Pocono Talk

If you are looking for great pizza in the Poconos be sure to stop by Capri Pizza in Cresco.  My husband and I stumbled across Capri’s about a year ago when we were talking with someone about good places to grab a Pizza.  It was suggested to us that we try Capri pizza in Cresco – I had heard the name mentioned before but in an unfortunate light.  Capri Pizza had been vandalized a few times during the “pizza wars” that were going on (another Pizza owner was going around sabotaging other Pizzarias in the area, it’s a long ugly unfortunate story.)  Luckily Capri survived and is in business and are also in the process of building another location to move to just up the street from where they’re currently located at.

They have one of the BEST tasting pizza’s around – I personally love their pizza and say they hands down have the best pizza in the Poconos.  The sauce is sweet and not what you’d expect, that combined with the cheese is really really good.  Like any pizza it’s going to be greasy, if you’re looking for a really good pizza try their steak & onion – mad oily but mmmm it’s like a cheesesteak…on a pizza.  They’re also really nice, polite and provide great service – which seems to be harder and harder to find in businesses today.

So if you’re looking for somewhere to pick up a pizza definitely try Capri’s.

What do you want to know?

Wow! I was out visiting some friends in the area, who took me to Capri Pizza, it was one of the best tasting pizzas I have ever had. Joe is the sweetest, and he was so nice and kind to my kids. I will definately be going back to Capri when I visit again!!!! Thanks Joe!!

October 12, 2009 by Mia in Cranford, NJ

Capri Pizza and Restaurant 5

Excellent Pizza!

Capri has the best pizza! It is delicious and my entire family loves it. The sauce and the cheese are very tasty. They treat you very well there, too. They almost always have somebody there to help carry the food out to my car. Their subs are good, too!

July 06, 2009 by Tara in Henryville, PA

Capri Pizza and Restaurant 5

Best Pizza in the Poconos

The Pizza is by far the best around. Also has a great variety of hot and cold sandwhiches.

December 20, 2006 by Anonymous

Google Review:

http://maps.google.com/maps/place?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=s&hl=en&source=hp&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=capri+pizza+cresco+pa&fb=1&gl=us&hq=capri+pizza&hnear=cresco+pa&cid=17484502769029256940

Great Pizza!?

Jan 15, 2008

Best local pizza place in Barrett. The place is run by very friendly people who do their utmost to provide excellent customer service with a smile. My only complaint…I wish they would expand their menu to include other typical pizza …?

thepoconos.com/sp?aff=1&wId=45503

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Yahoo Reviews

http://local.yahoo.com/info-38579343-capri-s-pizza-cresco?tab=reviews#reviews

User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

by PoconoMommy

07/06/2009

Excellent pizza! My family loves their pizza- the sauce and cheese are very tasty. They are always very friendly there and on several occasions, they have brought the food to the car for me. The subs there are good as well. I highly recommend this place.

by Mary

07/17/2008

Whenever I travel to the area, I make sure to stop at Capri’s for their excellent pizza! Great food! Best pizza in the Pocono’s, in my opinion.

by localady

11/24/2007

pretty good pizza for this area, somtimes they are a little heavy handed with the salt but nicew friendly people.

by Amanda

10/27/2007

Their chicken parm sandwiches are so good! Their pizza is really good too.

I passed by the Red Lobster in Bartonsville today(although they list it as Stroudsburg on www.RedLobster.com)  and saw the above sign posted outside.  So to all those wondering, the Red Lobster in the Poconos is opening on January 18th, 2010.  The next closest Red Lobster I believe is down in the Whitehall/Allentown area or up in Scranton.

Red Lobster
3588 RT. 611
Stroudsburg, PA 18360
(570) 421-2743

The Red Lobster in the Poconos looks to be opening shortly.  The construction looks totally complete and a sign is up saying they’re hiring which is a good sign that they’re just about ready to open.  It’s location is on 611 in Bartonsville where Crossroads(the truck stop) use to be and the new Giant supermarket is.  There is also a large number of yet to be determined retail spaces available.

