Trails to Ales Brewery
1270 Liberty St.
Franklin, PA 16323
(814) 346-0147

The brewery craze strikes everywhere !!
Trails to Ales is a brewpub on the main drag of downtown Franklin, PA.
The 145-year old structure boasts tin ceilings, brick walls, and wooden floors...all original.
The bar area is in one narrow but deep storefront. The kitchen is way to the back, the long bar which seats 25 is next and scattered tables are in front. There are booths along the opposite wall.
The entire front of the ediface is open to the elements (weather permitting). Part of the forward wall is knocked out so that one can see the brewing operation in the next storefront.
Trails to Ales has 14 of their beers on tap as well as a small Crowler machine to enable one to have any of their products to go.
Not much food...flatbreads and salads.

Ever Grain Brewing Company
4444 Carlisle Pike
Camp Hill, PA 17011
(717) 525-8222

Ever Grain Brewing is a brewpub in the Harrisburg suburb of Camp Hill.
Very spacious and warehousey they have seating for nearly 200 plus about 30 at their long bar.
There are 15 of their own beers on tap and a small kitchen for pub grub.
During this Questor's visit the venue was very crowed with many children.
A good time was had by all.

Sterling Pig
609 W State St.
Media, PA 19063
(484) 444-2526

Sterling Pig is a brewpub in Media, PA., specializing in Bar-B-que.
In their own words, Sterling Pig say they " bring local flavor and elevated pub favorites to the Baltimore Pike."
The street entrance leads to the bar which fills up most of that level, seating over 20.
The parking lot entrance comes into the 2nd floor which is a cozy dining room containing about 15 tables with the kitchen in plain sight.
They have 9 of their own beers on tap...5 regular and 4 seasonal, with mostly German styles as well as several IPA's.
The beers were good - and so was the food, and not expensive.

If you did not drink your fill of Sterling Pig brews on site, you can take home a growler.

Spoonwood Brewing Company
5981 Baptist Road
Bethel Park, PA  15236
(412) 833-0333

Spoonwood is a new stand-alone brew pub in a newly developed area of Pittsburgh. The bar is in one corner of the large room.
The rest of the area is filled with tables big and small, seating over 200.
Overhead doors open to a patio in the rear which also has a small stage for live performances.
Spoonwood was particularly crowded at the time of our visit - a Thursday evening at 7:00.
The owner rearranged some people at a great table to squeeze our party in.
Spoonwood offers 10 beers on tap.
The beer is brewed in a separate section visible behind the bar.
The food is what one would expect and not too pricey.
When chatting over a Questor Card, the owner asked about the beer. I responded that the Rye IPA was good, but that the Kolsch wasn't "Kolschy". His response was that they "had missed the mark on that one" !!

Warehouse Gourmet
Bistro & Brew Pub
7 Pennsylvania Avenue Hanover, PA
717.451.9898

Warehouse Gourmet is one of the four breweries now operating in the sleepy little Pennsylvania town of Hanover.
The warehouse itself, in its over 100 years of service, has seen duty as ribbon factory, a cigar factory, and a furniture factory, to name a few.
The Bistro, which is downstairs, seats about 45 customers, and serves handmade dishes including soups, sandwiches, and desserts.
Upstairs at the Pub, Warehouse Gourmet pours 8 of their homemade beers ranging from Rye, Baby, Rye to the potent Imperial Leggy Blonde.
As of the time of this article, the Summer of 2015, Hanover boasts 4 breweries and all four are well worth visiting.

Black Forest Brewery
301 W Main St
Ephrata, PA 17522
(717) 450-7217

The Black Forest Brewery is a small brewpub in Ephrata, PA.
It seems that in another life the building had been a two car garage behind a stately home on Main Street. Redone, the building has a small brewing area in the rear and a small bar area in the front.
The bar itself seats 8, and another dozen can sit at tables.
There is also a bar rail along the front wall.
Black Forest has several of their own beers on tap; tasty and not expensive.
The Black Forest repertoire includes a pale ale, amber, IPA, stout, and strong Belgian.
Aside from serving beer and wine, Black Forest offers snacks, appetizers, soup, and several sandwiches.
If you are planning a trip, check your schedule...Black Forest is open 4 days per week.

