Out of My Way- sharing stories of food across the region that I would go out of my way for…and so should you!
Apple Hills Café
131 Brooks Road
Binghamton, NY 13905
Open Thursday & Friday 8-2:00PM, Saturday 8-12:00PM, and Sunday 9:00-12:00PM
Who doesn’t love fall? The changing leaves, the explosion of mums, the pumpkin-spiced everything, and the slight chill in the air that makes you want to put on your favorite sweater (even though it’s 79 degrees as I write this!) And nothing evokes cozy fall vibes like a u-pick apple orchard with both a corn maze AND a superb homestyle café on the premises. Welcome to Apple Hills Farm & Café in Binghamton!
I’ve been to Apple Hills Café for lunch on several occasions. It’s located on a country road in the outskirts of Binghamton. The café shares a space with the Farm Store, which carries traditional country store fare like homemade fudge and seasonal decorations for hearth and home. But the main attraction here is definitely the food.
Their menu features daily soup specials with a rotating selection of sides and desserts which have never disappointed. I especially like their half sandwich and cup of soup lunch special, which to me is the perfect amount of food. Most of their sandwiches can be served on your choice of homemade bread or panini. I’m a huge fan of their tuna melt which comes with tomato and Swiss cheese, but on my recent visit I decided to try their signature open-faced grilled apple sandwich. This beauty was served on fresh baked eight-grain bread topped with sliced apples, mustard, mayo, ham, and Swiss cheese and then grilled until the cheese was perfectly melted and the apples were warm.
I had the sandwich with a cup of their homemade Thanksgiving soup which included all of the most important Thanksgiving elements in one deliciously creamy soup, right down to the little bits of stuffing. All in all, it was a flawless comfort food mash-up of peak fall flavors. On that day, they had their homemade coconut cream cake as a dessert option, which is my absolute favorite, so I just had to get a piece to go. It was literally as big as my face! My husband and I savored it with our evening tea over the course of two evenings because while we both appreciate cozy, we aren’t total hedonists.
Apple Hills Café serves breakfast and lunch on Thursday & Friday and breakfast only on Saturday and Sunday. If you visit on a warm day, I highly recommend sitting outside on their wrap-around porch overlooking the corn fields.
What cozy restaurants, diners, bakeries or farms do you go out of your way to visit? Send me a note. I love discovering new places to eat in the region!