There are parts of the Lehigh Valley that feel unexplored and remote, yet they are not too far away. In those locations it can be tricky to find a place to eat, let alone one with merit, beyond the random pizza joint. But there’s also a sense of discovery, something beautiful and rewarding, about chugging along a road in a remote area (in this case, northwestern Lehigh County) and finding a place to eat and drink that exceeds your expectations. There’s also a bit of magic in stumbling upon that culinary oasis—one that greets the seasoned hiker when they reach the 1,360-foot summit of Blue Mountain and find an unexpected place to eat that looks (and smells) promising, after miles of rocky terrain.
Whether you arrive by car or on foot, that place is Thunderhead Lodge.
It’s an institution that’s been there for decades, but is currently owned by Stephen and Meredith Prange. They bought the place in August 2019, and had initially planned to open in six months. The restaurant needed some renovations and upgrades, such as a brand-new mahogany bar, refinished original floors and fireplace, and new kitchen equipment, among other things. Well, that turned into nine months, and they opened in May 2020. To hear them talk about it, it seems like a strange blessing in disguise to open a restaurant during a time of limitation: no servers, no marketing budget, no table service. Instead, takeout, and lots of it.
“That’s just not going to go away,” says Stephen. “I was a bit surprised by the things people order in takeout: full meals, especially seafood, appetizers, all of it,” he says. Those takeout offerings also included clever cocktails made by general manager Joshua Coates, who grew up nearby and says he used to hike through this area all the time. (His name may be familiar; his stellar mixology skills were most recently on display at Notch in Allentown and we featured him in these pages before.)
General Manager Joshua Coates with owners Meredith and Stephen Prange
The Pranges have lived in nearby Lynn Township for many years and own a 190-acre horse farm with the same name (Thunderhead, at the base of Blue Mountain, in New Tripoli). “We wanted a place that we could come to a couple nights a week that wasn’t fancy but that was better than what we could do at home,” says Meredith.
“The food here is something that gets you as close to home as possible, but not at home—in this rustic environment, with real, fresh ingredients,” says Stephen. (Thanks to Jason Stearns, the head chef, who couldn’t be present for this interview.)
What that means, then, is that Thunderhead serves scratch-made comfort food, from start to finish (Meredith’s carrot cake is a customer fave). Everything is made in house, including the brioche rolls for sandwiches and burgers, and the hand-cut fries; their default is a delightfully unexpected combo of sweet potato and good ol’ standard, made from russets. For a while they were serving a roasted turkey sandwich. “People couldn’t believe it was made from real roasted turkey,” says Coates. The only exception to the from-scratch ethos? “The ranch dressing. Because you can’t improve on it,” says Meredith.
For the Pranges, who are first-time restaurant owners, the idea was to create a comfortable, welcoming spot (the stone fireplace certainly helps) in the former Blue Mountain Summit restaurant. But the building has been a restaurant for many years—a German one in the 1970s (vestiges of that are evident in some of the interior elements). Through the years, people out this way are accustomed to coming here for food.
The Pranges have a lot of plans, and those include major expansion of outdoor dining space once the weather turns warm in the spring, along with lodging; they have three bedrooms framed out and under construction, ready for a bed-and-breakfast set-up. There are many people who come through this part of the county who visit the wineries, places such as Eight Oaks Farm Distillery (their hand sanitizers grace the bar and tables), Wanamakers General Store, Hawk Mountain, The Nesting Box and to hike Bake Oven Knob. Then of course there are the through-hikers, who are doing the Appalachian Trail who need not only good food, but a place to regroup for the night. Apart from some Airbnb set-ups, there’s a dearth of that in this part of Lehigh County. Also in the works? A small shop/general store set-up, with coffee and sandwiches to go, along with essentials for hikers.
So, what to order here? The food is ideal for those who are weary, whether from life or from hiking, or just hungry diners who want a little bit of a road trip. The all-day menu features the likes of sandwiches, salads, soups, wings, loaded fries, chicken pot pie and a baked mac and cheese. You can’t go wrong with the Thunder Burger. The beef is ground daily just down the road at Hartman’s Butcher Shop and it’s obvious how fresh it is. Served on a house-made brioche bun, with cheese, lettuce, tomato and grilled red onions—and of course, fries.
The Thunder Burger features hand-pressed, house-mixed, locally sourced burger meat with cheddar cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato and grilled red onion on a house-made brioche bun served with hand-cut fries.
