SWOYERSVILLE — It may seem strange finding a bar called Back Road Ale House on a borough’s primary throughway, but after entering the 1011 Main St., Swoyersville establishment the name began to make sense. Within minutes of sitting down at Back Road Ale House’s long bar on the left-hand side of the restaurant, I was greeted by frequent customer Bernie Kovacs, 40, of West Wyoming.
“This place is great,” Kovacs said. “The kitchen’s open until 12 every night, they have a Sicilian here, it’s $5.95, it’s a good-sized pie and you can’t beat that.”
Kovacs said he pairs his $5.95 pizza with two Yuengling lagers during the 5 to 7 p.m. happy hour for a bill that comes in at under $10. As he left, patrons and bartender Stephanie Sprague said goodbye; that’s where the back-road, everybody-knows-your-name aspect comes into play. Despite the homey atmosphere (the bar is built inside a repurposed home with the porch serving as the front entrance), Sprague said Fridays at the bar are “awesome” and “during the week—you’d be surprised.”
The weekly specials, including wings for 45 cents on Wednesdays and half-tray nights on Tuesdays, spotlight Back Road Ale House’s diverse menu. Besides her affinity for the bartender, the food is the prevailing reason why 54-year-old Trucksville resident Nikki Marsh visits multiple nights a week.
“I got the bacon chicken ranch quesadilla, but their wings are good too,” Marsh said. “Their pizza’s awesome. I do love their round pizza.”
Back Road Ale House’s menu is available for takeout, including quesadillas, Sicilian pizzas and trays. For more information, call 570-338-2949.
