In central Pennsylvania, the Pocono Mountains beckon families outdoors to embark on an incredible adventure. From skiing in the winter months to hiking in the warm summer season, this area offers something for everyone in your family. Pocono vacation rentals include log cabins tucked away in the woods, as well as cabins alongside freshwater lakes. Best of all, there are restaurants nearby that welcome kids of all ages. These eateries offer a variety of delights from pizza and Mexican fare to home-cooked meals and comfort food. Here’s a quick list of the top 10 kid-friendly restaurants in Pocono.
1. The Barn Door
Attached to the Country Junction General Store, the Barn Door serves up pizza and burgers, so your family members find their favorites. Start your meal with an appetizer of warm pretzels and spicy mustard or wings. For dessert, sample the ice cream or splurge on the calories and order a hot fudge sundae. After the meal, visit the petting zoo attached to the restaurant and store. Before leaving, pick up some fudge to enjoy later on at your vacation rental.
2. Boat House Restaurant
Settle down at a table on the porch along the shores of Lake Wallenpaupack when you have dinner at the Boat House Restaurant. The menu features a variety of American favorites and fresh seafood meals and sandwiches. Even your pickiest young eaters find something on the kid’s menu that features pizza, a grilled cheese sandwich, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. On Friday nights, kids can tap their feet to the beat of the live band’s music.
3. The Roasted Tomato Diner
Take the family to The Roasted Tomato Diner for fun and fast food that fresh and made while you wait. The main menu and kid’s menu gets updated with the seasons and offers favorites, including the burgers and hot dogs. At the topping bar, you find everything you need to dress up a salad, soup, sandwich, or burger, which lets you feed your youngest kid a plain burger while the tweens and teens deck out their burgers with spicy peppers and ranch dressing.
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4. Rootin’ Tootin’ Hot Dogs
Kids can’t help but giggle each time that you say you’re going to eat at Rootin’ Tootin’ Hot Dogs, and things only get better from there. With a red and white checked floor and a vintage jukebox, this diner specializes in comfort food. Choose a booth for a little privacy or pull up a stool at the bar to watch the grillmaster flip burgers and dogs while you wait for your meal. Enjoy an old-fashioned Coke float with your meal or a hand-spun milkshake.
5. The Dock on Wallenpaupack
Enjoy a lovely meal on the deck of The Dock on Wallenpaupack as the sun sets over the lake. In the summer months, call ahead and pull your boat up to the dock and a server brings it out to you. Keep warm by the large fireplace on the deck during the fall while the kids rock back and forth in the chairs. This eatery serves a variety of American favorites and fresh fish dishes, and kids love the twist on traditional mac and cheese and the brick oven pizzas.
6. Smuggler’s Cove Restaurant
Take the family to the Smuggler’s Cove Restaurant for fresh seafood and many made-to-order favorites, including soup and desserts. When you walk through the door, the friendly staff helps you arrange high chairs and booster seats at one of the booths or tables. The menu includes steak, fresh seafood, burgers, and all your family’s favorites. Start your meal with a basket of coconut shrimp to share with the entire family and take advantage of the rotating daily specials.
7. Compton’s Pancake House Inc.
Start out the day right with a stop at the Compton’s Pancake House Inc. in place of traditional cereal at your vacation rental. This restaurant also offers a hearty lunch and dinner. Order one of the over-filled omelets and enjoy the fresh ingredients and a meal made to your specifications. Kids enjoy smaller portions off the kid’s menu and the pigs in a blanket that they clutch in their hands and dip in syrup. For lunch, order the triple-decker club sandwich to refuel before a hike through the woods.
8. Barley Creek Brewing Company
Okay, you might think a brewing company doesn’t offer a family friendly atmosphere, but the game room for your kids more than makes up for the Barley Creek Brewing Company. Hand over your quarters so the kids can play the latest video games while the meal cooks and the adults enjoy a locally-brewed beer or small-batch spirit. On the kid’s menu, little ones love the Kraft Mack Daddy Mac and Cheese that comes with the choice of fries, orange slices, or apple slices.
9. Bailey’s Rib and Steakhouse
Dine on top shelf beef and fresh seafood with a meal at Bailey’s Rib and Steakhouse. This restaurant slow cooks its ribs overnight, so the flavor seeps into every bite. Welcoming kids of all ages, the eatery offers booths for your family to spend some quality time together. Get your greens and other fresh veggie from the extensive salad bar that is included in most meals. The kid’s menu offers burgers, chicken, and other child favorites.
10. desaki
Kids gasp in delight as the Hibachi chefs cut up meats and veggies and flip them in the air at desaki. Kids always enjoy steak and chicken with rice, and the menu offers a variety of sushi dishes for the adults and adventurous teens. The children’s menu provides smaller portions, and kids under five can share with a sibling or parent.
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