If like me, you were driving through northern PA, but decided to take a pitstop at this particular spot, then you’ll suddenly find yourself transported to another state altogether with no sign welcoming you the great ‘Garden State.’ Apart from this restaurant’s roadside sheltered location, another advantage of this restaurant is its proximity to highway 78, which is less than a 3-minute drive once you exit the turnpike. The ease and convenience that you’ll find yourself experiencing being this close to a major highway typically would have you concerned with having to deal with accompanying traffic and the noise that comes with it, but in this case, while there is definitely some noise you’ll pick up from the highway, overall, it won’t be a big issue.
Upon arrival, you'll want to make your way to the southern perimeter of the property, which is furthest away from both I78 with its non-stop swooshing traffic, as well as the Frontage Road that brought you to this south-of-the-Mason / Dixie line eatery, you’ll want to look for suitable parking here. The one advantage this drive-by fooderie parking pad has is the fact that it is hidden from sight as well as out-of-the-way, which combined adds to a very decent sense of security & safety, while also diminishing the overall noise you might otherwise experience. There’s semi-decent lighting, thick shrubbery that encircles the place as well as the restaurant itself being on an incline giving the vibe of being somewhat protected from both the elements and other traffic. If it weren't the rather rough condition of the pavement you'll call home for the night, this would otherwise be an excellent stay, but if you can get past that small issue, then this place is a pretty great find.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Should you need to load up on anything, just around the bend and up another incline is both a Walmart as well as a ShopRite, but if either are not your thing, also nearby if you go into the town of Clinton, is an assortment of other grocers like Amazon Fresh as well as super-local shops like Elite Meat, Kilhaney’s Pickles, Clinton Bagel Co., Clinton Wine & Spirits;(2) In the event that you might be RV'ing with your four-legged friends, then you’ll be incredibly grateful to know that just due north of this location you’ll discover a nice slice of nature called Spruce Run Reservoir, which is great for birding and seeing local wildlife as well as offering up some decent bike trails and hiking paths for you and your pet to stretch your legs as well as, if you have it, kayaking and canoeing, and if not, no problem, as there’s a few rental joints here; and (3) When you grow tired of trying to conjure up that next meal from the remains of what is in your onboard mini-fridge or you simply want to try out some local fare, then you’ve just uncovered a local dive ‘goldmine’ with digs like The Clinton House, Kuay Tiew 9 Noodles & More, The River Mill View, Towne Restaurant, Pru Thai and Rosemarie’s Cucina, Grounded for Life Café, Ye Olde Sub Base, SV Pizzeria, Toscana Thin Crust Pizza & Italian Specialties, Nourish to Heal, Los Tres Hermanos Taqueria and Dora’s Restaurant.
While scoring criteria may vary from one person to the next, here are the 5 most important criteria that informed my rating of this overnight location: convenience (EZ on- and off-access), safety & security, quality (of facilities), peace & quiet and amenities (either on-site or nearby). Here’s how I ranked this particular overnight spot:
Convenience: 4
Safety & Security: 4
Quality: 2
Peace & Quiet: 4
Amenities: 4
Overall, I scored this location a 4
Happy Overnighting!
