Wednesday, May 31, 2023
Bar #199 - Bar 1888
Bar 1888 is inside a wonderful resoration of a beautiful old Lancaster landmark.
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Tuesday, May 16, 2023
Wednesday, May 10, 2023
Tuesday, May 2, 2023
Wednesday, April 26, 2023
Bar #194 - The Floating Squirrel
Formerly the Mountville Inn. If you visit, ask to hear the story on how the bar got it's name. Very interesting!
Thursday, April 20, 2023
Bar #193 The Retired Guys are back at it!
The Retired Guys Beer Afternoon fun has begun again after a three year hiatis. Our first stop was The Dirty Ol' Tavern.
Monday, March 16, 2020
Applebee's Grill & Bar - Lancaster, Bar # 192
We made it out to a virtually vacant bar today and on the way found that all bars in PA will be shut down at midnight tonight until further notice. As stated in the last blog, we will not be doing any at length descriptions of our outings anymore.
Stay healthy, stay safe.
To see all the places we have been to, just click on one of the selections below:
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
Stockyard Inn Steakhouse, Lancaster - Bar #191
Today was another very good day for The Retired Guys, but also marks a transitional time regarding our blog. The blog will now become more like a listing of where we have been and less of a review of the establishment.
Today we visited The Stockyard Inn Steakhouse. It absolutely lived up to it's reputation as the long time, go-to elegant dining experience in Lancaster. Morgan, our bartender was friendly and engaging; the kind of bartender everyone hopes to meet. Our blog's new direction is in no way a reflection of today's experience.
The Retired Guys hope you have enjoyed our sharing of beer drinking afternoons. Keep checking back to follow our listing of bars as we continue our hobby. We hope our list will serve as a reference when you are not sure where to go to relax.
It is our wish that our paths cross somewhere along this quest with all of you. And remember, if you are too busy to have a beer with a friend, you are just too busy.
CHEERS!
To see all the places we have been to, just click on one of the selections below:
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
T G I Fridays, Lancaster - Bar #190
Today The Retired Guys ventured into a venue that we thought might be a cookie-cutter, bland establishment that is typical of a chain, shopping mall pub. It was not like that at all. Today we enjoyed brews at T G IFridays at Lancaster’s Park City Mall. Upon entering we were greeted by Jan who was welcoming and very personable. Through conversations, we learned of Jan’s extensive experience in bartending and it certainly showed in her hospitality to us and other patrons.
Fridays has 18 beers on tap and I am sure a wide range of bottled beers. The usual mass marketed beers are there, but also some very good craft beers. Of course, when the option is there, The Retired Guys opt for a good draft IPA.
As we have stated before, every pub has good points to experience and enjoy on an afternoon. Today was a perfect example of not allowing a preconceived expectation to stop us from having a good time.
Remember: If you are too busy to have a beer with a friend, you are just too busy.
Until next time, CHEERS!
To see all the places we have been to, just click on one of the selections below:
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Texas Roadhouse Steakhouse, Lancaster - Bar # 189
We jumped out of our normal schedule today by moving ahead one week. A fair question might be "why?". A simple answer is that we are retired and can just do whatever we like to do. So there!
As a general rule, The Retired Guys do not frequent chain restaurants / bars. If we do, it will only be to one of them in Lancaster County. Today we found our way out onto Route 30 East and landed at the Texas Roadhouse. This is a restaurant catering to steak or red meat eaters with a pretty small bar. We were surprised at how busy the restaurant was as we arrived at our normal time of 3:30PM. As we watched our bartender who was doubling as a waiter on tables we couldn't help but note that most of the eating customers did not consume very much in the way of alcoholic beverages with their meals.
There were cans of free shelled peanuts for every seat at the bar and we noted there was a similar "freebie" at each of the tables. The bar had 9 taps with 4 of them being dedicated to the "light" variety of beer.
Until next time.......
To see all the places we have been to, just click on one of the selections below:
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
Plaza Azteca Restaurantes Mexicanos, Lancaster - Bar #188
Today The Retired Guys traveled south of the border. Well, south of route 30. We drifted into Plaza Azteca during a snow storm, but upon entering we were greeted by Dharibeth and a smile that made us feel welcome and warm.
