The Susquehanna River region is ripe with renowned restaurants gaining national notoriety. Whether it’s celebrities touting Lancaster’s scene or tourists flocking to Hershey, politicians stopping by Harrisburg or York’s burgeoning revival gaining attention, there is no shortage of choices when it comes to exceptional dining at locally owned and operated establishments. No chains are needed here when there is such a broad range of local businesses sourcing sustainable produce and giving back to our communities.
Experiences at these establishments can range from a casual meal to fine dining in one of many historic places throughout the area’s bucolic countryside. If you’re craving something exotic, that’s here too. The downtowns are always bustling this time of year with holiday cheer, so skip the strip malls and crowds to experience the warmth and charm of the cities. Round up your foodie friends and family and give your tastes a tour of the top 80 restaurants in the region. 2018 bucket list, anyone?
Casual Chef-Inspired
Annie Bailey’s: Upscale Irish and internationally inspired fare in a casual, cozy pub atmosphere.
Photos by Jen Foster, The Premise Studio
Boiling Springs Tavern: New Faces at an Old Favorite
By Stephanie Kalina Metzger
The Boiling Springs Tavern has been a favorite among locals for many years. A red shingle hanging near the entrance reads “est. 1832” and depicts a Mallard duck dressed in old-fashioned attire. The building, once known as The Boiling Springs Hotel, originally served as a roadside inn and restaurant.
The area near the inn was especially popular during the early 1900s when the Valley Traction Company opened a trolley park. People would visit to rent paddle boats and enjoy an afternoon on the lake before ending the day at the tavern, where they would indulge in a meal and retire for the evening. In 1902, Adolphus Busch, of Anheuser-Busch fame, purchased the business and continued to run it until Prohibition in 1920.
Men, women and children escaping slavery also sought refuge in the building now known as the Boiling Springs Tavern. Geoff and Debi Keith, who purchased the establishment 31 years ago, knew right away they were acquiring an historic gem, but they have decided that it’s time for someone else to take the reins. “We’ve been involved in the restaurant industry for 44 years. It’s now time to retire. We want to live life at a slower pace,” says Geoff.
New owners Terry and Kathi Rickert intend to keep the couple on in a consulting capacity for the next five years to ensure a seamless transition. The Rickerts say that changes will take place in phases over four or five years so that customers are not inconvenienced. “The menu and staff will remain the same, and we’ll add more parking and rooms to the upstairs. We also plan to expand the tavern area and redo the kitchen,” says Terry, adding that they’d also like to dedicate an area to outside dining.
The Rickerts say that they are looking forward to the new challenge and to being part of a business that has such a rich history in the community.
Blue Bird Inn: A Cornwall-area 19th century lodge featuring an extensive menu of beer and good eats.
Photos by Jen Foster, The Premise Studio
Bricco: The Next Generation
By Stephanie Kalina Metzger
The late Benjamin Olewine III had a vision for the Harrisburg community: to establish a model for fine dining in the area, while blazing a trail for student chefs to learn valuable skills on the job. To bring this dream to life, Olewine donated $1 million to the project, and in 2006 Bricco was born. Intrigued by the concept, foodies flocked to the business at 31 South Third Street in Harrisburg to enjoy not just a night out, but an experience.
Times and preferences change over the years, however, and keeping up with them is just smart business sense, which is why Bricco has done a bit of tweaking around the edges to appeal to consumers’ desire for a less “buttoned-up” atmosphere.
Ties and vests worn by servers have given way to a more relaxed uniform, and formal menus have been replaced. “The one-page menus can be discarded now, or taken home by the guest as a souvenir,” says Bill Collier, general manager and executive chef.
Customers will notice cosmetic changes as well. Orange and purple tiles have been replaced with toned-down, contemporary hues like grey and beige. New blinds have been installed, and a fresh coat of paint has been added to tie it all together. “You could say it’s been given a bit of a facelift,” says Collier.
