36 Handles Public House under new ownership

1010 White Rock Road916-941-360636handles.com From a tasty new menu to a family-friendly atmosphere, 36 Handles Public House is a destination you must visit. Under the new ownership of Jennifer Maamo and her husband, Nader, the couple believes they've created something special with the changes they've made. A community staple, 36 Handles has been in business in El Dorado Hills for nearly 13 years as an Irish-style pub, but the Maamos made it their own vision, redesigning the entire restaurant into an American gastropub. Ever since Nader came to America 25 years ago, he had a deep love for restaurants and has had interesting ideas for entrepreneurship. The couple has owned various restaurants throughout California through the years, and after looking for a new venture, they stumbled upon 36 Handles, which happened to be for sale. "We had been looking for a smaller restaurant in an urban area like Sacramento, but it wasn't working out," Jennifer said. "We came here when it was a thick Irish pub, and it was like walking into another world. It's such a beautiful spot on this hill. That day we came to see it, we had also just came from some wineries so it looked even nicer," she laughed. Just about everything inside the restaurant is different from the paint on the walls to the décor. Jennifer said they shut down for four days just to do a deep clean. New and unique about the décor is the mural on one of the walls. The Maamos decided on a photo of Johnny Cash, but instead of what he is holding in the original photo, they have him holding a mug of beer. "If anyone knows the picture, they know he isn't really holding a mug," she said. "We love it because it gets people talking." In the near future the restaurant will have another unique mural. Along with the design of the pub, the menu is brand new as well. Some popular items include the Baja fish tacos, which are three massive shareable tacos; salads, which are also large, but fresh, filling and very satisfying to look at; house-made meatloaf wrapped in bacon and stuffed with cheese, their own spin on fish and chips with home-style in-house-made French fries; and beer cheese with pretzel bites. Jennifer said they also have a smoker for all their meats. "This is a place where you can come with your family or do date night, ladies night or even happy hour," Jennifer said. "We're a local spot, but also a destination for people to come see live music, have karaoke night, trivia night, and more. We have themed nights as well." Recently, 36 Handles held a Game of Thrones-themed night, and it was a hit. When asked what her favorite thing about the business was so far, Jennifer said her staff. "We were very fortunate to come in with a great staff," she said. "We did have our challenges with the kitchen because the back of the house didn't decide to stay. We knew our concept with the menu would be more fresh and it wasn't going to be Irish, so bringing on a new kitchen staff and our Head Chef Q, putting their own spin, love and artistic touches on everything was amazing and we're very fortunate." Jennifer said for the front of the house, she felt welcomed by every single person. She said when they purchased the restaurant, they didn't know how anything worked such as the radio, TVs, the POS system, and the staff helped out tremendously. "They've all been so kind to us. It was their home first and they've welcomed us," she said.