My spouse and I dined with two family members at the Point Phillips Hotel Tavern and Smokehouse for dinner on a Friday evening in late November 2017. The tavern is open daily for lunch and dinner. We telephoned in advance to make a reservation, although the restaurant considers itself primarily a walk-in, first-come, first-served establishment.
The Point Phillips Hotel is located in the countryside in Bath (Moore Township). Because of its remote location, it was approximately a 20-minute drive from Bethlehem on Route 22 (then via 512 or 191) or Route 33. A building has occupied the land on which the restaurant sits since the early 1800s, when Philip Gross owned the land and opened the first tavern/public house in the area. He gave his name to the region: Point Phillips, which was sometimes also called Philipsburg (spelled with one “l” and is therefore not associated with the city in New Jersey). The old bar/hotel space (on the north side of the original building) was constructed in the late 1850s, and during a subsequent restoration, beneath layers of plasterboard, a wall was discovered that featured old dismantled shipping crates with writing that said, “Stephen Trach, Point Philips, PA”. A late 19th century sketch of the hotel shows the addition of a general store. When owner Stephen Trach died, the establishment passed to his children, whose signatures are visible on the wall of the former general store. Fast-forward to the 21st century, when the current owner of the tavern can trace his ancestry back to several previous owners (Philip Gross was the great-grandfather of his great grandaunt). Today, you can dine in the bar area at the bar or at tables adjacent to it. You can also sit in one of two dining rooms sparingly decorated with Americana memorabilia.
The Point Phillips Hotel serves American cuisine, including barbecue. As a starter, we ordered the cornbread to share. (As huge fans of cornbread, this version was rather forgettable.) Next, three of us chose a side dinner salad as one of the two sides that accompany most entrees, and the salads were huge and fresh; sadly, they were the best part of our meal. I ordered the restaurant’s famous “burnt ends” as my entrée. The menu states that they restaurant often runs out of the dish, so I felt fortunate that it was available; however, when my entrée arrived, it was composed of many large chunks of beef roast meat (larger than the cubes that would compose a beef stew) that were covered in barbecue sauce; there was no delicious fatty, smoky, crispy bark or crust as I had anticipated. (I have sampled burnt ends at other establishments, and Point Philips version was unfortunately unlike any I have eaten before.) My spouse had a sampler meat platter, with sides of macaroni and cheese and warm German potato salad; both sides were underwhelming as was the meat. The restaurant supposedly smokes its own meat in its own smokehouse (the previous summer kitchen), but we were disappointed that we didn’t actually smell the aromas even when we walked by its open door (perhaps they don’t smoke every day?). Our dinner companions seemed satisfied with their respective entrees of meatloaf and ribs. I sampled a coconut almond joy martini, which was tasty although a bit disappointing when it arrived as a perfectly clear liquid in a martini glass; I had expected a creamy drink with perhaps some small garnish such as a chocolate rim or flaked coconut as I have had elsewhere.
Although we might return to the Point Phillips Hotel if we are ever in the area, we would definitely try something other than their barbecued/smoked meat dishes.