As for the food, it will continue to be locally sourced and seasonal. Favorites like short ribs will remain, but distinctive Italian food such as brick-oven pizzas and pasta dishes will now play starring roles as the restaurant moves away from its Mediterranean roots.
In keeping with the open-kitchen theme, the raw bar, which used to take center stage in the front of the restaurant, has been transformed into a pasta observation station where guests can get a glimpse into the secrets behind making a top-notch dish.
“The restaurants here are really good, and if you’re not moving forward, you’re falling behind in the restaurant industry. We feel this is a good way to spring into the next 10 years,” says Collier.
Olewine would no doubt be proud.
Café 1500: A Midtown Harrisburg treasure featuring inventive cuisine and a hip vibe.
C&D Bar & Grill: Just outside the quaint historic town of New Oxford, a cozy spot for superb seafood and steaks.
Cafe Fresco: A hip day-or-night haunt on Harrisburg’s Restaurant Row.
Character’s: A downtown Lancaster hidden gem.
Cork and Fork: A Harrisburg city gem bringing together good food and good people.
Devon Seafood + Steak: Modern dining in the heart of Hershey, featuring fresh-everyday seafood.
Fiddler & Co.: A BYOB craft kitchen just outside of Gettysburg, worth the drive for an inventive culinary experience.
Greystone Public House: Rustic meets contemporary on Harrisburgs West Shore.
Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar: Seasonally changing cuisine conveniently located at The Shoppes at Susquehanna Marketplace.
Home 231: Farm-to-table inspired dishes and creative cocktails in midtown Harrisburg.
Hunger-n-Thirst: Lancaster’s hip Harrisburg Avenue spot for craft beer and provisions.
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant: Freshly brewed beer and upscale pub fare on Lancaster’s College Row.
Jethro’s: A west end neighborhood fave in Lancaster.
John Wright Restaurant: Go for the river views; stay for the food.
Luca: Rustic Italian in a quaint Lancaster neighborhood.
Ma(i)son: A cozy BYOB on Lancaster’s Gallery Row highlighting Napa Valley-style, farm-to-table fare.
Millworks: Bringing together art, music and food in midtown Harrisburg.
Note Bistro & Wine Bar: Go for the vinyl selection, stay for the sips and nibbles.
Red Rose Tavern: Formerly Mulberry Social, a Lancaster corner favorite, now with more casual fare.
Revival Social Club: Redefining a North George hot spot in York with an inventive yet approachable menu.
Rockfish Public House: Fresh, sustainable seafood in downtown York.
The First Post: A fresh take on old favorites in an early 1900’s pub atmosphere with impeccable service.
The Foundry: Lebanon’s hot gathering spot for flame-cooked fare.
The Horse Inn: A hidden gem and former Lancaster speakeasy worth finding.
The Left Bank: A City Cornerstone’s Next Chapter
By Cindy Kalinoski
Serving unfailingly supreme fare in a classy setting means The Left Bank has garnered so many awards it’s hard to keep track. Now this icon is entering a new era under proprietors Sean and Mandy Arnold. To prepare, Chef Sean Arnold has cultivated relationships with additional local suppliers. “We’ll definitely continue satisfying the current clientele,” he says, “but we’re excited about working new local items into the menu and also attracting a new crowd.”
Trained at the Culinary Institute of America, Arnold staged themed pop-up events at surprise locations as a private chef in Maryland. His wife, Mandy, is CEO of Gavin Advertising in York and handles PR for the restaurant. They’ve been enjoying downtown since 2003 and living there since 2007. Sean explains, “We’ve always been looking to see if we can open a restaurant here. About a year ago, we heard about this opportunity and really dove into it.”
Arnold enjoys Latin American, South American and Mediterranean culinary influences but says, “There’s really no cuisine we won’t be dabbling in. We’ll incorporate spontaneity with the local offerings into the menus.”
