Let me begin with the fact that 3.5 stars would probably be a better choice if Yelp offered that. But as a local, I know there's not many options around Kempton, so my four star rating is more a reflection of my surprise at the quality I found when I dropped in on a whim recently. I have been to the Kempton Hotel in its previous incarnation and it was nothing to write home about. This time, I went there to catch a quick lunch with my daughter. Upon walking inside, we were met with the smell of stale smoke. We asked to sit on the porch where there was ample seating. Here are the real reasons for such a generous rating: the waitress was very pleasant and surprised us with a litany of lunch specials. We each ordered one of them; I went with the Chicken Bacon Ranch Cheesesteak with onion rings (which were an upgrade from the side vegetable -- fresh brussels sprouts -- which were very tempting, but I didn't want to order an additional side of onion rings). My daughter went with the Black Diamond Steak Quesadilla. Both the entrees were delicious, fresh, and the wonderful onion rings were a highlight, with horseradish sauce on the side. Yum! We were tempted to go for either of the described dessert specials, which were made with local berries and apples. I thought it was extra special that at an establishment such as the Kempton Hotel does some 'farm-to-table' stuff! I will plan a trip there just for dessert some time. Here are my criticisms: I can't speak to the decor inside as I did not look around much. The smell was a turn off, though, so I suspect there is overlooked smoking happening at the bar, unless it is holdover odor from the many years when smoking was permitted inside. Second: I thought the prices were a little high for locals such as myself. They seemed more geared to tourist clientele, though in general, Kempton is not such a destination. But definitely not out of range, compared to the Stony Run Inn down the road. (I did notice that draft beers are $1.50 every day except Thursday when they're $1. But I wasn't there to drink.) I guess I was just pleasantly surprised at the product, based on previous experiences, and I'm thrilled to have a decent place to eat a half a mile from my house, since there's not a whole lot close by! Hopefully, the reopening of the Kempton Hotel will bring other quality establishments into town and change our almost ghost town status. With a little extra attention to aesthetics -- maybe some tasteful music piped out to the porch, flower boxes, and fresh air inside -- a 4 star rating would truly fit. read more

Was great years ago with previous owner. Now lousy! Menu lacks any real food! Just sandwiches.

This place is a joke! Service is extremely slow. So don't go for lunch. The food, well, that's a bigger problem. My girlfriend and I ordered burgers. Both medium and both came out different. Hers was raw and mine was a hockey puck. And for the life of me, I can't understand why we got a rebuttal about taking everything off of our bill. When we didn't eat any of the food. Don't waste your time going here. read more

After a day of fishing at Leaser Lake, I often stop at Kempton Hotel for lunch and refreshments. You can't beat ice cold $1 PBR drafts here. Some of my favorite places are the old school "hotels" in and around our area. They offer rich history, genuine folks, and often really great food. Robin our bartender/ server is always wonderful. She's a foodie too, and follows #rushieeats so she is always happy to offer me a recommendation and give me the skinny on the monthly specials. For April, they are offering a Chicken fried steak croquette. Fried perfectly crisp on the outside and savory and creamy on the inside. The dish comes with white gravy, but Robin suggested the brown gravy. I sampled both, and ended up mixing the two. This dish was sensational! I choose smoked Gouda Mac & cheese as a side and coleslaw. The Mac was absolutely delicious, but the coleslaw was unremarkable. Steph really enjoyed the fried pickles that are made from scratch. The Bavarian soft pretzel is also made from scratch. Dip that in their amazing smoked Gouda beer cheese and call it a day -- tremendous! My wife had the BBQ bacon burger and loved it. The roll is made from scratch, in house. I had a house made roll with my meal and it was delicious in all aspects. The fresh cut fries are right up there with the best I've had. The come perfectly seasoned from the kitchen. Robin insisted I sample the chocolate peanut butter pie. Yes, it was amazing and worth the price of admission. The pizza here is also made from scratch and is pretty good. I've had it in the past, and it's worth mentioning. /5 Wonderful service, great food, great drinks. They have a craft cocktail program here too as a chalk board special. read more

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The food was properly prepared in a timely fashion. The beef was served medium rare as ordered and the Pork and Sauerkraut was not greasy! The staff were friendly and attentive; we'll be back. read more

The food at Kempton Hotel is always good and if it's not, they will do what they need to do to correct it. I have had an issue with some food here and the owner contacted me personally and solved my issue. I can tell you that was only one time though and their food is amazing. I highly recommend ordering a chicken Parm sandwich. That thing is bigger than your head. read more

Have visited this place several time over the years. Food is good and the staff during the day are exceptional. The only issue I have is in the women's bathroom; the toilets specifically the lids where the back of the toijlet seat meet is extremely dirty. read more

