This Old-School Pennsylvania Diner Makes One Dish So Good It’s Worth A Road Trip
One Thanksgiving season, a single roadside diner sold 1,791 homemade pies. That’s not a bakery chain.
That’s one kitchen, rolling crust by crust.
The pies are baked fresh every day, with nearly 30 flavors rotating through the year. A former U.S. president even pulled over for a slice back in 2013.
This spot sits right off a busy interstate in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Truckers, families, and road trippers all end up at the same tables. I love that a place this famous still feels like a hometown stop.
I believe a great pie can justify almost any detour. So which slice would you grab first?
America Keeps Voting This Roadside Stop Number One
Winning a national title once is impressive. Bingham’s Family Restaurant did it twice in a row.
USA Today 10Best readers voted it the #1 Best Roadside Diner in America in 2025. Then they did it again in 2026.
That gave Bingham’s back-to-back first-place finishes in a national readers’ choice competition. Not bad for a family place along a Pennsylvania state road.
What makes the win feel earned is the simple formula behind it. The kitchen focuses on real home cooking and homemade baked goods.
Nothing here leans on gimmicks or flashy design. It’s a classic American roadside diner doing the basics really well.
The restaurant has also been nominated for America’s Best Pie Shop. That tells you where much of the buzz comes from.
Still, awards only matter if the place lives up to them. Bingham’s backs it up with breakfast, lunch, and dinner served seven days a week.
So when you see that trophy talk, take it as a nudge, not hype. Plenty of diners claim to be the best around.
Very few earn consecutive national first-place finishes. That’s a pretty convincing reason to pull off the highway.
Nearly 30 Pie Flavors Make Choosing A Real Problem
Here’s the dish that earns the road trip. Bingham’s bakes nearly 30 pie flavors over the course of a year.
Every pie is baked fresh daily, right on site. Popular picks include pecan, coconut cream, cherry crumb, and chocolate peanut butter.
Flavors like caramel apple crumb, lemon meringue, and strawberry rhubarb have also shown up in the lineup. Good luck picking just one.
The pies sit in a refrigerated case, so you can size up your options. Whole pies are available to take home too.
Thanksgiving turns this place into pie headquarters. Customers line up for holiday orders, and some leave with several whole pies.
That’s a lot of baking for a single family kitchen. Picture the stack of pie boxes, then picture the bakers behind them.
My advice is simple. Order a slice with your meal and grab a whole pie for later.
Your car ride home will smell amazing. Your family will also think you’re a hero.
If you’re planning a holiday visit, think ahead. A pie this popular deserves a little strategy, especially when November rolls around.
A President Pulled Over For A Slice
On August 23, 2013, President Barack Obama made a surprise visit to Bingham’s during a bus tour through Pennsylvania.
He was traveling to Scranton with Senator Bob Casey when he stopped at the roadside restaurant to buy pie.
The president headed straight for the bakery counter, where a selection of homemade pies was on display.
His order? Three whole pies: coconut cream, cherry, and pecan.
Obama chatted with owner Dave Scarpetta, greeted diners, and posed for photographs while the staff boxed up his order.
That visit put this small Kingsley diner on a lot of radar screens. It also gave the pie case some serious bragging rights.
I like that the story is so down to earth. No fancy banquet, no white tablecloths, just a presidential stop at a roadside restaurant.
It says something about the place. When people want a true taste of home cooking, they find their way here.
The best part? You don’t need a motorcade to enjoy the same bakery.
Anyone can walk up to that pie case and point. Whether you’re a trucker, a family on vacation, or a local, there’s something for everyone.
That kind of welcome fits a family diner perfectly. Everybody gets the same homemade crust and the same friendly service.
So go ahead and order like it’s a big occasion. After all, you’d be following some pretty famous footsteps.
Just maybe skip the Secret Service escort. The parking lot has plenty of room anyway.
Your Meal Shows Up With Free Sweet Bread
Most restaurants hand you a menu and a glass of water. At Bingham’s, sit-down meals come with complimentary homemade breads.
Varieties like cherry nut and pumpkin bread have been part of that basket. It’s a sweet little welcome before your food even arrives.
The bakery doesn’t stop there. The thick homemade cinnamon bread is a big deal here.
It stars in the Big Bread breakfast, which shows how seriously this kitchen takes its loaves. Cinnamon raisin French toast is another breakfast favorite.
Then come the cream puffs. They’re one of the most talked-about treats in the bakery case.
Cinnamon rolls and cookies round out the sweet side. You can also buy loaves to take home, like blueberry or banana bread.
Here’s a smart move for road trippers. Pick up a loaf for the next morning’s breakfast.
Toast a slice at the hotel or back home, and the trip keeps going. It’s a souvenir you can actually eat.
Honestly, the bread alone could justify the stop. Pie just turns it into a full mission.
