Americana Restaurant & Bar is now open at 179 Park Road in West Hartford.

By Ronni Newton 

Enrique and Julie Rodriguez are serving up their very own version of Americana – and living their own American dream – with the opening of their first full-scale restaurant on Park Road in West Hartford.

Americana Restaurant & Bar had a grand opening at lunchtime Friday.

The food is casual and approachable – and includes salads, burgers and other handhelds served with waffle fries, pastas, steaks, and seafood – all prepared with care and bursting with flavor. The apps range from fried pickles and wings, to substantial-enough-for-a-meal chicken nachos and prime rib or cheeseburger sliders.

Brunch includes a breakfast BLT, an assortment of omelets, chorizo Benedict, and French toast and pancake platters.

Multiple vegan and gluten-free choices are available.

There’s a little bit of everything, but Enrique said he and Julie are passionate about what they are creating, and very much understand the need to stand out and wants to be “THE” place people want to go to. “Whatever we put on the menu needs to be able to compete with all the restaurants in West Hartford, and there are lots of good ones,” he told We-Ha.com in an interview.

With appetizers priced between $9 and $16, burgers and fries for $16, salads at $13 to $14, and entrees that include tacos, pastas, and seafood and steak entrees ranging in price from $15 to $26, Americana is designed to be a place where people can grab a quick dinner and a drink without breaking the bank. There are 12 draft lines as well as canned and bottled beverages, and a variety of creative cocktails.

The kitchen is open until 10 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Lunch is served beginning at 11 a.m. daily, and brunch begins at 9 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The bar – which has several large TVs tuned to sporting events – is open until midnight during the week and 1 a.m. on the weekends.

The husband and wife team – who have created Rodriguez Restaurant Group – met at the Cheesecake Factory in West Hartford’s Blue Back Square, where Enrique, a native of Mexico, helped open the restaurant and ultimately served as executive chef. Julie was the general manager.

Although this is their first sit-down restaurant, the couple are experienced restaurateurs, owners of the MofonGo franchise at Parkville Market in Hartford; Las Tortas MX, Fowl Play, and Burrito Loko at Parkville Market and at the Assembly Room in New Britain; and in June 2022 opened Burrito Loko and MofonGo Express near the CCSU campus.

Americana Restaurant & Bar seats about 120 people inside, and the expansive and newly-refurbished patio has space for 60. There’s also an onsite parking lot, and free parking on the street.

The space retains the exposed brick from the former occupant, and wall decor is a nod to Americana and also pays homage to West Hartford’s history.

The informal reviews of the food as well as service that have popped up on social media are already very positive. Americana Restaurant & Bar even has the support of food critic and YouTube celebrity Daym Drops, who attended the grand opening festivities.

For more information and to view the menu, visit the website. You can also follow @AmericanaWH on Facebook and Instagram.

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