We have lived in Sussex County for over 25 years and have never been to Early American Tavern…read morebefore; we have definitely drove by it thousands of times but never stopped. My son and I usually do diner once a week and we try to hit different spots, today it was Early American. Once inside the restrauant looks like a place out of the early 1900's; the kind of place your grandparents used to go and to me a great thing. The server was fantastic, she was there when needed and great to talk to with her knowledge of the menu and of the area. The menu has something for everyone even my picky teenage son found items that i never imagined that he would like. The meal did not disappoint with servings that had us request boxes due the abundance of great food; honestly something I never do is take home leftovers. When I asked for the bill I was pleasantly surprised, it came to a total of $42.00 for the entire meal. We have been to most of the restaurants in Sussex County including the "more expensive" places in Sparta where the same meal would have been easily over $100.00. We will definitely be back. ***A special thank you to the server that found my wallet. ***

A work in progress but food was decent and staff friendly. They are trying to find their niche,…read morerustic fab steaks

Crushing around on a Sunday looking for a place by the lake after the food truck fest ( that was a…read morebust)! we came across the carriage house... could use some work on the outside! The patio was nice though... boats could come up to the dock, that was cool. We had steamers very good! And shrimp Bruschetta , very good as well! Enjoy....

As we sat down, I was first struck by how quiet it was in the middle of a dinner service, then by…read morehow warm and inviting the interior was, and surprisingly so. Granted it wasn't chockers, service was quick and attentive and we got complimentary warm bread with three spreads in no time after putting our order in. Since I wasn't too hungry, we only ordered the walnut crusted cod to share. The food came out quickly. The cod was tender but the beurre blanc sauce just didn't add anything to the dish, which is a shame. The steamed fresh veggies (carrots and broccoli) were spot on and the mashed potato was nice. It was already getting dark outside by the time we arrived so we didn't take full advantage of the lake view, so that'll be another reason to go back. This looks like a family owned business which I have a soft spot for. I hope they continue to improve/innovate and stay open for many more years.

I usually love this place,…read more Unfortunately due to Covid they are severely understaffed and it shows. Waited a LONG time to get a drink. Food also took a long time and burger was cooked to incorrect temperature. They would have made me another one but I couldn't wait another 45 minutes. Usually the food here is solid...maybe a bad day? FYI the oysters were delicious. They did take it off the bill. I hope this situation gets better. I will try again soon and report back.

We went in for dinner...after an hour waiting all 4 of our dinners came out cold. Prime rib came…read moreback the 2nd time cold with gravy on it! 3 rd time we just accepted and ate it. They offered 2 coke and dessert to compensate. Very disappointed would not go back

Love the food and the atmosphere!…read more Great special on Tuesday's... tacos! All you can eat beef or chicken tacos $7.95 (limit 12 tacos-one plate of rice, tomatoes, gauc and salsa per customer)

I've called several times on different days they refuse to pick up the phone trying to figure out…read moreif they still do unlimited tacos

Some places just have the right feeling the moment you walk in, and that's exactly what we found at…read more Country Cottage Restaurant. I went there on a date, and it turned out to be a wonderful experience from start to finish. The atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable - perfect for real conversation. It's the kind of place where you can actually slow down, connect, and enjoy the moment without feeling rushed or distracted. The food was both ample and delicious. Every dish felt generous and satisfying, the kind of meal that leaves you full in the best way possible. It's clear they care about both quality and portion, which is a great combination. What truly stood out, though, was the staff. The servers were incredibly kind and welcoming, creating an environment that felt warm and genuine. That level of hospitality makes a big difference, especially on a night that matters. All together, it made for a memorable and meaningful evening. If you're looking for a place that offers great food, friendly service, and an atmosphere that encourages good conversation, this is a perfect choice.

The Country Cottage is such a quaint little gem! Tucked away with cozy charm, it offers not only a…read morewarm atmosphere but also a great bar and lovely outdoor seating with a beautiful view of the sky -- perfect for a relaxed meal. We came in just 10 minutes before closing, but you'd never know it based on how welcoming the staff was. Our waitress was super sweet and friendly, treating us like we had all the time in the world. We ordered the eggplant tower and the grilled chicken sandwich. The eggplant tower was absolutely amazing -- the eggplant was fried to perfection, not greasy at all, with the perfect drizzle of balsamic glaze and fresh mozzarella. You could tell every layer was thoughtfully made. All in all, this place has heart, great food, and genuine hospitality. I will definitely be back for more!

The food is excellent! The service is great fast, nice servers. the inside is just the perfect…read morevibe. Have been going forever and will still continue to do so. I highly recommend!

This dinner was so disgusting, shrimp n scallops with spinach in a mustard sauce, scallops were all…read moremush not cooked with a sear, i think the sauce they squeezed dijon mustard it was awful, worst seafood meal i ever had, took my cousin there for her 90th birthday and she didnt even eat it and was charged. Waitress was very nice. Will never recommend or ever go back!!

