Garlic Is Coming Back

Garlic, the Stroudsburg favorite a lot of you have been missing, is coming back. Restaurateur Michael Tepedino announced in a Facebook video that Garlic will reopen Monday, Nov. 2, at 27 Washington St. in East Stroudsburg, with Tepedino back in the kitchen as chef.

The new Garlic will take over the Bib’s Ribs space. According to Tepedino’s post, Bib’s Ribs closes Sunday, Nov. 1. Tepedino says the menu will lean on steaks, seafood and Italian, and that it will be more affordable than before.

The original Garlic Restaurant & Bar sat at 907 Main St. in Stroudsburg, serving steaks, seafood and new American dishes, with a patio and a happy hour. It has been around for at least a decade, and it has since closed. Its website now reads “Coming Soon.” We can vouch that Garlic’s pop-up at Taste 154 was a success, which may be where this comeback started.

Tepedino has been at the center of East Stroudsburg’s comeback for years. Before Garlic, he ran Liquid, the upscale martini and tapas lounge that later moved into the space beside Trackside Station Grill & Bar on Crystal Street, another of his restaurants. He also runs Taste 154 on Washington Street and Bib’s Ribs, the barbecue joint Garlic is taking over.

My mother-in-law, Dorothy, is going to miss Bib’s Ribs, and if you will too, here is our Sept. 4 look at the five best barbecue joints in Monroe County.

Personally, I’m looking forward to the eggplant at Garlic. We’ll pass along details as soon as we have them.