New items include local Eleven Oaks Farm American Waygu (when available) and duck confit. Other highlights include lemon pink peppercorn grilled yellowfin tuna steak, spicy Calabrian chili grilled shrimp with Maine lobster and bucatini pasta, and something called a cauliflower steak (a lentil, barley and bean mix). Small plate apps are compelling, from grilled oysters with bourbon bacon compound butter and warm brie cheese brulee with apple cranberry compote to the Left Bank’s famous flash-fried calamari.
The bar recommends The Manhattan Project–Buffalo Trace bourbon, SNAP (gingersnap) liqueur, fig reserve and spices—and Arnold is “letting the bartenders play around with squash and other seasonal ingredients.” The wine list is also being expanded.
The Mill: Contemporary cuisine housed in a 1900 Hershey feed mill.
The Pressroom: A nod to neighboring Lancaster Newspapers, with new reasons to visit.
Tutoni’s: Locally sourced Mediterranean tastes in downtown York with a stellar wine list.
Victor’s Italian Restaurant: A suburban York hidden gem for food, wine, craft beer and live music.
York Blue Moon: Bistro dining in downtown York with an enclosed courtyard and rotating art gallery.
Posh Places to Grab Small Bites
Ad Lib: A Harrisburg craft kitchen and bar with spontaneous tastes.
Andalusia: A tapas bar in downtown Carlisle featuring authentic small plates from Spain and Morocco.
The Handsome Cab: Dapper Dining Downtown
By Cindy Kalinoski
For a new favorite hangout, try the Handsome Cab. The urban interior, with its bold colors and abstract art, feels like another world. Whether you sit at the phenomenal bar stools by York’s Peter Danko or alongside soon-to-be friends at the long, lit table by local salvage sculptor Peter Sells, you’ll enjoy the vibe. Tables closer to the gallery or outside offer other great spots to chill.
The menu is fun, with small plates, vegan as well as vegetarian and gluten-free options. Flatbread pizzas include rosemary, chicken and apple; there are “sharables, like Argentinian meatballs” or cheeses from around the world, and entrees like seared sea scallops, if you’re there for dinner.
The word is out about the Sunday brunch. But the focus is wine, with 20 wines on tap, 50 options by the glass and 200 by the bottle. Every day brings something, like Tasting Tuesday, Wine Flight Wednesday or Sunday School, where you learn about global wines. (The Cab’s special Wine Guild membership was sold out in 2017.) There’s art-inspired music and, newest of all, murder mysteries.
Owners Robert Godfrey and Andrew D’Agenais opened the wine bar restaurant after five challenging years of planning. The idea grew out of a conversation with artist Brenda Wintermyer. Godfrey recalls, “The seed was planted when we collaborated about what our vision for York City would be, how we could fuse wine and culinary and art under one roof. The inspiration for the interior is derived from York County and the talent pool that is here.”
Signature cocktails are memorable, like these house-made offerings: sangria, limoncello and the Tall, Dark and Handsome (vanilla vodka, coffee liqueur, and Godiva chocolate liqueur). Peruse the menu, order a drink, take it upstairs and visit the Cab gallery. But be warned: the atmosphere is so welcoming, you may have a hard time leaving.
Pour: Follow the Lancaster Gallery Row sidewalk and step inside for an epicurean adventure.
Suba: Authentic and inventive tapas with a Capitol view.
TT Bar at Tutoni’s: Tapas up top featuring prohibition style cocktails.
Worth the Splurge
Photos courtesy The Inn at Leola Village
Té: For the Devout Decadent
By Keely Childers Heany
The Chef’s Table at Té, located within the scenic grounds of The Inn at Leola Village, offers an experience unlike any other in the region. A romantic table for two or a party of up to six can gather fireside—inside the kitchen—and enjoy the entertainment of the preparation of a three-hour degustation menu, including wine pairings with a private, dedicated service team.
Fine Dining
Blue Heron: Authentic French cuisine in York County.