Stopped here after a hike for lunch. Food was great and Robin was the best waitress I have ever had. Friendly, helpful and super attentive. The pot pie soup was amazing. The only problem was it was the day after Thanksgiving and we all ate way too much! Would definitely go back again. read more

My visit to the Kempton Hotel wasnt nearly as cool as nearby Hawk Mountain Sanctuary or the WK&S railroad. We first parked on the street and walked up a great big flight of stairs to reach to top floor of the restaurant. There is a bar with a baseball game on tv on our right when we first walked in. We were seated, along with 3 other couples who followed us later, from the WK&S. The menu was standard american food. turkey breast, veal sand, cod and haddock sandwiches, pork chops, yams, mashed potatoes, applesauce, lots of traditional items. Most of the entrees came with 2 vegitables and the soup and salad bar (which could be stand alone or added for 5.50 to other items) They also had seafood, steaks, etc. service was good, the restaurant itself is housed in an 1870's hotel, and it still looks in very good condition. read more

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My wife's family has been coming here for years and after going once or twice myself I only have one question. Why? First all the service can be horribly slow. We've gone after taking our children for a ride on the WK&S railroad and even with a dining room that's not even half full it can turn into a two hour excursion due to an elongated wait for the check and food coming slowly from the kitchen. The meat quality at times can also be a little sketchy. I've had a few of their chicken dishes/sandwhiches and the meat is usually fairly fatty and has a tendency to be underdone. The bar has a cast of regulars and you will be hard pressed to go and not find it filled up. I imagine that if you find yourself in Kempton you might be compelled to try this place as there really is nothing else around but all in all the quality of the food is not really worth going out of your way for. read more

Good food, great staff, good old time. Must stop in when passing through the Kempton area for a meal.

Kempton Hotel recently changed hands. If you are looking for a good meal, don't bother. Mostly stuff like steak sandwiches, or a chicken sandwich. My friend had 2 orders of clams, nothing great. My husband had chicken pot pie, apparently that was run thru a blender. Friend had ordered crab cakes and was brought the inside of a crab cake sandwich with cheese and bacon on it, eww, and asked "is that ok?" Obviously not. My medium, pink in the middle NY strip steak was... not. Even a local fave potato filling was odd. Anyway, the menu is like a junior high cafeteria menu. But the bathroom was nice. read more

Kempton Hotel - Burgers Near Me - Kempton, Pennsylvania

Won't be going back. We were here for the first time in years about 2 months ago and had a good meal - bar food, but we were happy with it. Came back tonight and it was terrible from beginning to end. Vodka tonic was not tonic - used club soda. Drink was remade and again, Club soda. My husband got steamed clams and the butter was burnt - not brown butter, burnt! And clams were over cooked and chewy. I had a cheesesteak and it was just okay- roll was stale and meat was overcooked and dried out. Oh, and the guy next to me was chewing tobacco and spitting into a styrofoam cup! Yes, we were in the bar. No smoking signs posted but no signs saying no chewing tobacco. Sad to say but we're never going back. read more

This was my first visit, apparently they were closed for a period to do some renovations. The bar area is very spacious, could use a few more tables/chairs. The ceiling is cool, you will have to go there to experience it, no spoilers here... ;-) We ordered burgers/fries, I had a cup of chicken pot pie, my buddy went for the chili. Soups were awesome, pot pie was some of the best I have ever had. Chili was equally as good. Burgers were home made patties, cooked to perfection. Fries were fresh cut.. oh yeah..... and they were not soggy/brown. they were crispy and golden. I will be back, lots on that menu that needs to be reviewed. read more

A long time favorite place to get a great homecooked type of meal. Well worth driving from the Hershey, PA area to visit.

No parking lot to park in. Have to wait for business across the street to close and park there even though there are signs posted about cars being towed. Street parking is minimal and there were large water, mud puddles to contend with. When we mentioned it to the hostess all she said was "You should see where the employees have to park!" Not handicap friendly. Have to climb steps to enter. Service was terrible. When our group got there we where only the third table. 2 tables came in immediately after us. Order was taken and then the long wait. Other tables got rolls we didn't even though 4 of us ordered meals. Had to stop and ask for some. Food is made to order so it does take a long time to arrive. Finally the food arrived. Well part of it. Main courses arrived but most sides didn't. Some of us got clams, but no butter. Wait staff said it had to few thing to do then he would bring it out. So this person took drinks to a table, took an order at another and the check to another. Finally brought everyone's butter and sides. By that time the clams and sides and butter where cold. Thank heaven some of us got appetizers to tide us over. Most in our party said they wouldn't go back. If it would have been a full house I could see the delays. Unfortunately when we left most tables were empty so really service is poor. Bar was full. Thinking this place serves mostly locals who can walk there. read more

