Meat And Mocktails At The Walpack Inn

Plunked down in the middle of hundreds of acres of nearly pristine forest, the Walpack Inn fits my criteria for sure.

Buildings along the flatbrook date back to the late 1700s and early 1800s, with stone foundations and crooked gables. The miles go by in a wooded dream of rocky hills and creeks. There’s a sense that the area has been set apart from the rest of the world—partly because it has.

And yet, when we got to the restaurant, there was a very very very long line to get in. Dozens of people sitting in running cars to keep warm.

With the “state park brown” paint, WPA-style cedar porch posts, cemented stone walls, and spiderweb orbs hanging off every flood light, I have to admit—the vibe brought back memories of standing in line for the bathrooms at our favorite campground.

See what I mean? State park restroom!

Then, you get to go inside.

And suddenly you’re in a hunting lodge that’s all dressed up in its best pair of Carharts. Antler chandeliers and hanging plants everywhere. A crackling fire, a brilliant Christmas tree, gleaming live-edge wood and sparkling bottles of wine.

It’s hard not to be charmed, because ultimately, this isn’t a “Disney trying to be rustic” simulacra. This is as much the real deal as there can be.

But what about the food?

My boyfriend (now husband) took me to the Walpack Inn back in the early 2000s after a hike in the area, and unfortunately, I didn’t love it. There was *nothing* on the menu for a vegetarian.

The Walpack Inn was where you went for a brick of charred meat, a mountain of mashed potato, and maybe a green bean.

Flash forward a few years. The Walpack Inn is walking a tightrope between appealing to traditional comfort-food seekers and people on more progressive or restrictive diets.

The meat is still just as savory as ever—or so I’m told. But nowadays, vegetarians won’t leave hungry.

I had the salad bar, warm goat cheese, ravioli, and chocolate cake.

So finding vegetarian food isn’t as much of an issue as it was many years ago.

But now, when alcohol is the norm, finding nonalcoholic beverages CAN be a bit tricky out in the wild.  

I went to the Walpack Inn thinking I would have to finagle the bartender into making me a mocktail, but guess what?

They were already on the menu!!

That’s right.

And not only were mocktails on the menu, they were pretty decent (not just fruit juices mixed up with soda water and called mocktails).

I had this lovely cucumber-lemon-ginger mule—it had just enough of an interest factor, plus it was refreshing and light.

And not only did I order a mocktail, but so did the people next to us (I have good ears.)

So here’s the point, America:

If the Walpack Inn—which is the middle of nowhere (officially) and is still fairly grounded in the 1960s—has mocktails on its menu, then EVERY restaurant should have them.

Anyway, feast your eyes on our pictures from our evening out—and if you’ve ever been to the Walpack Inn, I’d love to hear your thoughts!