The Lamp Post Inn — Restaurant in Vernon Township

3 1/2 stars

The Lamp Post Inn was the site of a post-snowtubing lunch on Superbowl Sunday. It looked intriguing/eclectic from afar, and it certainly was that. If you grew up in the 70s or 80s, you absolutely had a grandparent whose basement had wood paneling like this. It doesn't look like the dining area has been updated in decades, and I'm all for it; Jimmy Carter could have stopped here on a campaign swing. The booths looked especially cozy, but we had a party of eight, alas, and sat at a standalone table. Framed pithy sayings/aphorisms were all over the walls. There was a more modern/standard bar area further into the restaurant, but I enjoyed eating in my time vortex.

We ordered a bunch of standard bar apps to start, which included mozzy sticks and tater skins. Both were excellent. I'm usually slightly positive (though not overwhelmingly so) on mozzy sticks. I think it's really easy to mess them up texture-wise, but these were perfect. Just the right amount of crispness without veering into unpleasant soggy territory. The tater skins were more like wedges than straight-up potato halves, which I was definitely into - better serving sizes, and none of the pieces were overdone. Also, I ordered a glass of wine that, I'm not kidding, was less than $5. This was not a Happy Hour - it was the normal price. Sussex County is such a delight.

For my entree, I went with the penne vodka. It was tasty with a decent but not overwhelming portion (one companion commented that the appetizer portions were larger than the entrees, which seemed accurate to me - not really a negative or a positive, I suppose). Since I had accidentally gorged on the taters, I had leftovers (which held up well the next day), but you could easily eat this in one fell swoop if you're not being too naughty otherwise. Have I had better? Yes, but this was perfectly fine, just a little bland.

Dessert-wise, a couple of us ordered the apple crisp ala mode and the peanut butter cream pie to split. The peanut butter cream pie was more warmly received, so I ended up eating most of the apple crisp, which was fine but also a bit tasteless (possible trend, given the penne vodka situation). It could have used something else to give it some zip, like caramel drizzle (which coincidentally the peanut butter cream pie had).

The bathroom was an interesting experience. It was a nippy day (probably around 30 degrees), and the windows in there were wide open. I'm glad I didn't have to be in there for more than a minute or two, and I felt bad for any future visitors who had...a longer agenda than that. It was clean at least and pretty spacious - I changed out of my snow pants into jeans pretty comfortably in the stall.

The service started off strong, and petered out over time, unfortunately. To their credit, the hostess/staff who greeted us when we came in didn't even bat an eye when I told them how many were in our party. We were seated promptly, and orders were taken almost as quickly. I think our assigned waitress changed midway through, which could definitely explain what happened with the service - honestly, I can't remember the last time that occurred and it DIDN'T have a negative impact. I even hesitated ordering dessert, knowing it would likely keep us in there for a while, but the devil on my shoulder usually wins those debates. We were probably in there for 45 minutes more than we needed to be, all told. Given that we were a large party, I'm honestly surprised more attention wasn't paid overall, and it definitely caused what was up until then a pretty positive review to hover more toward...

My family asked me where I wanted to go for my 40 birthday. We made a reservation here for 10 people and got a table in the back dining room. The decor and ambiance is beautifully done and welcoming and there is a fireplace.

It's of course no secret how great this restaurant is as it was filled to the rafters on a Saturday evening. Despite it being full I never felt that it was crowded as there was adequate space between the tables do not hear others conversations for bump into anybody in maneuvering around.

The waitress was very friendly and professional. We didn't feel rushed at all but as soon as we were ready we gave our appetizer order. The drinks were of course right away and the appetizers soon after. I was surprised how efficient the kitchen was with a restaurant full of patrons.

The food was absolutely incredible I had planned on getting the prime rib special because I heard it was to die for but I ended up choosing the baby back ribs because hey it was my birthday after all! I started off with an Appletini, hot mussels as an appetizer, and then the ribs. Everyone at the table said their food was incredible. We finished with espressos and they got me a lava cake dessert and saying happy birthday. I was stuffed and had plenty to take home for lunch the next day. My 97 year old grandma was our special guest attendee. She is in a wheelchair and they gave us the table closest to the door to the hall so taking her to the restroom would be easy, which it was. They even let us use a table that look like it was set up to make coffee for the gifts.

After our amazing dinner some of my guests left for the long drive home but my 5 year old daughter, 97 year old grandma, fun biker aunt, my mom and myself stayed and took our party to the bar where the harrisons were playing live music. Really great band and fun lively atmosphere at the bar.

In conclusion I'm sure all the locals know about this long-running gem of a restaurant. If you're from out of town or are new to the area make it a priority to check this place out, it might just be...

We are not really B&B type people, so I have very little experience to compare others to. We are both experienced travelers, that is my baseline. The grounds are well maintained. There is a small parking area right off the street on the property.

Go to the larger main house, not the smaller one in the back, signs? We were greeted by the owner who politely got us checked in and showed us our room.

Our room was cozy with a four poster bed and a clean bathroom with a hair dryer. The shower was was not a pleasant experience, however. The barely adjustable shower head aims right at your head. Good luck trying to enjoy some quality shower time. The shower floor itself was slippery as ice.

Our room had no AC, but a more than adequate floor fan to keep things cool. We did have to open a window as it was starting to get stuffy. With the window open I could now hear some road noise, barely noticeable, but you hear it.

The stairs going up to the second floor to the rooms are steep with old style narrow steps. I mention this only as an observation.

Our breakfast was good, with great coffee and an assortment of juices available. The owner is also the chef and server to. We both had some stimulating conversations with the owner and he was proud telling us about his children and their accomplishments.

For us it was a quick getaway as we rented kayaks at Lake Wawayanda on the way in. That actually was the highlight of the trip.

So in review, it was an overall pleasant experience. The bed was very comfortable, the bathroom clean, except for the unpleasant shower experience. As a one time visit, nice, would I return,...