ADAMSTOWN TRANSFER COMPANY

1: 1998 - this was still Schmeck's 2: When the hours were limited, the bar was open when the light was on 4: The new roof (5/05) 7: The men's room hopper is up several steps - feels like sitting on a throne!! 8: One of the interesting photos that adorn the bathroom walls 9: A new sign with fancy wheels (5/05) 9: The "Closed for Vacation" sign (12/05)that signaled the end 10: Several weeks later the proof appeared out front

ATC features a guitar and amp that are always available for anyone to play. The owner played a few old Beatles tunes with only minimal urging from her customers.

[12-11-03] Stopped in to eat free peanuts (all the time). Two guys to my left were gabbing up a storm with the owner. Didn’t feel like talking politics so I ate and threw the shells on the floor and then left them to continue debating the meaning of life. This is a neat location but so far it always seems to lack zest. I wonder if the seemingly strict and well-posted no profanity rule is enforced? The commode in the men's room (women's too?) is elevated so high that anyone who sits on the thing will no doubt feel like royalty!

[3-2005] Now open 7 days a week! The food was decent, the barmaid was nice, the peanuts were fresh and we had a really good time here on a Sunday afternoon.

[12-14-2005] I received the following tip: "I have it on good authority that the Adamstown transfer company has closed and is up for sale. This is a shame as it was a fun place to drink"

[12-26-05] Hoping this wasn't true, I drove over to the ATC and found a "Closed for Vacation" sign taped to the door. This doesn't look good. I later received this information: "My buddy's sister works with the owner and she reported it was permanently closed and up for sale. So, sadly, it's fairly certain that it is closed for now"

[12-27-2005] The TAVERN light on top of ATC is indeed dark. A sad sight in Adamstown.

[6-2006] The ATC has been for sale for over 1/2 year. The asking price is $870,000. Its obvious that this property is being marketed for future housing as the ad even includes the following "Artist Rendering" of the attached building (the sewing factory).

[5-2007] The ATC appears to be back. There are new signs posted and the bar lights in the windows are lit up. An investigation follows. Follow-up: Yes, the ATC is open! My Tuesday night visit found a karaoke DJ setting for the crowd of 15 or so. The barmaid was struggling with a soda gun that wasn't working right so I couldn't really tell if she was good or bad.

$2 Lagers drop to $1.25 during happy hour. The bar opens at 7AM beginning mid week.

[8-2007] Stopped in for a quick visit with a friend. Met the owner (Kim) and was happy to find that she is personable, quite attractive and seems to have the drive to make sure that the ATC stays open for years to come.

The chicken fingers and fries (hand cut?) were tasty. Sadly, they have yet to stock Reading bottles but my Lager was an OK substitute and she said she will see about getting it into the cooler.

[10-2007] As of October 2007 I am awarding the ATC the highly coveted crown. Less than 2% of the bars listed on these pages earn this seal of approval. Here are some of the reasons why I have ordained the ATC: 1) It is classic small town bar - down a side street where only the locals would know it existed (if the large rooftop sign weren't there) 2) The decor is made up largely of beer-related memorabilia 3) The barstaff are almost always friendly and owner Kim is stunning 4) There is a guitar in the corner and anyone is welcome to start playing it at anytime 4) The floor of the barroom is below ground level and the commode sits way above floor level (sort of like some weird Alice in Wonderland setup!)

I truly like this place and as of recently they have started stocking Reading Bottles ($2.25) which the owner says have been selling really well.

For its hometown appeal, below ground location and good I am awarding The ATC the Crown of Excellence

AMERICAN BAR & GRILL
1081 N Plum Street Lancaster, PA 17601 717-394-8021
N40 03.277 W076 17.963

1: "Big Shane" and a hottie who could really move 2: Paula with her PBR!

[2-14-03] The happy atmosphere at Kelsey's inspired me to stop at the "ABG" after several months of good intentions.

In this bar, I was the sole customer for several minutes. My first impression was of the unique floor and chrome chairs in the dining room. The walls have many framed black and white photographs of patrons of the bar over the years. These pictures are more artsy than the snapshot collages that many bars throw together and slap on their walls.

Needing to donate the previous two beers, I went into their bathroom and slipped on the just-mopped floor. I almost broke my neck bouncing off the wall in a desperate effort to not fall onto the floor. The commode area of this bathroom is in a separate room that is divided by a steel fire door.

Barmaid Kristy was busy getting the place ready for the day. She tapped my lager and got me a bowl of soup (I forget what it was but it was creamy and had potatoes and bacon?) before zipping away to list the specials on boards in the bar and dining room. A very nice looking girl who was dressed in Express jeans and a cute shirt that allowed just a bit of belly to peak out, I can imagine that she probably has a loyal following. She said that they used to have live music on Sunday nights but that is no longer happening.

Several customers arrived as I finished my soup and paid my bill. The ABG was a nice place and one that I will return to .

