Walpack Inn, Walpack, NJ

It's been awhile since I've posted...which is both good and bad considering that it could possibly mean I've been spending much less money on going out to eat. In this troubled economy, I've been tightening my belt like just about everyone else I know. It kills me not to get a great meal out and about here and there, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

So tonight, as a celebratory occasion, I had the opportunity to visit an old stand-by restaurant that's been around for decades. The Walpack Inn is located literally out in the middle of nowhere, seated in the vast expanse of wilderness in an area of New Jersey that's much less traveled. Luckily for this restaurant, it's got such an age old reputation that even if folks aren't in the area, people are making reservations to eat dinner here left and right. And on a Saturday night at 5:00 p.m., the place was already jumpin'.

When you visit the website, there isn't much to get excited about. The menu is really limited and seems pretty boring. Chicken, beef, and lobster. There are a few variations of each, but not much. The Walpack Inn is known more for the view of nature right out the window. While you're eating dinner, Bambi saunters up and decides to dine right next to you. They're also known for their Mother's Day brunch and special events. And if you catch brunch there on the right kind of day, you can watch as the mist creeps slowly down the hill and the clouds make way for some sun. It really is beautiful. The interior of the restaurant is simply decorated and large. It's what you would expect from a restaurant located in the woods: earthy with lots of large wood furniture, adornments, and a large quantity of stuffed animals everywhere. I'm not talking about cute stuffed animals, but the kind that are shot and hung as trophies.

Upon being seated, your waitress will bring you freshly made bread. Make sure you pile on the butter because you're gonna need it! The bread is warm, but dry and sometimes crunchy. After the first few bites, I'd had enough. With any dinner entree, you can help yourself to a moderate salad bar with lots of basics and nothing fancy. That actually sums this place up...nothing fancy.

Unfortunately, the prices would suggest otherwise. Most entrees start at about $22 and go up to over $40. The specials menu averaged about $29 per entree, which includes rice or baked potato and the salad bar. For these prices, I expected to be a little more impressed than your average family restaurant. And don't tell me that I'm paying for the ambience...I grew up around this part of the state and so seeing deer and dead stuffed animals doesn't impress me. The food however should.

I ordered one of the specials on the menu: baked stuffed lobster with a baked potato. One of our diners ordered the Saturday night special: prime rib au jus. When our entrees arrived, I was excited and ready to dive into the whole lobster that had been split down the middle, stuffed with crabmeat stuffing, and served with drawn butter. The stuffing was okay...my partner greatly disliked it. I dug and dug for the lobster tail meat and was kind of disappointed. The lobster probably wasn't any bigger than 1.25 pounds so whatever meat I got was minimal and mushy. The tail meat was soft...so soft I was nervous it hadn't been cooked all the way through...and the claw meat was practically non-existent and also soft and runny. I wasn't even close to being full after eating the lobster and salad bar.

According to our guest, the prime rib was excellent and my partner, who ate the rest of her meal, agreed. (Since he ordered the same thing I did, he needed more since he was even more disappointed in his meal than I was. He reported that he liked the prime rib a great deal.) I had more room, so of course I went for dessert. I continued to see waitress after waitress carrying trays of apple crumb pie. I'm a sucker for a good apple pie, so I immediately knew that I was going to be all over that.

A little disappointment here too but overall a great slice of pie with a healthy dollop of fresh whipped cream. The crumb topping was out of this world, but one pet peeve of mine is when apples in apple pie still have their skin on them. It's distracting and adds absolutely nothing to the flavor or even texture of the pie itself. I couldn't finish my piece and sucked down my coffee. I was finally full.

Knowing what the Walpack Inn offers, I may not ever return for a regular dinner on any night of the week. Pig roast? Maybe. Brunch? Probably. Few and far between? Definitely. If you're looking to dine amongst deer and a great view, pick any spot in Sussex County and have yourself a picnic. Otherwise, save your money (on both gas and food) and pick a place that delivers on flavor and value. I may have been excited to see an owl perched in the rafters outside the restaurant when I was leaving, but it was the only excitement of the evening.


Ambience: ****
Service: ****
Food: ***
Overall: *** 1/2