There have been many other chain restaurants that have opened in the Poconos in the past 5 years:
Olive Garden – Stroudsburg
Panera Bread – Stroudsburg
Five Guys – Stroudsburg
Red Robin – Bartonsville
Longhorn Steakhouse – Bartonsville
Chilis – Bartonsville
Sonic – Bartonsville

and plenty more.

As soon as we get word on the opening date for the Red Lobster we’ll be sure to post it.

On Monday the Danbury Depot in East Stroudsburg was pretty much gutted by a fire:  http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091027/NEWS/910270328 Dansbury Depot has been an essential part of the Poconos history for many years, it is a National Historic Landmark that originally was a train station.

We would eat at the Depot about once every few months, usually after church, and my 6 year old would have the best time watching the occasional train pass right by the large windows and watching the model train run on the track above where we were eating.

The restaurant recently went under new  management at the beginning of they year and was under the process of being renovated.  It really saddens me to see such an iconic symbol of the Poconos destroyed like that.  I hope that they will rebuild – and being a historic landmark keep within the character of the original building.

Which brings me to my next point…I was going to discuss today about pizza in the Poconos and where you can get the best slice(in my opinion).

The pizza places in the area underwent “pizza wars” last year as I like to call it…where the owner(at the time, he later took his own life in jail) of the Continental Grill tried to vandalize Capri pizza in Cresco, was suspected of burning down Capri Pizz in Canadensis and the Kasa’s Pizza & Taco Bell (on 940).

There has been a string of unusual fires over the past few years, understandably fires happen, but fires that completely destroy buildings by a “fluke” don’t happen that often.

I’m not sure what the case is with Dansbury Depot but I hope it is rebuilt to it’s original glory and that it wasn’t an act of vandalism.

The results are in for Pocono Restaurant Weeek 2009:

Best Fine Dining- The Frogtown Inn
Best Restaurant Atmosphere- Woodfiled Manor
Best Bar Atmosphere- Sarah Street Bar & Grill/ Barley Creek & Jubilee with a 3 way tie…..
Best Happy Hour- Sycamore Grille
Best Cocktails- Cherry Valley Bistro
Best Food Presentation- Frogtown Inn
Most Creative Menu- Stone Bar Inn
Best Family Diining- Big Daddy’s
Best Late Night- Jubilee
Best Brunch – Blakeslee Inn
Best Breakfast- Mollies
Best Dessert- Stone Bar Inn
Best Outdoor Dining- Sam Sead’s
Best Appetizers- Frogtown Inn
Best Burger- Jubilee
Best Sandwich- Jubilee
Best Soup- Mollie’s
Best Salad- Mollie’s
Best Wings- Barley Creek
Best Beer- Barley Creek
Best Chicken Entree- Cherry Valley Bistro
Best Steak Entree- Woodfield Manor
Best Prime Rib- Woodfield Manor
Best Seafood Entree- Smugglers Cove
Best Vegetarian Entree- Kreative Kuisine
Best Italian Entree- Peppe’s
Best Sushi- Sarah Street Grill
Best Japanese- Shiro Restaurant
Best Buffet- Mount Airy (write-in)
Best Ribs- Bailey’s
Best Thai Dish- Saen Thai
Best Waiter- Vinnie @ Cherry Valley Bistro
Best Waitress- Staci @ Frogtown Inn
Best Bartender- Derek @ Big Daddy’s
Best Overall Service- Frogtown Inn
Best Portuguese- Manata Grill
Best Indian- Pangea
Best Pizza- Goomba’s

More info available at: http://www.poconorestaurantweek.com

Ewww…I don’t know if it’s because I’m getting older and more “fuddy duddy” or what…but I’m taking more and more notice to the quality, or lack there of, when I go out to eat.  The bathrooms are an issue in themselves – I’ve stopped using them before I eat because 9/10 times there’s something that’s disgusting enough that could turn me off from a meal.  Mind you, I don’t eat out that much, the meals on average are maybe $10-$20 a person so I guess you could say you get what you pay for, but still.  As any woman who has been pregnant knows it’s not really a choice to forgo using the bathrooms, so I’ve visited plenty in my time.

