551 West — Restaurant in Lancaster

What a great place to dine, have an Adult beverage, and experience live music. The place was laid out with a separate bar area and restaurant section. Live music is in the dining room facing the main street. The menu selections were vast, the portions very good, and the food was on par for a upscale restaurant without the pretentious surrounding. Bobby was very interactive, informed, people person, and provided great suggestions. The prices were good and the crowd was friendly. The band playing was The Benjamin Vo Blues Band which is the reason we planned the hour and 15 minute drive from Maryland. The band members couldn't be more down to earth and possess the talent of a national touring "A" list musical phenomenon. Ben Vo on vocals and lead guitar is an old Blue's Soul artist that just blows your mind with his intense ability and passion. 'Schroeder" on the keys was like a mixture of Jerry Lee Lewis and Elton John that night as he always does and transcends you into the performance. You just sit there shaking your head in amazement of his technical skills and combines that with the performance level of the 2 aforementioned Icon's ! Yeah, he's that good. George on the Skins, keeping everyone in check and on time with the base was a pure joy to experience. Then the drum solos grab anyone else who may have had their heads in the sand; and brings them into the performance. I respect Ben as an artist that not only performs some incredible solo "in the zone" moments, but is smart enough and humble to encourage the solos of the keys & drums to showcase their perspective of incredible talent as well. WOW! Your day is coming! When the industry listens and allows you to do what you do and how it is to be done, the world...

The restaurant has an agreement with the funeral home across the street so diners can park. I wish I had known this before I parked so I wanted to include it in the review for anyone interested in trying a new place.

I found 551 West on a travel website that I use that recommends places when visiting new locations. The service was great and the waitress was really friendly and helpful in picking a burger from the menu.

The soup of the day was Teriyaki Chicken which sounded unique since I've never had it before, of course I had to try it. The first few bites were great but I started to notice it was more salty as I continued to eat.

I had the Peach Burger with garlic fries as my meal. The burger was cooked to perfection but the peach slices were too thick so the ratio was off (in my opinion) but it was still really good. The fries tasted great but were really greasy.

Lots of reviews mentioned their cheesecake so I felt obligated to try it. I got a slice of Snickers Cheesecake which was the flavor recommended by our amazing waitress. The texture was not a traditional cheesecake but the flavor was great. The slice was huge, like two and a half normal slices. As soon as I saw it, I had them pack it up to go knowing I couldn't finish it but that I'd have a fridge at the hotel, but I had a few bites while still in...

In town for the evening with my wife. After a short search and reading over a couple menus and a few reviews we decided to try this place. We typically stay away from the chain restaurants and love to try the local spots. We sat outside in their upper deck area. It was very nice and our server did a fine job. The food on the other hand was not good. Maybe we just picked the 2 worst appetizers and 2 worst meals on the menu. Appetizers, The baked cheese with honey for dipping was okay but it wasn't great cheese. The sausage with peppers in marinara served with garlic bread was flavorful but too much so. We did finish the sausage but the rest went in the trash. The main course, my wife ordered the chicken milano. I did not try it but I believe she ate 4 bites. I ordered the Irish chicken. I was able to eat some of the chicken and most of the mashed potatoes but the sauce was overwhelming. Again many flavors but they just did not work together. We did not even eat the garlic bread that came with it. All the flavors were just off. On the plus side the drinks were great if your looking for a watering hole with decent ambiance check them out. Just eat elsewhere...