The Steel Plate offers eclectic menu mixed with servant hearts
Courtesy of The Steel Plate
Russell and Nicole Johnson are the owners of The Steel Plate
Courtesy of The Steel Plate
The smoke stack is a full rack of ribs stuffed with tator tots, mac and cheese then topped with pulled pork or brisket burnt ends.
Courtesy of Ryan VanTine
Russell Johnson cooking in the kitchen shortly after opening The Steel Plate
Courtesy of Ryan VanTine
The interior of The Steel Plate features a brick fireplace and custom artwork on the walls.
Courtesy of The Steel Plate
Garlic parmesan chicken lollipops
Courtesy of The Steel Plate
Custom mural of the steel mill created by Valarie Weible and Casey Clark in the waiting room of The Steel Plate
Courtesy of The Steel Plate
Valarie Weible and Casey Clark in front of the mural of the steel mill they created with Nicole Johnson (center). Weible and Clark also helped design the interior of the restaurant.
Courtesy of The Steel Plate
Courtesy of The Steel Plate
Ribs and eggs for Sunday brunch
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Courtesy of The Steel Plate
Courtesy of The Steel Plate
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Don Madzey’s son, Mason, a cancer survivor, worked at The Steel Plate for a year until devastating news prevented him from continuing his job.
“He, unfortunately, got cancer again, so he isn’t working there right now and is battling that, but the owners, Nicole and Russell Johnson, have offered him his job back when he is ready to go,” said Madzey, Monessen City School elementary vice principal.
“I don’t know what to say, but only what awesome people they are. What they have done for Mason and my family. It’s not just the food that’s beautiful; it’s the people. It’s Russell and Nicole and how they are with the community. You look at what they have done since the minute they opened until now and how they have done fundraisers to help people out.”
As Mason started his second fight against cancer, Russell and Nicole held a spaghetti dinner fundraiser and raised over $6,000 for the family.
“After they raised all that money, they came to my house and the way Russell spoke to my kid, just man to man,” said Madzey. “It was beautiful. Their hearts are in it for the right reasons. It’s not just a restaurant. It’s people loving people. The food is delicious. We eat there all the time.”
The Steel Plate will have been open for two years this November and can be described as an eclectic family restaurant.
Madzey said when his son was working there, he and his wife would come to eat every Friday night.
“I can thank them for an extra 30 pounds,” he laughed. “They are just loving people who are making the community a better place.”
Madzey said Russell is a great employer who connects with his employees personally. Mason loves fishing, so Russell would talk about fishing with him or go see him fishing.
“He gets involved with his employees and becomes a part of who they are, which makes people want to work for someone like that,” said Madzey. “It’s good that he personally connects with the teenagers who work with him because it is so hard to find reliable teenagers, but if you build that connection, that helps out. It helps that relationship get built, so it’s not just about working, it’s about friendship.”
Russell and Nicole both oversee the day-to-day operations of the restaurant. Nicole’s background is in the service industry, and Russell’s is in the culinary industry, so opening a restaurant seemed like a natural progression for them. Nicole is also a full-time teacher, so as a family-run restaurant, they both pitch in where they can.
“Both of us do whatever is called for,” said Russell. “But I am here pretty much every day overseeing the operations if not working or cooking, so it really depends on the workload of the restaurant. I am hands-on with every part of it one way or another.”
During the summer, Nicole is there as much as Russell, but when school is in session, Nicole is there more in the evenings and on weekends.
“When I am here, I do whatever is needed,” she said. “If I have to cook, I will step on the line to help the cooks, or if I am not cooking, then I am prepping the sauce, hand breading the fish or making the meatballs. Whatever needs done. I also do the scheduling and help with the servers.”
They decided to open a restaurant because they both love people and hearing their stories.
“We love meeting people and hearing their stories, and the best way to approach that is through food,” said Russell. “Whether it is a somber moment where a family comes together after a funeral or a joyous moment of a baby shower, we always get to meet different people at different times in their life, and we get to provide something that changes their outlook for that moment with food. In my 43 years, I have never sat down and had a meal where I was upset. It always brought some serenity to me.”
The restaurant is located in the shadow of Pittsburgh, and since it is a steel mill town, both of their families have ties to the steel mill. When naming their restaurant, it seemed natural to call it The Steel Plate.
