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ThE DInIng guIDE
“Without question, the greatest invention in the history of
mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine
invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.”
— Dave Barry
Brick House Pub & Grill
when Chuck Dicken and phil Durrant
decided to get back into the restaurant
and bar business, they had lots of ideas,
but the biggest idea revolved around
family. The two men, brothers-in-law (they are married
to sisters), wanted the restaurant to be a place that was all
about family. They wanted their restaurant to be a place
for families to come, yes, but also a place for their own
family, a safe place for them to work and grow together,
to have livelihoods that they believed in and enjoyed. but
first, they’d need a name.
we all know the story of the three little pigs. when
out on their own, they each made houses to protect
themselves from the big bad wolf. The first little pig built
his house out of hay. The second out of sticks. The third
little pig built his out of bricks. and when the wolf came
calling, it was only the brick house that stood. The brick
house that could protect the brothers and provide them
with a safe home. it was perfect. and so ‘The brick house
pub and grille’ was born.
located on the black horse pike at the location of
the old great american pub and grille, in the Festival
mall at hamilton, The brick house opened just over a
week ago at the time of this interview. The restaurant
site, chosen in part because of the high amount of traffic
in the area, underwent a complete renovation prior
to opening. new ceilings, floors, a beautiful fireplace,
seven televisions, and a bar with a brass rail have all been
installed to fuel the warm and friendly ambience that
contributes to the family friendly atmosphere.
but ambience alone won’t make a restaurant. which
is why Dicken and Durrant have created, along with
their head chef, John hand, a menu featuring a flareinfused
traditional pub menu with quality preparation
and ingredients at the heart of it all. From a cheesesteak
featuring sliced filet tails--a personal favorite of both
Dicken and Durrant--to homemade soups, turkey chili,
fish tacos and grilled reubens, the menu offers fresh,
delicious and unique fare, managing to tempt the taste
buds of a wide range of customers.
The bar is well stocked too. in addition to the
standard tap offerings--budweiser, Coors lite, miller,
miller lite--the sixteen available drafts includes a nice
selection of craft brews including blue point toasted
lager, shock top belgium white, blue point blueberry
ale, and sam adams lager as well as seasonal brew,
among others. prices are good too. pabst blue ribbon,
rolling rock and bud light are available for $2.50/
pint, additional domestics are $3.00/pint, and craft
brews are $4 or $5/pint. There are plans to unfold happy
hours and dinner specials in the near future, but lunch
specials--$7.50 for soup, sandwich, fries and a beverage-are
up and running.
besides the atmosphere, location, and food and
bar offerings, the brick house has something else going
for it…experience. both Dicken and Durrant have
backgrounds within the food service industry, and both
are excited about getting back into the arena. Dicken is
the bar man of the duo. with over 45 years in the bar
business, as a bartender, manager, and owner, he retired
in 2011. it wasn’t long, though, before he found himself
looking for something to do, something to utilize his indepth
knowledge of the bar business.
Dicken approached his brother-in-law, Durrant,
with the idea. Durrant, a retired brigantine police officer,
had a fourteen year history in gourmet dining, where
he worked as a Captain in the French gourmet room,
and participated in tableside cooking in a tuxedo based
environment. Durrant’s history in gourmet dining has
lent itself to the creation of the brick house menu,
enabling Durrant to “introduce alternatives to traditional
table fare.”
both Durrant and Dicken are excited about their
new venture, and admit that part of the thrill is going
to work with family. Durrant explained that about 80%
of their employees, from dishwashers to bartenders, to
servers and cooks, are either family or family friends. The
workplace is full of cousins, nieces, sons, daughter-inlaws,
and more. “it’s an all around good family adventure,”
Chef John Hand with owner Chuck Dicken and Head Cook Lamont Brown
explained Durrant.
The brick house pub and grille is open daily from
10am to 2am, and with plenty of room, reservations aren’t
required. a grand opening for the public is expected
around the time of this publication. Visit The brick house
pub and grille on Facebook for more details about the
grand opening, or call 609.837.2763.
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