[3-2005] Twenty-eight people surrounded the bar this Friday afternoon. All but two were male. Most munched happily on the free peanuts (shells go on the floor) while eyeballing the attractive bartender and her equally nice waitress. One customer was heard to announce, "Jeez, it's like a sausage factory in here". Yup.

[6-2005] Tuesday evening. The awesome power of karaoke and beer. This combination was fueling some good times when I arrived around 10PM. Big Shane, reportedly a regular who is fond of singing suicide songs, was belting out a tune with the hottie girl shown in the photo above. It obviously was not their first song together. That girl move and groove would have been worth any cover (there was none).

To my right was a small gaggle of tattooed women and quite possibly the toughest one was Paula. Being a rugby player didn't earn her that title - drinking a Pabst draft did. She is only the 2nd person I have witnessed drinking PBR in the last several....decades

[7-2006] A Wednesday early evening stop for the advertised 25c clams found the restaurant and bar to be pretty full. My clams arrived and were a decent size.

1: Thats what a PBR looks like. Barmaid said, "we serve a LOT of them because they are $1.50" 2: Chronic Miller Lite drinker Kelly

ANNIE BAILEYS IRISH PUB
30 East King Street Lancaster PA 17602 717-393-4000
www.anniebaileysirishpub.com

BLACK HORSE TAVERN
2170 North Reading Rd (Rt 272) Denver, PA. 17517 717-336-6555
www.blackhorselodge.com

[1-2007] Many years ago the Black Horse was one of the first places I tried when I moved here. The exterior does not adequately convey the "fancy" environment inside.

Back then I remember being floored by the $3 Yuengling Lagers. The going rate for the same beer in most other pubs was about 1/2 that. I do remember loving their homemade spicy horseradish spread for the ever-present bar pretzels.

My Sunday evening visit found one older couple eating dinner at a table in the bar as well as one man enjoying beef tips at the bar. The lovely blonde restaurant server smiled and acknowledged me when I walked through the lobby. I sat at the bar and could see the server and barmaid conversing as they waited on a food order. And I sat. And I sat.

When she finally came over I was given my $3.50 Stoudt's Gold Lager with little conversation or fanfare. Not a good first impression.

Eventually barmaid April returned and began chatting and she turned out to be as nice as she is pretty. At one point she mentioned that she has been in this line of work for 17 years and that 'back then' she was a size zero. After 5 kids she is still plenty fine enough to leave many men drooling at the bar. She just needs to work on those initial contact skills. :-)

The Black Horse truly does have "high quality wet goods at the bar" as most of the many bottles behind the bar are things I have never heard of and probably wouldn't drink. The draft beers include Lancaster Brewing Company, Stoudts, Legacy, Troegs and even Oregon Brewing Company's "Dead Guy Ale". I tried that one and it was surprisingly good. That beer came 3000 miles to grace my lips.

BLOCKHOUSE TAVERN
PO Box 188, Blue Ball, PA. 17506 717-354-5073
N40 07.129 W076 02.832

[01-28-04] Getting into this bar seems to be half the battle. With traffic whizzing down 322 and snow and ice everywhere, I parked across the street. When I walked to the front of the building there were no specific signs telling people which door to enter. The correct door is the one that takes you below ground.

[6-2005] Having to walk down to get into a bar is always a good thing in my book. The Blockhouse was nicely air conditioned as I left the muggy summer behind and went in for a cold beer. Barmaid Debbie was on duty. Sadly, she refused to be photographed. This is a shame because this 25 year old cutie has some serious good looks.

"Mom" was in the bar. She and her husband have owned this bar for 43 years. She said that before they bought it the name was "The Rathskeller" and it had been a tavern for at least two decades.

$1 drafts are a throwback to a long-gone era but they can still be found here. Debbie said all their barmaids are hotties. Stop in and check out this pub - odds are that Mom will be somewhere nearby. If you look hard enough, you can see a Tele Tubby through the door to the kitchen. I wonder what kind of sauce you get with that dish??

[3-2007] Lunchtime visit found one guy eating a meal and a kid sitting there watching a VHS of monster trucks and junk cars at the Buck. Before long a woman came down to holler at him to get ready for school. Enjoyed my $1 Yuengling and departed.

BOWMANSVILLE INN, RESTAURANT & PUB
1255 Reading Rd, Bowmansville, PA 17507
N40 11.816 W076 01.074

[1-2-2006] The "BoHo" has recently been remodeled and is pretty spic and span looking inside. On this mid-afternoon visit I got to listen to the four middle-aged chaps to my left as they discussed the times they had been hit by golf balls. I know a bunch of golfers and, while I have never asked them, I can't recall even one ever stating that he was hit by a golf ball while golfing. To listen to these guys it sounded like they had just come out of a battle in Iraq - tales of lacerated heads and faces and even of one of their friends who had been nailed "just to the side of his spine". One of the drinkers then went on to tell about how he was injured by a javelin. What the heck was he doing downrange of a javelin throw?? Either way, it was funny.

This bar is Irish-themed and has DJs and karaoke on the weekends. They had a piper for New Year's Eve 2005/2006 and apparently throw a pretty decent shindig for St Pat's Day.

