Vowinckel Hotel

Overview:

The Vowinckel Hotel is a restaurant hidden in plain sight right on busy Route 66 in Vowinckel, PA. It is situated between Marienville to the north and Leeper to the south. Here, you can expect great hospitality from the locals who operate this place. They serve traditional bar fareand have games of chance to play while you wait for your food. We decided to give this place a try while passing by and were glad we did. Stepping inside it truly feels like you are in a bygone time. No online ordering, delivery, or special requests. Just order what they have, and experience what they got. I thought this was a nice change from the restaurants in Pittsburgh and even others in the area. Below are the hours I could find according to Google.

Wednesday: 11-9

Thursday: 11-9

Friday: 11-11

Saturday: 11-11

Sunday-Tuesday: Closed

The Food:

Menu

As you can see from the menu, there are not very many food options to choose from. This does not bother me because it usually means they can just focus on a small set of things to cook. 

Anyway, the first thing we got were the whole chicken wings. When ordering whole wings, it's usually a good idea to order half your normal wing order, since each whole wing is basically two normal wings. It was topped with a rub that seemed similar to garlic powder or another mild seasoning. The wings were crispy and juicy, while the seasoning was not too overpowering or messy.

Whole Chicken Wings

Bacon Cheeseburger

I decided to play it safe and order the bacon cheeseburger, which turned out great. It was a half-pound burger with cheese, bacon, tomato, onion, pickle, and mayo. It came with a side of French fries, which were perfectly seasoned and had skin on them. Normally, at restaurants, the fries and most of the other food are too salty, but not here. The burger itself was tender, juicy, and very filling!

Chicken Tenders & Fries

Lastly, we tried the chicken tenders and fries. The chicken was similar to the wings. Tender, juicy, and crispy. They gave us a generous portion of chicken and fries as well.

Service:

The workers at Vowinckel Hotel were all very friendly. We arrived during lunchtime on a weekday, and there was no one else there. However, we were still warmly welcomed in and got to ordering. Our waitress was one of the only people working there at the time, but she was very friendly and talked with us all the way until our food arrived. Even the cook came out and chatted with us for a little while. It was a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of most busy restaurants. Everything came out in good order, and the food was cooked to our liking. 

Atmosphere:

The restaurant has a brick and panel facade along with an outdoor patio out back to eat under. Inside, you will notice the whole place looks renovated. There are nice wood-paneled walls and vinyl flooring. You will find games of chance in the corner when you first walk in. Also, they have a small dining area and a decent-sized bar in the back with TVs. 

Rating: Excellent |⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐|

Vowinckel Hotel is a great place to visit if you are traveling on Route 66 in Pennsylvania. The friendliness of the staff is what stood out the most. We talked with the workers for a while, and they made us feel right at home. I also thought the burger I had was tasty, and the fries were really good. None of the food tasted too salty. It would be nice to visit the place in the summer because they said there's an outdoor patio out back to sit. If you are looking for something else in the area, I would also recommend Cousin Basil's, about 15 minutes away.