Pine Grove Hall

John Kutasz

2023-12

When we were making plans, my daughter referred to Pine Grove Hall as a 'speakeasy', and, having been there, I agree. Walking into a subdued, dark, elegant space for a Sunday brunch turned a lovely meal into an experience.A seasonal, local menu can have plusses and minuses - you may get to have something sublime, and shortly thereafter, you may never get to have it again. My preference is to look at the situation in a positive light - a unique, or at least limited time menu offering is something that you'll always be able to look back on and be happy you had it.In my case, even though I was having the Farmer's Plate, which I imagine is a standard brunch menu item, they happened to be out of the lamb sausage, so I ended up with wild boar cranberry sausage. My daughter had something that I doubt I'll ever see on another menu - a Banh Mi pancake - all the typical flavorings of a Banh Mi, decorating the top of a pancake, topped by a pork chop.Enjoy whatever happens to be on the menu whenever you visit, and enjoy the surroundings - this is a very special place to find in central Pennsylvania.

A Min

2023-07

Overall, mid. The spring risotto was very good. The chicken fried quail looked and smelled better than it actually tasted. I wish it was actually crispy. The “kelp kohlrabi” pickles were a no for me, dog. Shrimp salad was decent, though you only get 3 pieces of shrimp and I am not a fan of warm salads and this one didn’t win me over. Excellent service, enjoyed the live entertainment, but the food was nothing to write home about.

Julia Schwartz

2023-07

I have to say, this was the best food I’ve had in the area probably in my whole life visiting. My grandma lives in SC and my family and I were there for her birthday. After an early bird special with my grandma where most of us didn’t eat much, I wanted us to go have a real meal and this was absolutely fabulous! My mom actually realized once we got there that the restaurant is owned by one of her high school classmates and she remembered reading about the opening on FB. After seeing such great reviews on Google, I wanted to give it a try. I was impressed by the seasonality of the ingredients and the creativity of the dishes. You’d think with as many farms as there are in the area there would be more restaurants like this, but there really aren’t! Every single dish was fantastic and they also has a really impressive wine selection. Can’t recommend enough and would love to go back next time I’m in SC. Scott was also such a fantastic waiter and was so kind and welcoming. Also so helpful in guiding us to make sure we ordered the proper amount of food for our hunger levels. Love this place!

Rachel Lucas

2024-03

I love the vibe of this place and the live music. The band that played for us upstairs was awesome. The food menu leaves much to be desired. The menu is very limited, especially if you like protein. There are interesting ingredient and flavor combinations that make it hard to tell if you'd like the meal. Considering the cost of the meals, it's risky. Drinks were great; parking was not (had to walk 2 blocks for available street parking because the lot was full).

Aysa Fan

2023-05

We love to have Sunday brunches here and then go hiking in the forests around. The food and service are just great. The French toasts are to die for, but everything else is also good!

Vipin Sharma

2023-05

For a celebratory brunch we went to Pine Grove Hall and we couldn’t have selected a better place. The flavors and presentation were delightful and creative, a real treat to gustatory and visual senses. I also like the classic American bar setup this place has, the ambiance definitely enriches the whole dining experience.We ordered Shrimp and grits, Breakfast empanadas, and Burrata Toast (Vegetarian). The coffee is sourced from Café Lemont which is another Happy Valley gem. I tried pomegranate Sangria. Overall it was a morning well spent.

Todd Alexander

2023-05

Never knew this was a restaurant as I drove by this location for many years. September of 2022 I came here for dinner and my oh my is this place great. I hear they did a massive remodel and it shows. This place is oozing with ambiance. Cocktails were top notch and the food was great. Unique dishes you won’t find anywhere else. Easily pops into my ‘top 5 nice dining places’ for the state college area.

Matt

2024-03

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Sara Lin

2023-05

Lovely little alcove with an elevated brunch menu and creative, aesthetically-pleasing drink options. I'd love to come back to see a show here sometime!

David Kolesar

2024-01

Short version - It's not really worth the price. There are better places in State College for both fine and casual dining.Ambience - I really feel like this is what you're paying for. The downstairs is beautiful and they had live music.Food:The clams were okay, but the the grilled sourdough that came with it was so salty I couldn't really eat it. If they would have even toasted a baguette, it would have been a better pairing. I tried dipping it in the clam beer sauce, but it was still way too salty. $20.Elk osso buco was cooked perfectly tender, but the dish was really confused in my opinion. I'm not really sure what flavor profile they were going for. I know traditional Italian ossobuco has gremolata in it. However between that, the elk, the pumpkin, broccoli, the seeds they threw in there, and all the other flavors I felt like their dish was trying to be more complex than it should be. It wasn't bad but it was just really uninspiring. Not worth $40.When I asked about the desserts, they all seemed really underwhelming for what they were charging. I didn't get any.Service - Seemed hit or miss. I'm not sorry to say I've worked in hospitality long enough to know when I'm not wanted. Some of the wait staff clearly acted like they didn't want to put up with our table and were making faces the whole time while our hostess was asking questions. That's just rude. This isn't kindergarten. Our party easily spent over $700 on meals and drinks that night alone.Conclusion :If you want to paying $60 + tip for an appetizer too salty to eat and a bland dish while wait staff makes faces at you, you could just get better food at better value somewhere else in State College. There are multiple fine dining options if you wanted epicurean ambience. If you can settle for something a little more relaxed, I can easily name 5 restaurants in State College off the top of my head that will give you better food for the price.If you look at my reviews I'm really not a tough customer. I like giving places 2 or 3 chances before I leave critical feedback, but I just won't be coming back here.