Aside from bathrooms there’s things like the cleanliness of the dishes, silverwear, table.  I understand that sometimes the dishwasher doesn’t work 100%, sometimes you forget to wipe the table after you eat…but when you’re at a location that you’re paying to eat at I assume those are always things that are triple checked.  But then again in today’s world I find more and more that customer service has gone to all hell, products are made cheaply and are expected to break and the majority of companies would rather lose a customer then fix the problem at hand.

Anyway, back to the food.  The Pocono Record had an article recently on local restaurants that are out of compliance.  You can see the list here: http://www.agriculture.state.pa.us/agriculture/cwp/view.asp?a=3&q=137994

Currently out of Compliance:
China Pearl
BLAKESLEE PLAZA BLAKESLEE, PA 18610

Comfort Inn
Route 611 BARTONSVILLE, PA 18321

MARITAS II SW BAR & GRILL
RTES 940 & 423 POCONO PINES, PA 18350

Sammy Boy’s Pizza Plus
222 Eagle Valley Mall EAST STROUDSBURG, PA 18301

Now the disclosure says:

Food Safety Inspections Disclosure
Please remember that any inspection is a “snapshot” of the day and time of the inspection.  An inspection conducted on any given day may not be representative of the overall, long-term cleanliness of an establishment.  Also, at the time of the inspection, violations are recorded but are often corrected on the spot prior to the inspector leaving the establishment.

But some of these are multiple offenders and just plain nasty…and these are only excertps…

Maritas

Date: 04/13/07
Purpose: Regular
Comments: Food storage room used as a break room, ash tray with numerous cigarette butts on the table. The owner stated that he will address the issue with his employees and there will be no smoking in the food prep and service areas.

Date: 02/11/09
Purpose: Regular
Comments: Black residue observed on the interior of the ice machine bin on the break plate.

Date: 02/11/09
Purpose: Regular
Comments: Sheetpans in walk-in used as shelving have mold-like growth on them.

Date: 02/11/09
Purpose: Regular
Comments: Rice/ chili was held at 98/120 degrees F rather than 135 degrees F or above as required.

Date: 04/13/07
Purpose: Regular
Comments: Old food residue on cook line shelves and tables; on the bottom of the ccok line bain marie by the stove; on the bottom, doors and shelves of the bain marie by the fryers. *Mold/dirt on the divider in the ice machine.

Date: 05/24/07
Purpose: Follow-up
Comments: Mold/dirt on the divider in the ice machine.

Date: 03/26/08
Purpose: Regular
Comments: Old dried food and grease residue is covering the exterior of bulk tortilla chip cotainers, interior of reach-in refrigerator units on hot line, on the floor of the walk-in, on storage shelves, on an out of use fryer, and in the out of use bar reach-in interior.

Date: 02/11/09
Purpose: Regular
Comments: Shelving under prep tables and attached to walls through out kitchen are not clean to sight and touch.

Date: 02/11/09
Purpose: Regular
Comments: Exterior of food storage bins (approx 5 each)are not clean to sight and touch.

Date: 02/11/09
Purpose: Regular
Comments: Black residue observed on the exterior of metal pots and pans.

China Pearl
Date: 10/17/06
Purpose: Complaint
Comments: The handsink in the kitchen was blocked by a used cloth hamper. A handwashing sink shall be accessible at all times for employee use.

Date: 10/17/06
Purpose: Complaint
Comments: There is no sign or poster at the kitchen hand wash sink to remind employees to wash their hands. §46.941(e)

Date: 11/15/07
Purpose: Regular
Comments: The handwash sink in the kitchn area was blocked by boxes and not accesible at all times for employee use.

Date: 10/22/08
Purpose: Regular
Comments: Electric drill and other construction related equipment was stored in hand sink. Faucet on sink is not operational. No running water. Owner set up temporary sink.

Date: 10/22/08
Purpose: Regular
Comments: Chicken, shrimp, and other PHF was held at 45 degrees F rather than 41 degrees F or below as required. PIC iced PHF to bring paramenters . All products no needed for lunch moved into walk in cooler.