Columbia Kettle Works
40 North 3rd Street
Columbia, PA 17512
717-342-2374

Columbia Kettle Works is a brewpub in downtown Columbia, PA.
If you are driving on Route 30 from York to Lancaster, Columbia is the town on the right just after you cross the mighty Susquehanna River.
CCW's space is one narrow storefront that isn't too deep. The brewing equipment is along the left wall.
The bar separates that space from the drinking area, and seats about 10 patrons who can sip their beer and gaze at the brew works.
Several round tables can seat 25-30 guests in the middle of the tap room, and there is a leaning shelf along the wall opposite the bar.

They serve several of their own beers, and there are as many as 8 on tap.
The beer is tasty and not expensive.
CCW also offers a menu with a number of tasty sandwiches, appetizers, and other snacks.
We considered listing Columbia Kettle Works as a microbrewery, but decided to call it a brewpub because of its menu...'tho is is only open 3 days per week.

Wyndridge Farm Brewing
885 S Pleasant Ave.
Dallastown, PA 17313
(717) 244-9900

Wyndridge Farm is a restaurant near Dallastown, PA.
They are the home of the Winding Path Brewery.
The bar and restaurant are part of a sprawling catering venue quite a distance from town.
There are no signs identifying the place, but being rather isolated it is easy to find...a big new building with a very large parking lot.
One enters into a large hallway.
The catering venue is to the right, the restaurant to the left, with a large courtyard separating them.
The restaurant has a very large bar at it's center.
There are no partitions or walls so the area seems quite spacious, especially because of the open kitchen to the left. The brewing operation is visible in a room in the back.
They have about 20 taps.
This could be misleading to a Questor as Wyndridge also brews their own cider and has several local wines on tap.
On the day of our visit, they had six beers. They were out of several others. The beer was tasty and not expensive.

Pocono Brewing Company
2092 Pennsylvania 611
Swiftwater, PA 18355
(570) 839-3230

Deep in the ski country of Eastern Pennsylvania, the Pocono Brewing Company brewpub has a ski lodge motif.
The main door opens to a vestibule containing a hostess stand. To the right is a bright, windowed, sunny dining area; to the left a darker bar area.
To the rear of the bar is a very large dining room often used as a comedy club, that seats several hundred with a large balcony.
To the rear of the Comedy Club is an expansive outdoor bar and patio area. Pocono makes five of their own beers and has 25 guest taps, mostly B M/C. Although the beer was good and food portions large, everything was quite expensive.

Al's of Hampden/Pizza Boy Brewery
2240 Millenium Way
Enola, PA 17025
717-728-3840

Al's of Hamden is a... oh wait...you think you think you've been there already...maybe, maybe not...the new Al's of Hamden is across the street, and much improved.
Al's of Hamden is a brewery that makes pizza. The brewing operation, Pizza Boy, is quite extensive and takes up half the new building.
The rest of the space will remind you of the previous Al's; pizza equipment way off to the right, a vary large central seating area. The seating area has about 20 tables as well as two large German-style common tables with a very large bar on two sides. The food is the same pizza and deli stuff, but the beer will overwhelm the Questor.
Al's has about 15 of their house beers, Pizza Boy, on tap, as well as 85 guest beers. The guest beers include eight taps of DuClaw and ten of Troegs which rotate among themselves, and many beers from the local area.
All are available in growlers.
They still have a large cooler of good beers as well as the make your own six pack deal and many good bombers.

Timber Creek Tap & Table
11191 Highline Drive
Meadville, Pa 16335
814-807-1005

Timber Creek is a brewpub on the outskirts of Meadville, PA.

It's located in a new stand-alone building that has lots of parking.
The entrance walkway takes one up to a patio area near the doorways. To the right is the restaurant. Inside is like so many corporate eateries of today; booths around the outside, tables in the middle, and a modest sized bar.

Back out on the patio, one should turn left and go into the bar. It's a large enough space, but one's eyes are drawn to the floor...the brewing operation is visible below through the glass surface !!
They have five full time beers on tap as well as two seasonals, all of which seemed true to style and quite good.

