Business is Back at the Bridgeview Tavern

Take a seat at the bar of Sleepy Hollow's new Bridgeview Tavern on Beekman Avenue, and you'll immediately feel at home in the inviting, cozy atmosphere.

While everything in the bar has that unmistakable polished, new look, the Maceyak family that runs the business is anything but green.

"We've had the property for 30 years; my dad bought the building in 1980 and had the Bridgeview Inn for 15 years," said Chris Maceyak, who owns and runs the bar with his sister Tara and father Steven. "It had been a dream of mine and my sister's to re-open the place where my family started their business."

Maceyak got his chance in November 2008 and started renovations in February 2009. In order to revamp the location, the family gutted the space and started from scratch. The tavern now has a 44-seat dining room (with picture-window views of the Tappan Zee), plenty of flat screens (9 throughout), a jukebox, fireplace, and a brand new kitchen (equipped with a smoker – perfect for brisket and ribs).

The restaurant opened in November with a new take on the Bridgeview Inn's menu as well. Now, the spot offers several vegetarian dishes as well as upscale, yet still affordable pub food –including French onion soup ($6), Harvest salad ($8), Mac and Cheese ($7),  PEI Mussels ($12), Portobello Burger ($9), Fish and Chips ($17) Guinness Brisket Sandwich ($12) and Fresh Atlantic Salmon ($20).

One of the most impressive components of the venture is an emphasis not only on good food, but great beer. There are 11 craft beers on tap (Guinness makes 12), and while Maceyak changes the taps weekly, you can fill your pint with a wide variety of microbrews from small-batch, local breweries like Captain Lawrence; to Allagash White direct from Portland, Maine.

As for launching a new business in a down market, Maceyak shrugs his shoulders and smiles, "It's been great. We wanted to provide quality food and craft beers at a reasonable price. I think we've done that.

"We have been very busy the past three weeks – lots of repeat business so far," he said. "People that were here when the General Motors Plant was in operation have started to come back in. It was one of those bars that you'd see in a movie: a neighborhood joint where we'd get the blue-collar crowd and the businessman in his suit. We want everyone to feel comfortable here."

Going forward, Maceyak and his sister hope to bring in live music on Saturday nights starting in January – maybe some acoustic music or jazz – and expand the menu even further.

As for Maceyak's father's take on how the business he started has been reinvented, "I'm happy. I think they've got the right idea—just as long as they listen to me‚just a little bit."