Date: 10/22/08
Purpose: Regular
Comments: Potentially hazardous ready to eat food, prepared in the food facility and held for more than 48 hours, located in the walk in cooler, was not date marked.

Date: 11/15/07
Purpose: Regular
Comments: Knives and / or cleavers stored between table edges which are not easily cleaned and sanitized.

Comfort Inn
Inspector Comments:  Soap was not available at the handwash sink in the kitchen area. No sign or poster posted at the handwash sink in the kitchen area to remind food employees to wash their hands. Paper towel dispensor empty at the handwash sink in the kitchen area.

Inspector Comments: Temperature measuring devices for ensuring proper temperatures of equipment are not available or readily accessible in all refrigeration equipment.

Sammy Boys
Inspector Comments:  Raw meats/poultry above RTE foods in reach-in cooler. Raw beef stored on top of bread in reach-in freezer.

Inspector Comments:  Black residue, pink slime observed on the interior of the ice machine bin around ice forming tray.

Inspector Comments: Floor mixer has old dried food residue on dough arm and inside of attachment hole. PIC states he is unable to remove arm from mixer.

Inspector Comments:  Butcher block table has dried food residue on food contact surface.

Inspector Comments: Observed staff cleaning wares in 3 compartment sink without setting sinks up: wash, rinse, sanitize. Staff failed to sanitize.

Inspector Comments:  Debris and dried food residue on the gasket of display case and on the lips of ss bread drawers.

Inspector Comments: Potentially hazardous ready to eat food, prepared in the food facility and held for more than 48 hours, located in the walk-in and reach-in coolers, were not date marked.

Inspector Comments: Proper cooling methods were not used for potentially hazardous foods. PIC states that sauce is cooled at room temperature to approximately 70*F and then placed in walk-in cooler in plastic 5 – 10 gallons tubs.

Inspector Comments:  Single use forks and spoons are stored in a manner to allow employees to touch the food contact portion of untensil.

Well, now that you’ve probably lost your appetite for lunch, or dinner, it gives you something to think about the next time you’re eating out.

I know I know, if you like Olive Garden you’re darn excited, if you don’t then you’re probably thinking “seriously, another eatery?”.  It opens this Monday, March 23rd at 4pm in Stroudsburg in the Best Buy/Old Navy/Panera Bread shopping center.  For the first week it will only be open for dinner starting at 4pm, the following week they should be open for their regular lunch/dinner schedule.

Just a few years ago the strip of 611 from the Crossroads to Main Street Stroudsburg was a lot quieter.  Crossroads (not to be confused with the crossings) use to be a highly trafficked area for truckers as an active truckstop/rest area.  Over the past few years the area across from the main truck stop has become a retail center that contains a Lowes, Kohls, Chilis, Red Robin and Longhorn Steakhouse. In process where the truckstop there is a Red Lobster, AT&T and Giant supermarket going in.

Heading towards Stroudsburg there’s a strip mall going in on the left that so far just contains a Dunkin Donuts(imo you can’t go wrong with a few more DD’s).  If you keep going you’ll see that where there use to be trees(if you haven’t visited in awhile you’d probably be shocked) there’s clearing after clearing making way for who only knows…When you get almost into town that’s where the Olive Garden is going – it’s a relatively new shopping center with an Old Navy, Borders(I think), Best Buy, Five Guys Burgers, Panera Bread and Five Below.  Due to the economy both the Starbucks and Linens and things are already gone.  Sidenote – KB toys and Waldenbooks in the Stroud mall have also fallen to the times.

Personally, I like having the options and would love to see an Outback Steakhouse go in as well(I know with Longhorn and Texas Roadhouse opening not too long ago it’s not that needed but I still love me some Outback).

The way I see it is the Poconos are changing – they had their shining moment years ago of resorts and celebrities and over the years that has greatly faded.  It feels like the area is getting overcrowded at times, which honestly I think it is, but if it’s going to build up I’d rather see some larger companies coming in then just strip malls of lousy stores.  Extra people means extra traffic, extra crime(the shootings lately are getting more absurd/frequent), and less trees…but in the economic downfall we’re going through should anyone really complain that there’s more jobs being created and more tourists coming which in the end means more money all the way around.

