The beauty of Iron Mule, apart from its canal and, to a lesser extent, river views, is the fact that it’s not far from Downtown Easton, but it feels removed from the city. It’s easy to miss if you’re driving down 611 on a warm evening and not expecting to encounter a restaurant around the bend. Pull right off into the gravel lot (or park across the street and carefully cross, minding the motorcycles). When you walk in, it’s unassuming—it’s a large, open room—with a wall of windows, some exposed stone and a long, long bar.
Gone are the pool tables. Gone are the stained glass, 1970s basement overhead lights (you know, the kinds with grapes and apples on them), and what you have instead is a freshly painted, crisply decorated dining room.
“We wanted people to walk in and go ‘Wow, this looks nice, but comfortable.’ This is like Cheers. It’s Cheers of Easton,” says Kate Hug, the owner. (Yes, that’s really her last name and yes, she’s a hugger.)
So the Iron Mule may indeed be like Cheers—some evidence of that was definitely on display recently—but with way better food. You’re looking at a menu full of pub favorites and regional classics, with Chef Daniel Schutzer’s own spin, naturally. Instead of potato skins, which are a perennial favorite, you’ll get a Spiral Spud. Picture a whole spiral-cut baked potato (a la Hasselback potatoes) covered with crumbled bacon and beer cheese—a sauce made from Yuengling, smoked Gouda and smoked paprika.
Speaking of beer cheese, that can also top their cheesesteak, which is a sight to behold, and taste. It’s elevated, but not in a snooty way; there’s no doubt you’re still eating a cheesesteak. Order it with ribeye (you can also get chicken), but don’t leave off the sautéed mushrooms, onions and melted American cheese (or the beer cheese), on a toasted baguette.
The wings are something to look at, too—they’re not your typical flavor profiles of hot, hotter and hottest. “I could make hot sauce and call it ‘kill sauce,’ but this is more interesting,” says Schutzer. All the wings on the appetizer menu are dredged in what he calls a “buffalo slurry,” then oven roasted, so there is always a touch of buffalo sauce flavor there, whether you order the wings as classic as they come, or opt for other interpretations such as Garlic Parmesan, Garlic and Honey, Bourbon BBQ or Lemon Pepper.
There’s nothing fussy about the food at Iron Mule. “Simple generally presents better,” says Schutzer. He’s spent time in the kitchen at Vintage Restaurant in Williams Township, when it was owned by chef Mike Pichetto (now of 3rd & Ferry in Easton), along with the Bookstore Speakeasy (Bethlehem) and Folino Estate (Kutztown). Schutzer came to food at a young age; he started cooking around eight years old. “I began cooking out of necessity,” he says. “Don’t worry, it’s not anything tragic,” he says, laughing.
The New Jersey native then explains the long age span between him and his siblings that necessitated such ingenuity (or hunger, who knows), and it makes more sense. He’d scavenge and make do with what he found, which is a great way to learn. And television helped too, as those were the days of focused culinary education on networks such as PBS. “I’d make pierogis out of leftover mashed potatoes, I watched Julia Child on PBS,” he says. Ironically, his older brother is the one who went through culinary school, but that just means Schutzer had someone to train him, or as he describes it, “put him to work” learning how to do everything. “Cooks in the kitchen, sharpening knives, wiping things down—they’re like knights preparing to go into battle,” he says.
(Side Note: Schutzer said this just a couple weeks before COVID-19 nearly incapacitated restaurants and brought most small businesses to a screeching halt, along with life as we know it.)
Iron Mule opened in January, and one of the biggest surprises thus far for everyone on the team is how well received the place has been, right off the bat.
“We’re definitely a destination restaurant,” says Hug. “You have to drive here on purpose to get to us.” That’s true, although I’m betting some people, having benefitted from this information, will tuck this away in the back of their heads and pull over the next time they go for a drive. Because we will all go for drives, and stop at businesses, and enjoy them again very soon.
But the most heartwarming aspect, perhaps, shows through in the dedication of its customers.
“We’ve inspired return customers, we already have regulars,” says Schutzer. (Ahem, Cheers reference.)
Those people are feeling the love when they walk in the door—and it’s because of Hug’s team.
“I hire happy. I don’t necessarily hire experienced people. Of course, you want an experienced chef, and Daniel is amazing. You can teach someone to do a job, but you can’t teach a personality,” she says.
“Still, I can’t believe how fast we created that group of people who are so happy to come every day, or every other day,” says Hug. “We are truly like a family. I feel so lucky to have these people with me.”
Many customers who’ve found the Iron Mule feel lucky too, and many regulars have converted to curbside and delivery diners, choosing from a smaller menu, in light of the restrictions required by the novel coronavirus. But Hug says customers have surpassed her expectations.
