Stookey’s Bar-B-Que

My grandfather brought me to Stookey’s in the 50’s and 60’s for a special night when we would visit Nanticoke. It is like taking a step back in time when I stop in. As other reviewers have stated, this is a vinegar based barbecue. No finger licking stickies with these sandwiches. Delicious!

I would have given 5 stars but im a long time customer and noticed a cut back in size of bbq and thet have too many items on the menu. Not needed for a place that should concentrate on their famous sandwich

I was a valued customer until yesterday. Our to go order was horrible and management didn’t seem to care. I knew the meal was doomed when the man answering the phones couldn’t answer my questions. Their ribs and other BBQ items are frozen and reheated. Only thing that was fresh is their BBQ sandwich. Overall experience left a bad taste in my mouth, literally. That’s what happens when you have kids run your business.

I’ve been eating here since I was a kid. The BBQ sandwiches are thinly sliced smoked pork, ham, beef, or turkey topped with pickle relish. The pork BBQ’s are my favorite! All the food is delicious and served in a simple atmosphere by friendly staff. Definitely give Stookey’s a try, you won’t be disappointed.

(Note: I can’t review the cabin or NYE… so this will have to do guys)
This meat shack holds a near and dear place in my heart, if only for reasons that are ultimately tethered by way of nostalgia. This was my first purchased meal (or dining out experience) in the young year of 2016. Myself and a collection of some of the best people on the planet (that I personally know) adroitly evaded the masses of Babylon on New Year’s Eve (and the excessively high prices associated with the hedonistic activities typically expected, with the suspected primary motivation being the unfortunate millennial mentality of absolutely needing to show the world that you are always having the time of your life). Needless to say, the idea of packing up and heading to the mountains certainly was the masterstroke that ended 2015 and birthed 2016 (hats off to G).
The collective mind-brain’s decision of checking out the local fare, compliments of Stookey’s, before saying goodbye to the frosty peaks of Hunlock Creek/​Nanticoke may be the only other decision (that immediately comes to mind, in terms of novelty/​genius) that rivals the idea of spending NYE in an isolated cabin in the mountains with the best people, playing board games, pouring booze, consuming «edible» things, and sharing stories about the west coast and the frozen north.
After packing up the remnants of NYE from our humble Hunlock Creek cabin, our group of 8 (out of 10… two went their separate ways after cabin-​ing it) found ourselves at Stookey’s. It was my desire to get a taste of the local flavor, as I’ve never been to this part of the world, and I doubt I’ll be up here again soon (if at all). Stookey’s is a humble space, but t’was spacious and inviting enough to accommodate the lot of us. We were promptly seated, handed menus, and had drink orders taken. Note: any restaurant that can give me «red Gatorade,» when I order it, gets bonus points… so I guess Stookey’s gets bonus points for being able to open with that gambit (and being the only place in the history of this writer’s life, to date, that can boast this accomplishment).
Everyone at the table gravitated towards the BBQ sandwich. Who could blame them? A big meaty mess between a bun, and with a $ 4 price tag… I doubt such a deal can be found for the rest of 2016; and despite the generous portion provided, everyone who ordered finished their food.
Me, on the other hand, weak and weary from our exploits, desired something more. The sample platter seemed to be the only choice that made sense; an abundance of food, an opportunity to have a representative snippet of the offerings from the joint (chicken and pork), and fries… all this for a price tag just shy of $ 9??? I didn’t bat an eyelash when asked by our server what I wanted.
The meats weren’t overly lathered in BBQ sauce, which I appreciate. Drowning smoked or BBQ-​ed meats in sauce just seems like a way of hiding amateur cooking technique… and Stookey’s doesn’t hide. I was definitely more a fan of the ribs than the chicken (though the sauce did a great job of keeping the chicken breast from being overly dry)… but the ribs were terrific, they had that nice snap to them, a quality that seems to be going the way of the dinosaur, as most rib consumers these days want the things to fall off the bone. I’m a fan of both schools of thought, but the ribby *snap* is definitely the quality that is clearly more difficult to accomplish.
Needless to say, not a piece of the sampler was wasted. Fries were begrudgingly shared, fingers were licked, and wet-​naps were used at a rapid pace. Finishing up our meal at this place meant an end to our New Years Eve weekend, and a reminder that the holidays were coming to an end, and that the harsh touch of reality loomed over our heads like the voices of the Sirens in the brain pan of Odysseus… but just knowing that the such a place like this exists, and knowing that my bests and betters left that cabin with me, and will face whatever will come out of this 2016… it certainly does give comfort to me.

