The Frogtown Chophouse

Every group getaway needs one proper dinner out, and in the Poconos that dinner is at the Frogtown Chophouse. Set in a converted historic inn in Swiftwater, it manages the trick of being genuinely upscale — dry-aged steaks, a serious wine list, proper cocktails — while still feeling like the mountains: stone fireplaces, exposed beams, and zero pretension about hiking boots in the bar area. The filet and the crab cakes are the orders locals will point you to, and the bar menu works great if you couldn’t get a table (reservations are strongly recommended on weekends, especially in ski season and around holidays). It’s about 15 minutes from Camelback and our Mount Pocono and Swiftwater-area Pads, which makes it the natural anniversary-dinner or last-night-of-the-trip pick. Leave the kids at the Pad with a pizza and the game room if you can swing it — this one’s best enjoyed at adult speed, with dessert, and no reason to hurry home.