About Rodney’s ~

Get to know us from our feature in the Summer Issue of Reinhart Foodservice Leader...

PUMP UP THE JAMM

A giant billboard in Irwin, Pennsylvania features a mysterious incognito character called DJ Jamm, who makes personal appearances each weekend of Rodney’s Restaurant, a high-end dining establishment offering live entertainment on weekends. The headline on the billboard reads “The Food Is Hot...The Entertainment Is Cool.” Rodney’s began in 1985 as a pizzeria and a movie rental store in this small town of about 5,000, 30 miles east of Pittsburgh. “Already then I was offering food and entertainment,” said Rodney Yemc. In 1995, Yemc decided to tackle a full-blown restaurant with live entertainment. He has twice built on to his operation since then, and it is considered to be “the place to go” in the neighborhood.

“I vow to give my customers large portions and good service for a reasonable charge,” said Yemc. “I don’t bother my patrons when they’re dining, but I do love to stand in front and ask customers how everything was on their way out. I love to hear their answers and they are usually smiling and carrying a take-home container.”

Rodney’s is modern and upscale, with an elegance derived from dark walls, mahogany labels and crown molding. The restaurant seats 183, and a 30 by 60-foot outdoor deck with its own complete bar seats an additional 70.

The food trends toward Italian-two of the best–sellers are Chicken Romano and Chicken Marsala. A diner might start with Mussels, Shrimp Cocktail, Fried Zucchini or Crab-Stuffed Shrimp, followed by homemade soup and a salad. The pasta dishes present a tempting array from which to choose, including: Pasta Fabrizzi – penne, hot Italian sausage sautéed with bell peppers, served in a red wine marinara sauce; Chicken Aglio Olio – sautéed chicken, red and green peppers and tomatoes in garlic and olive oil all over angel hair pasta; Fettucine du Marie – jumbo Tiger shrimp, sea scallops and crab meat served over fettuccine with Alfredo or homemade marinara sauce; Tuscan Shrimp – jumbo Tiger shrimp sautéed in olive oil with banana peppers, fresh spinach, roasted red peppers and oregano topped with Romano cheese, all over angel hair pasta; and Gnocchi – fresh potato dumplings served with a homemade meatball, topped with tomato sauce.

Seafood selections include: Peppercorn Encrusted Tuna – served rare in natural juices; Gorgonzola Shrimp – jumbo Tiger shrimp baked in a casserole with Gorgonzola cheese, garlic and cream, topped with au gratin bread crumbs and crumbled cheese; Scallops Au Gratin – Sea Scallops broiled in garlic wine sauce, topped with bread crumbs and Romano cheese; Stuffed Flounder – fillet of flounder stuffed with Crabmeat Imperial and shrimp, baked in a garlic butter sauce; the Seafood Platter – cod, jumbo shrimp, jumbo scallops, mussels and mushroom caps stuffed with Crabmeat Imperial; and CharGrilled Norwegian Salmon.