River Palm Terrace Steakhouse In Mahwah Sold

MAHWAH, NJ — The River Palm Terrace, one of the top-rated steakhouses in New Jersey, has been sold.

Barry Bielat of Bielat Santore & Co., the broker for the sale, announced the transaction Monday. Just the Mahwah location has been sold. The restaurant also has locations in Fair Lawn and Edgewater.

The River Palm Terrace restaurants are consistently ranked atop many "best of" lists. The Daily Meal last year named it the best steakhouse in New Jersey in 2018. The restaurants are known for its hand-cut steaks and fresh seafood dishes.

New owners Frank Gashi and Patriot Gjonbalaj intend to run the restaurant as a classic New York steakhouse. They want to enhance businesses with strategic changes.

A bar menu will be offered for the first time. A mixologist will design specialty drinks and pair them with the bar menu.

Gashi and Gjonbalaj have each spent "a good part" of their more than 20-year long careers training and working in New York City steakhouses, said David Alvarez of Bielat Santore & Co.

Prior to buying the River Palm Terrace, they managed Il Mulino Prime Restaurant in Manhattan. They also worked together as manager and head captain at Scalinatella Restaurant in Manhattan.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com