‘This is our house’ Charleroi restaurant owners treat everyone like family
Jim McNutt/O-R Flames flare as Chef Trey Lightowler makes Vodka Cream Pasta at Salatino’s River House Café in Charleroi.
Michael and Lori Coury, who own and operate RiverHouse Café in Charleroi, pose in front of the fireplace at their restaurant in this 2016 file photo.
Jim McNutt/O-R One of the most popular appetizers at Salatino’s is Spinach Artichoke Dip.
Jim McNutt/O-R Salatino’s River House Café on McKean Avenue in Charleroi is in the building that housed Miller’s Department Store for more than 70 years.
Jim McNutt/O-R Vodka Cream Pasta
Jim McNutt/O-R
CHARLEROI – When Michael and Lori J. Coury decided “to take the plunge” in 2008, the couple made quite a splash in the historic district of this small river town.
Eight years later, they are continuing to ride the wave of succulent success at Salatino’s River House Café, with a culturally diverse menu that attracts customers from throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania.
“Customers have always told us we’re the best-kept secret in Charleroi,” Michael said.
And it all started with a pizza shop – Salatino’s – in a duplex the couple bought in 2004. A few years later, they purchased property at 506 McKean Ave., a few doors away from the pizza shop, where Miller’s Department Store had been a fixture in the borough for nearly 70 years.
The Courys gutted the place, and turned it into a warm, enchanting showplace, with Michael designing the spacious interior and Lori selecting the soothing earth tones. The woodwook was hand-carved at a local wood shop, and the mantel attached to the stone fireplace is from an old bar in Fallowfield Township.
Lori ran the River House; Michael, the pizza shop. Nine months later, they got tired of running back and forth, and combined the two eateries.
“It was a good merge for us and our customers, and we’re doing very well,” Lori said. “The community has been wonderful.”
And why not?
The Courys, who reside in South Park and have a grown son and teenage daughter, are big on family, and that’s how they operate their business, treating everyone – servers, cooks, customers – like they are their own children.
“We’re all family, and this is our house,” Michael said. “We get a nice age group, and everybody is very respectful.”
In addition, many of the restaurant’s dressings and sauces are homemade, and all of the food is chemical-free, with, Michael said, the high-quality cuts of meat the same that are served at the classiest of establishments, such as the Duquesne Club in Pittsburgh.
“We’re not giving you hamburgers,” he said.
Better yet, the price is right.
“We’re a working family’s restaurant,” Michael said. “You can eat high-end food and still have pizza. Pizza is what built this place.”
And 28-year-old Chef Trey Lightowler, along with an experienced kitchen staff, are what keep it going, creating what Lori calls “homemade gourmet.”
Along with pizza, the menu features a wide assortment of appetizers, soups, salads, calzones, wraps and hoagies, plus chicken, pasta, seafood and beef dishes.
“We’re not naive enough to think we’re doing it. It’s our workers,” Michael added. “We have good cooks and good servers. Everyone’s very disciplined.”
Trey, a Mon Valley native, learned his culinary skills from Chef Gene Asiki of Japan while living in Idaho, and brought them with him when he came to Charleroi to visit his older brother, Adam. Ultimately, Trey decided to stay, and started working at Salatino’s River House Café 10 months after the restaurant opened.
“We’re very lucky to have him,” Lori said, noting that she and Michael are “all for encouraging creativeness” among the kitchen staff.
For instance, Trey’s specialty is Asian cuisine, and on May 26, from 6 to 8 p.m., the restaurant will feature “A Taste of the Orient” wine dinner. Salatino’s will pair a five-course meal with foods from the Orient and the perfect wine to complement the selections.
“Where Trey and the kitchen staff excel are the wine-pairing dinners and the beer pairings,” Lori said.
All of the food is made to order, so their customers, Michael said, know they are going to wait. And even though the restaurant can comfortably accommodate 200 guests, reservations are strongly suggested. Otherwise, diners can sometimes wait up to 90 minutes to be seated.
Salatino’s expansive selection extends beyond the menu as well. The bar serves beer and cocktails, from martinis to frozen margaritas, and carries more then 170 types of beer, with 10 on tap.
“We have our own little niche,” Lori said.
The restaurant offers weekly and weekend specials, and provides live entertainment twice a month. Next month, Strange Brew will perform at 9:30 p.m. April 2, and Regular Joe’s will play at 9:30 p.m. April 30.
Salatino’s also caters weddings, graduations and company picnics, and donates 10 percent of sales during fundraisers held at the restaurant. Last year, Salatino’s donated more than $40,000 to local causes, most of which benefitted children.
“We’re really big on helping children,” Michael said.
And that is what family is all about.
Salatino’s River House Café, 506 McKean Ave., Charleroi, is open daily, except in June, July and August, when it is closed on Sundays. For reservations, call 724-565-5700. For more information, visit http://www.riverhousecafe-pa.com.