The Station Doylestown, a 400-seat restaurant with a raw bar, Italian-influenced menu, and rail-themed cocktails, has been drawing diners since early April inside the historic Reading Railroad freight house at 194 W. Ashland St.
The restaurant is the work of Gent Mema, Joshua Friedberg and Orbelin Bitraj, three Montgomery County restaurateurs who closed on the business and its liquor license on Monday, March 2. The trio declined to share the purchase price, but Bucks County liquor licenses have recently sold for approximately $450,000, according to BUCKSCO.Today.
The Station marks the group's first Bucks County venture. They operate five restaurants across Montgomery and Delaware counties: The Library in Collegeville, Versante in Schwenksville, Antica Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar in Chadds Ford, and two Il Granaio locations in Glen Mills and Phoenixville. The ownership group is also expanding at the Jersey Shore, where they purchased the former Salty Mermaid Bar & Grille in North Wildwood for $2.45 million, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal.
The building's long history
The Reading Railroad built the freight house in 1913, four decades after the railroad arrived in Doylestown in 1871 and turned the borough into a regional hub. The building operated as The Freight House nightclub and dining concept in the early 2010s, then as Station Tap House for years before closing in March 2026.
In a March 2026 Instagram post, Station Tap House's original owners told followers "the new group will be reshaping this beautiful property."
Inside the space
After closing on the property, the new owners spent several weeks on cosmetic renovations before opening for dinner in early April. Fresh paint, updated lighting, and new decor brightened the dining rooms.
The 8,500-square-foot space retains its indoor and outdoor bars, banquet room, and a large patio with views of passing SEPTA trains on the Lansdale/Doylestown line. The main dining room keeps exposed steel trusses, an industrial ceiling and brick accents from the building's freight house days.
The menu features a full raw bar with oysters, tuna tartare, shrimp cocktail and crab cakes alongside dishes including seafood cioppino, fish francese topped with jumbo lump crabmeat over linguine, herb-roasted spinach risotto and short rib eggrolls. The cocktail list nods to the building's railroad past with names like Engine on the Rum, Last Train in Moscow and The Orient Espresso.
Early reception
Early customer reviews have been positive, though some longtime Station Tap House regulars have noted nostalgia for the prior concept. Others have flagged parking challenges and noise levels during peak hours, according to BUCKSCO.Today.
The Station Doylestown is open for dinner at 194 W. Ashland St., next to the Doylestown SEPTA station.