Went there a few times after hearing from friends how nice it was after new owners renovated it. WOW! the barroom is much more open and spacious now, great improvement. I've had pizza, cheesesteaks, burgers, and wings while solo or with my kids. All were very good and very large portions. Kids loved craft night with Jackie. Had excellent service by Erica and Carolyn for food and drinks. Food took a few minutes longer than normal, but was well worth the wait.. read more

Okay cheesesteak for rural PA. Order it with the sauce on the side, and ask for provolone if you prefer. The fries are tasty, and my wife said the bruschetta chicken sandwich was good too. Service isn't fast, but it wasn't slow, so we were happy. They also serve breakfast, which I've heard good things about. I saw banana bread french toast. read more

We went on July 4th and the dining room was crazy hot like they air conditioning wasn't even turned on and lacked decor and atmosphere. Our waitress was a complete ditz.... she didn't know the answer to any of our questions and had no idea what was even on the menu. Food was mediocre but nothing to write home about. My husband ordered a cheesesteak which was okay and I order why was on the menu listed as not cho burger which was described as a burger with taco flavoring in it on a bed of nachos with tomato and lettuce but it was just a plain plate of nachos nothing like the menu described. It was disgusting. We will not be coming back. read more

Five stars all the way! This was our second time at the Hotel and just like the first time we had a great experience. Our server Mel was awesome and the food was very affordable and yummy! Homemade entrees and sides! The pizza is great too!!! I highly recommend going!! read more

This place has the best cheese steak in the state of PA. I have tried so many but the simplicity, roll, cheese used, make them the best. The chef will cook the sauce in with the steak meat if asked. I come here ONLY for cheese steaks. I know this seems insignificant but for me its the little things. read more

Heard that it was reopened, after Renovations & a change of Ownership. Good quiet atmosphere, for a Sunday evening. Locals at the bar. Very Courteous Staff. Very Friendly. Heard from the locals talking about Good Pizza, after we ordered our Burgers & Fries. Burgers were hand pressed and Delicious. Fries were nice & crisp. Had to wait a bit, as there was a influx of orders just before we ordered. But, worth the wait. Love the Murals on the Ceiling, in the Bar. I am a Member of the Schuylkill & Lehigh Model Railroad Club, and Feel Confidant about referring our visitors to stop at the Kempton Hotel, to get a good meal. read more

Have been coming to the Kempton hotel for a few years now, and especially once the new owner took over, the food is very good. The wings are always excellent and crispy, and the spicy chesapeake is my favorite...definitely a different taste. Everything I have eaten, from cheesteaks, pork chop platter, loaded fries and tater tots...the menu goes on and on. The New England clam chowder is homemade and is perfect. And now they got a pizza oven, which we tried last week, and the bar and 16" full pizzas are awesome! When you are in the area, give it a try. Its a laid back atmosphere, I see complaints about being there so long. Everything is home made, and the locals at the bar always strike up conversations with the barmaid and patrons alike. Just relax, have a drink, play a game of pool, and enjoy the atmosphere of an old stagecoach stop/hotel. Keep doing what you are doing guys! And the bartenders are always friendly and fun! read more

We came upon this place on a road trip to PA as we were looking for a local, no-food-chain dinner option. The food was freshly prepared and yummy. Service was welcoming and fast. Will definitely be back on our next trip up there. read more

Men's room disgusting, It's clean but the filth on the walls is awful unless you like 4 letter words

This place has a new owner and new FRESH menu. Ever go to a place where you order chicken fingers and the cook goes onto pounding the chicken and ten hand breading it before frying? I love this place. Their mixed drinks are a bit pricier for the area so they lost a star on that one but certainly not from the food which is top notch. read more

I love this place. The food is great!! I had the Turkey Reuben. I was surprised that it wasn't deli sliced meat, but thick sliced. It was super moist and delicious. My son had a bacon chicken sandwich. He raved about the crispy outside and tender inside of the chicken. My husband's burger was also delicious. Dutch fries are the best. They're freshly sliced to perfect thickness. Food may take a while, but's worth the wait. Relax and have a cocktail. Beer and wine are very reasonably priced. Atmosphere is relaxed and eclectic, definitely not fancy. Give this place a try. Best sandwich I've had in the area. read more

There is a little bit of everything on the menu and everything that I've had is good! Pizza is great, the burgers are creative, homemade, cooked perfectly and delicious. Fresh cut fries are a favorite to most, I happen to like the waffle cut! Chicken pot-pie is a childhood favorite of mine and this one is worth the taste! Crab bites/patties are all handmade and also a favorite. Next time the cream of mushroom is on the menu I will definitely stop in for a bowl. As new owners the transition is coming along nicely, give them a chance if you are in the area. read more