A cold pint of Lager and a cup of "Lobster Bisque" set me back only $3.57. Not much more than a single lager at some places. A good deal.

[7-2008] Several people have told me tales about this bar - tales of good live music, hot barmaids, good times. On several occasions I have stopped in but never encountered anything remotely like what I have heard. This weeknight visit found the bar full and the bartender busy as people ordered their imbibements. I need to do a better job at getting folks names because he deserves to be listed here as more than "the bartender".

The guy was on top of things and obviously knew his regulars. One gentleman came in - a guy suffering from a physical disability who ambulated slower than his peers - and he wasn't even at the bar before his favorite draft was already in place.

Two women snuggled together at the video machine - arms around one another, nuzzling cheek to cheek and seductively lighting each others cigarettes. A small peck even happened. I would have bet that full fledged making out was about to happen but without any obvious cause the show stopped and my attention returned completely to the Phillies game.

At the other end of the bar was a woman in utterly unremarkable clothes - jeans and a shirt - but who was was just a teeny sliver from fulfilling the definition of stunning. As she was she was quite pretty and quite atypical of the females I have seen here.

The BoHo promotes itself as Irishy. They did have a jukebox that played Dropkick Murphys - something that many places fail to offer.

BRENDEE's CAFE
449 West Lemon Street Lancaster , PA 17603 717-397-8646
www.brendeescafe.com

[2-2007] Once in awhile I find myself going to a bar for the first time and pondering to myself why I haven't been there before. Brendee's is one of those places.

I often get to this section of Lancaster so I have no excuse. To be honest, I didn't even realize it was so close to streets I am often driving.

My mid-afternoon visit found a few people finishing up their long lunches and one woman chain smoking at the end of the bar as she sifted through a mound of business paperwork.

Before I could get 1/3 thru my Lager the barmaid was jibber-jabbering to someone about her personal woes and tribulations. I simply do not care and do not want her issues to suck the life out of me. Why am I always forced to endure audio assaults from whiny bartenders just because I want to drink a beer? Why? Why??

Brendee's seems to have the pub atmosphere down and would probably be a fun place with some cool kilted people.

[11-2007] Lancaster505 rolled into Brendee's for an off-week gathering. As is almost always the case the debauchery was lead by Evil Pete who arrived in a black suit. Amazingly enough he successfully mixed a Miller Lite, Guinness and a PBR in the short time I was there. That's a strange combo by anyone's measure.

Brendee's was a mix of frat boys, blue collar workers and a few undefinables.

Barmaid Caroline looked lovely as she worked the increasing crowd. At one point she whipped put a riding crop as a reminder to a customer that bad behavior wouldn't be tolerated. Of course Pete was soon up against the cooler and she delivered a few well deserved swats. I don't know which of them enjoyed it more.

I was happy to hear that one of the bartenders sometimes works in a kilt. My Februrary review suggested just that.

[3-2008] Starting the St Patrick's Day weekend requires me to patronize Irishy taverns. Our visit to Brendee's found people talking and mellow and getting ready for a slew of St Patty's events on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Talked with Vernon and Lisa - a nice couple about to be married, played some Dropkick Murphy's on the jukebox and had a cold Harp thanks to Lenanne. I was was surprised to find Union Barrel Works' "Wobbly Bob" on draft. That's a strong beer!

The guy who was cleaning up turned out to be owner Steve - one of the several tavern owners I have met who work a full time job and then own and operate a bar on the side. Thats a lot of work but his place is cool.

1: Newly engaged Vernon & Lisa 2: Rockin' barmaid Leanne

BRUNNERVILLE HOTEL
1301 Front St Lititz (Brunnerville), PA 17543 717-626-7300

[12-2005] I have always liked this bar and actually had a pretty good review posted here. Somehow, the writing and the first two photos vanished from the page so I will have to start fresh.

I have eaten soup and light food here a few times and it has always been tasty. The barroom is small and dark enough to fit in with Brunnerville while the adjacent dining room is bright and open enough to feel separate from the taproom.

This visit found Amy behind the bar as she scurried to get everything done for their 3PM opening. Pretty and curvy, she told me that she had been here 8 years and was the "barmaid with the butt" compared to the regular crop of young tiny barmaids. I don't recall any herd of 100 pounders being here during the times when I have stopped in but I will take her word for it.

Before long a male patron stopped in and Amy was soon politely but sternly telling him that his recent flagging was serious and that she would serve him only if he agreed to stay clear of everything but beer. I guess this didn't agree with him as he was shortly out the door. She seemed genuinely sad at having to admonish a "customer of 8 years" but seemed equally serious about her obligation to ALL the patrons to keep people in order.

I enjoyed an interesting conversation with a chap across the bar as he related his favorite taverns - all in Lancaster and none I can remember except the Dough Boy and O'Halloran's. I wish I could remember his name other than "The Mole" which I heard him use during a barside phone call.

