The Tiki Barn - Bar # 87

Gee, this is great....we just went out last week for a Retired Guys Beer Afternoon!  We were active the 2nd Tuesday because Terry had to postpone our normal schedule due to his involvement with the Cancer Society's Relay for Life fund raiser held on the 10th and 11th of this month. While our scheduled time out as a couple of men bonding is important, it is pretty obvious that finding a cure for cancer is more important.  That event raised over $716K.  Way to go Terry!

This is the third Tuesday of the month so I (Garry) get to drive and to choose where we go.  Based on a recommendation from my son who joined us last week as a "retiree in training", I chose the Tiki Barn located in Ephrata. The outdoor bar/deck is just behind and a part of the Olde Lincoln House.  It is an excellent location to drink cold beer on a hot summer day as it has a well shaded bar area as well as a sun drenched deck.  The deck itself is located on the eastern side of the barn so does enjoy shade in the latter part of the afternoon and thus patrons won't have to slather on the sun screen for a relaxed early evening out.

The barn had a nice selection of 10 beers on tap with only two of them being the typical Coors Light and Miller brands.  All others were of the "craft" variety easily allowing us to have two beers to our liking.  There was also a reasonably large selection of bottled beers so everyone should be able to select something to suit their taste buds.  For those who aren't beer drinkers (is there such a person?) the bar appeared to be complete in the availability of stronger spirits.

Typically, we do not purchase food as we like to focus on the beer but I could not help but notice the inviting aroma of some hot wings being thoroughly enjoyed by another patron sitting at the bar.  If they taste anything like the aroma, I will enjoy my next visit!

Everything about the bar was clean and that description includes the men's restroom.  There was an unusual limit placed on the ladies restroom as recorded in the photo below.  I'm not sure why but pictures don't lie.  Ladies, make sure you take care of business before you go to the Tiki Barn!

The Deck at The Dutchmaid Motel - Bar # 86

Today was a day with a "first" in our quest to visit all the great beer establishments in Lancaster County.  We had the pleasure to be accompanied by Garry's son, Jason.  It was a great afternoon to drink some beer in magnificent weather and take a youngster under our wing and educate him about the fine art of male bonding.

Today we visited an establishment attached to a motel in Ephrata known simply as "The Deck".  From route 272 it doesn't look like much, but when you are on the deck it feels like an area of escape removed from Lancaster County.  There are two bars, palm trees and other shrubbery that insulates you from the outside world.  The staff was very friendly and welcoming.

As the bar did not have three stools open when we arrived, we elected to sit at a table.  I do not know the exact number of beers on tap.  The usual suspects (Coors Light, Miller Lite, Lager) are on tap.  The waitress easily recited their draft beer list until we heard something to our liking.  The Deck also seems to have a wide range of canned beer.

The Deck appears to be very popular among the local community as there were probably 20 patrons enjoying refreshments and the spectacular weather.  This is by far the busiest of any establishment we visited at 3:00 PM on a mid-week day.  While the establishment is physically some distance from our homes, it is worth the approximately 15 mile drive.  Other than the moderate traffic noise from the highway, The Deck serves as a very good think tank for problem solving and discussing the merits of a retired life style.



Copper Hill Public House at Crossgates Golf Course, Millersville - Bar # 85

Life is good!  The month of May has 5 Tuesdays, so we had 3 Retired Guys Beer Afternoons.  On this Beer Day we traveled back to a previously visited location, but now under new ownership with a new name, Copper Hill Public House.  The pub, on the Crossgates Golf Course, has a new and fresh look complete with, you guessed it, a copper top bar.

With the weather being very summer like we asked to be seated on the patio overlooking the golf course and were completely accommodated when we requested a table in the shade.  Even though the table was at the farthest point from the main dining area, the staff was very cheerful and eager to please.  Our server was a completely delightful young lady named Lyndsie (that is the correct spelling) who was very attentive without being overbearing and spot-on when delivering more beer just as we finished our first.  At her recommendation, Garry and I both ordered the lunch special.  It was a turkey sandwich with bacon, tomato and lettuce served with a pickle and house chips.  I never met a sandwich containing bacon that I didn't like and this was no exception.  Good call Lyndsie!

All in all, this was a very enjoyable beer afternoon that happened earlier in the day than other beer days because of a Relay commitment on my part that warranted me being completely sober.  We again enjoyed beer and friendship and solved the world's problems.  You may thank us later.

One final note; as we were leaving I had the privilege to speak with another of the very capable staff members who recognized me as we entered.  Tammie, who I haven't seen for a couple of years, but is friends with two of my children, commented to one of her co-workers as we entered, "It must be Retired Guys Beer Day".  We must be kind of, sort of celebrities!

Thank you to Copper Hill for an enjoyable Beer afternoon and a special "Thank You" to Lyndsie and Tammie.



Stanley's Trailside Cafe, Marietta - Bar # 84

Today we went to Stanley's Trailside Cafe in Marietta.  This bar is the reincarnation of the old Paris Pub which has been closed for some time now.  The new Stanley's is named after the original owner who first started at this location in 1946.  The new version has been open for about a month now and is still working out some of the kinks associated with a new venture.  