Paul McCarthy

2023-09

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Travis

2023-11

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Sara Gropp

2024-03

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Natasha Dee

2024-04

everything was immaculate …convivial, decadent, gracious hospitality…I’m hooked!what a gem!!!

Rose Cameron

2023-05

Love this celebration of all that is local. Great menu with ingredients from local farms like #Wassonfarm just down route 45 and #taitfarm on 322. Most beautiful bathroom in pine grove.

Roger Daugherty

2024-02

For a guy that likes to stop in Had to drop with a hat This isn’t the place. It’s best to call ahead for reservations.Parking: It’s a beautiful restoration of a building built before automobiles

Doug Werner

2024-01

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Tess K

2022-05

Wonderful place for people who appreciate quality, locally sourced seasonal food. Inspired menus that change frequently and keep you coming back to try more!

Steph

2023-11

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Paulette Yost

2023-10

1) The place is beautiful! Gorgeous bar, great wallpaper, stained glass, and really good cocktail glasses. Amazing ladies room with stone sinks and hammered copper countertop.2) The creative and delicious food matched the atmosphere in the attention to details and clever food combinations. My favorite: the smoked fish dip with the grilled fresh brown bread3) Our server was attentive, warm and extremely knowledgeable about the menu and bar drinks. She had impeccable timing.

Matt Paul

2023-05

PGH is awesome! They are keeping creative and great interesting tastes alive in the state college area. Pictured: roasted trout with creamy kale and bean stew

Blaine C.

2023-12

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Tim Carroll

2022-05

Amazing experience! The vibe of this restaurant is spectacular. I loved sitting in the main dining area with the bar. The drinks were excellent; the wine pours were generous and the cocktails had a good amount of alcohol in them. The food was very good. I was slightly underwhelmed by the dessert, but not enough to take a star away. The live music they had was excellent as well. You could just go for a drink and it would be reasonable, or you could easily spend over $100/person for a full meal with multiple drinks.

Victoria Kenyon

2022-05

As a graduate student, this is my FAVORITE place to go for a drink and a meal in State College. Their menu is great and is never stagnate, and the atmosphere and staff are wonderful. It’s also far enough away from downtown that there aren’t crowds of students, so it feels like a more authentic experience. Highly recommend getting one of their delicious, classic cocktails like this Absinthe Suissesse.

Kerri Casteel

2023-12

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David Rizzo

2024-03

Absolutely fantastic. The menu constantly changes, and they somehow improve upon the previous version every single time.Love the atmosphere and people!Dietary restrictions: Almost everything was gluten-free.Parking: Can’t wait for the new parking lot, bc the current one is a bit small.

Jingwei Xu

2023-11

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Suwardi Setiawan

2023-05

The food is fantastic. First and most importantly, the taste is delicious. And then the way they cook is very smart and adventurous. Fermented sesame paste with burnt cabbage; it is so yummy. Pasta with rabbit and chicken quail; they are all good. And pine cone for dessert, it is a delight. The music is a contemporary jazz, a perfect match for the dishes. It is highly recommended for people visiting this town.

Brian Cameros

2023-10

An _outstanding_ meal -- one of the best I've had in a couple of years. We came late to Pine Grove Hall on a night without scheduled entertainment. In lieu of a musical group, they'd set a drinking bird onstage. It was the first hint of the creativity to come.The cocktail list was a mix of classics, an original and a number of adapted, curated cocktails from other bars around the country. It had style. Service was good -- very nice waitress and bartender, helpful and friendly and grounded.We ordered the roasted onion soup, the grilled sea scallops, the pumpkin pastina, the quail escabeche and the roasted eggplant. Nearly all were excellent, and all were creative and new to me, with preparations that are unusual to SF or Seattle, where I typically eat. The pastina was warm and pumpkin-y, but the addition of roasted pepitas and a small amount of smoked ricotta just put it over the top without overpowering. Very well controlled. The roasted eggplant was equally great -- smoky eggplant mash with some cherry tomatoes and a bit of feta (and I guess some molasses -- I didn't realize until now). Heavenly. The grilled sea scallops may have been the most innovative dish of the night.I've never had scallops with coconut milk, banana and pickled chilies (I thought they were jalapenos). It sounds like it might have Thai flavors, but it didn't. Nor did it taste like anything I've had in a Caribbean restaurant, though that's closer. Maybe Caribbean mixed with French. It was something else, and just fantastic.The quail was excellent. This was a more traditional dish, but it was done very well, roasted very well, and delicious.The onion soup was, I'd say, the one miss. The idea was good -- roasted bone marrow, shavings of Gruyere cheese -- but it was just a little too salty.I don't know, maybe we got lucky. But the chef seems to be operating on a whole 'nother level that I haven't seen in State College. The waitress told us he'd been in SF before coming back, but this is better than pretty much anything I've had there in 10 years.

Steven Walters

2023-12

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