Eat well in the Poconos
The cabin's stocked kitchenette and dining table make home-cooking easy — pour a glass of wine, throw something on the BBQ, and call it a night. But after a hike at Hickory Run or a long ski day at Camelback, sometimes you just want someone else to do the dishes. The good news: for a quiet stretch of mountains, the Poconos has a surprisingly strong food scene.
Below is a roundup of nearby restaurants, breweries, diners, and date-night spots to give you a sense of what's around. One quick note: a handful of these places are seasonal or keep short winter hours, so it's worth calling ahead before you head out. Drive times vary with traffic and the season — check Google Maps for actual times from the cabin.
Breakfast & coffee
The morning-after-the-fire-pit lineup
Most of these open early, run on coffee, and pour the kind of breakfast that justifies skipping lunch. Van Gilder's Jubilee Restaurant in Pocono Pines (about 10 minutes from the cabin, $$) is a Pocono institution — stacked-high pancakes, generous omelets, bottomless coffee, and waitresses who call you “hon.” The dining room is dated in the best way: vinyl booths, hot plates, a steady hum of locals. Best for a lazy family breakfast after a snowy morning. A few minutes up the road, Fork Street Bistro and Bakery in Mt. Pocono ($) is a small bistro-bakery doing fresh croissants, scones, breakfast sandwiches, and proper espresso drinks. Hand-rolled bagels too. Grab a box of pastries to bring back to the cabin and eat slowly on the front deck.
For something closer to a sit-down, Moyer's Country Kitchen in Pocono Lake (about 10 minutes, $$) is the closest reliable sit-down breakfast to the cabin — classic country-diner menu, eggs any way, hash, French toast, and a decent Greek salad if you somehow end up here for lunch. And if you want to stretch the definition of breakfast, Callie's Pretzel Factory & Candy Kitchen in Mountainhome (about 20 minutes, $) serves warm soft pretzels and coffee while you watch them hand-twist pretzels in the front window. Pure roadside Americana — great for kids and adults who pretend it's for the kids.
Casual lunch & dinner
Pizza, pub food & the everyday rotation
Bring a kid, bring a hiking-tired group, bring whoever — no reservation needed. Pocono Pines Pizzeria & Restaurant (about 12 minutes from the cabin, $$) does thin-crust, slightly charred, properly cheesy pies. A family-owned neighborhood pizzeria near Lake Naomi with generous portions, garlic knots that disappear before the pie comes out, and calzones and stromboli that hold their own. Best for the easy take-out-to-the-cabin night. Memorytown Tavern in Mt. Pocono (about 12 minutes, $$) is an old-school tavern attached to a small lake and shopping village — burgers, wings, weekend live music, and a deck that's lovely in summer. The vibe is more rustic-local than polished, which is exactly the point.
Worth the drive into town: Sarah Street Bar & Grill in Stroudsburg (about 25 minutes, $$) is a mainstay with a long gastropub-leaning menu — steaks, salads, big sandwiches, and a respectable beer list. Combine with a walk down Main Street and an antique-store browse to make a half-day of it. A few blocks away, Vault 636 Restaurant ($$) does modern American on Main Street in the space that used to hold the town's long-running Irish pub. Burgers, sandwiches, salads, a deep beer list, and live music on weekends — pair it with a Main Street stroll.
Date night & special occasions
For anniversaries & the night you dress up
Book ahead — the rooms are small and weekends fill up fast. The Frogtown Chophouse in Cresco (about 20 minutes from the cabin, $$$) is a proper Pocono steakhouse hidden down a back road — dry-aged steaks, a serious wine list, and a fireplace dining room that earns the drive. Locals already know; reservations are essential on weekends. Best for an anniversary or splurge dinner. Desaki Restaurant in Swiftwater (about 15 minutes, $$$) brings hibachi tables, sushi rolls, and the kind of Japanese-steakhouse theater that wins over kids and grandparents alike. Better than it has any right to be for a Pocono restaurant — the sushi especially is worth ordering.
For a longer drive with serious scenery, Sycamore Grille in Delaware Water Gap (about 30 minutes, $$$) is a historic Main Street tavern in an 1834 building doing carefully sourced American food — trout, duck, seasonal vegetables, and a roaring fireplace in winter. The drive through the Water Gap itself is part of the pleasure. Best for a date-night dinner with scenery.
Breweries & nightlife
The quietly serious Pocono craft-beer scene
The Poconos has quietly built a real craft-beer scene — mostly approachable, family-friendly taprooms with food trucks parked outside on weekends. Designated drivers, do your stretches. Barley Creek Brewing Company in Tannersville (about 22 minutes from the cabin, $$) is the area's most-established brewery — a big rustic taproom with a deck, wood-fired pizzas, burgers, and a flight of their own beers. The Antler Brown and Renovator Stout are the house standards. Best for a long, beer-paced afternoon. Closer in, Pocono Brewery Company in Swiftwater (about 15 minutes, $$) is a roomy roadside taphouse on Route 611 with a long beer list, wood-fired pizzas, and live music a few nights a week. Family-friendly early, livelier after dark.
Worth the longer drive for the setting: ShawneeCraft Brewing Company in Shawnee on Delaware (about 35 minutes, $$) is a brewery and pub on the grounds of the Shawnee Inn, right on the Delaware River. The beers lean hop-forward; the riverfront patio is the actual reason to drive out here on a summer afternoon. And up by Lake Wallenpaupack, Wallenpaupack Brewing Company in Hawley (about 45 minutes, $$) sits in restored downtown Hawley with solid beers, a big food menu, and a half-locals-half-lake-tourists crowd. Worth the drive if you're already heading to the lake.
Groceries & provisions
Where the locals shop
The cabin's kitchen is set up for real cooking — cooktop, dishwasher, full set of pots and utensils. Stock up on the way in. Weis Markets in Mt. Pocono (about 10 minutes from the cabin, $) is the closest full-service grocery — produce, meat, dairy, prepared foods, a decent wine and beer section. Best for the on-the-way grocery run. Just up Route 940, ShopRite of Mt. Pocono ($) is larger if you're feeding a crowd — big produce section, in-store bakery, and a long aisle of craft and import beers. Good for the “we're cooking three dinners and a brunch” trip. For the quick pit stop, Wawa in Mt. Pocono ($) has late-night sandwiches, coffee at 5 AM, and gas in the same stop — the de-facto convenience-store HQ on Route 940.
Worth a detour: Wegmans Dickson City (about 30 minutes, $$) near Scranton is worth the trip for the prepared-food bar, the bakery, and the cheese counter — pair with a day trip to Scranton. And for seasonal produce, Pocono Farm Stand & Nursery in Tannersville (about 15 minutes, $) carries local produce, honey, jams, and baked goods on Route 611. Spring brings nursery plants and herbs, summer is peak corn and tomatoes, fall is pumpkins and apples. Worth a stop on the way in or out.
Plan your stay
The kitchenette is ready, the fire pit is stocked, and the diner is open. Book a few nights at Bella Casa Cabin and eat your way through the Poconos at your own pace.
Keep exploring
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