The food came in large portions, was good, and not expensive.
They also have bombers to go.

Voodoo Brewing Company
215 Arch Street
Meadville, PA 16335

The Brewpub at VooDoo in downtown Meadville, PA, is an outlet for the VooDoo brewery. It's across the street from the Post office in an otherwise beatup neighborhood, in a long but narrow storefront.
To the right side, the bar is quite long, and in the center of the room is a great table. Some couches up front but not much else.
They have about 10 beers on draft in many styles.
Voodoo fills growlers, but one must bring their own as they have none to sell.
They also offer 12 oz. bottles and/or bombers of their full-time beer.
The draft beers are served from what appears to be very old Coke refrigerators modified like kegorators.
The beer list is on a chalk board opposite the bar.
The food menu is not printed as it changes often, but the chalkboard list seemed very eclectic.
They age of the crowd ranged from young to old, all enjoying their beer.

South County Brewing
170 Crossway Drive
York, PA 17402
717-714-5270

South County presents a huge dining room with a ski lodge feel.
Several communal tables and 2 dozen regular tables are flanked by a bar with roughly 20 seats. In the loft area there is additional tables and seating, though it wasn't open at the time of our visit. A large outdoor bar area is open in the warmer months that can seat another 30-40 people. 
South County had 20+ beers on tap with a good variety of styles. The brewery operation can be seen through huge glass windows along the dining room. 

Mexitaly
2440 E. Market St .
York , PA 17402
phone: (717) 600-8226

If you enjoy brick oven pizza, monster burritos, and tacos, and don't mind washing it down with craft beer brewed on premise, then Mexitaly is just the place for you.
The venue occupies two storefronts in a strip center in the Eastern stretches of York.
On the right side is the grill, serving up artisan pizza and Mexican fare.
On the left, probably the first stop for a Questor, is a long bar seating 20 patrons or so.
Parallel to the bar is a long community table, and tables and booths round out the ample seating.
Mexitaly usually has 7 or 8 of their own beers on tap, plus wine and cider.
Styles included Pils, Pumpkin Ale, Belgian Gold, Stout, and more. Those we tried were clean-drinking and true to style.
In the back of the restaurant was a private dining area for special events, and the brew works which were clearly visible.
Mexitaly, which opened in the Spring of 2014, is a fun place with great food and beer, and a necessary stop for any thirsty Questor while in York.

Mudhook Brewing Company
34 North Cherry Lane  
York, PA 17401
(717) 747-3605

Mudhook Brewing Company is a family-run operation tucked just off W.Philadelphia St. in downtown York.
The brew pub is small and cozy, with a wooden bar that seats about 10. A long, face-to-face table has room for another 14 patrons, and 6 or so tables complete the inside seating. There is a patio for warm-weather outdoor imbibing.
The place was busy in the middle of a cold Saturday afternoon, and both our barkeep and his six taps were kept occupied pouring Mudhook's very quaffable selections. The crowd was mature and beer-wizened. The kitchen did not open until 4:00 PM, but a market conveniently adjoined the bar, and a variety of sandwiches and other edibles could easily and economically be obtained.
Our bartender, the proprietor, was friendly and helpful in answering our questions between pours. The beers were good...some filtered, some unfiltered...and could be taken home in growlers.
Four of the taps are regulars and the other two rotate.
We two Questors considered Mudhook a real find, and plan to return as soon as possible.

BierHall Brewing Company
1703 New Holland Pike
Lancaster, PA 17601

BierHall Brewing is located about 10 minutes northeast of downtown Lancaster, and is definitely worth the trip.
How refreshing it is to find a brrewpub
today that specializes in true-to-style German biers and authentic German food as well.
The large taproom seats about 10 people at the bar, and can accomodate maybe 50 more at long community tables.
Approximately 24 more can be seated at smaller tables.
One may also enjoy the outdoor, dog-friendly seating.
BierHall offers 12 taps, most of them pouring German styles.
I went straight for the Smooth Operator Doppelbock, which was delicious!
Ditto for the Gold Rush Helles Bock.
There was also a Pils, a hefeweizen, and an altbier...and also a couple of lagers and even a pair of IPA's.
My bartender, Lexus, was extremely helpful with beer information and general data about the brewpub.
BierHall used steam power to brew their beer with a 10-bbl. system, and mills their grain on-site.
Can't get enough of this great German bier here? You can take some home in crowlers, as I did.

