Top Rated Bucks Co. Restaurant Announces Anniversary Celebration

POINT PLEASANT, PA — Dharma Bums is the place to be this weekend as it celebrates its second anniversary with a free concert, ceramics workshop, and a new line of zero-proof cocktails.

“We’ve come a long way from our humble beginnings to being named one of the top restaurants in the nation by USA Today,” said owners Steven and Fiona Trachtenberg. “It’s time to celebrate two years in business.”

The Trachtenbergs have arranged for the band, “Steal Your Face,” to perform live Saturday night, July 26, from 8 to 11:30 p.m. as part of its anniversary celebration. The band is a favorite at the Point Pleasant restaurant.

“It’s our way of saying thank you to our customers who have supported us and made us a success,” said the Trachtenbergs.

The eatery will also be serving its new zero-proof craft cocktails - Pineapple Ginger Mojito, Asian Mule, Gin & Jam, Sake Cocktail, Japanese Highball, Lemongrass Margarita, and Gochujang Mezcal Paloma.

Pineapple Ginger Mojita zero-proof cocktail. (Dharma Bums)

“Instead of having a side venue of mocktails, many of which are fruity drinks, we took some time to study this growing trend of zero-proof liquors. I think we’ve come up with a very good copy of what these should taste like in the liquor versions,” said Steven.

“That gives everybody the ability to come here and have a great time. Whether you drink or don’t drink, we’ve got something for you,” said Steven.

In addition to its craft cocktails, Dharma Bum's offers a special "Cocktail for A Cause" each month to benefit community organizations. This month, 20 percent of the sale of "Harvest Heat" is going to the Good Folk Project in Doylestown. The nonprofit is dedicated to alleviating food insecurity and fostering community resilience.

The drinks complement Dharma Bum’s eclectic menu, which won the praise of USA Today’s food writers earlier this year when they ranked the Bucks County restaurant as one of the top places to eat in the nation.

The owners describe the food at Dharma Bum’s as vegetarian-inspired “with a wink and a nod” to Asian culture. “That’s something you’ll find throughout Dharma Bum’s as a whole,” said Steven.

The restaurant, however, is much more than just a place to eat and drink. It’s a place to "feed your mind, body, and soul."

“We are now considered a premier music venue in the greater Bucks County area," said Steven. "We’ve been bringing in touring acts. We have Stanley Jordan, the great jazz guitar player, playing here at the end of the month. We’re bringing in national acts to play here in a small setting.”

(Dharma Bums)

Dharma Bums also offers psychedelic jams, yoga classes and pottery workshops to "expand your mind and body. They have been filling up as soon as we post them," said Steven.

"The momentum has been huge,” he adds. “It’s exciting and that dial just keeps going up.”

Located inside a restored stone building that once housed “Apple Jack” bar, the Trachtenbergs describe their restaurant as “a cozy space with a nod to the past - a simpler time when people gathered to listen to live music, eat good food, and enjoy a drink.”

The restaurant is named after their favorite book in which author Jack Kerouac (aka Ray Smith) explores the duality of his life and ideals, examining the relationship of the outdoors, mountaineering, hiking and, of course, hitchhiking through the West Coast with his "city life" of jazz clubs, poetry readings, and drunken parties.

Dharma Bums rests on the bank of the Delaware River Canal, just a short walk from the Tohickon Creek and High Rocks Vista. For more than 50 years, the building was home to Apple Jack, a
notorious rough-and-tumble bar where many had their first underage drink, said Steven. It then flipped over to The Local for a few years and then it lay dormant for close to six years.

After acquiring the building, the couple undertook a significant renovation, taking great pains not to alter too much of the community landmark.

The 19th-century building has a deep and storied past, its hallowed halls ringing of rebellion and resistance - a gathering place for the Black Cat Motorcycle Club, and even the watering hole for revolutionary patron Abbie Hoffman, whose famed Dump the Pump meetings took place within the very walls.

“It was like we gave the building a big hug,” said Fiona of their renovation project. “We ensured that the building was safe. We did some structural things. We tried to keep the integrity of the building, which is very much loved. We opened up the second floor. We added a mid-century modern
lounge and we restored the original bar area,” said Fiona.

“We embraced the history and the lineage of the building, bringing it to what it is now,” added Steve.

Dharma Bums is located at 4935 River Road, New Hope 18938. For information, call 215-663-2867 or email info@dbums.com

Hours are: Wednesday and Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m.; Friday, 4 p.m. to 12 a.m.; Saturday, 12 to 10 p.m.; and Sunday, 12 to 9:30 p.m. The restaurant is closed on Monday and Tuesday.