Looking for some delicious Huntingdon, PA restaurants? Then you’ve come to the right place! Although Huntingdon is best known for Raystown Lake and its many outdoor adventures, like kayaking, mountain biking, and fishing, there are lots of great eateries too.
It’s located in the eastern part of the Allegheny Mountains. In 1768, Rev. Dr. William Smith started the town by selling lots on the Juniata River. He named it after the town of the same name in England. Huntingdon Borough Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Isett Heritage Museum is a great place to get the history of the area. You can take a train ride through the countryside on East Broad Top Railroad, the oldest narrow-gauge railroad in the United States. You can also tour the historic workshops and roundhouse of the railway. Take a ride on the historic electric Rockhill Trolley or the Proud Mary Showboat. Antique auto fans will want to visit Swigart Antique Automobile Museum.
You can take a deep dive into the earth at Lincoln Caverns and Whisper Cave. You have choices of staying in a traditional lodging, a historic Bed and Breakfast like Gage Mansion, or camping at Trough Creek State Park or Lake Raystown Family Camping Resort. All these adventures will make you hungry. Join me as I explore some of the best Huntingdon, PA restaurants.
The 7 Best Huntingdon, PA Restaurants
Three Twelve Kitchen & Cocktails
312 Penn St, Huntingdon, PA 16652 // (814) 643-7200
Three Twelve Kitchen & Cocktails is the place to go when choosing amongst the Huntingdon, PA restaurants. The exterior doesn’t shine, but inside there is a beautiful modern vibe with lots of art on the walls. They are open from brunch to dinner. Their entrees offer something for meat eaters, vegans and gluten-free patrons. They range from wings to steak entrees to gourmet sandwiches.
We visited on a dining walk around and had a selection of appetizers.
They included Crispy Shrimp with a seasoned quinoa crust, Tuscan Toast Points made on sourdough toast topped with tomato, onion, parmesan, and topped with balsamic drizzle, Bacon Wrapped Dates stuffed with gorgonzola cheese, and a tasty pizza. The Bacon wrapped Dates were my favorite.
Three Twelve Kitchen & Cocktails lives up to the “and Cocktails” part of its name with artisanal cocktails. Although they specialize in martinis, I had a delightful rum cocktail.
Boxers Cafe
410 Penn St, Huntingdon, PA 16652 // (814) 643-5013
This tavern is housed in a brick building, constructed in 1865 by John Read. Before it became Boxers Cafe, it was a drugstore. Its beautiful back bar from the drug store days remains and is stocked with about ten tap beers and about 100 craft beers instead of soda fountain items.
The stained glass is a hint of its age. The name “Read’s” is still preserved in the tile of the entrance floor. A hint of its historic status is the heavy rack holding wine glasses and beer.
However, the food steals the show. Choices range from Middle Eastern, like Hummus Pita to Cajun Chicken and everything in between.
I had their Bean and Bacon Soup and some of our group had a salad. The soup was hot and had a great variety of vegetables mixed with the beans. I loved it.
Muddy Run Tavern
708 Washington St, Huntingdon, PA 16652 // (814) 506-9914
This was once Park Furniture, one of those old-fashioned places that sold furniture, hardware and everything else. The building is large and looks more modern inside. It’s well lighted and had tables to accommodate any group from a cozy couple to a sizeable crowd.
There are several little niches where diners wanting more privacy could sit. Upstairs there is a big event space guarded by a realistic-looking bear amid a group of lighted trees.
For a tavern, the menu is extensive, from soups, salads, and subs to some entrees. I enjoyed the Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken strips.
For a side, I had a baked potato with butter and sour cream. The servings are generous. The Alfredo sauce was creamy, and the chicken strips were large real white meat chicken cuts. Definitely one of the best Huntingdon PA restaurants.
Lil’ New York
717 Washington St, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania // (814) 506-8563
Lil’ New York mixes Greek and Latin food in a comfortable way. They serve empanadas, beef, chicken, cheese, or vegan. The gyros can be beef, chicken or vegetarian. Keftedes, Greek meatballs, are another unusual dish here.
It’s a simple storefront kind of restaurant but so reminiscent of little restaurants in New York City. We came for dessert and sampled their Latin sweet treat, Pumpkin flavored Flancocho. It reminded me of a dish a Puerto Rican friend used to bring to office parties many years ago.
What makes this restaurant unusual is that it is housed in the Clifton Theater building, which has a convoluted history. It was originally the site of The Huntingdon Opera House, which opened March 18, 1884.
When the Opera House burned down in 1902, it was replaced by a new Huntingdon Opera House. That was renamed the Gamble Theatre, then changed to the Clifton Theater. It showed five-cent admission silent films. On November 30, 1930, fire struck again, destroying The Clifton Theatre.
The current Clifton Theatre, now called the Clifton 5, was built and opened in 1931. Today, it houses five screens and is home to some resident ghosts. They believed one of the spirits is Marsha, a local actress, and another is a young boy.