Big Dog Craft Brewing
1559 Manheim Pike
Lancaster, PA 17601
717-517-7466

Big Dog is a brewpub just north of downtown Lancaster.

There is room for 15 consumers at the bar, and numerous tables seat about 115 more.
Big Dog also offers a private event room.

Big Dog had beer flowing from 16 taps at the time of my visit, including Pils, Kolsch, 4 IPA's, barleywine, stout, hefeweizen and others. Most of the taps rotate.
Beers are offered in 5, 12, or 16-oz. pours.
All the beers come from Big Dog's 7-bbl. system.

My barkeeps, Jess and Jude were extremely helpful in answering my questions about the operation.

Big Dog hosts lots of specials, including Trivia every Tuesday, Free Bingo every Wednesday, live music on Fridays, and an open-mic night on alternate Thursdays!
If you want your Big Dog beer, you should probably get it here, as you can only find it at a few other local venues.

Want some to take home? Big Dog can send you packing with crowlers or growlers.

They have quite an extensive menu, and I had to look no further than The Big Dog Burger, which was delicious.

So the next time you are doing your Lancaster brewery crawl, don't forget to journey a few minutes north to Big Dog.

Our Town Brewery
252 N Prince Street
Lancaster, PA 17603
(717) 945-7694

Our Town Brewery is a brewpub located in downtown Lancaster.

The long bar seats about 14 patrons, and there is seating for about 70 more in the taproom.
Our Town will usually have 13 of their beers on tap, and all but three rotate. At the time of my visit, the tap list included a Pils, IPA's, an Imperial Stout, a wee heavy, and others.

My charming bartenders, Emily and Abby, were extremely engaging, and fountains of information about Our Town Brewery.
Glassware is important here, and efforts are made to serve each draft in its proper glass.
They also explained how Our Town participates in most of the local beer-related activities and events.

The beer is brewed right here, and the 10-bbl. system is readily visible to the left of the bar.
If you have consumed all the beer you need for that particular evening, you can take some home in 32-ounce crowlers.

I would encourage any beer-minded individual to make Our Town Brewery a must-stop on their next trip to Lancaster!

Tattered Flag Lancaster Barrel House
1018 N Christian Street
Suite 110
Lancaster, PA 17602
(717) 617-2273

Tattered Flag is a brewpub just a little north of downtown Lancaster.
I am classifying Tattered Flag as a brewpub even though their beer is not brewed at the Lancaster site. All of Tattered Flag's beers are brewed from their 10-bbl. system in Middletown, and sent to one of their 4 other locations in the region.
The taproom seats 8 at a community table facing the bar, and there is seating for about 40 more patrons in the taproom.
Tattered Flag has a self-serve tap system whereby the guest selects their own glass and pours their own beer from a selection of 12 taps. And the end of you drinking you pay for what you drank...a novel idea and kind of fun.

Becky, who was in charge, was extremely friendly and helpful in showing me how to manage the tap system, and in giving me information about the Tattered Flag operation.

I drank the Pilsner, which, I must say, was one of the finer Pils that I have had anywhere!

Well this is sad. One site lists Tattered Flag as "Temporarily Closed."
Another article makes it sound like it's gone for good, due to fallout from COVID and inflation.
Better check for yourself.

Isaac's Craft Kitchen & Brewery - Greenfield
565 Greenfield Road
Lancaster, PA 17601
(717) 393-6067

The Quest for the Holy Grain will consider Issac's Greenfield location a brewpub although the beer is brewed about 10 minutes away in Isaac's Downtown Lancaster location.
Isaac's brews at three of their restaurants, and sends this beer to two more.
They have 14 locations in the region altogether.

