Marion Court Room, Lancaster - Bar # 165

The Retired Guys finally made a long desired visit to the Marion Court Room in Lancaster today.  This bar has been a goto place for downtowners for at least 25+ years and continues to expand and improve as Lancaster itself grows and improves.

We were met upon entry by a cheerful bartender by the name of Barb.  She was enthusiastic about her place of employment and sold us on the need to return to enjoy live music on Friday nights in the courtyard, formal meals in the dining area, casual drinks and dining on the rooftop deck, and the Sports bar also known as "Court Side Lounge".  The courtyard is fully protected with an awning and side tarps should the weather turn nasty and is equipped with heaters for cooler evenings.  Significant improvements since I was last here for dinner about 25 years ago!

There were 10 taps which was misleading since 4 beers had duplicate taps and there were really only 2 "craft" selections.  However, the craft afficionado will not be disappointed as there were 16 bottles of "craft" beers available as well as many domestic and imported selections too.

As has been our custom we decided to have an appetizer and even though the kitchen does not normally serve food before 5:00PM they accomodated our desire to sample the Amish Sushi as shown below.  This item intrigued us because there is absolutely no fish in this "Sushi" and that was the single reason for selecting it.  Turns out it was good that we drifted outside our norm and both of us decided that this appetizer is worthy of our selecting it next time we return.  A very pleasant surprise indeed!

If you haven't been to Marion Court for some time it is time you made it a point to return as many changes (improvements) have occurred over the years and I suspect you will not be disappointed.

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P F Chang's, Lancaster - Bar # 164

This is our fifth consecutive week of doing an afternoon visit to a bar and The Retired Guys truly appreciate how great it is to be uh, well, retired!  We visited P.F. Chang's in Lancaster at the relatively new Shoppes at Belmont to satisfy our curiosity and to quench our seemingly never ending thirst for the perfect beer.

We were welcomed at the bar by Alem who would be our bartender and who proved to be quite knowledgeable of many varieties of beer beyond the 6 offerings on tap.  In addition to the draft selection there is a healthy mix of bottled beers to choose from if the tap system proves to not be expansive enough for a beer connoiseur's taste.  Alem suggested an appetizer for us and we followed his direction, much to our satisfaction.  As we enjoyed the appetizer it was shift change time at the bar so we said goodbye to Alem and hello to Alexandra who provided our second glass and shared some of her thoughts on bars in Lancaster County while she reviewed the list of places we have been to.  She also vouched for the freshness claim of all the ingredients used at the restaurant, having witnessed the daily deliveries in the early morning of products to be prepared then sold the same day.

P.F. Chang's is an international chain as well as being represented in 40 states within our USA.  It's success is based on its dedication to using local and fresh products to make all its menu offerings in-house and on a daily basis.  The taste of our appetizer clearly attests to the food quality and had us thinking of a return visit in the not too distant future.  

These Retired Guys will be resting up for a short week to gain strength for our next quest!

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Railroad House Inn (and Perry Street Cellar), Marietta - Bar # 163

The Retired Guys are still working through our postponed dates and so, for the 4th week in a row we have ventured out doing what we like to do best!  This week we visited the historic Railroad House Inn in Marietta to get a sampling of their beer and try a couple of appetizers.

I have been wanting to visit this location for a couple of years now but we put it off because the restaurant/bar is not open on our normal outing day of Tuesday.  Too bad we waited so long!  Upon entry today, we were directed to the Perry Street Cellar (downstairs) and were met by our bartender, David who turned out to be a positive in many ways.  First was his outgoing attitude and friendliness and second was his knowledge of the 12 craft beers on tap.  He easily discussed the nuances of each beer and was comfortable enough to suggest a favorite when we gave him an option of two or more to choose from.  David explained some of the history of the location and described a once a month event called BYOV (Bring Your Own Vinyl) which is proving to be a popular evening.

We enjoyed our sampling of craft beers that were new to us and also nibbled (gobbled would be a better description) at two appetizers that were excellent.  The food sample was enough to encourage us to consider returning for a full dinner in the near future.  

Upon completion of our beer tastings we toured the restaurant upstairs which has a charm that can only be found in historic locations such as this.  Where we were "considering" a return while downstairs, the upstairs convinced us that we need to do so on our next group dinner outing.  We believe that the ambiance will contribute positively to a tasty meal to be shared with close friends.  Based on our experience, we recommend this location to any who have not visited before.

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Decades, Lancaster - Bar # 162

The landscape of pubs and bars is definitely changing and a perfect example is the new Decades in downtown Lancaster.  As you enter the doorway of the Stahr Armory, built in 1928, you proceed through an open reception area and come face to face with a bowling alley, retro video games and pin ball machines.  What kind of adult playland is this?  The bar is pretty remarkable too.  We both agreed it may be the longest bar we have seen on our travels through Lancaster County.

Justin was our bartender who we previously met and he was friendly and smiling as always.  He really knows his products and is very smooth as he interacts with customers and co-workers.  There are 24 taps behind that lengthy bar allowing for a great selection of draft beer.  At Justin's suggestion we ordered their fried chili shrimp.  They were excellent and the perfect compliment to our IPA beers.  We even learned about a "new fangled smoker thing" from another bartender.  He mixed an Applewood Smoked Manhattan.  It was a very interesting production.

While Decades may not be a perfect place for a quiet romantic dinner, it is certainly a great place to meet your friends, have a drink and challenge them to your favorite game of skill.  There are no TVs  so you might as well get off your stool and have some fun.

Until next time, Cheers!

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