Mt. Bethel Diner

A Saturday morning drive north toward the scenic Delaware Water Gap along the PA & NJ border brought us to the Mt. Bethel Diner.  Although we’d long heard good reports about this small town diner, it was our first visit.  The diner hugs the winding Highway 611 and overlooks a wooded valley and mountains. Certainly a pretty setting.

We arrived late mid-morning so the breakfast crowd seemed to be clearing and the lunch crowd not yet arrived. We were shown to a front window booth.

A slender, dark-haired waitress cordially brought us tall glasses of water then stepped away to start a fresh pot of coffee. We skimmed through the menu. Although breakfast fare filled only one page of the large menu, there were ample offerings. The chocolate chip and blueberry pancakes briefly caught our attention but on further thought we both decided to go with eggs. Fragrant, fresh-brewed coffee arrived and we gave our orders. Bacon and eggs for me, steak and eggs for M.

With only occasional chatter M skimmed through his morning paper while I read an engrossing mystery on my Kindle e-reader. I’d been reluctant to buy one. But in the past years we’ve been trying to downsize and books seem to have taken over our house. When a close friend published her book in e-book format I decided to give it a try.  It’s true that I still love the feel of a paperback in my hands, but the Kindle is very easy to read and I can adjust the font size as needed. I especially like the portability when we travel.

Our food arrived almost too soon. My bacon was incredible and cooked crisp as I’d asked. The scrambled eggs were tasty, and the potatoes too many to finish. M’s steak was juicy and cooked a perfect medium, as he likes. Larger than expected. Other than a slightly dull steak knife, our meal was ideal. Throughout, our waitress discreetly kept an eye on our needs, and those of the folks around us.

Our bill came to just over $17 (tax included but before tip) for my platter (4 slices of bacon, 2 eggs, homefries, and whole wheat toast) and M’s (2 eggs, a large breakfast steak, homefries, and toast), and our two cups of coffee. Coffee price is reasonable at $1.10 per cup.

Excellent service, a pleasant atmosphere, and good wholesome food.  It was our first visit, yes, but definitely not our last.

The Mt. Bethel Diner is located at 2600 N. Delaware Drive (Hwy. 611) south of Portland in Mt. Bethel, PA 18343. 570-897-6409. They are open daily from 6 AM to 10 PM.

Sara