Isaac's had 12 beers on tap at the time of my visit, and you can see the selection for yourself at the right.
The bar seats 10, with room for another 20 or so folks in the taproom. The kitchen is in the center of the restaurant, and the taproom and several other dining areas wrap around that.

Erin was friendly and professional and gladly answered my questions about the brews and Isaac's whole operation.
Isaac's is famous for their grilled sandwiches, and after eating one, I came to the conclusion that this fame is well deserved.

If you find yourself wanting more of Isaac's beer than you can drink on the spot, you can have a crowler filled to take home.

Every Questor should visit one of Isaac's numerous locations in the area... but make sure it's one of the ones that has Isaac's-brewed beer.

Spring House Brewery
209 Hazel Street
Lancaster, PA 17603
717.984.2530

Spring House is a production brewery and restaurant located in a large re-purposed structure in Lancaster.
It has replaced the original Spring House Brewery located in a barn in nearby Conestoga, PA.
The venue consists of one huge two-story room, the front part being the bar and restaurant, and the grreater part in back being the impressively large brewing system.
There are plenty of exposed beams, brick, and stainless steel.
There were 12 taps of Spring House beer available, sold in pints or flights. For those wishing to take beer home, growlers could be filled, and Spring House beer was also sold in bombers and six-packs.
Aside from 14 or so seats at the bar, the barroom offered seating at more than a dozen heavy wooden tables.
Outdoor seating was also available on a large front patio.
The brewery also offered a complete menu of soups, salads, entrees, small plates, and a raw bar.
The crowd was mostly mature, and the staff hip and artsy.
"Where can I get Spring House beer?" you ask.
Spring House is distributed throughout many areas of Pennsylvania, and in New Jersey.
There is also a Spring House Tap Room in Lancaster, reviewed separately on this site, not far away on King Street.

Mad Chef Craft Brewing
2023 Miller Rd
East Petersburg, PA 17520
Phone: (717) 690-2655

Mad Chef is a brew pub located in a small retail strip in East Petersburg, although we have listed it under Lancaster due to its proximity to the City of the Red Rose.
The one enourmous room is divided by the bar into two areas.
In front of the bar are numerous tables of different sizes for drinking and dining.
Behind the bar are the open kitchen and
7- bbl. brewery bustling with numerous black tee-shirt clad employees hustling to provide the clientele with food and beverage.
Mad Chef had 14 of its own beers on tap during our visit.
I drank an Agave Kölsch, and found it to be clean and tasty, full of body and easy to drink.
The venue was jumping at 6:00 PM on a Wednesday, and the clientele ranged from young to mature, with some families.
Greg, the proprietor, was eager to provide details about the operation, and the staff was extremely friendly and helpful.
If you want Mad Chef beer, you have to come to this location, where you can either drink it by the pint, or take some home in a growler.
A Questor may wish to do both.

Fegley's Allentown Brew Works
812 W. Hamilton St
Allentown, PA  18101
610-433-7777

Fegley's Allentown Brew Works is located in downtown Allentown and features 6 year round "flagship" beers as well as 6-8 additional seasonal selections. 
The establishment also carries a decent selection of international bottles.  There is a mug-club for regulars and a patio called "Der Biergarten". 
With an ultra-modern feel, this is a decent place to check out when in Allentown.
There is also another location in Bethlehem.

Victory Brewing Company
420 Acorn Ln
Downingtown , PA 19335

Victory has a pub ajacent to their brewery in Downingtown, PA. Tours are available, but the brewing operation is not evident from the pub.
The bar area is very long and narrow starting at the entrance door. The dining area is a large area beyond, with the tables crowded together in a noisy and casual manner.
Victory has about 12 of their own beers on tap, and they are quite reasonably priced.
A store with their bottled products and paraphenalia is at the far end of the building.
Victory also has locations in Kennett Square and Parkesburg, PA.

