The Top Places to Eat in the Valley

The area where I live is fairly rural, making for a lot of small towns and boroughs close together and the larger sized cities to be a bit of a distance to travel to. Sayre, Pennsylvania is situated in a river valley in the Allegheny Plateau on the confluence of the Susquehanna River and the Chemung River, along with Athens, Pennsylvania, South Waverly, Pennsylvania, and Waverly, New York. Together, these small towns make up the greater area known as the Penn-York Valley, or just the Valley. The New York / Pennsylvania border cuts through the Valley, but any sort of material border between the towns is non-existent, as the grid of streets and avenues blend seamlessly from one town to another.

One good point of living in such a close knit community is that there are very few of the larger ‘chain’ restaurants, such as Applebee’s or Chili’s. We do have the standard fair of fast food places, however, so we’re not lacking in that department. We have McDonald’s, KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Domino’s within half a mile of each other on one side of the Valley, then on the other, we have Burger King, Wendy’s, Subway and Arby’s along a two to three mile stretch of one street on the other side.

Despite the seeming abundance of fast food options, one would think that there would be a lack of formal or informal dining restaurants, but that is definitely not the case in The Valley. We have restaurants that run the gamut, from American Classic to Chinese, and even Italian. We run the gamut from high end formal to jeans and T-shirt casual. Each restaurant has it’s own unique flare and atmosphere, so there is something for every mood it seems.

Lefty’s All-American Grill & BBQ Restaurant – 460 Broad Street, Waverly NY
Lefty’s is the consummate BBQ restaurant in The Valley. They have an extensive menu of barbecued items, including pork chops, chicken, shrimp, chicken wings, as well as ribs. They offer a wide variety of other steak house favorites as well, so that anyone will find something that will suit them. They offer a variety of Italian favorites, including chicken parmesan and spaghetti. Their menu even includes the simplest of burgers for those who wish to partake in something simple and classic. For those who do not choose to eat meat, Lefty’s also has an excellent selection of salads on their menu. Along with their great restaurant, they also have a banquet facility that is suitable for wedding receptions, meetings, reunions and other catered events.

Grace China Buffet – 242 N. Elmira Street, Sayre PA
Grace China Buffet is the leading Chinese restaurant in The Valley. They boast an all you can eat buffet that has over 100 items each and every day. They offer a wide variety of selections from the standard Chinese faire, including Sweet and Sour Chicken, Lo Mein, Fried Rice and General Tso’s chicken. Their selection also offers items for the younger diners in your family who may not be so interested in the standard Chinese faire. They have items such as pizza, french fries, onion rings to accompany your choices. They have everything from soups, including egg drop and hot and sour soup, salads, appetizers, including spring rolls, won tons, egg rolls and stuffed mushrooms. Their main entree dishes range from pork and mushrooms to peanut chicken, a large faire of seafood dishes, such as salt and pepper shrimp and calamari, along with several chicken, beef and pork choices. If that isn’t enough, they also offer a large selection of dessert items, including soft serve ice cream, cookies, pudding along with their fresh fruit choices.

Reese’s Family Restaurant – 471 N. Keystone Ave, South Waverly, PA
Reese’s Family Restaurant is, as it’s name states, a family restaurant offering classic, home-style, dishes. They have a casual jeans and T-shirt type of atmosphere, welcoming friends and neighbors to come in and dine together and share conversation between tables. If you wish for a bit of intimacy, they also offer tables that are away from the main seating areas as well, giving a bit of a romantic feel for those who are celebrating a private event. Their menu, while being smaller than some places, offers things that you once would only be able to get at home. They offer three different specials every day, along with their every day faire of steak, meatloaf, chicken breast and burgers, among other things.

This is just a small sampling of what we have to offer in The Valley. If you can’t find something among the above choices, there are other great places to choose from, including Beeman’s, Banana Curve Diner, Original Italian and for the more formal events, the Black Diamond Inn. This tight knit community offers something for everyone.