At Pizza Palace Of Newtown—

 Come As A Customer, Leave As A Friend

Whether in the mood for anything from a burger to prime rib, to soup and a sandwich — or, of course, a pizza — most dining desires can be satisfied at Newtown Pizza Palace and Restaurant on Church Hill Road opposite Commerce Road. A fixture in Newtown for 47 years, it has been owned and operated by brothers John and James “Jimmy” Antonopoulos for more than 25 years, and is a family restaurant in every sense of the word.

Family friendly and affordable, either John or Jimmy or one of their wives, Vassi and Effie, respectively, is on premises at all times. When their now-grown children (John and Vassi have three, Jimmy and Effie, two) were in school, they also helped out, serving, cooking, and busing tables. And the Pizza Palace has longevity of staff — several have been with the Antonopoulos brothers from the beginning, many others have been around for more than a decade — and tremendous customer loyalty. Customers commonly walk in seeking out their favorite server.

The 97-seat restaurant is not the only place longtime customers may have seen the Antonopoulos brothers. They were the original owners of Mona Lisa Restaurant from 1987 to 1999, when it was located in the space now occupied by Steve’s Diner on South Main Street. They sold Mona Lisa and concentrated on the Pizza Palace, where they have continued to delight regulars day in and day out.

Customers can sit in comfortable wooden booths, which provide a degree of privacy, or call or fax ahead for takeout. Or customers can walk in, order and wait on one of the padded benches by the front door, which affords a view of the pizza-making process. All of the dough and sauces are made fresh daily on premises, with red or white pizza available on thin or thick crust.

For those who enjoy pizza regularly, the restaurant offers a “buy five, get one free” coupon. The Pizza Palace also offers catering services for parties large and small.

The Antonopoulos family came to the United States from Greece in 1974, so while the varied menu offers such perennial favorites as grilled cheese sandwiches, Southern fried chicken, and chicken parmigiana, customers enjoy Greek specialties like gyros, moussaka, and pastitsio, too. Other choices include omelettes; small or large salads; more than a dozen grinders; two dozen sandwiches; a selection of pastas; fresh seafood served fried or broiled, including a deluxe scallops, sole, clams, and shrimp combo platter; and a variety of dinners, all served with soup and salad, and warm bread and butter.

In addition to the regular dinner offerings such as milk fed veal, eggplant parmigiana, and shrimp or chicken scampi — all served with either regular or whole wheat pasta, or fried, baked, or mashed potatoes — the Pizza Palace has numerous daily specials for both lunch and dinner, leading with a choice of three homemade soups. The lamb shank Romano is favored by many customers and highly recommended by the owners. A variety of sautéed dishes, including chicken Mediterranean, sole Francaise, chicken piccata, and many others, are also popular with customers.

Start off the meal with fried calamari, a particular favorite appetizer at the Pizza Palace.

Diners can also choose between a half-dozen wines and more than a dozen beers to accompany their meals.

The Antonopoulos family is more than happy to customize any meal for a customer. Anything not on the menu can be made to order, as long as the ingredients are on hand. Menu items, including some specials, can be tailored for those on special diets. They only want customers to leave fully satisfied, said Jimmy Antonopoulos. “At the Pizza Palace, you come as a customer, and you leave as a friend,” he said.

Lunch specials, which can number up to 40 on any given day, include a cup of soup, french fries, and a small beverage. Delivery to local businesses is available at lunch time only. Customers may fax orders at 426-9388 or call 426-6114.

A like number of dinner specials come with soup, salad, potato (unless served with pasta), vegetable, and hot bread. For those who prefer, a second vegetable serving can be substituted for the potato.

Grilled chicken sandwich, meatloaf, sausage rostica, and cavatelli with broccoli and garlic are just a few of the many popular lunch specials offered at the Pizza Palace. Dinner specials might feature breaded or broiled pork chops, chicken Francaise, chicken Florentine, brook trout, or veal and peppers.

The full menu is available for takeout and can be found online at NewtownPizzaPalace.com.

The Newtown Pizza Palace and Restaurant, 65 Church Hill Road, serves from 11 am to 11 pm, seven days a week, and accepts all major credit cards; checks are not accepted. Phone, 426-6114; fax, 426-9388; or visit NewtownPizzaPalace.com.