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<p>NEWPORT TWP. &#8212; The R Bar &amp; Grill, a family owned bar, is the place to unwind and enjoy good food and drinks. Times Leader readers agree as the township bar won the Best Local Bar category in the 2016 Readers&#8217; Choice Awards.</p><p>The bar, which has served lower Luzerne County for five years, is in its second location. Sisters Lauren Maga, of Wapwallopen, and Lindsey Temerantz, of Nanticoke, &#8220;outgrew&#8221; their old building on Union Street, Nanticoke, and upgraded to 119 Kirmar Ave., the site of the old Alden Manor. The current building is five times larger than the other building.</p><p>&#8220;We closed for one week, four days actually,&#8221; Maga said about the move that took place in November 2014.</p><p>The restaurant/bar is a &#8220;family affair&#8221; for the sisters and they try to keep the place comfortable. If a patron gets out of hand, they&#8217;re placed on the bar&#8217;s banned list.</p><p>&#8220;We do not put up with anything,&#8221; Maga said. &#8220;We want people to feel like family.&#8221;</p><p>Being able to work around her family life, Maga said, means not missing important dates in the lives of her 9-year-old and 6-year-old children.</p><p>&#8220;Family comes first,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Temerantz admittedly is the &#8220;calmer&#8221; sister while Maga is a &#8220;panicker.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;She can call me on a stressful day,&#8221; Temerantz said. &#8220;We have a good balance.&#8221;</p><p>The duo started with 12 bar stools in the Union Street location and has grown to 29 tables and 20 bar stools. The Alden Room is a 150 person capacity banquet hall on the top floor, which &#8220;is booked with parties for next year.&#8221;</p><p>The larger area allows for more employees as the business grew from five to 30 workers.</p><p>&#8220;They might as well be family,&#8221; Maga said of the employees.</p><p>Walking into the bar and restaurant takes individuals back to their nearest local service station as old street signs, hubcaps and license plates adorn the walls. Temerantz considers it a &#8220;garage-y&#8221; feeling.</p><p>&#8220;People will come in and say, &#8216;Oh I found this and brought it for you,&#8217;&#8221; Maga said about some of the decor.</p><p>There is a spot dedicated to firefighters and police officers with department patches and other memorabilia under glass at the bar.</p><p>The menu offers typical bar fare, including over 60 wing flavors, sandwiches and burgers. The sisters also have a late night menu served after 11 p.m. for bar patrons. Flights of beer and flights of mixed drinks are also featured.</p><p>The idea to open the bar was &#8220;something for us, a legacy,&#8221; the sisters noted.</p><p>&#8220;Our dad (who owns One Stop Service Shop on Alden Road in Nanticoke) wanted us to do something for us,&#8221; Maga said.</p><p>The bar business made sense, since Maga has been in the business since she was 18 years old.</p><p>&#8220;She creates the drinks,&#8221; Termerantz said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Lindsey Temerantz, co-owner of The R Bar, works in the serving station of the restaurant. The bar/restaurant is decorated with pieces from American history, such as automobile hub caps and license plates. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL032616Bestlocalbar2-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Lindsey Temerantz, co-owner of The R Bar, works in the serving station of the restaurant. The bar/restaurant is decorated with pieces from American history, such as automobile hub caps and license plates. </caption0><photoCredit0>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL032616Bestlocalbar3-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The Pickled Bloody Mary, a signature drink at the R Bar, is topped with fresh bacon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL032616Bestlocalbar3-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>The Pickled Bloody Mary, a signature drink at the R Bar, is topped with fresh bacon. </caption1><photoCredit1>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL032616Bestlocalbar4-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">A few of the R Bar&#8217;s signature drinks include the Cucumber Melon, which includes homemade cucumber vodka; The Duke, which has peach and pineapple flavors; Mango Lemonade and the Nirvana, a twist on a traditional Mango Bay Breeze. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL032616Bestlocalbar4-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>A few of the R Bar&#8217;s signature drinks include the Cucumber Melon, which includes homemade cucumber vodka; The Duke, which has peach and pineapple flavors; Mango Lemonade and the Nirvana, a twist on a traditional Mango Bay Breeze. </caption2><photoCredit2>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL032616Bestlocalbar5-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">R Bar owner Lauren Maga makes a signature drink while her sister, Lindsey Tamerantz, helps out behind the counter. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL032616Bestlocalbar5-1.jpg</photo3><caption3>R Bar owner Lauren Maga makes a signature drink while her sister, Lindsey Tamerantz, helps out behind the counter. </caption3><photoCredit3>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Melanie Mizenko</p><p>mmizenko@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Food, drinks and family create the atmosphere in R Bar and Alden Room, Newport Township