The theater manager, Ariel Gratta, who joined us for dessert, told of personal encounters. One was where she heard a child calling “mommy.” It was when she was closing the theater. She looked to see if was one of her children, but it was not. No child was around.
Standing Stone Coffee Company
1229 Mifflin St, Huntingdon, PA 16652 // (814) 643-4545
This is where you learn everything you need to know about coffee. Greg Anderson and his wife, Jessie, led us through a group coffee tasting experience. Although I don’t drink coffee, it was interesting to learn about the different varieties and their characteristics.
Greg went through the entire process of coffee, from its growth, to picking, to shipping, to roasting. He explained the factors that cause someone to like or dislike a particular flavor. He delved into the science of smell.
There were small vials at each table where we could sniff various things, ranging from green peas to vanilla.
Standing Stone Coffee Company began when the Andersons bought an old laundromat in 2007. They opened as a café on August 6th, 2008, with a house-roasted coffee menu, and an espresso bar, with a laundromat in the back.
The coffee roaster sits in their kitchen and works hard roasting their different types of coffee beans. The Andersons are environmentally conscious and get much of their coffee beans through a direct trade partnership with farmers.
Standing Stone has great lunches or breakfasts. We were there at lunch and sampled the grilled turkey, ham, and chicken sandwiches, the wraps, and a tasty tomato-based vegetable soup. It had carrots, potatoes and green vegetables.
Very tasty. They also bake a sweet chocolate chip cookie that is gluten-free. The chicken salad wrap was my favorite.
Sweethearts Confectionery
723 Washington St, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania 16652 // (814) 643-3785
Sweethearts Confectionery is the place in Huntingdon for a one-of-a-kind, sweet treat. Janna, the owner, has always loved baking. Sweethearts Confectionery was born in 2012.
Jana still sells some candies, and she makes beautiful wedding and other event cakes. The cupcakes are the pride of the place. I tried three, a Chocolate on Chocolate, a S’mores, and a Brownie Batter Cupcake. The Brownie Batter was my favorite.
It’s a chocolate cupcake, filled and frosted with brownie batter buttercream, and topped with chocolate ganache, rainbow sprinkles and a brownie bite. Definitely a must try amongst the Huntingdon, PA restaurants.
Defiant Distillery Tasting Room
9002 William Penn Highway, Huntingdon PA // 814-386-1072
This is how one family brings wine, whiskey, and family together. Charles Knouse started with a different drink—wine.
He opened ReKlaimed Vines, so he would have a business where he could spend more time with his wife, Kristie, and their five children. ReKlaimed Vines has grown into a great family business over the past few years.
His oldest son Jamie came to work with his dad, making wine. Great for bonding, but Jamie had other ideas. He wanted to learn the art of distilling and open a distillery.
They learned the process, went through the licensing, and began distilling at home with a hand-crafted, 100 gallon still.
The spirits they create all have cute names. There’s Candy Shop, Grandma’s Goodies, Tea Party, Silk Road Traveler, Pucker Up, Deez Nuts, and other cuties. They named their vodka Not Your Sister’s Cherry. They delve into some unique flavors too.
They have a peanut butter flavored moonshine. They also make a few other alcoholic items like the pickles, aptly named Pickled, which are processed in their cane neutral spirits. It’s definitely one of the best Huntingdon, PA restaurants.
When you first enter, you are greeted by a fish tank with several exotic fish and a big sign, “Drink with the fishes.” Just watching the tank with its artwork by Reck is relaxing.
The tasting room is spacious and well stocked with both their spirits and wines.
There are lots of small tables and chairs and a pool table.
There are bi-weekly trivia nights.
Charles says he plans to have a full food menu before long, but for now they have meat and cheese boards, or you can bring your own food from restaurants. When I visited, I got to meet the family dog, a chubby fellow named Beefie.
Conclusion: Huntingdon, PA Restaurants
When you visit Huntingdon, you will find a big variety of tasty experiences. It’s a small college town, home of Juniata College, with a vibrant feel. The best time to visit is between May and October. Downtown is very walkable and there are numerous Huntingdon restaurants to try out.
Lodging in town books up way in advance when Penn State, about 30 miles away, has a big football game.
Visiting other destinations in Pennsylvania? Check out our other guide:
I’m Kathleen Walls, former reporter for Union Sentinel in Blairsville, GA, currently publisher/writer for American Roads and Global Highways. I live in Middleburg, FL but travel extensively, mainly in the U.S. I’m the author of travel books, Georgia’s Ghostly Getaways, Finding Florida’s Phantoms, Hosts With Ghosts, and Wild About Florida series, and several novels. All available at my site, katywalls.com/.
Publications I write for include Travel the South, Roadtrippers, Travel Awaits, World Footprints, Snowbirds and RV Travelers, Family RVing, Deep South, Florida Country, and more. My photographs appear in many publications. I also do videos. I’m a proud member of International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers (IFWTA), Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), and North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA).