Breakfast and More – Stroudsburg PA

It was the morning of our 3^rd day on our road trip to the northeastern USA and it was time for breakfast! 

A bit of research plus confirmation by a local source had revealed that Compton’s Pancake House in Stroudsburg was well regarded in the area.  It was raining steadily when we arrived at the restaurant so I just snapped these photos from the side of the building as we headed for cover…

Compton’s Pancake House is a large restaurant with a lot of seating…both tables and booths abound.  As you can see from the second photo, this is a popular place!

We did think that the coffee cups were clever…a subtle selling device for the restaurant’s pancakes with this homey touch also making customers feel good.

Laurie ordered her standard breakfast…2 over-medium fried eggs with bacon, toast and potatoes. ($5.95) We both prefer hash brown potatoes but they seem to be a bit uncommon in the northeastern USA.  Compton’s breakfast potatoes are home fries, basically fried pieces of potato.  Laurie had hers with onions.

She reported that her bacon was too ‘fatty’, one of her egg yolks was hard and the home fries were just ‘so so’.  However, the price for a basic breakfast was very reasonable.  FYI, coffee was $2.49…

I wanted to try a couple of different items on the menu.  Compton’s is more than a ‘pancake house’…but I started with pancakes.  

The blueberry pancakes with the blueberry topping were very good. ($8.25) I would have preferred a bunch of loose blueberries on top of the pancakes vs. the blueberry compote but that’s a personal preference and it didn’t impact the quality of Compton’s namesake offering.

I ‘had to’ have an order of Scrapple! ($2.95) It had been well over 40 years since I’d tried it and memories fade.  It was OK…but it is definitely an acquired taste.  Ketchup and Tabasco helped!  Over easy eggs on top would have even been better…

For those unfamiliar with scrapple, it is commonly considered to be an ethnic food of the Pennsylvania Dutch including the Mennonites and Amish.  It’s found in supermarkets throughout the Mid-Atlantic States.  

So how is scrapple made?  It starts with hog bits and pieces including the head, heart, liver and other trimmings.  These bits are boiled with bones attached to make a broth.  Once the bones and fat are removed, the meat is reserved and dry cornmeal is boiled in the broth to make a mush.  The finely minced meat is returned to the pot with a variety of seasonings.  Then the mush is formed into loaves and cooled until they are set.  As the old saying goes, “Scrapple is made from everything except the oink!”

One key breakfast item that we seek out is quality Sausage Gravy over Biscuits.  For some reason at Compton’s the sausage gravy and biscuits also come with their home fried potatoes. ($8.95)

I did like the idea of the biscuits being ‘grilled’ for more flavor and texture.  However, that was the only positive for this side dish.  The sausage gravy was so sweet tasting that I couldn’t finish it and the home fries came with onions despite my ordering the potatoes without them.  Laurie thought that the sausage gravy was ‘disgusting’…

Our waitress was less than competent and service was at best uneven.  She also negatively impacted the restaurant’s bottom line.  When I went through my receipts that night, I discovered that she’d failed to charge me for a large glass of orange juice. ($2.85)

It was obvious that Compton’s Pancake House is a popular local breakfast destination.  While it didn’t work well for us, apparently Compton’s does well with many other diners.  This restaurant is located at 105 Park Avenue in Stroudsburg Pennsylvania.  Phone: 570-424-6909.  Website[: http://comptonspancakehouse.com/.

As is my habit when visiting a new town, I keep an eye open for old railroad depots and other local historic sites. 

This old freight station was built in 1882 by the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad.  After the railroad stopped running through town, it was purchased and used as an antique store for many years.  Eventually it was abandoned and subsequently saved by the community.  The depot is owned by the Monroe County Historical Association, which also operates the Stroud Mansion Museum and Library and the Bell School.  Website: http://monroehistorical.org/. 

Currently this former freight depot is leased to the Zion United Church of Christ.  The church operates the “Miracles Happen” Thrift Shop in the old building.  The depot/thrift store is located at 537 Ann Street in Stroudsburg.  Phone: 570-421-8670.   

Does anyone need an armory?  I almost just drove past the Captain George M. Kemp Memorial Armory at 217 Washington Street in East Stroudsburg Pennsylvania.  This old Tudor Revival style T-shaped armory, situated on .6 of an acre, was built in 1928.  It comes complete with a drill hall and 2-story administrative building.  The structure measures 56 by 128 feet. 

This armory is up for bid through the State of Pennsylvania.  Minimum bid is $75,000.  Because it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places, buyers are subject to certain limitations when rehabbing the structure for a new use.  Of course, tax breaks may also be available.  You can go to: file:///C:/Users/Dell/AppData/Local/Packages/Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe/TempState/Downloads/Solicitation%2094945%20(3).pdf. 

That’s about it for now.  Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave