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Getting hungry? Make a pitstop at these Hudson Valley restaurants located near exits on the New York State Thruway.
If hunger strikes on a road trip, the Hudson Valley is a great place to satiate your appetite. All along the New York State Thruway—from Westchester to Albany—our region’s restaurants await, promising great food and craft beverages just a short drive from every offramp. For the weary travelers who’ve had it up to here with fast food, we’ve assembled this guide to local restaurants that are well worth a small detour.
Exit 9
Goosefeather
Modern Chinese Fare
49 East Sunnyside Ln, Tarrytown
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This Westchester restaurant pays homage to Hong Kong cuisine with all the noodles, Cantonese barbecue, and dumplings you can imagine. The eatery is led by Chef Dale Talde, a James Beard award nominee who has appeared on cooking shows like Top Chef, Chopped, and Beat Bobby Flay.
Sweet Grass Grill
Vegetarian-Friendly, Farm-to-Table
24 Main St, Tarrytown
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This Tarrytown haunt won Westchester Magazine’s Best of Westchester award for Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurant in 2022, making it a prime choice for the herbivores among us. The menu rotates frequently to accommodate fresh ingredients sourced from local farms; plus, it includes labels for vegan and gluten-free dishes.
Exit 10
My Father’s House Southern Cuisine
Southern Comfort Food
12 North Broadway, Nyack
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If you’re road tripping along the Thruway on an empty stomach, My Father’s House is the perfect place to take a respite with a menu of decadent comfort food classics. Start off with a plate of fried hush puppies or opt for the “wingettes” (including a veggie variety) tossed in honey barbecue sauce. Entrees include smothered pork chops with gravy, pecan-crusted salmon, and chicken and waffles. The restaurant’s head chef and owner, Adrienne Cromartie-Wolf, even adapted Southern staples like chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, and meatloaf into vegan- and vegetarian-friendly dishes.
Strawberry Place
American Breakfast and Brunch
72 South Broadway, Nyack
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For a road trip breakfast more elevated than your usual Egg McMuffin, veer off exit 10 and snag a table at the Strawberry Place. With a menu comprising eggs benedict, omelets, pancakes, waffles, French toast, burgers, and sandwiches, this Nyack diner checks all the boxes and then some. You’ll be back on the highway—albeit in much better spirits—in no time.
Exit 14B
Guacamole Mexican Grill
Mexican Fare
214 Rte 59, Suffern
Craving some Mexican food? Right off exit 14B, you’ll find Guacamole, and with it, all the burritos, tacos, nachos, and salads you can eat. Customize your dish to your liking with veggies or proteins like shrimp, steak, chicken, and pork. This restaurant is open every day from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., making it a reliable pitstop on your journey up or down the Thruway.
Peppercrust
Steakhouse
253 Rte 59, Suffern
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For a mid-journey meal that’s a bit more upper crust, try Peppercrust, the Suffern steakhouse helmed by Chef Hicham Khiri. Here, you can get yourself a steak dinner, of course, or venture to try more eclectic plates like pickled beef tongue and creamy chicken gizzards. Complete with an impressive wine list, craft cocktails, and saccharine desserts, Peppercrust is a Thruway food detour you won’t soon forget.
Exit 15A
Fink’s
Barbecue
32 Orange Ave, Suffern
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Anthony Bourdain once said, “Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it’s a start.” Fink’s lives up to that idea. The Suffern barbecue spot is well worth a five-or-so-minute drive off the interstate, promising a lengthy menu of flavor-packed home runs like pork spareribs, beef brisket, and steamed clams. Traveling with a large group? The more the merrier; order a range of fare and share.
An Artistic Taste
Modern American
88 Rte 17M, Harriman
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This Orange County hotspot was featured at length in our food-centric sister magazine, Valley Table, and the rave review is well-earned. Simply put, Chef Andre Robinson is a creative force in the kitchen. Diners are wise to try the Gracejoy jerk chicken, which is served with jerk jus, rice, peas, and braised cabbage. Their drinks are just as good—ask for the hibiscus margarita made with real hibiscus (which they grow fresh onsite).
Cosimo’s
Italian Fare
100 NY-32, Woodbury
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This family-owned restaurant has been slinging farm-to-table fare since its inception over 35 years ago. With additional locations in Middletown, Newburgh, and Poughkeepsie, Cosimo’s always pleases the crowd with Italian staples like wood-fired pizza, fried calamari, bruschetta, pasta, and veal Milanese. The only thing standing between this location and the highway is the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets.
Okaeri
Sushi and Hibachi
215 Larkin Dr, Monroe
Not in a terrible hurry? How about dinner and a show? At Okaeri, you can either go for the full shebang—the chef cooks right in front of you, throws fried veggies into your mouth as fellow diners look on, et cetera—or you can dine at a standard table. Either way, this Japanese restaurant consistently delights.
Exit 17
Cosimo’s
Italian Fare
1217 Rte 300, Newburgh
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Like we mentioned earlier, Cosimo’s also has a Newburgh location, conveniently stationed right off exit 17.
Orange Hill Restaurant
Modern American
82 Rte 17K, Newburgh
At Orange Hill, there’s a little something for everyone near the Thruway. And, if you have a DD, that includes a little something to drink, whether you’re in the mood for a craft cocktail, wine, or spirits. On Sundays, be sure to catch its Sunday brunch buffet at $12.95 for anyone 10 or younger and $25.95 for everybody else. Oh, to be young again.
Yobo
Sushi and Korean Barbecue
1297 Rte 300, Newburgh
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Yobo: the mere two syllables portend all the flavorful food you can eat once you veer off the Thruway. Set sail on a sushi boat—its deck lined with sushi or sashimi of your choosing—or nosh on a “lunch box” (dine-in only at lunchtime) filled with soup, tempura vegetables, a salad, rice, and your choice of protein.
Exit 18
Burger Box
Burgers
125 Main St, New Paltz
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We’d be willing to bet that each and every burger on the menu is stellar, but in truth, we order the garlic rosemary burger every single time we visit Burger Box. It’s that good. The fries hit the spot, too, and come in a slew of styles, namely spicy parm, salt and vinegar, garlic, parm herb, and—for the faint of palate—plain, unfettered French fries. What’s more, the eatery carries a range of local beers—the ideal complement to an excellent burger.
Main Course Marketplace
American Farm-to-Table Fare
175 Main St, New Paltz
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Main Course has won numerous Best of Hudson Valley awards for catering—quite a contentious category, we might add—and its in-house offerings are just as superlative. Choose between “composed salads,” panini sandwiches, and street food for bites. To drink, pick from Main Course’s juice bar, coffee beverages, tea, craft beer, signature cocktails, wine by the glass, and an ever-changing selection of spritzers and infused teas.
Exit 19
LOLA Pizza
Pizza and Italian
243 Fair St, Kingston
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You can probably find good pizza near any offramp, but if you want really good pizza, keep your appetite at bay until you hit exit 19. LOLA Pizza is a standout in a region teeming with Italian restaurants with a brief, yet comprehensive menu including starters, pizzas, pastas, and proteins. Play it safe with a margherita pie, or sample one of LOLA’s more bohemian inventions like the fig and pear pie.
Moonburger
Burgers
5 Powells Ln, Kingston
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Moonburger is the burger-and-fries joint that has people talking in the Hudson Valley. In fact, the eatery—which won a Best of Hudson Valley award last year—is expanding to a second location in New Paltz in later in 2023. Moonburger’s claim to fame is elevating burger stand grub to a whole new level. The catch? All its burgers are made with Impossible meat.
Yum Yum Noodle Bar
Noodles and Southeast Asian Street-Food
275 Fair St, Kingston
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The winner of eight Best of Hudson Valley awards since 2015, this Japanese- and South Asian-inspired eatery has flourished under the steady hand of Erica Mahlkuch, owner and executive chef. You may recognize her from an episode of Cutthroat Kitchen—she won—but if you’re not yet familiar with Chef Mahlkuch, there’s no better introduction than a plate of food from Yum Yum to break up your Thruway journey.
Exit 20
The Dutch
American Fare
253 Main St, Saugerties
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If you’re looking for solid food along the Thruway, you can’t go wrong at The Dutch. The starters are easy to fill up on—see the hummus plate, smoked-and-dry-rubbed chicken wings, and fingerling potatoes—but the Reuben, topped in sauerkraut, thousand Island dressing, and Swiss cheese with toasted rye bread, is worth saving room for. At last, conclude your meal with a pumpkin tart or coconut flan.
Ohana Café
Café and Creperie
117 Partition St, Saugerties
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Ohana Café is best enjoyed at breakfast, but its lunch menu also tempts, particularly with its bowls and burgers. If you’re dining in the a.m., start the day right with a sweet crepe and a cup of coffee. (While it’s unlikely you’re en route to France, you’ll feel preternaturally Parisian at this café.) Ohana also makes savory crepes, breakfast sandwiches, and “traditional breakfast” plates.
Exit 21
Gracie’s Luncheonette
American Fare
969 Main St, Leeds
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When it comes to the offerings at Gracie’s, it’s hard to pick favorites. Perhaps it would be its donuts, which come, at the time of press, made fresh in 15 distinct varieties like vanilla crunch, dark chocolate sea salt, Samoa cookie, and maple bacon. Conversely, we could favor the breakfast menu, with robust breakfast sandwiches, French toast sticks, and chicken and waffles. Or, we could highlight Gracie’s burgers and dogs for an afternoon snack. The point is, it’s good food.
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Oh, and the views from Gracie’s are stunning. Who knew all this awaited you just off the Thruway?
Exit 23
Nicole’s Restaurant
Upscale Italian
556 Delaware Ave, Albany
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If you make it this far north on the Thruway, Nicole’s Restaurant is an easy choice for foodie-approved fare that won’t take you far off course. Its atmosphere is characterized by a “1930s tin ceiling, romantic lighting, and leather banquettes” along with its copious menu options.
Related: Woodbury Common Day Trip: What to Do Near the Outlets