“We are offering a discount to individuals, because we understand no one has any money, everyone is losing money in this situation. But several of our regulars are not asking us for a discount and not accepting it,” Hug says. “It makes me want to cry, it’s so moving.”
Hug stumbled into restaurant ownership, after working for a few years with a good friend at a small diner nearby that recently closed. She heard the building was for sale through a friend, took a look, and that was that. When asked if there was anything in her past that prepared her for this she says, without missing a beat, “Nope!” and then laughs.
The name Iron Mule is a mash-up that references the steel and iron manufacturing history, when mules were used to transport goods by towing barges along the river. The name did strike her in one of those “Aha!” moments while she was looking out the window at the canal.
“It was ‘Oh my gosh, the Iron Mule.’ It’s the mule pulling the iron. The strength of the iron, pulled by the strength of the mule, and the iron and mule together creating the strength of our restaurant,” says Hug.
Iron Mule has quite a bit of history on its side, dating to what the owners believe is Revolutionary War times—after all, 611 is an old road and the Lehigh Valley has those vibes. The restaurant traces its roots to the Black Horse Tavern of the 1800s and can claim, of course, its very own ghost. “He’s not dangerous, just mischievous,” says Scott Morgan, one of the bartenders.
More recently, the place briefly operated as a bacon-centric restaurant and before that, Stemie’s Place for many years (totally unaffiliated with Stemie’s 1818, by the way). During Stemie’s tenure, the business was featured on Animal Planet’s show The Haunted, as they investigated paranormal activity in the basement, where the gangster Johnny Farrara was killed in July 1928. “He likes to move chairs, that’s his favorite thing,” says Hug.
Naturally, with a name like Iron Mule, you can bet that there are infinite variations on the classic namesake cocktail.
Moscow Mule is made with Russian vodka; Tennessee Mule, with Jack Daniels. The Kentucky Mule? You guessed it, bourbon. The list goes on and on: Mexican, Irish, Australian, English, French and so forth. There are of course signature cocktails, wines by the glass and beers on draft—but you won’t find any craft selections here. This place is as straightforward as it comes as it pertains to the beer list, which is, in a way, oddly refreshing.
If you want to come for breakfast, Iron Mule dishes that up on Sundays and the menu includes some classics—pancakes, French toast, two eggs with bacon or sausage, home fries and toast, and a parfait with yogurt, granola and fresh berries. Omelet lovers can build their own, and Schutzer occasionally offers specials such as the Monte Cristo.
(Insider tip: order a Bloody Mary, because it’s made with a roasted red pepper vodka that sounds like a gimmick but adds such a depth of flavor that your taste buds will do triple takes.)
As the weather breaks, look for more sandwiches on the menu, and what Schutzer calls a “grill-centric” menu. He’s not aiming to make overhauls—this place basically just opened and things have been topsy-turvy from the get-go. And Hug says they’re likely to scale to a five-day-a-week operation from their pre-COVID daily operation.
Hug’s harboring a vision that means, if things go well, an outside deck will be constructed, availing diners of warm breezes and water views. “I’ve already hired an architect. The plan is on the slowdown, not the go-away,” she says, laughing.
Well, no matter how long or fast it takes to restore some semblance of “normal,” nothing will change the appeal of great food, creatively rendered, and welcoming, unfussy hospitality to serve you and make you want to come back immediately, and a beautiful view that includes water.
“My personality is that of I want to make sure in general, even before I owned a restaurant, that you’re comfortable and happy. That’s just the way I think,” says Hug.
Iron Mule
831 S. Delaware Dr., Easton | 484.544.4728 | ironmulepa.com
*Please check their website and/or social media for current operating hours and procedures.
Hours: Wed.–Sun.: 11 a.m.–11 p.m.
Parking: Lot on the premises, and some spots across the street
Reservations: Recommended for the weekends
What to Order: People love the fried calamari, and the Bavarian pretzel, which is served with that house beer cheese and chef’s angry mustard (Dijon, whiskey, crushed red pepper, dark chili powder and love. Yes. He said that.) The Iron Burger is key, too—bacon, American cheese, lettuce, tomato and onions.
Note: anything with “Iron” added to its description is generally code for “smoked paprika has been added to this dish,” as it’s one of Schutzer’s go-to ingredients. People also seem to like Brick Chicken, which is herb marinated and prepped in a cast iron skillet. Drunken Mussels. Don’t miss those.
As far as cocktails, the Mule gets seemingly infinite treatments. You can’t go wrong, really, with any of them, but if you come for breakfast on Sunday (not brunch!), do yourself a favor and order the Bloody Mary.
Specials/Events: Live music Friday and Saturday nights.