The beer selection was wide ranging with some draft selections you don’t find in many bars. Dharibeth admitted to not being a beer drinker although she still seemed to know the brews on tap and provided samples to aid in our choice. The warm chips and salsa provided at the bar were a perfect accompaniment to our beers.
The Retired Guys didn’t order any food today, but I have been here many times before and loved every item I have had. A good friend who is originally from California claims this to be the best Southwest style food she has had outside of Southern California. I can’t dispute that claim at all.
If you have a craving for Mexican food, served by a great staff with authentic Mexican music in the background; Plaza Azteca needs to be where you stop. And it's right here in the heart of The Pennsylvania Dutch Country!
Until next time, CHEERS!
To see all the places we have been to, just click on one of the selections below:
Monday, December 30, 2019
Longhorn Steakhouse, Lancaster - Bar # 187
The Retired Guys have a simple rule about "chain" restaurants and bars - if there is only one in Lancaster County, we'll try it and if there are more than one we'll try only one of them. Today, we sashayed over to the Longhorn Steakhouse at Park City Mall right here in Lancaster. As we sat at the bar which is separated from the main restaurant area we were greeted by Jen who would be our bartender for the afternoon. Jen has an outgoing type of personality, the kind you hope for in a bartender but amazingly only rarely find. She took care of us through our consumption of two craft brews and made her goodbyes at shift end while she transferred us to the next person on deck.
The name, Longhorn Steakhouse, has always made me envision massive grazing areas with longhorn steers happily meandering about while they munch on grass on a Texas or Oklahoma range until their number is up and they become nutrition for someone like me who is higher up on the food chain ladder. I was surprised to find that this western type facility was founded by two guys from Atlanta, GA who just wanted to make and market the perfect steak. While today's experience with just drinking beer won't allow us to pass judgement on the steaks, the few meals that were delivered to customers within our view definitely looked appetizing. Next time I get an urge for some nice red meat this is where I'll be heading!
In just a couple of more days we'll be entering a new decade. The two of us want to take the oporrtunity to wish all of our readers a Happy New Year and a Happy Decade to come.
Unitl next time......
To see all the places we have been to, just click on one of the selections below:
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
C'est La Vie, Lancaster - Bar # 186
First of all, to all of our readers, a wish from both of us
for a very Merry Christmas!
Having originally hailed from Montréal, this half of The
Retired Guys was thrilled for us to visit a Bistro modeled after a French hangout and what is a popular attraction in the old hometown. One of the favorite past-times in the old
Bistro’s of Montreal was sitting outside on the sidewalk and watching the
public pass by in their variety of dress and style while enjoying a beer and
perhaps a croissant. For the judgemantal types this kind of visual atmosphere lends itself to much lively discussion!. With the sliding
glass doors and an awning at C’est La Vie, this summer will
allow many here in Lancaster to enjoy that aspect of frequenting a Bistro. I feel confident in saying that sitting
outside on a warm summer evening watching passersby will give you a small taste
of the typical French “Joie de vivre” that will be found to be most enjoyable.
While at the bar today, we were most adequately served by Justin who was gracious and liberal with samples before committing to a selection of craft beer. There were 8 taps available and the selection was more than enough to satisfy even the most choosy type of beer drinker.
For more about “C’est La Vie”, read
about it at: https://lancasteronline.com/business/local_business/french-bistro-c-est-la-vie-opens-in-part-of/article_af3eb06a-15dc-11ea-aa20-2b1d35d0c850.html.
To see all the places we have been to, just
click on one of the selections below:
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Plough, Lancaster - Bar #185
Today The Retired Guys had another great afternoon
exploring a new addition to the downtown Lancaster scene. Plough, the latest enhancement to the Marriott
Hotel on Penn Square, was again an enjoyable destination with craft beer
selections on draft. Everything about
the place is done with class, as has been the pattern since the Marriott has
taken over the former Watt and Shand location.
Our bartenders were Dakota and Kyle. They were personable and set a welcoming and
friendly tone for our visit. While a
hotel bar usually doesn’t have the local “regulars” we have come to enjoy
meeting, speaking with our bartenders more than made up for that missing piece
today.
An article in LNP is also a good place to read about
one of the new attractions in the City of Lancaster. You may use this LNP link.