As bars go today there was a normal level of beer on draft selections with 8 available, of which 5 were of the craft variety.   Unfortunately, the top 2 IPA keg selections had recently gone empty and had not yet been replaced so we settled on second choices which were more than adequate.  There is also a selection of 15 bottled beers of which 11 are of the craft variety.  Easy for beer lovers of any persuasion to quench their thirst!

One of the things that is nice about going out for beer in the middle of the afternoon is we get to really meet the bartender and in this case the owners of the establishment as well.  All concerned were very engaging and friendly and happy about their establishment.  We looked at the food menu and decided we would return for a meal at some near future date.  According to our bartender, the burgers are fantastic!  An additional positive about Stanley's is that it opens for breakfast at 7:00AM. Wow, beer with breakfast.  I'll definitely be back!

The bar and eating area, as well as the men's room, were immaculately clean.  This kind of cleanliness is an open invitation to return!  Terry will be back with his wife and I promise to return with someone, preferably female, and preferably in the company of Terry and Audrey.

PS: Lucky for us, this is a 5 Tuesday month!  We'll be doing this again at a new location on the 31st!!

La Piazza, Lititz, PA - Bar # 83

Today, May 3, 2016, was another enjoyable day of friendship and beer appreciation.  I, Terry, chose to drive to a Lititz sports bar (La Piazza Italian Restaurant and Sports Bar) that was a very pleasant surprise for atmosphere and selection of beers.

Initially the bar was very sparsely patronized, but right on cue as our bartender predicted, at 4:30 PM the place started to jump.  The clientele seemed to be locals getting finished with their work day and stopping for a period of relaxation before heading home.  Speaking of our bartender, very nice, well spoken and experienced young man named Kyle.  He has worked at many different establishments with, I would guess, many different experiences depending on the location.

The bar itself was a typical sports bar.  Lots of TVs, a good size bar area with plenty of high-top tables.  There was also a room that was more like a restaurant with tables and booths.  The draught beers numbered 18 with 3 of those being the usual suspects. Miller Lite, Coors Light and Yuengling Lager.  They also seemed to have a pretty good selection of bottled beer.  Everyone should be able to find something to match their palate and mood.

All in all, another great day to be Garry and me.  This retirement gig is a pretty swell deal.





Nick's Bistro - Bar # 82

This is Bar #82, Nick's Bistro, located in Marietta, PA, just a few miles from our homes and of course, still in Lancaster County.  Our objective for the end of the year is to have completed going to 100 bars without a repeat.  With 8 months left in the year, it is doable and we already have a list of places left to go to that exceeds the needed 18.  This is a very tough job but someone has to take the responsibility of sampling all of the local watering holes!

It was my turn (Garry) to drive today so I made the selection.  Nick's Bistro is a reincarnation of the very good french restaurant once known as Josephine's.  For a very short while the place was known as Wild Cherry's.  Our bartender today was a young lady named Vicki who was very outgoing and did a fine job of selling the establishment, encouraging us to make plans for a return to enjoy a meal for lunch or dinner in the near future.  As both Terry and I are in our 60's it's a safe bet that all bartenders will be younger than us and therefore "young ladies" or "young men".

We go out for the beer so here's what we found - 12 beers on tap 9 of which were "Craft" brews.  It seems that Terry is more adventurous than me so he tried a couple of beers that I felt I wouldn't care for based on the descriptions.  As no small samples were being offered, I chose not to have to force myself through 12 ounces of beer that was not thoroughly enjoyable. While what Terry chose were drinkable, he did not care for them enough to want to order a second.  The less adventurous one (me) ordered two beers that seemed like they would fall easily into the taste window that I enjoy and they exceeded my expectations. 

By today's standards, a selection of 12 draft beers is on the small side.  Nick's Bistro makes up for this by offering 53 bottled beers of which only 7 are from "major" breweries.  It was an excellent selection and anyone who likes beer will easily find something to suit their taste.

Overall, the staff we met was pleasant, the bar area was spotless, and the dining area was very clean.  There is definitely a real charm about the dining area with the very old thick timber walls and fireplaces.  Definitely suitable for a return for a weekend dinner!  Vicki did caution us that making a reservation for dinner on Friday or Saturday would be a very wise thing to do.

Funck's Restaurant and Bar, Leola - Bar # 81

Today the retirement road to beer heaven led the Beer Guys to Leola, PA.  Funck's, Leola opened a couple of months ago after extensive renovations to a former family restaurant.  The finished product is spectacular!  115 beers on tap with the complete range to please any style beer drinker.  There were only three beers that we would probably not consider, Coors Light, Miller Lite and Bud Light.  Possibly we are becoming beer snobs.

The interior reminded both Garry and me of the "Forklift and Palate" at Spooky Nook.  Lots of polished metal tables and palate wood on the walls.  A black granite bar top was a nice, rich looking touch that complimented the rest of the central room.  Everything was very tasteful.

The staff was plentiful and knowledgeable of the many, many selections of brews that comprised a potentially overwhelming wall of taps.  Our server, after taking our selection, turned and without hesitation walked directly to the appropriate tap handle on the aforementioned overwhelming wall.  That was impressive.

Overall, this is a place we would recommend and will probably return to sample the food.  They do not take reservations, but do take call ahead seating.  From what friends have told me, Funck's has been very busy during prime hours.  If you go, be prepared to wait for seating during the traditional dining hours.