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Southampton native Jim Reister has opened his own version of the “Cheers” bar—a place “where everybody knows your name”—on Jobs Lane in Southampton.
Mr. Reister, who lives in Calverton now but grew up in Southampton and worked for the last 10 years as a bartender at Shippy’s Pumpernickel Restaurant on Windmill Lane, said in an interview this week that his new restaurant, Featherstones, is a friendly place for locals and visitors alike to “let their hair down.”
“I want everyone to be able to hang out at the bar and have a good time,” he said. “I want people to bring their friends and family and just relax.”
Mr. Reister said customers of all ages, ranging from their 20s to senior citizens, can sit at his bar and have a good conversation.
And that’s exactly what Mr. Reister thought was missing in Southampton when he decided to open Featherstones.
“Southampton doesn’t have that type of pub or bar I wanted,” he said. “And this is all about location.”
Featherstones is tucked away behind the pricey boutiques of Jobs Lane and adjacent to Agawam Park, in the space most recently occupied by Birchwood, and before that, Buckley’s.
Open for one month now, Featherstones offers a traditional pub menu in addition to its collection of international beers on tap—and everything on the menu is less than $20.
“We tried to bring the price down,” Mr. Reister said, stressing that Featherstones aims to provide an unpretentious atmosphere for local diners and the bar crowd alike.
Mr. Reister said that prior to opening, he oversaw a major renovation of the restaurant’s interior, which now features a large wood bar at its center. The restaurant stocks tap beers from around the world along with bottled beers and other liquors.
Mr. Reister said he modeled Featherstones after traditional Irish and English pubs.
The dining area is outfitted with both traditional and bar tables. There is also an outdoor patio behind the restaurant that faces the park.
Mr. Reister said the restaurant’s pickup and take-out option, which includes the entire menu, offers the perfect meal for families, couples or anyone else who might be in the village for the weekly Wednesday concerts in the park.
Featherstones also hosts a happy hour Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m., which includes a $4 tap beer and drink special.
Soups are made fresh daily, and are served in cups, bowls and crocks. They include chicken tortilla, $4.95 for a cup and $5.95 for a bowl; french onion au gratin, $5.95 for a crock; and chili, $5.95 for a cup and $6.95 for a bowl. There is also a soup du jour, $4.95 for a cup and $5.95 for a bowl.
Appetizers—all the familiar pub favorites—range from fried calamari for $8.95, to jumbo shrimp cocktail for $12.95. Mr. Reister cited as customer favorites the grilled steak crostini for $9.95 and “Signal 13” chicken wings, served mild, medium, or on fire for $5.95 for six or $10.95 for 12.
Salads, made with ingredients from local farm stands, include the house salad, served with chicken, marinated skirt steak or marinated shrimp, for $9.95, $11.95 or $13.95, respectively.
Main courses, served all day, range from the crab cake sandwich with roasted red pepper aioli and summer salsa for $9.95 to marinated New York strip steak for $19.95. Other main courses—“classics,” according to Mr. Reister—include the Featherstones burger for $9.95 and beer battered fish and chips for $13.95.
Featherstones also offers a variety of side dishes, including sauteed summer vegetables, $4.95, and macaroni and cheese, $5.95, and a children’s menu featuring grilled cheese and fries, $5.95, and chicken fingers and fries, $7.95.
Desserts include specialty cheesecake for $6.95 and apple crumb pie a la mode for $6.95.
The restaurant also features a daily specials board, including fresh catches and an assortment of local produce.
And while the restaurant stops serving dinner at 11 p.m. on weekdays and at midnight on weekends, the bar stays open until late.
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