The Painted Pony Restaurant

GREAT FOOD, SERVICE & PRICING!!! First time ever going to the Painted Pony I went with a party of 12 people on June 28, 2016. My family comes from the New Haven, CT area and eat at all the best restaurants so they definitely know good food. They ALL raved about how great the food was. Maria, our server was OUTSTANDING. I thank all the staff at the Painted Pony for making our experience wonderful:)!!! Frank & Joy

Service was attentive and friendly. Brunch was fresh, tasty and plentiful. We came with a group on our way to the Caroline Ferriday House and this was a perfect spot to stop and eat before.
Made my reservation on Unilocal

All I can say is … what a disappointment. My wife and I have been coming to the Pony for years but our last visit was the worst ever. We ordered and received an extremely over cooked, tough as nails, tasteless NY Strip steak with more fat than in a slab of pork belly. Same over-​cooked veggies as usual. Our best guess would be that the change in ownership has brought the prices way way up while bringing the quality of the food way way down. What a shame. There are other wonderful options for dining in Bethlehem … go somewhere else.

A solid choice for salads, burgers, and specials.

After the reviews, I expected more from this restaurant. If you’re in the area and looking for drinks, bar food, and a good dessert, then this is your place. You won’t be disappointed, and I would recommend the fried mac & cheese bites.
This is a large restaurant with a long bar area. The staff was friendly and the food was decent. Our experience was A-​OK. I just wouldn’t go out of my way to go back again.

I love their Tuna salad!
Band was ok. Hamburger delicious!
Not a great selection of beers tho…

Upon making reservations for the ThanksgivingDay brunch, I was offered the choice of being seated in the dining room or the heated patio. Sadly, I opted for the heated patio which sounded inviting but was several rooms away from where the food was located– My 85 yr-​old mother had to carry her food through the bar, entryway, and another dining room before reaching her table. Other diners in the room left their dirty plates on our table every time we left the room for the next course (thinking we had gone home). Needless to say our food was cold during the long journey from one end of the restaurant to the other!

I have been a regular at The Pony for many years. There must be a reason since there are so many other restaurants I could go to.
First — the food. Even with the change of owners, I haven’t noticed a change in the quality. Even more importantly is the consistency of the quality. I’m sure Chef Mario has bad days, but as often as I eat there, I have yet to be there for one. Since I’m constantly watching my weight, I often order from the «Lite Fare» section of the menu. This is a bit misleading as the offerings are smaller portions of regular menu items instead of lower calorie options. If I were to change one thing on the menu, this is what I would do. However, I do occasionally try one of the regular-​sized specials, and have yet to be disappointed. The staff is very accommodating in wrapping up what I don’t eat. Since I’d just eat the salad and skip the soup, they’re more than happy to put that in a to-​go container if I ask when I order.
However this doesn’t mean I don’t occasionally indulge in dessert. Their cheesecake is made on premises, and it’s about the best I’ve had outside of NYC. That and a cup of their delicious coffee is enough to satisfy my sweet tooth and end a great meal.
Next — I have yet to visit a restaurant with a friendlier staff. From the hostesses who greet you with an actual smile instead of a forced grin, the bartenders who know your name and have your beverage ready when you sit at the bar, to the floor staff who make it a point to say hello to customers, even if you’re not sitting in their section. It’s a joy to feel like part of a family instead of just one more face to serve before closing. Even Jeannie and Mario will make the rounds of tables, insuring that all your needs are met.
With the opening of the inside patio (open year-​round) they gained additional space, and it’s one of the more popular places to sit. Between that and the bar is a traditional dining space with a couple of fireplaces, lit during colder weather. The bar is long and spacious, with several TVs located in strategic places. Since that’s where I’ll usually sit for dinner, I’ve never felt crowded, even when every seat is taken. There are a row of booths opposite the bar, near the windows. They are big enough for four people very comfortably. If you have more than that, you’re better off at a table. There’s another dining room on the other side of the entrance, which seems dark, but only in comparison to the rest of the facility since there are no windows there, and the banquet room is spacious. For larger events, they can open a slider to combine it with the other dining room and it appears to hold about 150+ people.
Speaking of banquets, I have attended many here. Service is very good, and the food presented has always been of excellent quality.
The Painted Pony also has bands during the week, most often on Thursday nights, but occasionally, on Saturdays. The types of music ranges from rock, to country, to folk. You may want to get there early since seats fill up fast, and bring your dancing shoes.
If you are going for the first time, remember that this is a local landmark, and as such, many of the people you see are regulars. It’s a meeting place and, at times, it can get loud. If you’re looking for a quiet place, sit in the back dining room or out on the patio, instead of near the bar.
All in all, there’s a reason I keep coming back here. The great food and impeccable service are why I rate The Painted Pony so highly.

I’ve never been disappointed coming here! Everyone always greets you with a huge smile and even a hug! The owners are very down to earth and very friendly. As for the food, always always always meets my expectations and beyond! You’ll regret not eating here if you already haven’t.