BBQ tasted as if it were frozen and then reheated. also the potato salad had a fishy taste to it…
Maybe this used to be a good place back In the day, but needs to improve to be good.

Fresh homemade chili, and tasty potato pancakes. Low key, casual, and somewhat rustic but the food is great. Our waiter was very courteous and certainly prompt! For a casual quick unassuming meal, I’d go here again.

Stookey’s has been here since the 20s and for good reason. They have a very unique take on barbecue. This is not your sauced laden ribs but rather a smoked vinegary meat served on a bun with relish. One of my favorites when I come back home

Fantastic French dipped sandwiches. And if you go here on a Sunday there’s a fleamarket at the drive-​in theater just a couple of minutes away. I usually head over for some Stookey’s BBQ after a long morning of haggling.
Service is fast, staff is friendly, place is clean, and the food’s great.

I think this place is not getting the amazing reviews it deserves because it not traditional BBQ like pulled pork smothered in a BBQ sauce that people expect. If you come in with the knowledge that this is a special kind of BBQ that is similar to, but MILES better than, Arby’s thinly shaved meat sandwiches, you will love this place.
I have been coming here since I was a kid and its always the first thing we would ask if we driving anywhere in Pennsylvania if we could stop at Stookeys (even if we were on the other side of the state). This past weekend, I was driving back from the Finger Lakes in New York, and made a ridiculously long detour just so that I could stop here.
I always get their Ham BBQ sandwich with relish (you have to get the relish) and then buy a couple extra to freeze when I get home for when I’m hankering for some good BBQ. They usually don’t last the week in my house. I’ll be honest, I’ve never had anything else on their menu, because their sandwiches are just that good.
They have been in operation since the 1920s which tells you this place is fantastic and definitely worth the stop (think about it, they survived the Great Depression, their BBQ is that good!).

I love, love, love this place! The only reason to come are the BBQs. However they have lots of other homemade food that always looks good. It’s also a great place to get takeout. My only beef is that they have tried to move to table service for in-​restaurant dining. It is poorly executed. They should just give you a number on a stick if you want to eat in and let everybody order at the counter. It’s confusing, service is slower as a result. And half the time you have to request that items be swapped because they don’t just let you get your own drinks and chips at the counter. And even if you survive table service… you still stand in line with the takeout people to pay — so as a customer it makes no sense.

Today, September 14, 2014 @ 3:50pm I went to Stookeys for a barbeque, when I ordered it I asked for it to extra hot because they never are. They are only ever luke warm and oh boy when you ask for them to be temperature hot do they get mad! So they bring out my barbeque and it is almost literally cold. I send it back and ask them to microwave it, they did. So before leaving I ask the waitress do they cook on gas or electric, she says gas. My reason for asking is because when I sent it back, she said they couldn’t get it any hotter, amazing statement. I know exactly why their barbeques are always coldis because the juice they put the meat in they want it to boil, therefore they would have to use a lot more product. So lets sell luke warm food to the customers. Time for the health board tocome in and check temps…

This is NOT BBQ. By ANY means. It’s bland lunch meat on a bun. It doesn’t even come with BBQ sauce! I ordered a pork sandwich and it just tasted like dry turkey lunch meat you buy at the grocery store.

The best BBQs in the area. Service is always quick and the people are always friendly.

First off, this is not Barbecue. It is thinly sliced meat, very mildly flavored, and really very bland. You either love it or you hate it. Those that apparently love this place are the local residents. The rest of America associates Barbeque with the major subtypes such as KC, Carolinas, Memphis, Texas etc. Stuff that makes it to the national competition circuit like American Royal. If you come to this place expecting beautiful brisket with the requisite smoke rings, or Carolinas style pulled pork, you will be sadly mistaken.

This place has been around since the 20’s and their Bar-​B-​Que is great! Their prices are very reasonable and the staff is friendly.

When The Knotty Pine left for restaurant heaven, I thought I would never get a great pork or turkey BBQ again. This place has saved my BBQ sandwich life. Get extra relish.
Note: These are not the cloyingly sweet, sauce-​drenched BBQs you may be familiar with. These sandwiches are shaved, roasted meat with relish on top. YUM!