We ate lunch at Garfield’s today in the Stroud mall for the first time and I must say it was actually a rather fun and relaxing experience.  Eating out anywhere is a rare occasion for us, at least when we bring our 4 y/o son because he’s one ball of energy that doesn’t stop and confiding our child to sitting still for 45 minutes never seems to go over too well.  Its summer, well almost, and often when we’re stopping to eat its during the midst of a bunch of errands and outings during which we’re all tired and the little one is crankier then usual.

So, onto recent experiences…I had never been to a Garfield’s although I’ve been to plenty of places like it – its your typical Ruby Tuesdays, TGIFridays, etc. chain restaurant with the objects all over the walls, a bar section and a varied menu.  What Garfield’s has that I’ve only seen at a few other restaurants was a full cover table mat (a piece of paper) that you could draw on.  As simple as that idea might seem it keep both kids – our 4 y/o and my husband, occupied until the food arrived.  It took a little bit longer then usual but having something to do kept everyone distracted enough that no one seemed to mind.

The food itself was good, ever since Ruby Tuesdays took potato skins off their 3-type appetizer I’ve been looking for a replacement so I got Garfield’s mixed appetizer which included potato skins, mozzarella sticks and chicken quesadillas.  My husband got a cheese steak which was pretty good – we’re both originally from around the Philadelphia area so nothing quite matches a “real” cheese steak but it was pretty good nonetheless.  Our son got their Dino bites – aka chicken nuggets, fries and an apple juice.  I liked the fact that they had the option of both chicken fingers and chicken nuggets on their kids menu – since our son is more likely to eat the latter.

We had stopped by the Ruby Tuesdays on 611 for lunch earlier in the week and I was actually quite disappointed.  Its usually an alright place to eat, and although our waitress was nice enough to rush because we were short on time, the food definitely fell short.  I had their 3-type appetizer(what can I say I’m on a streak), of cheese fries, chicken fingers and mozzarella sticks.  There were no dipping sauces – which when you’re in a rush you take what you can get but I assume they just forgot – the cheese fries were hard as a rock and the cheese was in that solidified crusty state from being over cooked and the mozzarella sticks were nothing but a shell and a tad bit of cheese.  Now we’ve stopped their plenty of times before with better results, their soup & salad bar option is usually good, my husband always likes the salad bar, but this time was sad to say the least.  The cherry coke my husband got was probably the oddest way I’ve ever seen it served – it was topped with real cherries which was cute, but there was cherry…particles…in it.  You couldn’t drink it without getting a mouthful of grainy pieces – I’m not sure if that was someone’s idea (good in theory just badly executed) or what but not being one to send stuff back my husband had no choice because it was really pretty inedible.  What didn’t help the situation was that whoever prints their childrens menu hadn’t so they were photo copying them and a selection of 2 crayons didn’t exactly tide the little one over for very long so he was very restless.  I definitely feel like we didn’t get our moneys worth and we’d probably choose Garfield’s over them in the future, but every restaurant has their days, that day just obviously was not theirs. 

Moving onto less of a chain restaurant – Marita’s Cantina on Main Street in Stroudsburg has actually been surprising me.  We had gone there a few times to meet with friends for 1/2 price fajitas before it was rebuilt and it always seemed small, dark and overly crowded.  It always seemed like we were being nickel and dimed – I hate getting charged for refills when the standard now adays is “free refills” so after being charged $1 for sour cream for my faijitas(again a standard) I just about had it and we kind of phased the place out.  Flash forward to the rebuilt Marita’s and although I’ve only ever been there twice for lunch they’ve definitely elevated their standards in my book.  There is plenty of natural light, and although the seating area has not really seemed to expand it feels roomier then in the past.  I was really pleased with their Chicken Fajita salad – both times I’ve been there I’ve been unable to actually finish it, its a good size portion, has a really good combination of vegetables and the chicken is excellent.  Kid wise it didn’t go over too well, they have a kids menu but nothing to keep them occupied(crayons, placemat), but I’d definitely go back for a lunch with just myself and my husband.

