Best Small-Town Bars in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

So for whatever reason you find yourself stuck in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Maybe your parents dragged you along under some misguided pretenses of rekindling the all details in your life that make parents/children feel close to one another. Right, "Close." [NOTE: otherwise known as a "family vacation"] It happens. Small town america, and more specifically Lancaster, is a culmination of unusual little towns and residents who have no real desire to ever leave them. It's confusing, sometimes closed-minded, and completely foreign to someone who comes from an urban upbringing. Anyways, so say you do happen to find yourself at a college, or vacation, or business meeting in the region and want to blend in with the favorite hometown activities. I recommend to you to do as the locals do, and the following are my recommendations for small-town bars in Lancaster, PA with character. Brendee's Café on Lemon Street in Downtown Lancaster might at first glance be what you typically think of when you think of a "dive" bar. It's half-hearted Irish themed décor, dirt engrained in the countertop, light fixtures dangling dangerously close to your head are just a few of the things that might help to portray this initial stereotype. Unexpectedly though, this place has incredible vegetarian food.

Vegan and Veggie options are hard to come by anyways in such a "meat-centric" area as Central Pennsylvania, but this place has got options and plenty of them. Great burgers, fries, hummus, wings, round out a classic American menu at a great price. Brendee's is definitely one of Lancaster's underappreciated secrets, and it's the only place to go to get drunk for under $10. Lancaster Brewing Company on the corner of Plum and Chestnut Street is surely one-of-a-kind. It's a cool, industrial micro-brewery and restaurant inside a recently gutted warehouse. This place serves up some of Lancaster's favorite signature brews such as Strawberry Wheat, Hop Hog, Red Rose Ale, and Oktoberfest. It's surprisingly never crowded, and has such a laid-back atmosphere, that you can enjoy your favorite malt beverage and converse with the diverse crowd that usually patronizes the place.

Best of all is you can take either a six pack of a growler home of any of their currently on-tap microbrews. Lancaster Dispensing Company may sound a lot like Lancaster Brewing Company which may often be why even some locals get them confused. About the only thing they have in common, though, are alcohol, so be cautious not to be disappointed. Now when I talk about hidden secrets, the Lancaster Dispensing Company is definitely hidden in plain sight. It's located between Orange and King Streets, right next to the central market, but because it isn't located on a main street, it is often missed on most tourists' radar while searching for a place to eat. Lancaster Dispensing Company, or "Dipco" as it is affectionately referred to by the locals, is a small Victorian Pub that is the kind of place you want to go to catch up with a friend you haven't seen in awhile. They usually have a band on the weekend, and unique food specials every night of the week. It's social, lively, and yet very chill. I hope these picks for small-town bars in Lancaster, Pennsylvania will help you survive your journey to Amish Country. Live as the locals do, and drink up merrily!