Desaki – Dining out in the Poconos

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While on a recent trip to the beautiful Poconos in the Pennsylvania mountains, we stopped at a restuaunt somewhat unique to the area.  While most of the restaurants we saw in the area were more “American” or had a deli or diner feel, Desaki was not only great cuisine, but also a fun family dining experience.

The restaurant itself is beautiful, and definitely stands out from others. When you enter, you are able to check your coats and see what fun you can have while waiting for your table.  (Yes, you can call ahead for seating.)  Since we were there on a “family fun night”, there was a balloon artist as well as a face painter on site for the kids.  My son was thrilled with his “Darth Vader” balloon, complete with light saber.

Many of the kids also got their faces painted. My son chose not to, because he was going to eat and was convinced he would somehow get paint in his food and in his mouth.  He’s just not big into face painting, what can I say.  The other kids loved it, and there was quite a queue waiting for a turn.

There are also XBoxes and TVs for the kids while they wait- or if they finish first and get antsy.  I am pro everyone eating together, but I know some people don’t feel the same way, and let the kids bring their tablets to the tables and whatnot anyway. It’s a good option instead of tablets or phones at the table.  I would let my son use it while we waited, for sure.

The food itself was amazing- we tried the sushi, and it was huge.  Massive, fresh rolls.  They were absolutely delicious.  I didn’t realize how big they were going to be, and we ordered them as an “appetizer”.  They would have been good as a meal by themselves.

The hibachi was not only good, it was fun to watch.  Everyone ordered what they wanted (veggie only, steak, shrimp, or chicken with vegetables) and it came with noodles and rice.  The chef was funny and interactive, and threw food at everyone.  Really.  He tossed things into his hat, flipped food here and there, set things on fire, and chopped up and launched zucchini into the (often laughing) open mouths of guests.  Roughly half the people at our table caught it- I was impressed.

The food was delicious, and the atmosphere was fun and relaxing. The restaurant is family owned, and many of the staff are family themselves, so you know that they really care about their place and your experience as a family.  The staff we had the pleasure of interacting with were friendly and sweet with all the kids at the table (including one who refused to eat anything but the peanut butter and jelly her mother had brought with her.  Kids.)

I would highly recommend a visit to Desaki if you are in the area.  You can find them near all the action of the Poconos in Swiftwater, PA.

Disclosure- We received press passes to this location in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are our own and honest.