The Red Wolf Inn – Belvidere, NJ

The first time I set foot in the Red Wolf Inn was around 1997, on a river trip with my friend who lived down the road from there. We had been paddling along the Delaware while floating in black inner tubes and drinking beer, for approximately 5 to 6 hours. We were exhausted, starving, and dare I say drunk.

Of course, on our way in from the parking lot we had to stop to visit the wolves, who lived in a pen behind the building and, quite honestly, seemed rather unimpressed with us. (The Red Wolf Inn just wouldn't be the same without real life wolves, now would it?)  Inside, the place was dimly lit and decorated with a clutter of rustic and antique paraphernalia. There was a big fireplace which was not lit because it was summer, but nevertheless added to the general ambiance. I recall that the service seemed a bit disorganized, with some confusion over where our group would be sitting.

We got our drinks (they had, and still have, a nice selection of beers on tap), ordered steaks because that's what was recommended... and then we sat and waited for our food. We got more drinks. We waited. We waited. And we waited some more.

After what seemed like forever and a day, our steaks arrived. We instantly forgot about how annoyed we were about having to wait so long, because... oh, what steaks they were! NY strip, your choice of "alpha," "beta" or "cub" cut (there's that Wolf pack theme again), cooked to perfection, with a side of seasoned steak fries or dirty mashed potatoes. I chose the fries, and was not disappointed. Digging into that thick slab of juicy meat, pouring on the homemade brown goodness they call steak sauce, that came in two varieties – regular and spicy. And those crisp-on-the-outside, tender on the inside fries with their magical seasoning... ahh, what a meal. What a decadent, decadent meal, fit for a king or queen.

I have enjoyed dinners at the Red Wolf many times since then, and I've showed up there after-hours, to drink a few beers and carouse with what is a largely local clientele. The service continues to be somewhat slow, the beer selection continues to be good, and the steaks continue to be the best ones I've ever eaten. So, I patronize the Red Wolf Inn, and I bring my friends there, and everyone is happy. The only thing that's really changed is that the prices seem to have gone up (booo.).

As far as the rest of the menu... ehhh. Order the steak.

(The Red Wolf Inn is located on Rt. 519 in Belvidere, NJ. Call 908 475 4772 to make a reservation today!)