Olde Lincoln House, Ephrata - Bar # 137

"Beer is the original Photoshop"

The Olde Lincoln House in Ephrata Borough is another of the relics from the past that has been around longer than the sum of the two Retired Guys ages!  The building was erected prior to 1813 and when built was just the second edifice in the town then known as “New Ephrata”.  From the start, it was planned as a tavern type of establishment with boarding rooms and has been in the drinking / eating business non-stop through today (no more boarding though).  Notably, it still has the original bar as well as tin ceiling tiles that certainly lend an air of nostalgia and might I also say “charm”?  Interestingly, it was not named Lincoln as a result of a visit by Honest Abe but rather because the town of “New Ephrata” had a name change to Lincoln before it was eventually absorbed into Ephrata Borough.

We had the pleasure of being served by our bartender of the day, Jen, who remembered us from when we visited the Tiki Barn almost two years ago.  Jen was very knowledgeable of the beers on tap (12) and made excellent recommendations to suit our tastes.  She also recommended a change when the weather is warmer to see if we would add to our taste repertoire.  She affectionately pointed out one of her regulars, a man who goes by the name of "Dickey" who has been visiting the bar for 50+ years.  Now that's a regular!

We sat in front of a row of 6 taps and four of the beers were regionally local with two of them being right from Ephrata.  This is the kind of thing we have noticed repeatedly when visiting "mom & pop" establishments in the county.  It seems that they all make an effort to support local establishments and thereby improve the local economy for all.  It may be just a personal view but we definitely need more of this dedication to the home front!

As is our normal experience we tried an appetizer of fried pickles and mentioned to Jen that our last experience was not so good since it was clear those offered were just frozen items dropped into a deep frier.  She promised us that they were a new addition to the menu and felt they were really good.  We tried them and they were excellent!  We mentioned that we intended to return as a group of 4 in the month of May and Jen strongly advised making a reservation for a Saturday night.  Unfortunately, Jen finishes her shift around 5:30 and won't be our server but we're confidant the rest of the staff will be just as efficient and friendly.  We're looking forward to our return and recommend any of our readers take a chance and visit as soon as they can.

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