Sarah Street Grill - the most ‘original’ out of the restaurants mentioned so far, its tucked away off Main Street on where else – Sarah Street.  Now that the weather is warmer the deck is open so if you’re looking to have a nice lunch outside definitely check them out.  They’ve always had comparable prices to the above mentioned restaurants, but the quality of food is a lot better, more of that ‘homemade’ type feel.  If I’m in the mood for a salad that’s definitely where I head to  - their not so “big” salad is only $2.99 and is the size of a regular salad anywhere else.  Its always fresh and you definitely can’t find a salad of that size and quality anywhere else at another restaurant (sit down or fast food) that I know of.  Their “big” salad is even bigger(obviously) and is only $3.99 - I will usually pair the “not so big” with something else small and its definitely filling.  Their wraps are also really good – their Turkey ranch wrap is really good, anything off their menu is pretty good though.  There are ‘off’ days I’m not sure if its a change in who’s the chef that day but I’d be sure to try a few different items a few different days and you’ll be sure to be pleased.  We had an event there for lunch/dinner and it was a decent price compared to other places in the area and the food was actually better then their regular menu.  If you’re looking to have a baby shower lunch, wedding rehersal dinner, etc. definitely check it out as an option.  Side note – as a few months ago they have gone totally non-smoking minus an outdoor smoking area.   They’re one of the few bars/restaurants in the area that I know of that have implemented that and though I’m sure they took a hit for it I’m sure they attracted some new customers too.  If you’re looking for a place to hear local music or watch some games check them out as well.  Oh and if you’re a sushi fan their sushi bar is open for dinner.

If you’re looking for a really nice place to have a quiet romantic dinner I’d suggest the Stone Bar Inn – the food is definitely rich and priced higher then an average dinner but its extremely tasty and beautifully done.  We’ve only eaten there once for dinner but it was a great time and definitely a breath of fresh air.  All the other places mentioned we’ve only been to lunch for, not dinner, so I can’t say what does/doesn’t vary later in the day but if you have places/stories you’d like to share please do!

Panera Bread
Today we had lunch catered from Panera Bread in Stroudsburg which is part of the new set of stores located on Route 611.  If you haven’t driven by recently the new shopping center consists of Panera Bread, Best Buy, Borders, Old Navy, Petsmart and…I forget the other one :\

Anyway, lunch was terrific – it was a meal for 5 but could easily feed 10 people – their sandwiches are huge and made with fresh bread, the salad was extremely fresh, the unsweetened ice tea was a great drink choice(I know personally I’m trying to shy away from soda), and they provided all cups, plates, utensils, etc.  I have had their bagels before(which were great) and didn’t know about all of the other food options they had so I was happy to have a new local place with healthy and fresh food.  They also have a wide variety of other food options including soups, cookies, frozen coffee drinks & smoothies, pizza and more.  If you’re looking for a new place to try I definitely give Panera Bread a thumbs up.  You can visit their website at http://www.panerabread.com or just http://www.panera.com for locations, menus, information on catering and more.

Another Shopping Center to mention
If you haven’t been down 611 in a long time you might be shocked to see that the truck stop(crossroads) is gone and across the street a new shopping center with a Lowes, Kohls(I think), Red Robin, Longhorn Steakhouse and Chilis has gone in.  I can’t find anything to confim this so don’t quote me on it…but a little birdie tells me that an Olive Garden and Red Lobster will be going in soon down the road soon enough as well.

Personally if I could pick and choose what goes in I’d love to see a Wegmans, an Outback Steakhouse, a Papa Johns and an Olive Garden…but that’s just wishful thinking   We do already have plenty of eateries in the area and you can reach any of those by either heading up to Scranton or down to Allentown/Easton.  With the way things are getting built up now adays I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few or all of them pop up soon enough.

 One last place to mention…a Texas Roadhouse went in by the Stroud Mall not to long ago – so there’s something else to check out!