Arlo’s: Susquehanna County’s One Stop Mall

Now I’m a snow guy and usually start getting annoyed when it’s still nice out later in late fall. However, I couldn’t help but enjoy the warm Thanksgiving break we just had. Snow would have put a damper on my Turkey Eve plans and I got two tennis sessions in which is all but unheard of for a NEPA November. I was about to embark on my third tennis session Saturday afternoon, when one of my friends texted and suggested mini-golf. I was down.

While it turns out that mini-golf was “out of season” as the clerk told us, it is worth mentioning our venue of choice: Arlo’s Country store.

Arlo’s is located approximately ten minutes outside of Forest City, Pennsylvania (which in itself is about a half hour north of Scranton), where my parents live and I grew up. Now, I don’t know that I’d necessarily plan a trip solely based on Arlo’s (although the post here documenting what has been dubbed the “Northern Tier Bar Crawl” certainly warrants anyone’s attention) but If you live or are in Northeastern Pennsylvania I’d check it out.

Arlo’s is reminiscent of the days when everyone gathered at the general store, and while it’s something of an odd duck here in the Northeast, I’d imagine quite a few places of its nature exists in the south and Midwest. Arlo’s has a general store, and ice cream stand, deli, nightly accommodations, bar-b-q pit, bar, gas station, and mini golf course. Remember to visit “in season” if you want to experience the mini golf.

I’ve been to Arlo’s numerous times and it rightfully earns the “one stop mall” moniker my sister and her friends have dubbed it. Just this Fourth of July, after leaving a party at a friend’s lakehouse I was able to gas up, get a Gatorade, play nine quick holes of mini golf, had a hot dog, and chill on the outdoor seating area with some adult beverages. While the mini golf course is a Spartan, 9 hole affair, mini golfing is much more fun with a buzz.

For as hokey as I’m making it sound, the bar at Arlo’s is very nice, especially in the summer. The inside is pretty classy with dark hardwood and stonework and they have a E-Street poster in the men’s room so they have good taste. It’s pretty laid back and not somewhere I’d spend a Friday night, but a great place for some Saturday afternoon gallivanting or Sunday evening drinking. The outside is really cool: instead of your standard issue outdoor bar cast iron tables, they have wooden picnic tables and rocking chairs. Arlo’s doesn’t have anything on draft, but the prices are reasonable and they serve Andy’s pizza, (originally from Jessup PA) which I think is decent but a lot of people really lose their shit over. I’ll also say that they have a pretty cool selection of souvenirs. I have an Arlo’s tee shirt that I wear, and not in a isn’t-this-dive bar-funny way, but that legitimately looks cool.

I’d never much inquired into the rooms at Arlo’s as my parents live fifteen minutes away, but out of curiosity checked them out online as I wrote this post. They look really nice. From what I can tell each room is almost a mini apartment with kitchenettes and large bathrooms. I bet it’s a pleasant and convenient stay.

Just don’t expect to meet your soul mate at Arlo’s. It gets a very blue-collar country crowd of mostly older gentlemen. Last time my friends and I stopped there the bar tender made sure to tell us we were a “very attractive group and a nice change,” from her normal clientele.