Sly Fox Brewery
519 KIMBERTON RD. (RT.113)
PIKELAND VILLAGE SQUARE
PHOENIXVILLE, PA 19460
P. 610-935-4540

The Sly Fox Tavern is a brewpub in an older strip mall in Phoenixville, PA. The bar is long and zig-zags around kettles and some fermentation tanks. There are also about 8 tables. The dining area is in a separate room and seems rather small but cozy. There is more dining area upstairs. The pub grub was good and reasonably priced. They had about 10 of their own beers on tap as well as bombers of two of their specialty beers.
There is also a location in Royersford.

Union Barrel Works
now: Rural City Beer Co.
6 N. Reamstown Road
Reamstown, PA 17567
717-335-SUDS (7837)

You wouldn't expect to find a great brew pub in this sleepy little Pennsylvania town about a mile off the main antique drag. But you'd be wrong. A long bar has ample room for a crowd of beer drinkers, and there are a number of tables for dining. The beers were tasty and true-to-style. Tin ceilings and hardwood floors add to the feeling of a mature neighborhood watering hole. You have to look for the Union Barrel Works, and that you should do.

Union Barrel Works has reopened under new ownership as Rural City Beer Co. !

Marzoni's Brick Oven & Brewing Company
165 Patchway Road,
Duncansville, PA 16635
814-695-2931

Marzoni's is housed in a stand-alone building in a shopping center near Altoona, Pa. A new building, it has lots of windows and blond paneling making it light and spacious. The bar side takes up at least half the space. There are about 25 booths and tables and the large bar sits about 35 . The food is good and not expensive. The 10-barrel system is visible adjacent to the bar. They have six year-round beers and two more seasonals in a good rotation. The beer is tasty and true to style, and quite reasonably priced at $2.75 for 20 ounces, even cheaper at Happy Hour.

The Vegetable Hunter
614 N 2nd St
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 695-6229

The Vegetable Hunter is a vegan/vegetarian restaurant, cafe and boutique brewery located on Harrisburg's popular 2nd Street.
The Vegetable Hunter's cuisine has won awards both in Harrisburg and Central Pennsylvania, and I could wax on about their Black Bean & Quinoa Burger, their Chickpea "Crab" Cake, or their Walnut Lentil Burger...but we were there for the beer.
Vegetable Hunter crafts their beers in small batches...a 15-gallon system, according to one staff member.
They have 4 beers on tap at any one time, and during our visit we chose from Abbey Road (a Belgian table beer), a smoked wheat, a chocolate stout, and my favorite, Devil Inside, a ghost pepper-infused kiwi Kölsch.
Beers are served in 12-ounce pours and flights.
Vegetable Hunter is small and cozy, having nine tables.
The decor is vintage rock & roll, featuring album covers, photos, instruments, and the like.
If you feel like settling in as you enjoy your vegetarian fare, you can grab a board game from the back and start playing.
Vegetable Hunter was a pleasant surprise on a chilly night in Harrisburg, serving dishes that would appeal to herbivores and carnivores alike, and even better, well-crafted beer.

The Millworks
340 Verbeke St
Harrisburg , PA , 17102
phone: (717) 695-4888

The Millworks is a 150-seat restaurant, bar, and brewpub in Harrisburg's Midtown district.
According to their mission statement, the goal is " to create a regional destination which showcases Central Pennsylvania's wonderful artistic talents as well as our region's bountiful, sustainable agriculture."
The wooden bar seats about 20.
There is lots of wood and brick, and the upscale industrial design and style pay homage to the building's former incarnation as a wood mill.
Millworks also has an open air Biergarten in a courtyard to enjoy in pleasant weather.
The bar/restaurant is surrounded by art studios and galleries which the customers can peruse.
More importantly, Millworks brews some fine beers.
Millworks has 14 beers on tap, all handcrafted on site.
The three beers that I drank were among the finest I have had at any brewpub.
Both the doppelbock, and the abbey tripel, both difficult for U.S. brewers to make really well, were outstanding. I would have sworn that both were European imports.
The ESB was also outstanding...biscuity, somewhat bitter, and sessionable.
If your visit to Millworks leaves you wanting more, they sell their beer to go in single bottles, 6-packs, 12-pack samplers, and crowlers.

Bube's Brewery

102 N. MarketStreet
Mount Joy, PA 17552
Phone: (717) 653-2056