Passed by this place often finally stopped in. Owner very nice and accommodating. Food was very…read moregood! Granny's Pancake House makes decent pancakes but Gemma's got them beat! Worth a stop in.

Food is amazing. Best pancakes I've ever had in my life…read more Service is outstanding, however it could be slow at times due to the small kitchen. The ambience is quaint. The only thing better than the food are the sweethearts that work here. So if you aren't hyper sensitive, (like some of the people I noticed who gave low reviews) you will get along with them very well. Best get here early before the traffic starts because they get very busy with many loyal customers.

***1 1/2 stars***…read more It's pretty rare for me to go below two stars, but we literally couldn't find any redeeming qualities other than a kid-friendly chalkboard off to the side. Rough, rough lunch and I'm picking the places going forward. I came here with my top-tier chum and #1 honorary young pup chum for a midday meal yesterday. This was an unfortunate recommendation by my chum, but in her defense, the biggest selling point was that they had a young pup section of the menu (which many of my suggestions didn't). This may have been a sign that it's time for the young pup to just order off adult menus going forward. This is probably a weird time of year to be over here anyway; this restaurant recently moved next to the baseball stadium, and December just isn't the greatest page on the calendar for America's pastime so it feels a little wasteland-ish right now. There were also a few random amusement park rides that we had to walk around to access the entrance (apparently more for a nighttime winter festival of sorts?) so the vibes were a little off to start. The interior was fine though - there's an interesting looking bar off to the left and high ceilings, so it feels more spacious than it actually is, given the overall square footage you're dealing with. I also enjoyed the cow decor, though I might be missing the joke with some of the cow/pig hybrid animals on display. My chum remarked that it seemed like the menu was designed by someone who'd never actually tasted the food, and certainly wasn't the same person who cooked it. Definitely a possibility, but my general impression was that this is ostensibly a family restaurant (remember the chalkboard?) with a menu only targeting young female adults, from the bar food to the cocktails. It's very strange. I wish there was a nicer way to say it, but the cocktails were terrible. I had their version of an Old Fashioned, which had coffee in it. Just did not go well together at all; there's a reason why Irish coffee with Bailey's was invented - not every dark spirit is going to work with coffee. I find it hard to believe this was taste-tested before being added to the menu. Never again. I felt worse for my chum though, who got a holiday twist on a margarita with cranberry. It was so beyond tart I could barely swallow it and it honestly tasted like cough medicine. In a quasi-NSFW comment, my chum mentioned that this drink might be helpful for a UTI, but alas, we were at a restaurant, not a pharmacy. At the very least, they need to retrain their bartenders on basic portions of a cocktail, but when the ingredients clash, that's a management issue. We got the Cow Wedgies to share as an app - basically, flattened mozzy sticks. I like the flattened concept but these were pretty bad. I'm assuming the issue here is they were in the deep fryer for too long because they had pockets of grease that would pop when you bit into them, almost like a pimple. One of those pockets exploded and stained the front of my hoodie. Not great - an unappetizing appetizer. The impression I got was that The Barnyard were pretty aggressively touting the chicken/waffles section of the menu. I went with the Winner Winner, which was another example of not understanding basic palates and taste profiles. This is a savory item - it has chicken, mashed potatoes and this gravy/corn concoction. Inexplicably, they then added this weird tangy sauce that would be better served on a bang bang shrimp app that completely ruined the dish. It's such an unforced error I don't understand how it happened. It's going to come as no surprise, but the service matched the overall quality of the meal. There were very few customers on the premises and yet our waitress was mostly MIA. She never came by to check on us after serving the food, despite making multiple trips to a table near us to inefficiently clear it practically one item at a time. It's very hard to give constructive feedback when an experience is this bad, but to me it starts at the very beginning - make sure the items on your menu taste good and that your staff is properly trained on basic hospitality concepts. The Kingdom of Sussex deserves a lot better than this.

Stopped by after leaving the Sussex county fairgrounds for lunch. The menu seemed very straight…read moreforward and known for their burgers. You order at the counter and are given a placard for your table and your food is then brought to you. The biggest complaint from our party would be all drinks are for purchase not even tap water is given. Which is fine we had our own water. We ordered a side of waffle fries and the sloppy tots for the table. The side of waffle fries could've definitely been larger. The sloppy tots were delicious as the tots were well done and topped deliciously with beer cheese, bbq sauce, pork, and sour cream. They just needed a little salt. Everyone ordered a burger and they were good just super greasy. I ordered the pub burger in which the Irish cheese was definitely an acquired taste but the pretzel bun was delicious. The ya filthy animal burger I think would've been between with the coleslaw on the side as it made a mushy consistency. The stampede burger and bacon mushroom Swiss were both good. I will say for $15 per burger a little ridiculous it doesn't come with any side and just a pickle. The inside has almost a diner vibe to it but all the staff were friendly and polite.