We were married this morning, wanted to dine someplace special afterwards, so we chose the Painted Pony. Can’t say enough on how awesome we were treated, Jeannie and her staff went above & beyond our expectations, they made our special day extra-​special. The table we were brought to was adorned with rose petals, fresh cut flowers, candles, and real linens.
We had been to the Painted Pony several times in the past, we’ve always had exceptional meals there. Our favorite is the Steak & Scallops, we both ordered that today. The meal comes with a soup AND a salad. The avgolemono soup was excellent, it’s a Greek soup made with chicken broth, rice, eggs & lemon. The steak & scallops entrees were out-​of-​this-​world good, how can you go wrong with huge Sea scallops wrapped in bacon over a perfectly grilled steak? Very satisfying.
Our waitress, Tonya, was outstanding. We ordered a slice of turtle cheesecake to go, it’s the best cheesecake we’ve ever had anywhere, light & airy, very tasty.
As with my previous review, I highly recommend this restaurant, it’s a gem. The Painted Pony is Top Notch.

To be fair, all I had was soup, calamari, salad and a glass of wine. Nothing was great, nothing was bad. It was ordinary. I probably won’t go back, but if it was the only place around, I’d be happy to go back. Not sure this makes sense, but there it is. I would try the burgers next time.

I’ve been coming here for 4 yrs. The food us good. I like certain items and usually get them when I go there. The salads, pizza and pasta are good. Wine is not bad too. We always get the lighter fare for dinner. Their regular dinners are big.

New owners awesome food good like always highly recommend it to any of your friends or family

Not bad. Came here after my boyfriend’s baseball game in Woodbury, CT. Sat in the back out on the enclosed patio and I have to say that is one of the best restaurant patios I have ever experienced. Comfortable, relaxing, enclosed (no bugs), tables are nicely spaced so you’re not on top of anyone.
First things first. Raspberry Mojito. Sounded awesome, Tasted horrible. Probably the worst Mojito I have ever had. It was ridiculously strong, not in a good way. It was painful to consume.
We decided on our own version of «Surf & Turf» as we were starved and couldn’t decide. Beef Nachos, Calamari and chicken wings. The beef nachos were «meh», the wings were decent, but the calamari was great. There was quite a bit on the menu and because of the pation and the calameri, we would consider returning and trying other items.
The place was decent and could be great, we just need some more samplings.

My friend and I were told to go to this place after horseback riding in Woodbury. Good food, great prices, prompt service. We both had burgers, and they were great! Wonderful little place in the middle of nowhere.

Solid, diner food in a rural setting. Some of the best poppers I’ve enjoyed. I was surprised to see Clean Slate on the wine list, which was a hit with the table.
I tried the scrod, which was a generous serving, but a bit rich to finish.
Entrees come with soup and salad, so one obtains very good value.

On a whim, my friends and I took a drive to the Bethlehem Flea market yesterday and worked up an appetite shopping for furniture and vintage kitsch. The shop owner recommended The Painted Pony, noting «it’s the only thing around here open after 5 on a Sunday.» Good enough.
We strolled in and placed some drink orders (Spanish wine flight for $ 5?!) while perusing the menu, then ordered a heaping plate of fried calamari. I’ve never seen a CT restaurant serve it this way (usually only Rhode Island) but it came tossed with crumbled gorgonzola, pepperocinis and a balsamic glaze. Love! I also ordered an eggplant parmesan grinder which was delicious on a grilled roll with sauteed peppers and perfectly fried eggplant.
For dessert, my friend had the Snickers pie and I opted for a turtle cheesecake which was fabulous and obviously homemade. Service was prompt and prices were great. Just a nice, unpretentious eatery in Litchfield County.

The exterior threw me off a bit, and the interior didn’t do much to squelch my fear that I was about to sit down in some dark, divey restaurant. However, a stroll to the porch and a bite of their hamburger changed my mind entirely!
Located a short drive from March Farms, this is a nice place to stop and grab a bite to eat after an afternoon of apple picking. The interior, as I said, was dark and a little disconcerting, but their porch was outfitted in light wood accents with lots of windows and light, making for a very pleasant ambiance.
I ordered a hamburger with cheddar cheese. Pretty simple, instead of plain ol’ lettuce and tomato, it was served with mixed fresh greens and slices of small, thick vine-​ripened tomato. It was a pretty perfect burger, and the cajan mayonnaise was quite exemplary. It was great on the burger and as a dip with my fries! My friend Colleen also got a burger, and the beau ordered a veal parm grinder which he devoured.
This place is very kid friendly; Colleen’s kids, a 2 and a 5 year old, were placated with place mats and crayons, and our waitress was a pro with them. It was so wonderful!
My expectations were exceeded once we left, and that is definitely a good thing. Looks CAN be deceiving, I suppose!

we had a gift card here so we had dinner here with a few friends. place is very deceiving from the outside. you can either have some drinks and some apps in the bar area to the right, or have dinner in a totally different area to the left. i had the steak and scallops which were wrapped in bacon, it was Delicious. my wife had the chicken which she enjoyed also… everyone enjoyed their dinner… we had a good time and the service was good prompt and attentive. will deff come back here again. and i do recommend the steak and bacon wrapped scallops…

The food is consistently good, but so is the poor service and «hidden charges». You need to go over your bill very carefully. Forget about complaining to management, the daughter is a very unhappy person who could careless about your experience. The dinning room is a totally different resturant, where service is better than the busy, very loud bar area.