A fixture in Plymouth’s North End for over 65 years!

~ By Jen Nonenmacher

~ Photography by Susan Hagstrom

For 65 years, Ernie’s Restaurant has been Plymouth’s leader in casual and family-style dining, serving salads, sandwiches, seafood, steaks, Italian cuisine and Plymouth’s best pizza! Enjoy a cocktail and a game of Keno, watch a game in the comfortable bar and lounge, eat in the dining room for a more private sit-down dinner, host a function or grab some take-out on your way home from work. The dining room wait staff is attentive and courteous and the menu has a large number of items from which to choose. The atmosphere is relaxed, casual and flexible with a pleasant décor featuring photographs from decades past and original fixtures, such as the sign behind the bar from 1945 when the restaurant opened.

Ernie Pimental, the founder of Ernie’s Restaurant, returned from serving in the United States Navy in World War II in November of 1945. In December of 1945 he opened Ernie’s Restaurant, which has been actively run by three generations of the family since. Today, Ernie’s is located at 330 Court Street (Route 3A) in North Plymouth, and the giant landmark Copper Beech Tree, which has been located on the corner of Court Street and Cherry Street since the 1870’s, makes it pretty easy to spot!

The menu at Ernie’s is large and has something for everyone (they have a full children’s menu as well!). Offerings at Ernie’s include classic starters such as wing dings and crab cakes, a huge selection of soups and salads, seafood platters, sandwiches and a full lunch and dinner menu including mouth-watering fare such as The Oven-Roasted Turkey Dinner; an entrée featuring hand-carved slices of fresh roasted turkey served with all the fixings’, as well as The Italian Platter; a taste of chicken parmigiana, steak and pepper cacciatore and lasagna.

Make sure not to miss out on the fresh baked pizza, which for over half a century has been Plymouth’s award winning favorite. In fact, I recently learned from Mike, Ernie’s youngest son and the general manager, a very intriguing story about the pizza recipe. Mike explained to me, “My father liked to play craps. Rumor in my family has it that while serving in the Navy in the South Pacific he won the prized recipe from a fellow shipmate.” I was fascinated with the history behind this establishment—from the building itself, which is part of the original Cordage Park Estate, to the historic Copper Beech Tree, one of North Plymouth’s landmarks, to the original décor, which includes black and white photographs of the first generation in the forties to the story pizza recipe. This restaurant is filled with local history!

Mike Pimental gave me some insight into the longevity and success that the restaurant has enjoyed during its 68 years of operation. “My father always said, ‘Don’t try any shortcuts. I’ve tried them all and they don’t work,’ and that pretty much sums up the philosophy of the way we run our business today. Our portions are generous, reasonably priced, and our food is always consistent. We don’t overcomplicate things here—we keep it simple and consistent and that’s why our customers come back. This isn’t just a family-owned and run establishment—we consider our staff, many of which who have been with us for many years, and our customers family as well.”

Alongside Mike are sons Matthew, Jarrod and Alec, sisters Rosemary, Pat and Jane— this restaurant incorporates three generations of the Pimental family and is the oldest running family business in Plymouth. Ernie’s Restaurant and the Pimentals are rooted deeply into Plymouth’s history and into the community. They are committed to their local clientele, many of whom have been coming to Ernie’s for years. In the 1980’s, the Pimental family, in conjunction with the Plymouth Country Club, began a scholarship program for kids ages 11-15 from Plymouth, Carver and Kingston. The Emily Pimental Scholarship is in memory of Ernie’s wife and the family selects 20 boys and girls to be awarded the scholarship each year, which provides entrance into the Plymouth Country Club Junior Membership Program.

The menu at Ernie’s includes a variety of comfort food favorites that will please the palettes and warms the hearts of people of all ages. Whether you are coming in alone for a beer and to watch the game, bringing the gang from work, your family or a date for dinner, Ernie’s has something for everyone. Specials such as the Two-for-One Tuesdays (1 free pizza for every two people ordering while dining in), Senior Citizen Sundays (25% off dinner entrees from 11am to 5pm), and Italian Night Wednesdays ($11.95 entrees including soup and salad) as well as full lunch and dinner menus served seven days a week will keep you coming back for more. You can’t beat the food, the atmosphere or the value—so come on in and say hello!

ERNIE’S RESTAURANT
330 Court Street, Plymouth
508-746-3444

www.erniesrestaurantandbar.com 

Open daily from 11am to 10pm, 7 days a week!
Full take-out and children’s menus are available.