The Brunnerville Hotel isn't grand but it isn't shabby either. Just a nice little watering hole in a small country town.

[3-2007 - Reviewer: A&W] This is one of my favorite places. Most any day of the week or time of the day there is a friendly group of people. Good place to unwind after work on a Friday. Bar tender Mary Ann always has a smile and welcome for everyone. It has the old-time bar appearance. There is a cast-iron contraption hanging on the back wall, if anyone knows what it is please explain it to me. The deck opens the end of May and is a wonderful, relaxing spot to enjoy a meal and/or cold beverage. Wednesday is wing night and seems to be very popular at the B-ville.

[1-2005] Chancey's was a chance stop. I had never heard of this place but was thirsty after an afternoon of hiking. The dimly lit restaurant area was empty but about ten males sat around the bar.

The barmaid soon appeared and tapped a $2.50 Lager (during what is normally Happy Hour). She quickly vanished without further comment while several other female staff members lingered at the end of the bar. Their time was largely taken up with idle chit chat and stabbing olives from the condiment container and then munching on them themselves.

The lack of positive atmosphere prompted me to depart after the lone beer. Nobody said goodbye or thank you which validated my decision to leave no tip.

CHERRY'S BACK ALLEY BAR & GRILL
320 North Cherry Street Lancaster, PA 17602 717-293-9597

COCALICO TAVERN (formerly Albert's Tavern)
1015 North Reading Rd (Rt272) Stevens, PA 17578 717-336-9936

[2004] The Cocalico Tavern is the "anti-Cheers". They may know all the names of their regulars but if you aren't one of them they don't care about your name or you. This is the place where a non-regular could have his heart explode while seated at a table and nobody would notice until they were closing up for the night and wondered why the guy was still sitting in the corner.

Every single time I have been in here I have encountered barmaids who epitomize the term 'beeeee-atch'. Even when a group of us were here one time and spend well over $100 in food we didn't get interaction worthy of noting here. Their marquee once advertised "Come in and see so and so". Why?

The digital jukebox is cool and their food was pretty good. This place would have great potential if they got help that had personalities. But they don't and there are plenty of other pubs that will more happily accept my cash.

[3-2006] Another gathering at the Cocalico Tavern on a Sunday afternoon. The 5 patrons at the bar included the AM barmaid who had been sitting there since her shift ended. Before long they left and we had the bar to ourselves. Today's barmaid was nice but not overly interested. Our small but merry group had a good time playing pool, tunes on the jukebox and eating wings (pretty tasty).

The downstairs bathrooms might be a tad tricky to negotiate if you had one beer to many but they add interest to this pub.

[5-2007] Albert Faiola, previous owner, has passed away. The obituary that ran in the Ephrata Review is posted below.

CONESTOGA RESTAURANT & BAR
1501 East King Street Lancaster, PA. 17602 717-393-0290

[7-2006] Lancaster's bar by the Conestoga River served me a $2.25 pint of Lager that was icy cold and very fresh. Delicious. Maybe I am living in the past but draft beers >$2 seem expensive to me. Either way, it was tasty.

I watched a lady pull up in a big car and park in the NO PARKING spot in front of the ice machine. I assumed by the style of car and way she entered that she was an owner. As I was drinking my Yuengling she paraded through the bar carrying a cute baby boy. Grandson I guess.

[9-2005] Dad's was "Plan B" after bailing from Chancey's. My hiking buddy said that Dad's was known as a gay bar. This surprised me as its location on main street Manheim didn't seem like the likely spot for a bar of this type.

The comment may have been validated by the rainbow Bud Lite neon sign in the window.

The bartender greeted us with a smile and a hello. This place was instantly better than Chancey's because of this. Sadly, the Lager drafts were again $2.50 - high even in this age of outrageous beer taxes. Lagers are $1 during Monday night football and all day Wednesdays.

The owner was milling around as the pierced tongue'd bartender explained that Dad's actually has 4 bars including a dance club in the basement. The inside was well decorated and interesting.

Dad's is a decent bar. If it is a gay bar they didn't mind straight folks hanging around. A nice place.

[7-2006] Quick stop on a Sunday night. Only customers were about 7 or 8 guys. Mainly playing pool or just hanging over their beers. Nobody holding hands or dressed like the Village People. The bartender stopped his pool shooting to get me my $1.75 Lager. Friendly guy. He did make a White Russian for the fellow next to me - a good bit of Stoli so it was probably worth the $6. Drank a single beer and left. The bartender said goodbye. Something most places don't bother with anymore.

[2-2007] I am still not sure how to classify Dad's or if I know exactly how many bars are in there. Its seems there are 4: Dad's itself with the street access is a typical small-town dive bar. The Dawg House is a country bar. The 3rd one is a gay bar and the one downstairs is the specialty place where the themes like swingers and goth nites are held.

This report is based on the inaugural 4th Friday goth night. Somehow it is called Club Shadowland and/or ClubSexyCool.

The manager is Steffani who apparently is a stripper and swinger. She was surprisingly tiny and surprisingly nice as was ( nice) her tall and long-locked boyfriend/husband.

