Jubilee Restaurant — Restaurant in Tobyhanna Township

Update: I had originally given this place a 5 star review, and we liked it so much we decided to go back. Unfortunately, the service on our second visit was so bad I took off a star. I would have taken off more but the food was still good. Two of us ordered entrees that came with salads and one ordered soup and salad. All of the salads came out at the same time, but then they brought out the 2 entrees and not the soup. We waited over 10 minutes for the waitress to bring the soup and/or check on us. She didn’t, so I got up to go find her since one child was done their dinner and the other was still waiting. I found another waitress and asked her to send ours over. When she came over, she realized she needed to bring the soup. When she finally brought it my daughter only ate a little since she had been eating some of our food in the almost 15 minutes she ended up waiting. The waitress commented on her not eating it so I said she has eaten a lot of our food while she waited for her soup, and the waitress responded it must have been the avocados in her salad. No apology was given at all. Disappointing given the good experience we had previously.

This is the best meal we’ve had here so far, and it was reasonably priced, so we will definitely be back. There was a wait when we arrived at around 6:30, and they told us it would be 35-40 minutes, so we were pleasantly surprised when we were seated around 6:45. It took a really long time to get our food, so they threw in dessert for free, which was really nice. They made virgin pina coladas for the kids, so they were happy, and my Pino Noir was very good. My daughter loved the appetizer berry salad she got, and they both enjoyed their kid meals, especially the cookies lol. I got the half rack of ribs and they were very tender and the BBQ sauce was pretty good. The cornbread looked like it was overcooked but was actually perfect... maybe the best cornbread I’ve had. It was moist and delicious, and I’m glad they didn’t give me more of it because I would have eaten it. The potatoes gratin were just ok, they were a little dry. Overall, the meal took a long time but we all left happy. We will definitely be back to try...

There’s a reason that The Jubilee has been given the title “Breakfast King of the Mountains”. ⛰️

As soon as the owners of Downhill Lodge recommended this gem to us, I knew I had to go. It looked 1000% my vibe and after experiencing it myself, it did not disappoint!

For breakfast, we indulged in an order of biscuits and gravy and and order of waffles with eggs and sausage that were the perfect combination of sweet and savory. And of course, I couldn't resist ordering a refreshing mimosa to start the day off right! 🥂

But that's not all. The Jubilee has a wide variety of options for all meals of the day. From their hearty breakfast platters served until 2 p.m. daily, to their tasty burgers and fresh salads for lunch, and their mouthwatering BBQ pulled pork sandwich and chicken and pasta platters for dinner, there's something for everyone here. 🍽️ They even have dedicated kids' menus for each mealtime, making it a great spot for families.

The history of this place is truly fascinating. The VanGilder family took over the Lake Naomi Motor Lodge in 1968 and transformed the small coffee shop into Van Gilder's Jubilee Restaurant. 🍽️ Over the years, they've made several additions, including expanding the lounge area and creating The Pub in the Pines. It's incredible to see how this family business has stood the test of time and remains a unique dining experience in an era of chain restaurants.

The staff at The Jubilee is fantastic, and some of them have even been with the restaurant for an impressive 30 years. 👏 Their dedication and passion shine through in every aspect of the dining experience. It's no wonder they've welcomed generations of families who return year after year.

As they celebrate their 55th year of business, I highly encourage you to visit The Jubilee and create your own unforgettable dining experience. Whether it's for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even some late-night fun, this place...

I got a recommendation to try out Jubilee for breakfast. Since I couldn't make it for breakfast, I decided to give their dinner a try. Ordered the chicken parm with the clam chowder as a side.

You'll notice this is a super popular restaurant the moment you come to the parking lot. There were zero (literally none) spots open so we parked at a nearby business. Loads of people waiting outside, too.

I was quite disappointed with the food, especially since it's from one of the most popular restaurants near Effort/Mt. Pocono. When I first looked at the chicken parm, I thought the presentation was great. But visually appealing doesn't equal delicious. I took one bite of the chicken and realized just how soggy the breading was. And, the breading was also pretty thick. I'm not sure how it got so soggy, since there was very little sauce on the chicken. It's tough to keep chicken parm crispy for takeout, but we picked up the food almost as early as possible. The chicken itself was cooked well, though. Good amount of cheese which was tasty, but that's about it.

The pasta was also surprisingly not great. I like al dente pasta, but this was too al dente for me. And, as you can see from the photo, there is very little sauce on the pasta. It was all placed on a little side of the container. If they used more sauce and cooked the pasta well, this could have been a nice side.

On the positive side, the portions are huge. The meal could easily be split between 2 or maybe even 3 people. But, what good is paying $18.5 for a huge entree if it's not tasty? The clam chowder was okay. I thought it was creamy, had a fair amount of clams, and nice chunks of potato. Another member of my group wasn't a fan of the soup, though.

All in all, I'm simply a bit let down. Maybe this place is genuinely good at breakfast? Most of my other part members agreed the food was nothing special, and only the kid's meals received...