Friendly, Farm-To-Table Restaurant in Pine Bush, NY

I love finding off the beaten path, hidden gems.  And, once you find a good one you aren’t supposed to tell anyone about it so you can keep it all to yourself. But, I strongly believe in supporting small local businesses so I am going to share this gem with you all.

Arif and Sabeen are a young, fun couple who own and run this particular gem. Hoot Owl is a made-from-scratch, farm-to-table restaurant on the outskirts of Pine Bush, NY. It is tucked away in farm country surrounded by the Shawangunk Ridge, Alpacas and the Dwarskill River. “The  building was originally constructed in 1856. At the time, the area was known as the hamlet of DwaarsKill. The building served as the post office, the general store, and according to local lore, at one time functioned as the local brothel.   It was known as Terwilleger’s and then Bill’s Store, until Herb Paust bought it and named it Herb’s Hoot Owl in 1947. Since then, the Hoot Owl had its ups and downs, but gained a fairly infamous reputation in the area until it closed down to the public in 2013. In May of 2017, Arif and Sabeen re-opened this community gathering place.”

Sabeen and Arif got married in 2016.  In 2017, they adopted the Hoot Owl and brought it back to life. For now, they love running the Hoot Owl since it provides them a place to randomly sing Karaoke songs with friends and strangers. One of their favorite things about living and working in Pine Bush is how incredibly friendly, welcoming and helpful their neighbors and community have been. Being fairly new to the area, I would have to agree 100%. The owners are also very friendly and welcomed me in to talk more about their business.

The restaurant is known for its comfort food, like burgers and wings. However, they also offer some very tasty curried dishes and an ever changing seasonal menu of specials like their weekly flatbreads. When I asked Sabeen what her favorite dish off the menu was she said it was the baby back ribs with tamarind bbq sauce. They also have a bad ass cocktail menu and my favorite beer by Sloop Brewing co., Juice Bomb.

“Currently, we are excited to have Chef Jared Lozupone heading up our kitchen.   Jared ain’t no slouch. He has worked at critically acclaimed restaurants such as Tribeca Grill and Crispo. He rose through the ranks to Sous Chef before beginning his work at Bolo, Bobby Flay’s New York Times Rated Three Star restaurant. While there, Jared was chosen to open Bobby Flay’s first international restaurant, Mesa Grill, Atlantis, on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.  There he helped turn a crew of young cooks into the power-house behind the hotel’s top JD Powers-rated restaurant.  Perhaps what Jared is most proud of is being the chef at the Michelin recommended restaurant 606 R&D in Brooklyn. Two years ago Jared and his family moved to the Hudson Valley to be closer to farms, local crafters, and food artisans. We are so lucky to have him, and hope he stays with us forever.”

Being Located among the farms brings some interesting guests.  I have personally driven by and had to stop and take pictures of the woolly alpacas free roaming around the front of the restaurant.

Hoot Owl hosts the musical duo The Wood Bees the 2nd Saturday of every month. They also host an open jam music “hootenanny” every Sunday for brunch. Keep an eye on their facebook page for more upcoming events and their menu specials. The Hoot Owl is also a great place to hold your next group event. They are flexible and very accommodating for larger groups, just give them a call ahead of time!

So, if you have not already been in to see this comfy spot, pop in and say Danielle sent you! I’m sure you will get a hoot out of it.

Danielle Moore

Your Real Estate Matchmaker