Bucks Lehigh Valley Historic Tavern Trail

A bit of a later start for this one, but the plan is to take advantage of the lull in between the lunch and dinner rushes and enjoy the outdoor patio space at the Alburtis Tavern and Lodge in Alburtis.

Alburtis is an old railroad town, literally. The town was named after Edward K. Alburtis, a civil engineer involved in the construction of the East Pennsylvania Branch of the Philadelphia and Reading Railway. The railroad's board of directors named the town in honor of Alburtis when a railroad station was first established in the town in 1859.

A year later, the American House hotel and tavern opened across the street from the train station. It catered more to the train crews passing by than the stagecoach drivers that patronized most of our historic taverns in this area. The original building was destroyed in a fire in 1895, but rebuilt as the current three-story brick structure that same year.

At some point in the 20th century, the American House was rechristened the Iron Horse Inn. But that restaurant closed in 2011 with the building in disrepair and hit with multiple code violations. The owners of the Buckeye Tavern acquired and re-opened the space as the Alburtis Tavern in 2013, after their own nearby historic restaurant was destroyed by fire. But seven years later, Covid hit, shutting down the Alburtis Tavern. It didn't reopen until last September, under new owner Joe Galazin.

Trains on the Norfolk Southern Reading Line still pass by the tavern today. We'll have a good view of them from the patio deck behind the restaurant. We'll learn more about the history of the railroad, the town and the local industry, in addition to the tavern.

See you there!