1. Checkers Bistro
City: Lancaster, PA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (717) 509-1069
Address: 300 W. James St.
Insider Pick:
Description: This Euro casual-cool spot is where I meet friends for some good food, wine, and a chat. We often share a bunch of small plates (tamale with lobster and shrimp, Moroccan lollipop lamb chops), but I’ve never been disappointed when I ordered any of the luxury pizzas and regular entrees.
2. FENZ
City: Lancaster, PA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (717) 735-6999
Address: 398 Harrisburg Ave.
Insider Pick:
Description: Pure comfort food, including a super-delicious meat loaf with mac and cheese and ricotta-stuffed ravioli with stewed wild mushrooms.
3. John J. Jeffries
City: Lancaster, PA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (717) 431-3307
Address: 300 Harrisburg Ave.
Description: Okay, so triple-filtered water may be a little pretentious and it tastes like—water. But this restaurant and its executive chef/owners have their hearts in the right place. Housed in a late-19th-century tobacco warehouse, this dining spot focuses on local, seasonal, and sustainable ingredients prepared simply and elegantly.
4. Lancaster Brewing Co.
City: Lancaster, PA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (717) 391-6258
Address: 302 N. Plum St.
Description: This former late-19th-century warehouse-turned-brewery makes liberal use of its blockbuster beers in the preparation of dinner entrees such as milk stout meat loaf and ale-battered fish-and-chips.
5. Lemon Grass Thai Restaurant
City: Lancaster, PA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (717) 295-1621
Address: 2481 Lincoln Hwy. East
Insider Pick:
Description: Hot or not, the choice is up to you. If it’s tongue-tingling you’re after, order the Evil Jungle Princess; if not, go for the Angel Breast. Extensive vegetarian menu, too. Open daily for lunch and dinner.
6. The Pressroom
City: Lancaster, PA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (717) 399-5400
Description: The building might be a 250-year-old Queen Anne, but inside the ambience is comfy and clubby with its mahogany decor, booths and banquettes, and open hearth kitchen. Dinners range on the high side—a number are over $30—but the lunch sandwiches, named after newspaper comics characters, are all under $10.
7. RACHEL’S CAFE & CREPERIE
City: Lancaster, PA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (717) 399-3515
Address: 309 N. Queen St.
Insider Pick:
Description: There’s nothing better on a nice day than to grab a sweet or savory crepe to go at Rachel’s, so you can fuel up while you window shop your way through downtown Lancaster.
8. Strawberry Hill Restaurant
City: Lancaster, PA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (717) 393-5544
Address: 128 W. Strawberry St.
Description: If you’re passionate about wine, this late-19th-century vintage Victorian is a don’t-miss destination. The award-winning list features more than 1,000 selections. The food is top-notch, too, with its fresh takes on seasonal (and local whenever possible) ingredients.