“During the time of the steel mill, it was a booming town that brought everyone together from every ethnic background,” said Russell. “My parents told me it was a melting pot where everyone got together. Once the mill closed, that kind of dispersed, so the name of The Steel Plate was to focus on doing what the steel mill did by bringing everyone back together no matter where you are in your life. Everyone is welcome here to enjoy a home-cooked meal.”
The menu can only be described as eclectic. You name it, and they probably have it. For example, their menu includes such items as crab legs, cabbage rolls, wings, chicken fajitas, Mexican street corn, pulled pork, homemade brisket vegetable soup, homemade jumbo lump crab cakes, lobster ravioli, fried catfish and more.
“The menu evolves regularly through our daily specials,” said Russell. “The pasta sauce that we serve here is my wife’s family recipe that has been in her family for years. Same with the cabbage rolls. We both jotted down ideas of what we wanted the menu to look like, and we didn’t fit into any one category. We don’t fit into an Italian, barbeque, Mexican or Caribbean. We have a little bit of everything.”
Nicole said they wanted the menu to reflect the restaurant’s name as well as the diversity and history of the area.
“We wanted to hit a little bit of all the different ethnic backgrounds with our menu,” said Nicole. “We have something for everyone.”
Russell said sometimes, one person in a party wants the all-you-can-eat-crab-legs special, and the other just wants a burger.
“Or if someone will want a rack of ribs and their spouse wants chicken parmesan, most barbeque places aren’t going to have chicken parmesan,” said Russell. “It is definitely an eclectic collection of food. It’s all comfort food, but it’s comfort food for different people in different cultures.”
Heather Swope and her family visit The Steel Plate often.
“They come up with the most fantastic recipes,” said Swope. “They had golden dill pickle wings last week, and they were out of this world. They were delicious. Russell is always trying new things. They are so friendly, and they are like family. The owners are fantastic people. We don’t live in the area, but we drive there just for their food and the ambiance of the restaurant. It’s so family-oriented and wonderful.”
They have daily specials, so check out the Facebook page to see what’s being offered each day.
The Steel Plate is closed on Tuesdays. Why Tuesday? Historically, where they are located, most restaurants are closed on Sunday and Monday, so to fill a need, they are open on Sunday and Monday and close on Tuesdays.
Their hours are Wednesday 2-8 p.m., Thursday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. – 9 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Monday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
They do not have a liquor license, but diners are welcome to bring their own alcohol to enjoy with their dinner if they choose to do so.
Since Russell and Nicole are parents themselves to two daughters, Londyn, 9, and Laina, 5, they chose to make the restaurant very family-friendly. Russell said most of their clientele are in, out and back home.
In addition to running the restaurant, the Steel Plate also does catering, local fairs, festivals, community fairs and deliveries to businesses.
Looking forward, The Johnsons plan to add a banquet hall providing an in-house catering facility for about 80 people.
The restaurant currently seats 65 people, with plans to add outdoor seating.
The building they are in used to be two houses that were converted into a restaurant called Fat Jacks. Then it was changed to an Italian restaurant. The Johnsons purchased it in 2021 and didn’t have to do any renovations to get it ready for their restaurant. Their friends helped them decorate it.
“Our restaurant is like the comfort of home,” said Nicole. “When you come in, the colors are warm and creams. It is a little bit rustic, with a brick fireplace and sliding barn door to separate the dining rooms. In our waiting room, there is a mural of a steel mill and custom artwork on the walls.”
There are photographs of Pittsburgh during the steel mill time, black and white construction pictures and family photos around the restaurant showing their history that led them to opening their own restaurant.
“My family and I love eating at the Steel Plate,” retired Captain Susan Thwaite of The Salvation Army said. “Russell has perfected his recipe for brisket. Not to be outdone, his wife Nikki brings her family’s homemade meatballs and cabbage rolls as offerings.”
Thwait said the Johnsons don’t stop at just giving a great dining experience; they love people and causes.
“During COVID, we partnered with them to provide free meals to the community and local first responders,” said Thwaite. “The most patriotic meal that we collaborated on together was feeding the families from Flight 93 in Shanksville for the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Russell was the head chef, and Nikki’s homemade meatballs were the talk of the meal.”
Visit facebook.com/thesteelplate for more information. The Steel Plate is located at 321 Schoonmaker Ave. in Monessen.