Savory Favorites Hold Their Own Against Dessert
Pie might steal the spotlight, but the savory menu has stars too. The chicken pot pie ranks among the most popular items here.
It’s the kind of comfort food that works as a family meal, especially when the weather turns cold.
Then there’s the San Francisco Melt, one of the restaurant’s signature sandwiches.
It combines ham, Swiss cheese, smoked turkey, bacon, and tomato on grilled sourdough bread. Onion rings come on the side, making it a filling roadside lunch.
Breakfast gets real attention as well. Scrambled eggs and omelets are made with freshly cracked eggs.
Fluffy hotcakes and stuffed French toast also appear on the morning menu. The coffee earns its own praise, which matters at a 7 a.m. stop.
Dinner brings classic comfort plates. Think pot roast, grilled chopped steak, roast turkey, chicken and biscuits, and crab cakes.
Pickle fries add a fun twist if you like something a bit different. There’s also a small appetite section for lighter eaters.
Save room, though. The pie case is still waiting.
The Story Behind The Counter Started Over From Ashes
The diner first opened in 1984, founded by Raymond and Lulu Swingle. Its next big chapter began when Dave Scarpetta purchased the business in 1997.
Dave helped make Bingham’s a beloved stop for travelers and neighbors, but the restaurant faced a devastating setback years later.
Around 2010, a deliberately set fire destroyed the building. Rather than abandon the business, Dave oversaw a complete rebuild.
By spring 2011, Bingham’s had reopened in a new building, welcoming back longtime customers who had missed its homemade meals and pies.
That’s a lot of faith in a small roadside restaurant. Clearly, it paid off.
Dave remained closely involved with the restaurant until his passing in July 2024.
Today his daughter, Ashley, carries on the family business alongside her husband, Devin. Together, they help keep the restaurant’s traditions alive.
Keeping a beloved place going after a loss takes real heart. You can feel that family pride in how the restaurant talks about itself.
The staff carries that spirit too. Many employees have worked here for years.
That kind of loyalty usually means a place treats its people well. It also tends to mean consistent food and familiar faces.
And the San Francisco Melt? It’s still showing up on plates, part of the menu that has kept travelers coming back for years.
Cozy Beats Fancy Every Single Time Here
Nobody comes here for chandeliers. The dining room is cozy, casual, and refreshingly free of pretension.
It’s a big family restaurant with a homey, down-to-earth feel. You can grab a table or slide up to the counter.
That counter option is great for solo travelers. Sometimes you just want coffee, pie, and a few quiet minutes.
Families fit right in too. The menu is huge, so picky eaters and big appetites can both find something.
Service is known for being friendly and quick. That’s a big plus when you still have miles to cover.
The restaurant is wheelchair accessible as well. It’s a welcome detail for travelers of every kind.
Prefer to eat on the road? Bingham’s offers takeout and delivery, so your pot pie can ride shotgun.
I like how the vibe matches the food. Both feel honest, warm, and made for real people.
A place doesn’t need fancy decor to feel special. Sometimes a comfy booth and a slice of coconut cream pie do the trick just fine.
Getting Here Takes About Two Minutes Off I-81
Road trippers, rejoice. Bingham’s sits just off Interstate 81 at Exit 211 in Kingsley.
The full address is 6092 PA-92, Kingsley, PA 18826. It’s an easy hop on and off the highway.
That makes it a natural break on drives through northeastern Pennsylvania. Scranton is to the south, and New York is not far north.
Travelers heading toward the Finger Lakes or Niagara Falls often pass right by. A pie stop beats a fast-food drive-thru any day.
Truckers get special love here. The lot has ample parking, including dedicated truck spaces out back.
That’s a thoughtful touch for the folks who keep goods moving. It also tells you how welcome hardworking travelers really are.
Families with big vans or campers will appreciate the room too. No circling the block for twenty minutes.
One practical tip: check the current hours before you go. They can shift, so a quick look saves disappointment.
Once you know the exit, you’ll start planning trips around it. Funny how fast a rest stop becomes a destination.
Plan Your Visit Around The Pie Case
A little planning goes a long way at Bingham’s Family Restaurant. Timing your trip can make it even sweeter.
The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week. Early birds can start with real-egg omelets and strong coffee.
Lunch is perfect for a melt and a slice. Dinner brings comfort plates like roast turkey with homemade gravy.
Holidays are a different game entirely. Thanksgiving brings substantial demand for whole pies, so ordering ahead is the smart play.
Bakery fans should also watch for cream puffs. They make great party treats if you’re heading to a gathering.
Think of this Pennsylvania diner as both a meal and a shopping trip. Few roadside stops let you leave with dinner, bread, and dessert in one bag.
Bring a cooler if you’re traveling far. Your pies will thank you.
Most of all, slow down for a bit. This is a family place with a long story and a lot of love baked in.
Grab a fork, pick a flavor, and enjoy the slice that made the drive worth it.