The Pocono Mountains in northern Pennsylvania has long been a popular destination for city residents looking for a vacation getaway within a few hours of home. While many communities have built resorts, shops, and restaurants catering to these visitors and rely heavily on the tourist industry, plenty of people find themselves lucky enough to call the Poconos home. It can be hard to find a spot that isn’t tourist-centric during the season, but here are a few spots the locals call the best restaurants in the Poconos.
This family owned and operated diner has been serving up good cooking and service to the area for over 45 years. They know what they’re doing. Open daily from 6am to 9pm, the Pioneer Diner serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dine in or give them a call for take-out. Be sure to check out their daily specials which in the past have included Chicken & Waffles, Steak & Eggs, Amish Chix Pot Pie, BBQ Chicken & Ribs, Apple Walnut Salad, French Toast Scrapple, Veggie Stuffed Cabbage, Prime Rib, Pork Shank, and Baked Ziti. And there’s always a soup (or chili) of the day. Try to leave room for dessert – Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cupcakes, Strawberry Shortcake and more!
Pioneer Diner
508 Pocono Blvd., Mount Pocono PA
570-839-7620
Open daily from 6am to 9pm
Another family-owned and operated establishment, Sherry’s is famous for their Cheesesteaks and Chili Cheese Dogs. Some days you just need a wonderful, kinda greasy, gooey Cheesesteak and some onion rings. Not only is Sherry’s one of the best places to eat in the Poconos for cheesesteaks, but where else can you get a good Knish? Besides their famous cheesesteaks, Sherry’s menu includes burgers, hot dogs, Sausage Pepper & Onions, Chicken Parm or Meatball Parm Heros and more. There are a few “healthy” things on the menu, but this is the place to get your cheesesteak and chili cheese fries fix. Oh, and get an order of Funnel Cake Fries. Just do it!
Sherry’s
Summit Road/Salvation Army parking lot, Pocono Summit PA
570-839-8623
Open 11am – 5pm daily
The Frogtown Chophouse is a popular place, for both tourists and locals. This is the area’s nice, date night dinner place. Billed as a “classic American steakhouse,” they offer both fine dining and casual menu items. Give them a call after 2pm to make your reservation. On the serious steak side of things, you’ll find dry-aged cuts, Piedmontese and Wagyu beef as well as hand-cut NY strips. For those who’d like something other than (great) steak, they’ll love the chef’s signature dish of Maryland-style crab cakes. And the fried chicken and bone-in pork chops are customer favorites. They have a nice cocktail and beer list. Try one of their Frogtinis to get in the mood.
Frogtown Chophouse
472 Red Rock Rd, Cresco PA (In Woodfield Manor)
570-895-4460
Open daily (except Christmas Day) from 5pm to 9pm
Jubilee Restaurant opened in 1968 and has been serving breakfast, lunch and dinner ever since, quickly becoming one of the best restaurants in the Poconos. Family and dog friendly, this casual eating spot has live music and weekday specials like their Tuesday Clam Nights, Wednesday Steak Night, and Thursday Wing Nights (they have 13 wing flavors to choose from!). Enjoy Happy Hour weekdays out on the patio, where Natalia, the restaurant cat, keeps an eye on things. Customer favorites from this family-owned and operated establishment include their BBQ ribs and the Corned Beef Hash. A few of their daily specials in the past have included the Portabella Benedict and Smoked Pork Hash Skillet for breakfast, a Berry Spinach Salad, Italian Sausage Burger or Smoked Salmon Burger for lunch and a Bacon Bleu Top Sirloin, Southwest Shrimp Bowl, Mahi with Pineapple Salsa for dinner.
Jubilee Restaurant
2067 PA-940, Pocono Pines PA
570-646-2377
Open Tuesday, Wednesday & Sunday from 8am – 9pm, Thursday-Saturday 8am – 10pm
Pocono Organics is more than just a café. It’s a farmers market, working farm and purveyor of CBD products. The farm has weekend yoga classes too, just give them a call to sign up. Pocono Organics also offers workshops and cooking classes. Lindsay McClain, (you may recognize her as the Season 20 “Chopped” champion), is the executive chef for the café which offers a seasonally, organic varied menu. Currently the breakfast menu includes pancakes and egg options as well as Greens & Grits and Farmers’ hash, and breakfast sandwiches. The lunch menu includes cheeseburgers, a Smoked Mushroom Sandwich, a quinoa bowl, salads, and the customer favorite Crispy Chicken Sandwich. The list of fresh good-for-you smoothies includes Blueberry Cobbler and a yummy Peanut Butter Power smoothie. Their market offers fresh, organic produce from their greenhouse and fields. They also have organic breads, meats and eggs for sale in the market. And stop by their shop to browse through their line of artisanal CBD Bath Bombs, creams, lotions, salves, lip balm and more. After you’ve eaten and shopped, be sure to take a tour of the farm.
Pocono Organics
1015 Long Pond Road, Long Pond PA
570-646-1100
The Market is open Thursday – Monday 8am – 4pm
The Café is open Thursday – Monday 8am – 2pm