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.

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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!

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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: 

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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.......

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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!

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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......

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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: 

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