The Olivet — Restaurant in Pocono Township

We went to Olivet for their advertised “Savor & Save Mondays,” a prix fixe menu : 3 courses, 2 options each, $52.95++. No employee knew what we were talking about when we arrived. There were no printed menus for the promotion, no QR codes, nothing. We had to pass a personal cell phone around the table for perusal & ordering, each guest viewing a Facebook event that detailed the menu.

Cocktails were fine, but expensive. $17 - $25 each. In Swiftwater. In May. On a Monday.

The food was very good- fantastic flavors & seasoning, truly delightful. Great portion sizes, tender proteins, lovely presentation, everything fired to the desired temp. Desserts were also tasty, a feat for any restaurant. The bread was excellent, but sparse. When the table ordered more, we were told there was a small fee for additional bread. “No problem,” we said. This is commonplace for fully half of the restaurants I frequent: a $2-$3 charge for more bread. Olivet: $8.00. For five slices of bread. Again: high for the area, the season, the day.

The wine was awful. Awful. White wines served warm. The incorrect red wine served and it was so, SO bad. No one could finish a glass, despite the modest pour. The wine list overall is extremely disappointing.

Service was very strange. We had a friendly server, but she rarely came to our table. We had to beg for water, no coffee or tea offered, and we waited and waited and waited for each course. At a certain point we discussed that all the employees seemed to be doing everything, but no one actually succeeding in doing one thing. There were maybe ten tables total inside and outside. Four bar patrons. This was so, SO strange to have such poor service.

We are grateful for the indulgence of separate checks, alas: they arrived on one tray, stacked up, for us to distribute. Which was confusing considering everyone had a “prix fixe” as their food choice. When we sorted it out, the change and CC slips returned to us also stacked up, for us to sort out. When you’ve added an automatic 20% gratuity to all bills (not just the separate checks, but the singular bar bill from our pre-dinner drinks), patrons shouldn’t work so hard to give you their money. Note: we were only a party of 5. And honestly: our little supper club typically tips 25%- 30% cash, so Olivet screwed their staff with this choice.

We will not return: bad wine, slow service, and the strange...

Let me start by saying this restaurant has a lot of potential to be great! We had dinner on Valentine’s Day and the food was good! A little on the pricey side for what we were served but like I said, food was good. We had breakfast there and the service from our waitress/hostess (same woman) Tiffany, was horrible. She was extremely rude. Not a smile the whole time. When she was seating us, she just grabbed two menus and sat them down. I couldn’t tell if she was leading us to a table or someone else because she was looking around the whole place, giving nasty looks at everyone. Literally shaking her head and rolling her eyes. She had to say, ‘you can sit there’ for us to know. Took over 15 minutes to even get a coffee and water. We ordered our food, took another 40 minutes. She never came back to refill drinks. She was quietly arguing with the other waitstaff who were encouraging her ,I am assuming, to get her act together. Making comments and giving dirty looks everywhere. She came to take plates, didn’t say a word! Just grabbed my husband’s plate and walked away. The other waitress, extremely kind and polite! Almost like she was over compensating for Tiffany’s behavior and lack of self awareness. As a business owner, she would not be employed after that kind of behavior, or at minimum, she would have been sent home for the day with a training program for the service industry. You are the first person your guests see and the last. You are supposed to attract people to the restaurant not repel them. Sometimes more training is needed. Sometimes you just have to realize certain people don’t have the right skills to make your establishment what you want it to be. Is it a personality issue or a lack of training? I would encourage the manager of Olivet to examine which of these is the issue and address it before too much time passes. You can’t teach personality. *In addition, when we were leaving, she was saying to the other waitress, who seemed to care very much about everyone’s experience (blonde hair in a bun/management quality behaviors, no name tag), ‘I’m just used to doing things my way. And it’s not like this.’ I’m sorry, No excuse for poor customer service, attitude and lack of...

The Olivet at The Swiftwater Hotel was one of the best Pocono fine dining experiences we've had. Dinner was so great, we tried breakfast the next morning too. Far from disappointed. The ambiance strikes the perfect balance between elegant and cozy... and the decor is warm and inviting. It's just a place you want to relax in.

Dinner began with their signature Dante's Inferno Margarita. Bold and spicy, the black salt rim and fresh jalapeño slice gave it a distinctive kick. It actually paired well with my meal. I'd get this again.

For appetizers we began with the Beetroot Burrata. Great plating and wonderful flavors.

The Braised Short Rib, served bone-out, was remarkably tender and plated over celery root puree with roasted celery root, kale, and pearl onions in a grape brandy demi-glace. Refined, comforting, amazing.

I loved the seared diver scallops. Perfectly caramelized on the outside, buttery texture inside, served with fresh asparagus spears and a beautiful red beet purée.

The pasta dish, Sunday Gravy, was perfectly cooked pasta and meat in a rich tomato sauce, garnished with fresh herbs and a generous dusting of parmesan. It tasted like someone's Italian grandmother had been cooking it all day.

For dessert, we were treated to an impressive tableside flambé presentation of bananas foster by our server Brookel. The warm apple bread pudding with what tasted like toffee ice cream was equally impressive, with a perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors.

Breakfast the next morning maintained the high standards, with brûléed French toast that was crisp outside and custardy inside, topped with fresh berries. This was worth the trip alone. The shrimp and grits were fantastic as well. Great portion sizes on everything.

Service throughout was exceptional. Special thanks to Alex and Brookel who made our experience truly memorable with their knowledge and warm hospitality. Whether you're staying at The Swiftwater or just in the area, The Olivet is absolutely worth the visit for...