As a public service message: PLEASE drink
responsibly during the holiday season.
We all have many things to be thankful for and reasons to celebrate. I am sure there are many who celebrate
you. Stay safe. Be smart during your celebrations.
Until next time, CHEERS!
To see all the places we have been to, just click on one of the selections below:
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Historic Revere Tavern, Paradise - Bar # 184
For the past one or two months the Retired Guys have been promising to shorten our writeups of bar visits since we finally recognized our limitations as writers. Today's writer had full intention of honoring the plan but finds it difficult as we had such an enjoyable visit to the Revere Tavern in Paradise. When we sat at the really old bar we were warmly welcomed by Hunter, our bartender for the day. We immediately were treated to a history of the bar/restaurant and one of the intriguing things we were advised of was that the name Revere in the restaurant had more to do with the brand of cookware/cutlery used at the time. Turns out it was manufactured by the famous Paul but had little, actually nothing to do with his famous ride.
There were 4 beers on tap of which 3 were of the craft variety and in addition bottles were avaiable too. We met Tina, another employee who clearly had a passion for helping people as she talked with enthusiasm of her past participation in the Cancer Walk fundraiser. Seems she might be inclined to get re-involved with that worthy cause in the not too distant future.
Following our first beer, Hunter asked if we would be eating and suggested that since it was Taco Tuesday we would do well to give the Tacos a try. Both of the Retired Guys agreed after our first bite that they were the best Tacos either of us has ever had! Thanks Hunter for the suggestion and a special thanks to Lauren the chef for preparing them. We'll definitely be back in the near future to try other food items to see if they match up. Hunter recommended Monday wings night and we may take him up on that.
Sitting in Paradise it is easy to assume that the Revere Tavern is just another tourist trap. My impression is lucky tourists and lucky us for having such a niceplace to visit locally that has such history and offers great food. We get to enjoy it for 12 months unlike tourists who only get to it one time. If it has been a while since you last visited, go again - it really is a quality place.
To see all the places we have been to, just click on one of the selections below:
In sequence, most recent to earliest
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
The Blackworth Live Fire Grill, Lititz - Bar #183
They say Lititz is the coolest small town in the USA; I haven’t been to all the small towns, but Lititz has a new very cool pub/restaurant named Blackworth Live Fire Grill. There is nothing else like it in Lititz. The moment you walk in you feel the class of your surroundings and are greeted with a warm welcome from the staff.
The 10 drafts available are all quality craft beers and are backed up by an exceptional bottle selection. Casey was serving us and was very attentive to our questions and made great comments and suggestions to aid our selection. Even as the afternoon went on and the bar area filled, she handled everything smoothly and to the satisfaction of all of her patrons. Casey’s cocktails looked amazing!
Once again I would refer you to a recent article in LNP spotlighting the opening. The Retired Guys had another enjoyable afternoon in retirement at Blackworth and urge you to go try it for yourself. We both give it a “Thumbs Up” and think you will agree.
Until next time, CHEERS!
To see all the places we have been to, just click on one of the selections below:
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
The Imperial Restaurant, Lancaster - Bar #182
There is another jewel in downtown Lancaster by the name of The Imperial Restaurant at the corner of East Chestnut and North Queen Streets. Although it is quiet and comfortable on the inside, the large windows offer a great view of the city’s hustle and bustle going on outside. There are days The Retired Guys feel the need to destress for everyone else and this is a great place to do just that.
There are only 6 taps, but 3 of them are local micro brews; always good to see a local business support local business. Additionally, there is a great variety of bottled and canned beer to meet everyone’s preferred brew style.
The staff consisted of Patrick, the Bar Manager, and Andrew, the Assistant Manager. Both were knowledgeable about beer and from looking at the list of special cocktails, I would wager very good mixologists. Their outward personality should make for an enjoyable time at The Imperial.
In knowing my strong points (drinking beer being one of the few) and my weak points (writing blogs), I would refer you to an article in LNP dated November 8 of last year for a more competently written description of one of the new and shining stars in downtown Lancaster. I will say The Retired Guys enjoyed our afternoon at The Imperial and think you will too.
Until next time, CHEERS!
To see all the places we have been to, just click on one of the selections below:
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