While exploring the Lehigh Valley, be sure to stop at some of these historic eateries:
Founder’s Table at Sayre Mansion:
250 Wyandotte Street
Bethlehem, PA 18015
sayremansion.com/founderstable
Experience a truly unique dinner at The Founder’s Table in the private dining room at The Sayre Mansion. More than one hundred years ago, this mansion was home to one of the community’s most distinguished men – Robert Heysham Sayre. Immerse yourself in the very spaces that Founding Fathers Robert Sayre and Asa Packer once enjoyed. Your six-course meal will be prepared and served by award-winning caterer Karen Hunter and her team.
Good Jakes Restaurant:
13 S Main Street
Coopersburg, PA 18036
Jamison Publick House:
1860 Geryville Pike
Pennsburg, PA 18073
jamisonpublickhouse.com
Located in northern Bucks County in the town of Pennsburg. Previously known as Geryville Publick House and founded by Michael Horlacker, food and drinks have been served in this building since at least 1745, when King George III issued a license to dispense “spirits” on the property. As the Inn of Conrad Marx, there are also tales that the building was a meeting place for the pivotal Fries Rebellion of 1799. Mark and Angel Jamison became owners in 2011 and the now the Jamison Publick house showcases beautiful bare fieldstone walls, exposed beams, wide plank floors and stunning candlelight. Operated by Chef Stephen Yeager.
Limeport Inn:
1505 Limeport Pike
Coopersburg, PA 18036
limeportinn.com
Located in Lehigh County in the village of Limeport. The Limeport Inn was previously known as the Country Carriage Inn and dates to 1842. This building has served the community as a stagecoach stop, a funeral parlor, and restaurant. Mark and Angel Jamison purchased the Inn from Dick and Kay McGowen in 2001. The Jamisons and their team are honored to have earned such accolades as Lehigh Valley Magazine’s “Best of” outdoor dining, small town favorite, and bar. The Limeport Inn is operated by Chefs Emily Fischer and Ashley Stull.
Limeport Inn food
Rising Sun Inn Restaurant & Tavern:
898 Allentown Road
Telford, PA 18969
risingsuninn.net—
Historic Rising Sun Inn, nestled in the rolling hills on the border of Bucks and Montgomery counties, is situated on the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek. Built in 1739, it began its history as an inn when Peter Gerhart and his wife Elizabeth rented it from George Esterly in 1752.
Known then as Gerhart’s Tavern, it was an overnight stop for the stage coach which traveled from Philadelphia to Allentown. In 1777 the Liberty Bell was housed overnight in Gerhart’s Tavern as it was moved from Philadelphia to Allentown to avoid British capture during the occupation of Philadelphia.
The Inn was also a part of the underground railroad, housing escapees overnight in tunnels that had been dug in the basement. Runaways stopped at Gerhart’s Tavern after leaving Seth Luken’s station on Forty Foot Road and before rejoining the main route to Quakertown. This particular route was used to bypass Norristown. Gerhart’s Tavern remained in the Gerhart family until 1912.
Today the Rising Sun Inn continues the tradition of superior hospitality that began with Peter Gerhart. Its newly renovated dining room retains its warmth and the big stone fireplace that has the distinctive character and charm of colonial days. The tavern has a cozy, neighborhood feeling with its wood floors, walls, oak bar top and unique “bison theme” decor. The tavern hosts entertainment Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturday nights. The Liberty Bell Room, located on the second floor, offers an intimate setting for special parties and functions. Larger gatherings are welcomed in our 18th century newly refurbished barn that comfortably allows for 100 guests.
The Restaurant at Stroudsmoor County Inn:
257 Stroudsmoor Road
Stroudsburg, PA 18360
stroudsmoor.com
Stroudsmoor Country Inn is an all inclusive resort located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. This boutique hotel has a storied history dating back to 1984, when the Pirone Family purchased Stroudsmoor with a vision and a dream. The once 150 acre property has grown in size and scope to 200 acres and 22 buildings including six dedicated event and wedding venues and a Restaurant.
The Restaurant at Stroudsmoor Country Inn offers a variety of dishes, including seafood, steaks, pasta, as well as mouthwatering vegetarian recipes. The restaurant also has a wide selection of wine and cocktails. In addition to the main dining room, the restaurant also features a bar area and outdoor patio.
Sumneytown Hotel:
3188 Sumneytown Pike
Green Lane, PA 18054
sumneytownhotel.com
Located in the township of Marlborough, Montgomery County, Sumneytown was named in honor of Isaac Sumney, and for many years was the most prominent village in northwestern Montgomery County. In 1762, the Red Lion Inn (later to be named Sumneytown Hotel) was established by Isaac Sumney at the fork in the road in the center of the village. In the early 1800’s, the hotel was a popular stop for stagecoach, teamsters and other visitors.
In 1835, the Sumneytown Hotel was the scene of a crime that changed the landscape of the small village. On the evening of December 18, 1835, five men entered the Hotel. The men were in the village surveying the area for the proposed railroad linking the Perkiomen Valley to the Lehigh region.
A fight broke out between one of the men (John W. Nevins) and a local resident, George Willauer. During the altercation, Willauer was stabbed and later died of his injuries. A year later, the five men were found not guilty in the death of George Willauer. As a result of this tragedy, the railroad project was terminated. Although the project was renewed twenty years later, the railroad would not pass through the village of Sumneytown.
Fifty years after that incident, Samuel Barndt demolished the previously standing hotel which was damaged by fire and erected a new building in its place. The new building was three stories high with a two-story brick kitchen attached. It was anticipated that the new hotel would return the small village to being the central point of business in the valley.
The Hotel was purchased by John S. Burke from Russ and Queenie Weidner in 1967. At that time, in addition to the first floor restaurant the second and third floors of the Hotel were used as a boarding house and remained as such into the early 70’s. On June 2, 2021 Angel and Mark Jamison gained ownership of Sumneytown Hotel and began restorations honoring the nearly 260 year old Inn. This team of artists bring a passion for food, drink, and hospitality with decades of craftsmanship. Operated by Jessica and Brian Mitcham.
