Barley Creek Brewing Company — Restaurant in Pocono Township

It has been a while since we last dined at Barley Creek and our past experiences were positive. However, it appears that things have changed there considerably. First thing that happened was we were seated at a booth in the back that, quite literally, had a table that was falling apart. The waitress left the menus on the table as we approached and dashed off before we sat. As I started to try to get seated, I immediately found my feet were getting entangled in electrical wires under the table. I think they were from some of the Halloween displays that were all over the place. So I kicked the wires aside. Then the top of the table tipped down towards my lap. I lifted it off of me and it was rocking around. I stood up and told my husband not to try to sit there. We moved to an empty table next to it. Then I could see that the problem table appeared to have a leg broken. While we were looking at the menu, a family with an infant in a carrier and a small toddler were shown the same table we left and their menus were dumped on the table and left there just like ours. The mother tried to sit with the carrier and I told her the table is broken and that we had just moved to another table and suggested they should too. So they found someone and asked to be moved to another table. They were. Then a group of 3 people, (2 young college age men and a woman) were brought to the same hot mess of a table. They immediately had a problem getting seated. I told them they were the third set of diners brought to the same broken table. They got the waitress to come over to try to fix the table. She gave it her best shot and even crawled on the floor under the table to try to fix it and had to give up. The young group decided to try to sit there anyway and just made light of it as they didn't appear to care. Later when my husband came back from the restroom, he spoke to one of the male staff informing him that he noticed a toilet in the men's room was not flushing. He told me he also spoke to another customer in the men's room about it and asked him if he had seen things deteriorate there and told the customer about the broken table. The customer he spoke with said he had noticed the place has been going downhill in recent years. We did not have any problems with personnel. The food was just okay and the menu selections were just bar food. They used to have a more varied menu. Also, when the waiter came to take our order, he announced they were not making any pizza's that night. Wow. Considering that half their menu is pizza's, that's really quite telling. Overall it was a disappointing experience and I would advise others to find another...

Let it be known far and wide, across every mountaintop and tavern bench, that there once was a man named Luke Tex—nay, there is a man—who stands not just behind the bar at Barley Creek, but at the summit of what it means to be a bartender, a friend, and an alchemist of the spirit, in every sense of the word.

To call him a bartender is to call fire warm or water wet—it’s technically correct, but it misses the magic.

Each time Luke Tex pours me a drink, it’s not merely a pour. It’s a resurrection. I could walk in weary, soul-fractured, beaten down by the world—and in that one glass, that one artfully-crafted libation from Luke’s hand, I find myself brought back to life. Like a phoenix doused in bourbon instead of flames, I rise. Stronger. Sharper. Smiling.

But what truly sets Luke apart isn’t just his mastery of mixology—though the man could probably make a Manhattan on a mountain top during a snowstorm with a toothpick and a lighter. No, it’s his presence—the way his goofy antics sneak up on you like a well-timed joke in a Shakespearean tragedy. One moment you're sipping quietly, the next you're doubled over in laughter as he reenacts a dramatic lime squeeze or philosophizes on the subtle metaphysics of bitters.

And beneath that joyful chaos? A soul so gentle, so authentically kind, it’s like being wrapped in a warm blanket stitched from the threads of every good memory you’ve ever had. When Luke smiles, it’s not just hospitality—it’s healing. When he listens, it’s not just to take your order—it’s because he genuinely cares.

Spending time at Barley Creek when Luke is working doesn’t feel like going to a bar. It feels like going to church, if church had better lighting, craft beer, and far more forgiveness.

He doesn’t just serve drinks. He serves humanity—one pour, one laugh, one soul-hug at a time.

In a world that’s often too fast, too cold, too distant, Luke Tex reminds you how beautiful it is to simply be seen. To be known. And maybe, just maybe, to be a little better because someone like him believes you can be.

Raise your glass. Raise your standards. Raise your spirit.

Because if you’re lucky enough to be served by Luke Tex… You’ve...

I visited today after calling ahead to confirm their wing night, which I was told started at 4 PM. However, when we got our check, we noticed we were being charged full price for the wings. When I asked the waitress about the pricing, she acted like she had never heard of wing night and kept calling it “happy hour,” which only made things more confusing. It felt disorganized—almost as if they assumed we didn’t know about the wing night special and were trying to charge us regular price. Eventually, we were given the correct price, but the whole situation left a bad impression.

On top of that, the service was disappointing. The waitress spent a lot of time in the back and barely checked on us until the end of our meal. We had to ask someone (who seemed like a manager or supervisor, as he was wearing a green shirt and appeared to be in charge) for soda refills since our waitress was hardly around. After that, she seemed irritated and spoke with an attitude, making it clear she wasn’t happy to be there. The overall atmosphere did not feel welcoming at all.

To make things worse, we also asked this same staff member for sour cream, but he never returned or let the waitress know. When we followed up with her, she finally checked and told us they didn’t have any left—but he should have communicated that instead of just ignoring the request.

The food itself was also disappointing. We ordered nachos, but they came with way more chips than cheese, to the point that we had to ask for extra just to make them enjoyable. On top of that, our soda cups were sticky on the outside, which was pretty off-putting.

Between the lack of communication, inattentive service, unwelcoming atmosphere, and food and cleanliness issues, this experience was disappointing. I wouldn’t recommend this place based...