Horse Inn — Restaurant in Lancaster

If you’re looking for a spectacular place to eat in Lancaster County, you need to try this gastropub! The food is amazing and service is top notch. The live band on Saturday night was a awesome addition to an already spectacular place and really serves to complete the atmosphere. I very rarely have this much of a wonderful dining experience when going out. It’s no wonder that Horse Inn is rated the best American restaurant in Lancaster right now on Facebook. The food was absolutely mouthwatering. I completely forgot to take a picture of the food because I was too busy fighting the girlfriend over hers, especially the Horse Fries”. They were absolutely the best fries I’ve ever had and the homemade Brown Butter Pecan ice cream that I had for dessert is unquestionably the best ice cream I’ve ever had! I could have eaten it all night. I should have just asked for a bucket of it and gave into my inner glutton. The cocktails might not have been the strongest but definitely the most original. Mike our bartender was probably the most skilled drink master I’ve ever seen in person. Especially after realizing the following. The bar is full service, the cocktails take 3-4 minutes to make due to the complexity of ingredients and still juggling 18-20 patrons during peak hours. Having bartenders of this caliber really makes Horse Inn stand out from the rest. Okay now that I’m done singing Horse Inn’s praises there are a few negative points to be said. These are listed from my biggest issues to the minor inconveniences. The noise can be deafening when the pub is at full capacity especially when there is a foosball table set up right next to the bar. The cocktail menu charade: How do you only have 3 physical cocktail menus for 20 people? The bartender kept taking it back from us so that he could have it available for other patrons. Menus, especially a cocktail menu should never be more than an arm’s reach away. I also have to say this pub was a little hard to find and really blends in with the surrounding residential community. Thankfully the flags on the exterior of the building gave it away. Also this establishment doesn’t have any signs guiding you to the pub upstairs. It reminded me of Knock in Harrisburg with the hidden door the first time I went there and trying to figure out where the hell to go. Horse Inn does have a slightly grimy feel to it unfortunately but I can see how some people would say that adds to the charm. Still despite these negative points I would still highly recommend Horse Inn to anyone looking for a awesome place hang out and I’ve been already doing so to family, friends and coworkers. Good night ladies...

The Horse Inn is one of my all-time favorite places to go in Lancaster. The decor is fantastic, the drinks are just great, and the food matches it all. They work with several local farms and distributors which is a big plus for me. If you ever want a fantastic experience, this is the place!

If you've never been, the Horse Inn is located just off one of the main routes through Lancaster. It's located sort-of in the middle of the block. Parking is actually a little down the street and on a corner lot at Fulton St. and Marshall St. Most people miss it, but the sign on the front door will let you know.

The place has two bars -- one as you first walk in and a second in the back of the main dining area. Both are run by pros. These folks can mix anything you ask for and do it right. Their cocktail menu reflects their speak-easy type of style, too.

I did learn one thing about scheduling on a weekend... if you aren't there to get a table right when they open, you're waiting a while for that first set of tables to turn over. I had always come on a weekday before and never had an issue with getting a table. (They would always over-quote me wait times. :) ) But if it's a weekend, you either get there when they open or come back in 2 hours.

On to the food... HOLY SMOKES! They know how to do it right. You can pick anything on the menu, and it comes out perfectly cooked and tasting like heaven. I, like so many others, love their cheeseburger. It's nothing fancy, but they use some sort of meat blend that just makes you fall in love with it. Also, get the Horse Fries which come covered in a cheese sauce with some sausage mixed in there! I've gone through just about everything on the menu, and I'll tell you that you can't go wrong no matter what you choose.

They also do some live music with a small jazz band. It's like being back in the '30s. It's all one great package of an experience, and that's why I keep coming back. If ever I have friends visiting, this is the place I...

Nothing but good things to say about heading here. The staff is helpful and courteous. The bartender(s) make a heck of a drink. Recommend the old fashioned and the Low Sun for sure!

We ended up ordering the Horse fries and burrata to share, I got the burger and Wifey got the BLT - both with chips.

Chips are bagged, which is fine. We ended up taking them home, along with some of the Horse fries and half the BLT. The burger was amazing. Seasoned well, great quality meat and the special sauce made it one of my top 5 burgers in the area. BLT was standard - not huge, or anything like that, but the quality of the ingredients is what really made the difference. The flavor from the tomatoes was unreal.

Dessert was the Pot de Creme. Light enough not to weigh us down, but still tons of chocolate flavor - much more than expected for such a light dessert. We did share one - maybe 3 or 4 spoons each. Great way to end it.

I feel the need to say something here about the "mandatory back of house tip" because it ALMOST scared us off after reading the reviews that were upset. I'm not cheap, but like many people I don't like to be told that i have to automatically give extra BEFORE i get any service. That being said, we went anyway and found out two things - 1. Not sure what everyone was upset about because it's 5% and ONLY on the food. It was $3 total extra. 2. You're going out to eat, and honestly you're going to tip more anyway. The service, food, atmosphere, everything warrants it because there was no waiting, great food, the staff doesn't act like you're holding them up from anything. You'll be checked in on pretty much constantly because of the layout. I can see why this place is rated so highly and i think people have a chip on their shoulder with tipping culture getting out of control. I don't think it's as noteworthy as some of the other reviews say and I don't want anyone to think they're getting you for another 18%...