DJ Kiltboy played the music (industrial) and at least 3/4 of the people were in black. Several danced. Beers were $2 which I thought was reasonable given the location ($5 cover). Not a bad turnout for their first attempt.

Waitresses were in skimpy attire and pasties, some people were playing pool and some were just socializing in small groups. A few guys wore kilts.

[8-2007] The downstairs bar and open area will no longer be the home of goth/swingers/etc nights and will revert to its more vanilla previous entity of just a dance place.

4. The view from the parking lot. This old factory will soon be torn down or fall down

[4-2005] Dietz's was recently a convenient stop to check my suddenly contrary car. Of course it takes a few minutes for it to cool enough to be worked on so I HAD to go inside for a beer while I waited.

The lit sign has changed and now advertises the bar as "Nicky" Dietz's. My assumption that Nicky is the daughter of the owner was correct.

The tavern's interior is decorated in sportsman motif - based partly on its role as hangout for the many local fisherman and partly on recognition of the hunting heritage the area. A mounted deer and bear adorn the walls as well as framed 8x10's of past successful kills.

Nicky is a pleasant looking woman with a dark tan whose ankle tattoo peaked out on the day of my visit. She was quick to refill the mugs but obviously was not in the mood for questions from the crazy or half-drunk traveling salesman ("I'm not from this area"). She did explain that the original bar was started in 1925 and then was removed when the Rt 30 highway project was built. The present building has been there since 1970.

I liked the breeze that blew through the open doors on opposite sides of the room. The endless roar of traffic on the highway was easily forgotten. When the salesman's next question was met with a curt reply, he turned to me for sympathy and remarked, "Jeez, it was just a question". Not wanting to be marked as siding with the non-local, I finished my beer and departed while Nicky chatted in the far corner with an old-timer.

DENVER HOUSE
240 Main Street Denver, PA 17517 717-336-6355
N40.2314 W076.1354

[08-2004] The Denver House doesn't look like much from the outside. Until a few years ago it was also sort of a nursing home for old veterans. The vets would frequently wander down to the bar to eat, drink or use the bathroom. I guess the owners got sick of them because one day they were no longer there. This bar opens early and close late (early?). They have music once in awhile and the stamped tin on the inside is as original as the ancient wooden bar.

[02-2005] Some sort of cafe/sandwich shop has opened on the Main Street side - right next to the bar's dining room entrance.

[05-2005] The Denver House has been closed. A small paper sign on the door says it is closed for renovation but the rumor is that a drunk crashed his care and sued them. Supposedly a sale was pending which I assume is now off.

[07-2005] The orange PLCB placard is in the window of the Denver House. I do not know if it is still there from the pending sale before the lawsuit or if there is a pending action. Time will tell.

[8-2005] A worker has torn all the old asphalt shingles off the side of the building. The wooden boards below them are now clearly visible. I asked if he knew if the business would reopen as a taproom and he replied, " I have no idea what they are going to do with it".

[1-2006] The Denver House has reopened. The outside of the building looks worse than ever but it appears that all the windows have been replaced with modern storm windows. New posters are tacked onto the whitewashed outside - 6packs,Yuengling specials. Hours 3P-11P daily. The bar looks the same when looking through the windows and the mirror proclaims: DENVER HOUSE - UNION STATION.

[2-2006] While drinking my $1.50 Happy Hour Yuengling draft I got the chance to talk to the no-nonsense manager. She works for a technology company whose subsidiary is involved in property management. They often purchase and remodel old hotels. One of their recent projects was the Penn-Werner in Wernersville.

The backroom now has couches, video games and a pool table. When the liquor license transfer is approved they hope to have a full menu as well as live music.

[12-2006] Festive. The inside of the Denver House in December could best be described as festive. There is something timeless about this saloon - with its large wood bar, openly iced beer lines and stamped metal ceiling.

[10-2007] If you want a Lager - order the $2.25 bottle instead of the $2.75 draft. Don't ask me why. I don't know. Don't ask the barmaid. She doesn't know either. The owner has set the pricing and it is what it is. I prefer bottled beer anyway. :p

[8-10-04] When the Dirty Ol' Tavern was built, the customers most likely arrived by a vehicles with horsepower - power from real horses. It's hard to imagine thirsty people slowly meandering into this tavern by horse when you watch today's traffic on 222 scream by so fast they look like blurs.

I would be disappointed if a place named the Dirty Ol Tavern were too shiny, new and clean and I am not disappointed here. The bar welcomes bikers and has it menu displayed on the typical taproom letter board only these letters are big enough that a legally blind man could read them. No problem seeing what to order from across the room. I have had their roast beef sandwich on Kaiser several times and it is always excellent.

The Lancaster County Chapter of ABATE of PA meets here once a month - either in their retro-looking dining room (I'm not sure if they ever actually serve meals here on a regular basis or not) or downstairs in a newer meeting room.

The official t-shirt is black and has a back logo of a lighthouse, the bar name and "Booze Point Landing" because kayakers and canoeists supposedly stop here for drinks.

