Poconos' Hidden Gem

Sam Snead's Tavern scores a near hole-in-one

Matt Smith

Save one humiliating 108-for-nine-holes round in high school, my golf encounters have consisted only of infrequent mini-golf triumphs and occasional "What's Tiger Woods up to these days?" pauses in my channel surfing.

I don't own any plaid Caddyshack pants, I can't tell the difference between a 3-wood and 7-iron, and when asked "What's your handicap?" I simply answer "Yes." However, there's one golf concept I can easily get behind - the 19th hole - which refers to the bar that typically awaits players following 18 holes on the links.

At the Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort in Shawnee-on-Delaware, the "19th hole" goes beyond the typical boys' clubhouse. Sam Snead's Tavern - named for and decorated with memorabilia from the legendary golfer - definitely works on that level, but with additional parts fine-dining establishment, sports bar and straight-shooting chain restaurant. It's all wrapped up in a beautifully restored 1800s tavern in an equally beautiful location along the Shawnee Creek and Delaware Water Gap.

On the evening of my visit - a harshly cold March night - there was nary a plaid-clad, fresh-off-the-course golfer. A few families dined in the main area of the three-level establishment, as did a pair of chatty 20-something women; my group of three had dropped in to fortify before a lengthy concert by the jam band moe. in nearby Stroudsburg. There also were murmurs of ESPN-focused activity in main-floor bar, but it was obviously a quiet off-season evening for Sam Snead's - although not so spooky-quiet like those announcers on golf TV broadcasts.

Sam Snead's is one of about a dozen in a mini-chain stretching all the way to Hawaii, and while you get the sense that there's some unanimity when it comes to the meat-and-potatoes-plus menu, there are extra touches that go beyond the heat-and-eat norm of the typical middle-brow mall spot. For example, one of my compatriots described his chicken Marsala as "better than the Olive Garden. The chicken seemed pretty fresh and you could tell it was breaded just before it was cooked, not well in advance like some places."

And, according to the restaurant's Web site, those extra flourishes extend to the decor: "For each Tavern, the Snead Family handpicks and places each piece of memorabilia to ensure authenticity and quality. This care is essential to the unique atmosphere created which highlights the illustrious career of the golfing legend Sam Snead." (Snead died in 2002.)

I don't know if Sam Snead personally put my shrimp and lobster capellini on the menu, and while not a hole-in-one, it was a definite birdie, perhaps an eagle: The dish was piled high with gulf shrimp and Maine lobster in a nice, light tomato cream sauce. I continued my nod to warmer summer days by washing it down with a refreshing, orange-tinged Blue Moon. And "piled high" certainly was an apt description for the mountainous cobb salad heartily enjoyed by the third member of my party.

As we were in a hurry, and were indeed three manly men eating together at a golf-themed restaurant, we skipped dessert. (I'll have to return to try the unfortunately named "Famous Chocolate Sack" - sponge cake and white chocolate "swimming" in a raspberry puree.) I did, however, indulge in a much needed espresso as three hours of hippie music was awaiting me.

The manager on duty remarked to us near meal's end that Sam Snead's Tavern is a bit of a hidden gem when it comes to the Pocono locals. A few might be scared off by the sometimes upper-moderate menu prices, others by the golf thing, but my visit at least proved that you don't have to know a putting green from the Green Bay Packers; there's also room in my book for well-prepared food in a relaxed, bucolic Poconos setting. Fore!