Use to dine here years ago and it was beyond compare. Lots of food department, good food, and decent service. It still remains a great place to dine read more

My last trip to the Kempton Hotel was not as enjoyable as before (2 wks. ago). I stayed there because I was picking up a furnace 30 min. south of Kempton and bringing it back to NY. I didn't want to have to drive back to LI, NY and then back to PA twice. The room cost $95 for the week with a $20 key deposit. I called and spoke to one of the owners (Archie) the day before I arrived to ensure a room with a private bath was available. I told him I needed to say until Sat. am. During my stay 2 weeks ago, I had a very nice conversation with Archie and others I met at the bar. It was still a peaceful, quiet place with the bar right under my room. Everything was a go. I arrive the next day and the bartender was not authorized to charge me for the 3 days stay and stated I had to pay for the full week. I waited 2 1/2 hours for the co-owner, Jody, who stated "It's $95 for the week or nothing. Fine, I paid it because I didn't feel like searching for another hotel and I was tired. Got to the room #5 (the same room I stayed in 2 weeks ago), the heat was not on because I felt the baseboard and it was cold. No one but the co-owner could turn on the heat in my room. I waited two hours for her to get to the hotel. I also noticed that the linens on the bed looked unchanged. They were the same with sheets, orange blanket and stained comforter with wholes and the first time. Needless to say, I didn't use their linens. I brought my own. When Jodi did arrive, she said the heat did not turn on in my room because the temp. reading was already up to 70 deg. and she didn't want to burn other tenants out. I asked her to turn it up to 75. She turned it up to 71 deg. because she said the furnace would then kick on. Okay, so the furnace kicked on and then shut off because it's only a one degree difference. I also asked if she could give me a portable space heater. She said, "She didn't have one." After feeling the cold air blowing on my face at 4am from the 75-year old windows that are in desperate need of replacement, I went out the next day and purchased a space heater to heat the room. When I got up the next morning and looked at the thermostat in the hallways, I noticed the heat was turned back down to 70 deg. That says exactly what she's about. That's why I'm writing my review so that other people don't have to waste their time or money coming here. Not for nothing, upon my first arrival at the Kempton Hotel, the fridge and microwave were dirty and I bought comet cleanser and bleach to clean both. If their housekeeper cleaned this room, I certainly don't want her cleaning anything for me. I also cleaned the bathroom that had a brown soap scum, stained tub. When I stayed the first time, the room had good heat and it was peaceful. I don't know what happened. I always bring my cleaning supplies with me when I travel because I don't fully trust any hotel (no body's perfect). And it gives me peace of mind when I clean it myself. The room also slopes to the right (they must have foundation problems). It's very obvious when you sit on the toilet or at the desk. You whole body leans to the right. I've stayed at Motel 6, Hampton Inns, The Enclave in the Hamptons and it's worth it to know they change the sheets when you leave and you can control your own heat. It's about $50-125 per night but you don't have to deal with the BS that comes with the low-class managers running dilapidated hotels where they are too cheap to make improvements. There was at least 3 feet of paint peeling from the ceiling on the 2nd floor, cracks in the walls of my room, stains on the ceiling tiles (I assume from roof leaks from years past). Parts of the wallpaper were held up by thumbtacks. The furniture was from 1960 (older than I am). Although there are many beautifully detailed areas in the hotel as far as woodwork, clerestory windows and one of the co-owners (Archie) made you feel warm and welcomed, Jody is the reason I will never come back. Yes, money is tight, but this is clearly not worth it. I can't comment on the food, because I never ate at their restaurant. The coffee was not great. They have no flavored creamers. read more

My brother, sister and I took our mother and our families here for Mother's Day. Was very disappointed. Our 3 adult lunch/dinners consisted of veal parm, a cheeseburger & fries, and the Maryland chicken (sauteed chicken w/broiled crab cake & aspargas), with sodas/unsweetened iced tea and a slice of cheesecake. Total cost for that was $75 (and that's with NO alcohol.) My chicken was dried out and tasteless although, my dog didn't complain about the leftovers. We didn't realize the unsweetened ice tea and soda didn't have free refills so as the waitress kept refilling my husband and son's glasses, we were none the wiser. Ended up paying $9 on small, over ice-filled glasses of soda (and tip on the $9). I ordered a piece of cheesecake to go. Was shocked when I opened the container that night at home and the sliver of cheesecake was half the size of a typical slice of cheesecake. I won't be returning anytime soon and I can't recommend the food; especially for the price. Maybe it's fine if you go for a burger and a beer (although I have no idea what a beer costs). read more