The barmaids are usually cute in a biker-chick kind of way and are always attentive. When you leave the place you have to make a left and go south on 222 before hitting the turn around to shoot you back into the city.

[11-2007] It's been years since I was in Dolly's. I know I had a review for it but it somehow got lost. I remember about ten years ago their small pilsner-glass drafts were 80cents.

My daytime visit found a few souls sitting in the dark room that is the main bar area. The inside is exactly as I remember it when last visited. The two funniest things about Dolly's are the chair suspended upside down from the ceiling and the fact that the bathrooms are actually added on to the main building. When I asked one of the female customers about them she acted like I was a complete goombah - apparently never having noticed that just because the doors were flush with the main wall but the actual privy was outside.

[5-2006] The Dutchmaid's outside tiki bar was one of the first places I drank a beer at when I loved to Lancaster County over ten years ago. The outside area was much smaller than it is now - just the main hut if I remember correctly. At that point there were no outside bathrooms and you had to go indoors to take a leak.

Violating the first rule of safe drinking, I left a partially consumed beer at my place and when in and took care of things. Soon after drinking the rest of the beer I started getting dizzy, could not see straight and felt like I was going to get even sicker. I miraculously made it home on the Harley before spending two days lying on the bathroom floor - praying to die.

When I recovered it was obvious that someone had gotten their jollies by putting something in my beer.

That painful memory stayed with me so vividly that I have only returned in the past year or so.

The parking lot was full as I rode in on a warm Saturday night. At least 20 motorcycles were parked around the perimeter of the compound and I was lucky to find a seat at the tiki bar that was the scene of the crime. The wait staff was generally young and tanned and even some of the cooks look hip. The pace was packed and the food that was going by looked tasty. The male barkeep made an impressive looking drink that began with him squeezing oranges into juice. I don't know what it was but I do know it was fresh.

My Yuengling bottle was $2.25 but I think the girl next to me's shot was $3.75 - if so, it was overpriced as it was served in a tiny plastic cup.

This would be a fun place to go with a group of friends - as long as you keep an eye of your drinks and your bikes.

[6-2006] The barmaid in the tiki bar was hot. Tall, tanned, blonde and wearing summer clothes that showed a lot of her browned epidermis. Sort of like a less emaciated Paris Hilton. Unfortunately, she didn't seem very friendly. She didn't even say hello or smile. But, I guess enough guys leave big tips (like the goofus beside me who left $3 for two beers) that she doesn't have to be bothered by being personable.

[3-2007 - Reviewer: A&W]- A few years ago I visited the deck at the Dutch Maid in the summer but the bar itself had a bad reputation. Last year friends invited me there the night before Thanksgiving and then is when I saw the significant changes they have made. Recently I decided to return on a night that wasn’t so well known for partying. The parking isn’t the greatest. Upon entering I quickly realized all barstools were occupied so we sat at a table. The blonde barmaid was very friendly and even stepped from behind the bar to take our order, something not seen in a lot of places. She also honored my request of changing the channel of the closet TV so I could watch a hockey game. The Maid patrons were a good mix of people in their early 20’s to more life experienced citizens. The barmaid continued with good service throughout the evening and was even sassy enough to keep one of the regulars in line.

[5-11-2007] A fire has consumed the Dutchmaid's outdoor bar but the remainder of of the deck and outside drinking areas have been saved. The Lancaster Intelligencer Journal reports:

END ZONE SPORTS BAR
45 West High Street Elizabethtown, PA 17022 717-367-7129

[09-2005] The name "Frogtown" comes from the former official name of this village. Terry owns this nice country tavern. My mid-week noon-time visit found the bar empty with the exception of the attractive brunette barmaid who was intently flipping the TV channels in an effort to find the weather.

$1.50 draft mugs. The barmaid didn't know the history of the giant safe in the back of the bar and stated that Terry may have bought it or it may have been there before that. That covers all the bases!

[12-16-03] Finishing a semester of A&P2 certainly requires a celebration. The "locals" suggested the Fulton so the Fulton it was. Nine of us hit this bar just after lunch of a Tuesday. We took over the tiny backroom and soon the pitchers of Lager were being set on the ledge between the room and the bar. In spite of having several customers at the bar, the lone barmaid (Barb) provided excellent service. I ordered a fajita-like thing (I cant remember the exact name of it for the life of me) which was EXCELLENT. The wing and shrimp specials started at 3P so we ordered steamed shrimp as well. The shrimp arrived without red cocktail sauce and Barb looked kind of confused when I asked for some. She said "they have BBQ sauce on them". This set my well-honed shrimp evaluating sense into warning mode. I am a steamed shrimp purist - cook them in beer and Old Bay without ruining them with funky, unconventional sauces. Tasting the first one made me completely rethink everything I have ever learned in 36 years of shrimp-eating. These were the very best steamed shrimp I have ever had. The sauce was amazing and they were cooked to perfection. The entire shrimp, including the meat in the tail, slid out with just a slight tug of the mouth. They were spicy without being harsh and the sauce has a unique blend of seasonings. I will have dreams about these shrimp!

