a BYOB.   We did note, however, that they have an extensive wine list featured on their menu for the future. 

My first impression of the place was a bit mixed- the décor is a similar to Lion’s Heart with a new coat of red paint. With a name including the word “bistro,” I had expected an eclectic menu with middle-of-the-road prices, but this restaurant is purely Italian with a $15-25 entrée price range, more of a place for a weekend dinner than a quick bite during the week.   We also felt a bit of an identity crisis in the space. For the quality and price of the food, there was a little to be desired in the décor.

I am happy we brought two bottles because as it so often happens with new restaurants, there was about an hour wait to eat.  We were able to find a spot at the bar and entertain ourselves with conversation and the large flat screen TVs that were added to the space (could be a great place to watch the game!).

With rumbling stomachs and a couple of glasses of wine under our belts, the maitre de came over to seat us around 9:30pm. The corner of the restaurant features a large round table- perfect for a group of about ten people.  It was a little large for the five of us but we were able to make do by sitting on one side.  I really enjoyed the menu; they serve classic Italian food with entrees sorted so that you can pair a variety of meat, fish, & pasta with a variety of different sauces.  The restaurant provides bread on the house with dipping oil that has an extra kick of pepper- very delicious!  For appetizers, we enjoyed insalata caprese and fried calamari.  Our waitress provided exceptional services, really going out of her way to help us make the tough decision of what to order.  Most of our table was extremely satisfied with their choices, ranging from gnocchi bolognese to chicken saltimbocca.  The only complaint was that one dish arrived a little cold.

Overall, the food is what will bring me back for another night at Plan B, likely to enjoy a nice Italian meal over the weekend.  They have a few new restaurant kinks to work out, and we found the name & décor a tad misleading, but there is a lot of potential to establish a high-quality Italian restaurant in town.
Plan B Bar & Bistro
1118 General Washington Memorial Blvd.
Washington Crossing, PA, 18977-1304
215-321-5550
4:00 pm – 1:00 am
www.PlanBBistro.com

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