Carr’s: New View on an Old Fave
By Keely Childers Heany
Carr’s has long been a local favorite in downtown Lancaster’s pulsing Central Market district, and now diners can enjoy the view of the Market alley bustle while dining upstairs in a sleek new space at Carr’s on Market. The upstairs at Carr’s has gone through a few iterations over the years, and this latest renovation seems to suit the tastes of the space and guests quite well.
Char’s Tracy Mansion: An old Harrisburg favorite overlooking the Susquehanna.
Checkers Bistro: One of Lancaster’s most elegantly designed restaurants. Go for the cocktails and stay for the food.
Circular: A timeless Hershey tradition for special occasions.
Gibraltar: A long-time Lancaster fave in a new location
One Lincoln: A fresh take on tradition on Gettysburg’s historic square.
Porch: A long-time Lebanon-area fave worth the country drive.
Roosevelt Tavern: A timeless York tradition with a fresh face and fare.
Sidney: Modern American, French-influenced fine dining in historic East Berlin, also offering casual fare and live entertainment.
Sidney Willoughby Run: Fine dining with serene Gettysburg battlefield views.
1700 Steakhouse: The capital city’s great American steakhouse.
Stock’s on Second: A farm-to-fork gastropub on Harrisburg’s Restaurant Row.
Stockyard Inn: Lancaster’s legendary steakhouse on the former site of historic cattle stockyards.
The Accomac: Fine dining on the Susquehanna River’s York bank.
The Greenfield Restaurant & Bar: A Lancaster staple for lunch, brunch, dinner, jazz and fine wines in a renovated 1780-era farmhouse.
The Inn at Herr Ridge: Locally sourced creative cuisine and an award-winning wine list amid Gettysburg battlefield history.
The Log Cabin: Worth the country drive through the kissing bridge.
Upscale Global
Callaloo: Trinadadian in downtown Lancaster.
Citronelle: A modern French BYOB in downtown Lancaster serving seasonal ingredients with global flair.
El Sol: A taste of classic Mexican food in the heart of downtown Harrisburg.
Himalayan Curry and Grill: Exotic Middle Eastern eats in downtown Lancaster.
Mangia Qui: The best of Europe in the mid-state with a beautiful capital view.
Trattoria Fratelli: A locally known tradition tucked away in a Lebanon neighborhood.
Trattoria Piatto: Taste authentic Italy via fresh local ingredients on Carlisle’s charming Pomfret Street.
Ambience We Love
Aussie & the Fox: A chic King Street concept brings an Australian and American-inspired menu to Lancaster.
Bistro Barberet & Bakery: Lancaster’s downtown destination for contemporary French fare.
Fenz: A sleek yet casual social gathering spot for drinks and refined fare.
Rubicon: A taste of France elegantly appointed in midtown Harrisburg.
The Belvedere: An elegant-yet-upbeat downtown Lancaster fave.
Wyndridge Farm: Craft cider, beer and an estate farm nestled in the rolling hills of York County.
Hotel Restaurants That Aren’t What You’d Expect
Cork & Cap: Dine on innovative fare in an old cork factory.
Forklift & Palate: Classic American eats, industrial style, at the nation’s largest indoor sports complex.
General Sutter Inn: The fine dining cornerstone of downtown Lititz.
Harvest: Rustic elegance on the grounds of the historic Hotel Hershey, featuring farm-fresh fare.
John J. Jeffries: Seasonal, sustainable fine food and creative cocktails in a contemporary former tobacco warehouse in the Lancaster Arts Hotel.
Osteria Avanti: Escape to the Italian countryside by way of Lancaster County and discover a wine list of more than 450 selections.
Penn Square Grille: Local fare inside the sleek ambience of Lancaster’s historic Marriott at Penn Square.
The Barn Restaurant at Allenberry Resort: American creative cuisine nestled within a 57-acre re-imagined resort along the Yellow Breeches and the Appalachian Trail.
The Garlic Poet: A New Cumberland favorite hangout for inventive cuisine.
Trevi 5: The five flavor combinations of Italy at the Hotel Hershey.