The combination of good friends, food ,atmosphere and beer made for a very nice first visit to the Fulton. Highly recommended!

[2-28-03] Booked the backroom of the Fulton for a social gathering of an organization.. About 16 people stuffed into the backroom for a feeding frenzy of clams, hot dogs, wings and beer. The service was excellent, the food was great and we drank enough Yuengling Lager that they ran out! Seriously. So, they offered us whatever beer we wanted at the same price and I told her to tap whatever was normally most expensive. We ended up with something Canadian I think.

[3-2006] Realtor Marilyn Berger of Berger Real Estate lists the Fulton in their March newsletter. "Well-known historic restaurant with plenty of off-street parking. Excellent local reputation and great location. Sale includes all equipment and licenses" No price listed.

[3-2006] "The New But Original Fulton Bar & Restaurant. An icon of Lancaster city. Under new ownership. Wide variety and upgraded quality foods, beer, liquor, refreshments and music in a friendly environment. Great food and great drink at great prices!"

[1-2007] "The new but original" Fulton looked unchanged when I stopped in for a lunchtime snack. Same interior, same menu and same barmaid as the last time I was here almost one year ago. Not that this is a bad thing as the inside of the Fulton is pretty welcoming. Barmaid Barbara is always quick to greet every customer and seems pretty efficient at her job. My Lager pint and 25 steamed shrimp totaled $10 - a bargain when you calculate in the sanctuary this bar was on a bitter cold winter's day.

Two guys next to me were jabbering about life and even turned to tell me two bad jokes. I laughed several times at their comments to each other including, "well, you remember how the cavemen used to just kill whatever they wanted and use the skins" ( in response to PETA and their anti-fur coat campaign ), and " the Romans used to have a whole faggot army - homosexuals who brought their lovers and they were tough - killing every man, woman and child they came up against". Nooo idea what sparked that comment but I almost spewed beer when I heard it.

One of the neon lights near the bar reads, GENNY, not something you see very often especially this far south in PA.

[3-2005] This bar is a winner - an unexpected treasure. This warm and inviting taproom has been around in one form or another since right after WWII. The Green Briar definitely has a Cheers - like atmosphere. Sitting across from the back of the new Lancaster Barnstormers field has been a detriment now as the pub has lost its leased parking lot (the former Ace Rents property). I surely hope that this changes when the games begin because it would be a shame if Bubba's fails to become a baseball hangout.

I loved watching the staff vanish underground through the cellar door that sits right behind the bar. I couldn't help but wonder what mysteries exist down there - a man's dream - an underground bunker filled with food and beer!

Barmaid Angie is fantastic at her job after 12+ years here. When your cold beer becomes empty it will not sit long before she swoops down and fills it up. Most certainly one of the best barmaids in Lancaster County.

I asked the owner why this is called what it is. The name Green Briar was put in place by the previous owner. When they bought it (1990?) they kept the name. Their grandson (short, 9.5#s at birth and given the nickname Bubba) grew up to be 3 or 4 and questioned his Pap why his name wasn't on the sign since he was told this was all his. His grandfather quickly answered the tot's question by changing the sign!

Even though this was my first visit people talked to me and I even got a 2005 calendar magnet giveaway - just like the regulars. Good digital jukebox with a ton of honky-tonk music on it - sadly though, this jukebox has fallen prey to the disease that many have - expensive music. At two credits for $1 I'm not playing some of the more modern tunes that require both credits.

Halfway through my beer sampling I was joined by sisters Marilyn and Evelyn. They drink Bud because E finds Yuengling Lager to be too dark. I suggested Y Premium (on draft) so maybe they will someday support the local guy!! :-) M works the difficult job of MH/MR and E is a cable "guy". Interesting!

No Guinness here but there will be an Irish event on St Patrick's Day around 9A. Expect a piper, green beer and giveaways.

Bubba's is a well-kept, seemingly well-run local bar that opens at 7AM, is motorcycle friendly and is well-worth checking out.

[11-2007] The tenth was lancaster505.com night at Halls. This is the only bar in Lancaster to serve Reading beer.

As with most 505 events, the party machine is slow to get rolling but when it is rolling - LOOK OUT! :p

There were probably 50+ 505'ers on this Wednesday night - enjoying $2 Readings (keep the glass) with $1 refills.

[2-2008] I stopped in on a snowy weekday afternoon - finding a few souls hunkered over their beers and a sequel to a classic movie on the TV. Hall's is small and cozy (for the lack of a more manly word that means the same thing). I enjoyed my favorite beer - a cold Reading.

The guy next to me kept eyeballing me and my mind was thinking that all this eyeballing is getting old. Its happened to me at about 5 of the last 7 bars I have been to. Before long he comes out and asks me what I can see was on his mind for a beer or two - wondering if I am an undercover cop or PLCB agent. Man, this is getting OLD. ( see Jack's under the Berks County page ).

