The Sequel is 2nd restaurant act for East McKeesport couple

Deverin and Heather Cabbagestalk’s second venture in the restaurant business is aptly named The Sequel.

The eatery in Hempfield fills the space formerly occupied by Cozumel Mexican Restaurant along Route 30.

The Sequel opened May 24 and continues the menu and mission of the Cabbagestalks’ first restaurant, Will-Onita’s in the Penn Crossing Shopping Center in Penn Township.

The fare is upscale American-style dishes served in a casual atmosphere.

“Some people call us fine dining, but we’re not,” Deverin Cabbagestalk said. “We don’t want that label. We’re more family-oriented.”

The couple are from East McKeesport. Deverin is the chef, while Heather oversees front-of-house operations.

There are burgers, sandwiches, hoagies and wraps, along with soups and salads.

Entrees run the gamut from comfort foods such as pasta dishes, meatloaf and chicken pot pie to steaks, seafood, surf and turf, and specialties including pork osso bucco, bacon-wrapped pork loin and Southern-style smoked baby back ribs.

“We want everyone to have something, from a burger to a lobster tail to a simple turkey club sandwich,” Deverin said. “We try to hit all areas and everybody’s palate.”

Their emphasis is on serving fresh food in a friendly atmosphere. The restaurant is BYOB with a small corking fee.

“We want to get to know our customers. We want to build relationships,” Heather said.

“You’ll see us out on the floor for a reason,” Deverin said. “Our objective is to make sure the customer is happy. We want to meet them, we want to know what their likes are and if there’s anything we can do differently.

“What the guests want, we try to give it to them,” he said.

Customer views

On a recent Friday evening, David and Linda Jackel of Harrison City, who were regulars at Will-Onita’s, were dining at The Sequel.

“We used to walk over the hill from our house to Will-Onita’s,” Linda Jackel said. “Now we drive over here because the food’s so good and they’re so nice.”

Donald Glenn of Irwin was having the seafood platter, while his dinner companion, Elaine Henigan of New Alexandria, had orange-glazed salmon.

“The food is excellent, the price is reasonable and the service is great,” Glenn said. “You won’t find better catfish anywhere.

“They get it right out of the Mon River,” he joked.

30 years’ experience

Deverin Cabbagestalk developed his recipes in almost 30 years of cooking at Pittsburgh-area restaurants, including executive chef stints at LeMont Restaurant, Monterrey Bay Fish Grotto and Atria’s.

Although she previously owned a bar, Heather said she had no restaurant experience prior to opening Will-Onita’s.

“This was his dream, and we made it happen,” she said.

“I kind of pulled her into it,” Deverin said.

The Cabbagestalks opened Will-Onita’s in early 2020, two months before the pandemic shutdown.

“It was a fight to keep going,” Deverin said, not only because of covid-related restrictions but also because of the location.

“We were in a plaza, in the back,” he said. “The only way you came there was if you knew you were coming. You wouldn’t just be riding down the street and say, ‘I’m hungry, let’s grab something right there.’

“It was too far secluded, so we got no foot traffic whatsoever,” he said.

The couple is excited about the new location, in the midst of various other businesses along the Route 30 corridor.

They’ve renovated the building’s interior, which seats about 90. Two seating areas are separated by a two-sided brick fireplace. The walls are half-paneled in wood, topped with a muted green-gray paint.

They also like that there is ample parking and a deck attached to the building, where they hope at some time to offer entertainment.

“We’re hoping to do specials, once things settle down,” Heather said, noting that they’re hiring employees in all aspects of the operation.

Restaurant hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Information is available by calling 724-691-0133 or at The Sequel on Facebook.