If you’re craving breakfast for lunch or dinner and you’re ravenous, order The Mother Lode, which is Thunderhead’s answer to the Croque Monsieur. Picture sourdough bread layered with sharp cheddar, a Gruyere sauce and smoky ham, and the whole thing is grilled and baked and served with fries. You can—and should—add an egg. If you want a full-fledged entrée, that’s possible too—and we’re talking classics done right: bacon-wrapped meatloaf, braised beef short ribs, chicken Francaise, filet mignon and crab cakes. It’s the kind of place where you can choose your potato and dinner comes with the vegetable of the day. The veggie typically changes seasonally, whether it’s green beans and cranberries or purple cauliflower or broccoli.
If that all sounds like too much on the plate for you at the moment, or you need a break from straightforward comfort food, try the Chili Lime Chicken Fiesta Salad, with pulled chicken on a bed of greens, bacon, cheddar and avocado. Simply put, whether it’s a tricked-out burger or a salad, the menu is full of stuff that looks good. “I wanted a whole menu of things that you always want to order—where you have a tough time deciding because it’s full of your favorite things,” Meredith says.
Restaurants with those types of menus and that create that kind of predicament are the best places to go—they’re the ones that quickly become favorites. There’s a blessing in all difficulty, whether it’s a small thing such as trying to decide what to order because everything looks good or the timing of their venture. Think of it this way: The Pranges opened a restaurant that specializes in comfort food at a time when people really need as much comfort as possible, as it’s just so fleeting right now. Food can provide that familiarity, that reliability because when we crave something, we’re often yearning for the emotional experience it can offer us, too. “We’re all caving in to ourselves a little bit more these days,” says Coates.
When you do cave in to yourself, order a burger, maybe a beer (lots of local choices) and a slice of the carrot cake that Meredith makes herself. Or maybe order the beer with the Fireside Sangria, whose flavor is deep and fruity and complex because Coates uses smoked cinnamon; cloves, black peppercorn and shaved nutmeg make their way into it. Or stop in for a cocktail. Ask for One for the Road, their spirit forward take on a wintery old fashioned.
1 of 4
A 14-ounce portion of Thunderhead's prime rib, served with a choice of potato and the vegetable du jour, plus a One for the Road (rye whiskey, BLY Ancho Chili Liqueur, Amaro Averna, vanilla, herbaceous and orange bitters).
2 of 4
The Mother Lode, Thunderhead's answer to the Croque Monsieur, pairs sourdough with two types of cheeses, smoky ham and a fried egg on top. Served with fries.
3 of 4
Don’t miss Thunderhead's cocktail list, as Coates consistently sources local and PA-based spirits, such as Eight Oaks, Wigle, Insurrection and Boyd & Blair.
4 of 4
Thunderhead Lodge
2520 W. Penn Pke., Andreas | 610.248.0524 | thunderheadlodgepa.com
*Please check their website and/or social media for current operating hours and procedures.
Hours
Thurs. & Fri.: 4–9 p.m.; Sat.: noon–9 p.m.; Sun.: noon–8 p.m.
Parking
Enormous lot
Specials
Every Friday is Prime Rib Night. It’s a 14-ounce house cut, served with a creamy horseradish sauce, veggie and potato of choice. Thunderhead offers weekend entertainment/live music.
What to Order
If you’re really hungry, the Thunder Burger will hit the spot. Coates says it’s the brioche that makes a huge difference with this burger. Lettuce, tomato, grilled onion and, of course, served with hand-cut fries. Mother Lode—sourdough with two types of cheeses, smoky ham and a fried egg on top. Served with fries. The Nesting Box in Kempton custom-makes a dark chocolate chip orange ice cream. It’s divine. People love the filet, the chicken Francaise, but, by design, it’s hard to make a bad choice here. Score! Don’t miss the cocktail list, as Coates consistently sources local and PA-based spirits, such as Eight Oaks, Wigle, Insurrection and Boyd & Blair. “We are starting to become a destination for cocktails,” says Coates.
Special Note for Hikers, from Meredith:
“There are two sections of the trail formally referenced. Port Clinton to 309 crossing (where Thunderhead Lodge is located) is a 26-mile section. There are several points of interest including The Pinnacle, Pulpit Rock and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, to name a few. The section that then goes from 309 crossing (where Thunderhead Lodge is located) east to Lehigh Gap is 13.5 miles and includes several points of interest such as Knife Edge and Bake Oven Knob. Both offer some fantastic overlooks. There is an official AT parking lot across the road from the restaurant on 309, but this lot is fairly small. We allow hikers to park in the far part of our parking lot to access the trail, as it does go directly behind our restaurant, and there is a path behind our patio area to the AT.”
