Valhalla Crossing in Valhalla, NY

About the Area

Valhalla Crossing in Valhalla sits right on the Metro North Harlem line just a few minutes north of White Plains.  Like literally.  It’s actually closer to the train tracks than the Taconic. It all makes sense, though, as this is a train-themed restaurant.  

There is even a B&O railroad dining car as part of the restaurant’s seating, which is just super kid friendly. Kids love eating on a train!

The Restaurant Atmosphere

The atmosphere here is great.  There is a lot to look at related to the history of the restaurant and the Hamlet of Valhalla and Westchester in general. This is a pretty large family restaurant with one of the most beautiful bars you’ll ever see. 

The bar probably sits about 20, with plenty of tables in the bar area.  The typical patron is a Valhalla local and/or commuter. The Valhalla train station is right there, and it’s a pretty big parking lot.  It’s probably a good thing I don’t park and commute from there, or else my paycheck would definitely go to happy hour every day when getting off the train.

They also reserve for large parties and events. Get in touch with them at the number below

The Bar

The bar features about 25 taps with mostly the usual brews, but there is also Smithwicks and local breweries Captain Lawrence and Broken Bow.  Broken Bow is a favorite of mine.  More to come on that great spot!  They also have a pretty nice cocktail menu and a short wine list.  On my most recent visit there was both a peach sangria and a pineapple jalapeno margarita consumed!

Valhalla Crossing Menu and Food

As far as food, the menu here is extensive.  It’s filled with pub favorites as well as full dinners.  BTW, they do great Oktoberfest and St. Patty’s Day menus as well.  

There is plenty to choose from.  There is usually a specials menu and a dessert menu for more options. The food here is excellent, and portions are large.  On this visit, we shared a steak salad and a Lousiana Chicken wrap.  So good!

On a previous visit, I had one of the hottest dishes around.  The “Atomic” chicken fingers.  This is an insanely hot buffalo sauce and if I had to guess, it’s ghost pepper based.  It left me wheezing and tearing a bit.  Good stuff!  I hate it when a dish is labeled as “hot” and isn’t.

The last page of the menu features the story of this restaurant which should probably be considered a landmark. It’s pretty interesting to see how this local spot has changed hands and grown over the years.  I’ve pasted the text below.

“A Bit of History

The New York & Harlem Railroad Company extended its service nth of White Plains area in 1849. The coming of the railroads up to the Mt. Pleasant area caused rapid growth of the town close to the railroad lines. Train station buildings were needed and constructed. The present Valhaila Station was originally named the Davis, Brooke Station and then the Kensico Station. The construction of the Valhalla Station was completed in 1852 In 1899 the Taylor and Stevens families sold a very large piece of land to be used for a local cemetery-the Kensico Cemetery. This huge cemetery was located just north of Kensico Train Station and its name caused much confusion on the railroad and with the mail. People were dissatisfied with the fact that both places bore the same name. So, an organization was formed to change this, and in 1904 the name Valhalla was adopted. Soon after the end of the Civil War, New York City’s thirst for water reased, and the New York Board of Water Supply built an earth dam and spillway in 1887. However, by 1898 New York City’s water supply had to be increased again which led to the construction of the Kensico Reservoir and the Valhalla Dam, both of which were completed in 1915.

OUR RESTAURANT…

William Scazzero was the guiding spirit in converting the Valhalla Train Station into a restaurant back in 1973. He brought in a 1910 B&O caboose and an 1896 Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway car – both to be used as dining cars. The original train station building along with its wide-planked floors is the current bar. The beautiful oak bar was built in 1903 for Bronxville’s Hotel Gramatan and is still used today.

The Lake Shore business car was built in February 1896 by the Wagner Palace Car Company, whose pres was Dr. William Seward Webb, son-in-law of William H. Vanderbilt. The car was first assigned to Daniel W Caldwell and later W. H. Newman, both presidents of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad, predecessor of the NY Central west of Buffalo. Still later, the car became the official car of the president of the NY Central itself. The mahogany paneling, stained-glass transom, and lamps represent the luxurious appointments and ornamentation commonplace back then. It is interesting to note that for several generations the ultimate hallmark of wealth, importance, and social achievement was private railroad cars. As Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Private Car 44, the car had two staterooms, a large kitchen, a dining room in the center of the car, and observation rooms with open platforms on both ends. In 1914 it was rebuilt adding a vestibule on one end, a third stateroom, and a porter’s room, and the car was re-lettered New York Central 44. In October 1924, the car was rebuilt again at West Albany. The interior was rearranged and a shower was added. In May 1928, the car was renumbered NYC 17, which remained until December 1940, when the car was converted to a diner for wreck train service and renumbered once more to X-928. In later years it was based in Jackson, Michigan. Finally, the car was retired and sold in March 1970 to Private Varnish Inc., a group of former New York Central employees who arranged for it to be moved to Harmon, NY. It was then purchased in January 1973 by Mr. Scazzero and moved to Valhalla for restoration.

With only a few of its kind, our wooden caboose was built in 1910 by the Baltimore & Ohio Railway. It was in service for many years and then retired to the B&O freight yard in Chillicothe, Ohio. In 1973 it was purchased by Mr. Scazzero and moved to Valhalla for restoration.

After Mr. Scazzero completed the restoration of the two train cars and the original train station building, he and his family operated the Valhalla Station restaurant for about 25 years. New owners purchased the restaurant and briefly operated it as Pickling Station. It was then purchased by Doug Crossett of Michael’s and McArthur’s in Pleasantville and renamed Valhalla Station, once again. Four years later in May of 2005 our family purchased the restaurant and named it Valhalla Crossing. Our antique train cars are available for private parties.

Thank you for choosing to dine at The Crossing where the neighborhood comes to eat, drink, and unwind!”

Some really interesting stuff there.  A great story.

As far as parking, the restaurant has just a few spots but the Valhalla Train Station parking is like a hundred feet away.  I’m not sure about the parking rules in that metro-north lot so be careful about getting a ticket.  You can usually find some street parking on the other side of the Taconic and walk over from the village.

Valhalla Crossing is a spot to visit.  The Kensico Dam plaza is a great park.  There is a playground for the kids and a stunning 9/11 memorial to visit with plenty of room to throw a frisbee around or just lounge on the grass.  Then, walk over to the restaurant for an awesome lunch.  It’s totally family-friendly if you want it to be. ;-)

Cons

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