A Pike County favorite returns to its seasonal rhythm…
Hills’ Homestead in Lords Valley has reopened for the 2026 season, marking the end of its usual winter pause and the return of a place many Pike County residents rely on for everyday food, not just meals out, but prepared dinners, produce, pantry staples, and the kind of stop-in convenience that’s especially valuable in a rural area.
The winter closure isn’t unusual here. Traffic along Route 739 slows once the holidays pass, and seasonal businesses adapt. Hills’ typically shutters for part of the winter and reopens in February; this year followed that familiar pattern. For locals, the reopening isn’t flashy news; it’s simply a sign that routines are picking back up.
And routines matter in Pike County. Route 739 connects residential communities like Hemlock Farms with Milford, Dingmans Ferry, and the Lake Wallenpaupack area, and there aren’t many places along that stretch offering fresh food, prepared meals, specialty groceries, and café seating all in one stop. Hills’ occupies that niche comfortably.
A farm market that eats like a café…
The easiest way to describe Hills’ Homestead is as a hybrid: part farm market, part café, part prepared-food kitchen, part specialty grocery. That mix makes sense in a region where distances are longer, and a single stop often needs to serve multiple purposes.
You’ll find:
- Fresh soups made in-house (French onion gratinée recently marked the end of the winter season)
- Grab-and-go meals and burrito bowls
- Sandwiches, wraps, and salads
- Local cheeses, produce, and specialty ingredients
- House-made desserts like cannoli, tiramisu, napoleons, and chocolate mousse cake
It’s practical food first, but not dull food.
A chef’s background that shows…
Co-owner Michael Hill brings a résumé that could easily have stayed in big-city hospitality. He spent roughly two decades working for Leona Helmsley’s New York hotel properties, including executive chef roles at the New York Helmsley and the Helmsley Park Lane, both AAA Four Diamond operations.
That experience shows up not as formality but as range. The menu mixes approachable staples with dishes you don’t always expect to find at a roadside market café:
- Escargot bourguignon
- Thai curry mussels
- Cast-iron grilled halloumi
- Lobster rolls served both Maine-style cold and Connecticut-style warm
- Mediterranean bowls, ceviche, and specialty sandwiches
Nothing feels showy. It’s simply competent cooking with broader influences than the setting might suggest.
More than a place to eat…
Regular customers use Hills’ as a food resource as much as a dining destination. Some stop for lunch, others pick up prepared dinners, desserts, or catering orders. Seasonal visitors, lake homeowners, weekend travelers, hikers exploring the Delaware Highlands, often discover it by accident and then return deliberately.
That dual audience helps explain its staying power. Year-round residents appreciate consistency; visitors appreciate quality that exceeds expectations for a rural stop.
Its role in the local dining landscape…
Milford and Hawley tend to anchor Pike County’s more concentrated restaurant scenes. The Route 739 corridor is more residential, more commuter-oriented, and historically lighter on diverse food options. A place that combines groceries, café fare, prepared meals, and specialty items under one roof fills a real gap.
It’s not trying to compete with destination restaurants. It’s serving daily life.
A meaningful return…
There’s no grand reopening campaign, and none is really needed. Hills’ Homestead functions best as a steady presence, open when the season picks up, reliable when people need it.
In Pike County, where winter slows everything down, the return of a place like this isn’t dramatic. It’s practical. The soups come back, the shelves refill, the café tables fill again, and another seasonal cycle begins.
Sometimes that’s exactly what a community wants: good food, familiar faces, and one dependable stop along the road.
