Take-out Clarks Summit: Three New Restaurants in a Row

Apr. 22—CLARKS SUMMIT — There's a plaza on the strip of Northern Blvd in Clarks Summit that's home to three new restaurants for the town: Benny's of Clarks Summit, Jalapeño's Authentic Mexican Grill, and Jimmy John's.

Right beside one another, these recently established eateries offer three totally different menus. They've all opened in just the past few years and arrived with new take-out and dine-in options for Clarks Summit lunch and dinner.

Clarks Summit's Jalapeno's Authentic Mexican Grill

JALAPENO'S AUTHENTIC MEXICAN GRILL

Had enough pizza and wings? Jalapeño's Authentic Mexican Grill serves all the south of the border cuisine you crave — take out or dine in.

I opted for weekend take-out order from this Clarks Summit restaurant and ordered steak street tacos and chorizo fries to fuel a Netflix movie marathon.

These three tortilla-wrapped beauties came with steak, onions, cilantro, limes, and a Verde sauce — a classic, simple taco recipe with plenty of vibrant, fresh flavor and acidity. No need to drench it in salsa and ingredients, these street tacos were perfect as is.

Even though I'm a taco die hard, the chorizo fries appetizer was the mouth-watering star of the meal. This American update on your run-of-the-mill loaded nachos came crispy and piled high with meat, cheese, and pico de gallo to pack each bite with a flavorful, spicy, creamy crunch. It was nothing but messy deliciousness.

This take-out dinner was everything I wanted it to be. Jalapeños is perfect for a delicious, authentic Mexican lunch or dinner, seven days a week. This restaurant opened in 2022 along with two other new restaurants in this plaza on Northern Blvd — Jimmy John's and Bennys

It was bustling inside Jalapeños! Service was friendly, quick, and helpful and prices were reasonable. My order was completed in no time, and I was in and out, so no need to slow down plans. Or stay awhile, it's an inviting atmosphere for lunch or dinner and it's BYOB for your convenience. Not to mention, it's right in town so you can get some real tacos for a change!

I look forward to returning and trying the next dish and, if the chorizo fries were any indication, this place knows how to make a great fusion between American foods we are used to and Mexican cuisine's dynamic amazing spices and flavors. We're not just covering everything in cheese here, and it's fabulous.

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Boneless wing bites with Benny's Glaze from Benny's of Clarks Summit.

BENNY'S of CLARKS SUMMIT

There are nearly unlimited options for pizza and wings at Benny's of Clarks Summit. This spot between Benny's and Jimmy's John opened in 2023 as their second location after their first in Peckville, and they just recently opened their third in Greenridge.

I've been itching to try Benny's pizza recipes after some advice from NEPA Pizza Review, so I headed out for half tray of the pickle pizza and a half tray of the classic red along with an order of Benny's Glaze boneless bites.

This is Old Forge style pizza so you can expect — mostly trays although there are some rounds on the men, including great Friday ideas for Lent as well such as the shrimp scampi, shrimp & peppers, or the pickle pizza which is what I decided on. There are so many better pescatarian-friendly options than simply denying yourself pepperoni — get adventurous.

I know it's a local sin, but I'm not usually a huge fan of Old Forge style pizza...but I love trying new things, I love pickles, and I can always appreciate a good recipe. Blame it on my New York upbringing, but honestly with recipes like Benny's pizzas...I've been coming around to it more and more. I can appreciate both styles and I'm beginning to see there's something truly special about these square trays.

Just by the look and smell of both pizzas, I couldn't wait to try these recipes. I've never seen pickle pizza come in a square form. This was so different and delicious. The blend of cheese was a perfect pairing with the dill pickles and the bite reveals a sort of white sauce pizza underneath that was wow, BOMB!

This cheese came all gooey and oozing on the top with chunks of dill pickles. The pickle scene has really blown up recently and I am all for it, so I'm loving this creative approach.

No gluey-ness in either of these trays. The red tray was also full of flavor and had a deeper crust than most for a full bite every time. These flavors were both well thought out and hold up in my book!

Benny's of Clarks Summit features plenty of variety. They have TONS of options for wing sauces on either boneless or traditional wings. So many that it was difficult to pick just one! The boneless bites in Benny's Glaze were spicy with more tanginess than your typical buffalo sauce. Just the right amount of spice to give it a distinct flavor.

I think they knocked it out of the park. As far as pizza and wings go, this is a great takeout spot and there are options for dining in as well. The staff was incredibly friendly and ordering online was a seamless experience. Hey, there's no shame in utilizing the available technology and many small businesses like Benny's have their own online ordering now so take advantage! — Jimmy John's recently opened in Clarks Summit in 2022 and features sandwiches, subs, and a drive-thru.

JIMMY JOHN'S

Jimmy John's is another new business in the plaza that just opened in 2022. This franchise eatery establishment offers sandwiches and subs perfect for your lunch or early dinner.

They also offer a drive-through to make it even more convenient for grabbing a meal on your work break. Not to mention, they're open seven days a week for lunch and dinner for a quick meal any time you need.

Jimmy John's offers plenty of sandwich recipes that range from slimmer selections for those counting calories and bigger options for those packing on the protein. This is a great sandwich joint focusing on ease and offers online ordering for those on the go.

This chain restaurant is new to our area, and I'd never seen one before it came to Clark's Summit. So honestly, I was skeptical to find out that a franchise was trying to do hoagies in NEPA, but this is a great in-the-clutch spot where you can quickly snag lunch and utilize the drive-through without losing any time. They also offer catering for offices, meetings, and other events.

Clarks Summit has seen quite a few new businesses open in the past few years and continues adding exciting restaurants like these to its line-up. Try out these three new dine-in/take-out restaurants who are new in town.