A nostalgia-chaser’s paradise with enough whimsy and good food to propel it through multiple generations: welcome to Antonio’s Restaurant. Driving along Route 10 in Simsbury it’s hard to miss “the big A.” Inside, it’s all about the three Fs: Family, Food, and Fun.
Antonio’s first opened in 1964 across the street, one of just three restaurants in the town of 5,000 residents. The family moved into their current building in 1974. An eclectic menu of comfort foods is adjusted seasonally, but the longstanding kitchen staff – led by General Manager Ashley Maynard and Chef Timothy “TJ” Parker – are happy to fill familiar requests off-season.
“People remember an item from past menus, and we will still make it,” owner Steven Antonio said while seated in a booth towards the back surrounded by an eclectic collection of toys, trinkets and timestamps. The assemblage of oddities and memorabilia has been growing since the 1990s, since Antonio cleaned out his grandmother’s house in Hartford’s south end.
Loved by regulars are the fried clam and meatloaf dinners, Dr. Neureither’s Reuben and the Pepper and Egg grinder. Drew’s Famous Potato Pizza features clouds of mashed potatoes blanketed in cheese and crispy bacon. Kids 13 and under have their pick of 10+ fun-to-say-and-eat menu items like Spudsbob Beefpants and Blox and Blobs. It is clear that Steven prides himself on being attuned to customers’ preferences, working with local farms, butchers and bakeries to create an ever changing menu.
Four-and-a-half-year-old Sinéad Stone dined cheerily at Antonio’s, one of her family’s favorite places, for lunch recently. “It’s great and beautiful,” the Simsbury resident announced from a corner booth. “The food is very good and I feel like I’m always finding new stuff here,” said dad Rich Stone. “There is something for everyone on the menu,” added mom Siobhan Murphy. “We love it here.”
Next door is the family’s newest venture, The Hideaway, specializing in small plates and craft cocktails. Bloody Mary-deviled eggs are already a hit since the cafe opened in March.
“It’s more subdued and chill; what ‘we’ want at this age,” said Steven, who ascribes the new "speakeasy" as something they created to capture an evolving trend in the restaurant industry. The “hidden”, moody space piques curiosity and drives social media buzz. You can enter through the secret entrance by approaching a Coke machine in the back, selecting the Dr. Pepper button and then pushing the “three keys."
“One of the good things about our restaurant scene here is the friendly competition,” he said. “We all support each other.”
Nearby The Present Company owner Jeff Lizotte remembered working his first job as a dishwasher in Antonio’s kitchen, where he learned the value of family in the food business.
“The family dynamic was really palatable and awesome for a young person just experiencing the working life,” Lizotte mentioned. “It just felt like a really great family. Taking that philosophy to the present day and how I approach the culture at The Present Company, a lot of that started with Antonio’s and Steven. For a restaurant to be open that long shows you that something really good is happening there, and I was lucky to have that as my first introduction into the business.”
Whatever you point to in the restaurant, Steven can tell you a story about it. The tub his father and siblings used as infants is pinned above the fire exit. Film canisters of old family footage hang near the entrance into the back room. Newspaper clippings chronicle the exact days Kennedy and Lennon were shot and when Armstrong walked on the moon.
A cleaning crew takes care of one wall each week, and the memorabilia is swapped out on a quarterly basis.
“We’re blessed like an old faithful-type of place and we cultivate that,” Steven said. “I won’t force it as a legacy business onto my children, but they have expressed interest for the future,” he went on to tell FVL.
The next generation of flavor awaits.
Cabbage Night has happened across parts of the northeast on October 30, the night before Halloween, for decades.
As homage to the past, and to raise awareness and provide food for Simsbury Food Closet, Antonio’s Restaurant hosts their 62nd Annual Cabbage Night on October 30, 2026 from 4-6p.
Patrons can bring food items in exchange for rolls of toilet paper, which are then launched across the property and trees using huge catapults and compressed air cannons! In 2025, a record setting 625,000 feet of toilet paper was launched!
Old-school tradition and mischief is re-imagined, benefiting those with food insecurity. Sounds like a good time for some controlled chaos.