I don't have to tell anyone in a bar anything about me I don't want to. But I also don't like being shunned because of some perception of me based on my good looks or short hair. He soon left and the bartender poo-poo'd his nonsense away.

No harm done. I enjoyed talking with the barkeep about flying and aviation. Always a topic I enjoy.

[1-2007] Helen's has always been dimly light and very smoky. Today was no exception. My $1.25 lunchtime Lager was in the company of about 2 dozen male and 3 female patrons.

The fellow next to me struck up a conversation that turned to the military and the war and 9/11. As we both finished up at the same time he told me he wanted me to meet his wife. She was sitting with their dog in their car in the back lot. I walked out and said hello and bid them both a great weekend. Its always nice to meet genuinely friendly people.

[1-29-2004] It's been at least five years since I was at the Hideaway. I remember that I had a good time the last time I was there so I am not really sure why it has taken me so long to return. Heather and I met DOAS there and sat on the far right of the bar. A very drunk biker was being loud and opinionated at the other end so our spot turned out to be a wise choice. The barmaid was also named Heather and a very nice surprise to find. Her body matched her nice personality and she was as attentive to us and the 1/2 dozen regulars who she sees all the time.

The jukebox was free and loaded with enough classic rock to keep Heather happy and enough DAC, Hank Jr & Toby Keith to make me happy. The beers were cold and only $1 each. The 5/$1 vodka cherries were completely soaked in booze. If you smoked and put one of these in your mouth you risked bursting into flames! The worst part of the evening was the discovery that they don't serve food "over the winter".

[9-2004] The Hideaway is one of my favorite bars because it has character and the barmaids give the same attention to infrequent customers as they do their many regulars. The present owner runs a ship that is tight enough to insure a nice atmosphere without being too stodgy.

On a sunny afternoon I went for a ride on my Harley. I stopped to fuel up and rode for about an hour before finding myself in Lititz.. The Hideaway is very dark when you walk down into it. The attractive barmaid ( who had worked there just one week at this time) asked for my order and I requested a Lager. As I reached into my pack to get money, I realized the wallet was missing. Gone. This sucks but it sucks even more when your cold beer is sitting in front of you and you are looking very stupid.

But, two of the customers quickly offered to pay - both saying they had 'been there' and knew how much it sucked. I thanked the guy, drank the beer, and went to find my missing item. When I did find it (lying in a road where I had stopped to take a photograph) I made a beeline back to the Hideaway and returned the dollar to the generous guy (who turned out to be the barmaid's husband).

[8-2005] One of the best "rules" for writing tavern reviews is to not read other reviews. Someone else's opinions could easily influence your own.

AFTER I checked out Jack's on a very hot summer day, I came across several online reviews and ALL of them echoed the same thoughts I had: good food and terrible service.

My 1:30PM visit found the all-male clientele watching sports on the numerous TVs while drinking what seemed to mainly be national brand beers. My barmaid was a cute young (college student?) female who tapped a Lager and asked if I wanted to start a tab. I replied that a tab would be fine and that I would like to see a menu. I quickly decided on the steak sandwich (made with genuine sirloin) and closed the menu.

This is where the bad service began. She never returned to take my order and was actually MIA for more than ten minutes at 2 separate instances. Finally, a 2nd barmaid came over and took the order. The original girl was preoccupied with standing on the far outside of the bar so she could fill sodas from the drink gun.

	The crown. The mark of royalty. This symbol denotes a tavern with an overall excellence that exceeds the norm.
	The foamy mug marks a specific feature that is noteworthy.
	Normally when a bar goes out of business the location will never again house a tavern. Often the liquor license is sold to a distant entity. The phoenix marks pubs that have defied the odds and reopened after having been silenced.
	Not every pub that says its Irish is Irish but the ones that are and the ones that have great St Patrick's Day events will be identified with this brand.
	I don't know why I love bars that make you walk DOWN or UP to get to them or their bathrooms. I just do!
	The screw. The sign of gross injustice or disservice. AmericanTom believes that people go to their local watering hole to escape their day to day grind and troubles. In a way, servers and barkeeps are like actors - orchestrating a great play whose cast are their customers. Some of the things that can generate a screw are: great disparity between how regulars and visitors are treated, rudeness or utter incompetence.
	Most businesses have a neutral attitude toward motorcyclists. The HD logo marks taverns that openly welcome those who arrive on scooters.
	Inflation sucks. It sucks away your buying power. If you can still buy a beer for one dollar - you will see this sign.
	Seafood is a class of food all by itself. Clams have little competition - few foods are better when done well and few foods can cause more problems when improperly served. See the clam next to a bar's name and it shows where tasty clams have been enjoyed!
	I like Reading, PA. In spite of being Pennsylvania's most dangerous city there are a lot of cool things to do here. One of the best is that "our" beer is back. You can have your big, national (and often foreign-owned) brands. I am happy that Old Gus has come home! Taverns serving this delicious brew will have this icon.
	Have a cold one on the deck!
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