Leeds Ltd Restaurant and Bar — Restaurant in Swatara Township

I apologize in advance for the long review, but something absolutely has to be said about our recent horrible experience. Since Leed's has such a lovely room for private events, my mom had worked with Jonah and Brandy (who were both very helpful) with booking a room for my upcoming baby shower in March 2022.

My mom and I went to Leed’s the week between Christmas and New Year’s to enjoy a nice lunch and to meet with Jonah to finalize things for the shower. When we arrived, Brandy told us that they were very busy with the lunch crowd, and we said we had no problem eating lunch first and then speaking with Jonah later. A woman who we had never met before (and who never introduced herself) came out of nowhere and told us very abruptly, “I don’t have time to talk to you right now. We’re extremely busy.” We explained that we were there to talk with Jonah, and she stated that she was Jonah’s mother and that she was the one who booked events.

So, we were seated for lunch and Brandy took our drink orders. Jonah’s mother (who still had not introduced herself or bothered to ask our names) sat down at our table with the schedule book. We told her that we had already booked with Jonah for March. When she saw the event time in the schedule book, she became very angry and said to us: “There is no way that you can have the event before 5:00. We have had so many people quit, no one is answering ads, and no one wants to come back to work. We are all exhausted and I can’t ask anyone to come in any earlier than they already are. And I supposed you’ll want to come in early to decorate? Well, there’s no way that can happen.”

I said, “Maybe you should talk with Jonah because he told us one thing and you’re telling us another.” Jonah’s mom stated: “Don’t tell me how to run my business.” Then, she closed the schedule book and said, “You know what? Go book somewhere else!”

At this point, we of course were not going to stay for lunch either! We told her that we would take our business elsewhere and that we wouldn’t be back. Jonah’s mom said, “Just get out of here!” We saw Brandy across the room who came over to find out why we were leaving since she was waiting on our table. My mom and I told her quickly that she was very helpful with booking the shower, but that Jonah’s mother told us to book somewhere else and that we also wouldn’t be staying for lunch. Jonah’s mother quickly came over to our table again and stated: “Get her out of here!”

I attempted to call Jonah at the restaurant shortly after we left, especially since he was expecting us for an appointment; however, we were told that he had already left for the day and wouldn’t be in until tomorrow. Later in the afternoon, my mom sent him an email since that’s how she had been communicating with him. He did respond promptly and “apologized if his mom was short with us” and then went on to make the excuse that it’s very stressful to own a restaurant right now and that everyone is tired from working long days. He also explained that with recent staffing changes, they would not have been able to open early for the shower. When was he planning to tell us about that? After we had paid a deposit?

We are still in shock about being treated with such blatant rudeness, which was completely unprovoked. We were trying to give Leed’s (a place we have always enjoyed) our business for this special event, and we were treated like we were a huge bother to even come in for lunch. Many businesses have been hit hard during COVID, but that doesn’t excuse the rudeness and disrespect that we experienced. If this is how customers are treated, it’s not a surprise that so many employees quit/got burned out, and not a surprise that they can’t find more help! We will NEVER go back to Leed’s; the whole experience is just very unfortunate. You will see below how the owner responded. We were not "told" and nothing was discussed--we were literally yelled at. We did not raise our voices at all-we were too stunned. Believe me--you couldn't...

6/25/16: We have been to Leeds 20 times since April 29th. I am adding this because I have been reading the negative reviews. I'm not going to comment on the review which says the reservation for the party of 12 was botched, because I wasn't there. I HAVE been there, however, when large gatherings (as many as 30) were handled flawlessly. The food quality is consistently superior. We've taken guests several times (perhaps 20 times?) and I've never heard a complaint. I always ask our guests to give us an honest appraisal of their experience. Not one has complained. Leed's prices are consistent with the area's. I've paid as much at Applebee's. The Rock Bass and The Hillside are more expensive than Leeds, and certainly Second Street establishments are slightly higher. I've reviewed The Mill's menu, and with drinks, you're probably in the low 90s before gratuity. My experience concerning negative restaurant reviews is that most are written by overly demanding people. Six of us went to The Caddy Shack last Friday. I read the negative reviews and was apprehensive since I've never been there. We sat on their large deck overlooking the golf course. It was very good!... Leeds is our Cheers-Melville's (Google the classic sit-com if you're too young to know what I'm talking about.) It is, quite simply, our place of destination, four out of any five times we go out to dine. The ambiance is excellent (the annual Christmas decorations are exceptional, and the staff does the decorating. This speaks to a more intimate staff atmosphere than most places, especially the chains.) There are two dining areas, divided by the bar, a hardwood three sides, with surrounding tables. If you're seeking a sports bar, Leeds doesn't aspire to the multiple 42 inch screen motif. The bar area contains elevated, TVs, so if your dying to see Sports Center, you can, but that is not a priority. The Classic Leeds seating area, dating back decades, is on the left, as you enter. The expansion dining area is to the right, an open space classy environment which maintains a sense of intimacy attributed to lighting and table placement. Okay, enough about the ambiance, what about the food? Leeds has a comprehensive menu, without being overbearing, which means their kitchen does all their selections well. Over the years, I've sampled at least 50% of the offerings. Here's my recommends: The Crab Cakes are excellent, featuring the best crab meat with Maryland crab cake flavor. A delight. Their salmon offerings are consistently satisfying. Chilean Sea Bass is delicious. Full disclosure: One time the bass was a tad soggy, with too much sauce. I was not thrilled, but considered the truth that nothing is perfect all of the time. I mentioned it to our server. It's to the establishment's credit that they were concerned and responsive. Salads are huge, my significant other favoring Chicken Caesar. It's loaded with grilled chicken, and always provides her with two meals, since she is a take-home-box aficionado We've entertained several steak-loving guests at Leeds, and they have always expressed delight with the quality. The pasta dishes are excellent, my favorite being Pasta a La mer with shrimp, scallops, and clams. They are also flexible. They offer a scallop and pasta Alfredo on the menu. Alfredo is too rich for me. "Hey Ben," I asked our beloved bartender, who was serving us, "Can I get the pasta-scallop with marina?" "Absolutely," he replied. It...

Leeds isn’t a restaurant, it’s an institution!

I probably ate here for the first time about 30 years ago. It was a thriving place: the place was almost packed for lunch but not quite. There was always a maitre’d who greeted you and seated you at your table. The service and food were both excellent. It also had an air of formality: you brought a date here to impress them. Over the years, my colleagues have also had a couple of retirement parties here. The arrangements, the service, and the food were all good.

A few years ago…say 5-7 years ago…the place started going downhill. The service isn’t as good anymore. And one section of the restaurant is completely empty. Sad.

COVID has had its own impact. They’re finding it hard to find servers. Those who are there are doing their best to keep up the service levels. The food is still excellent.

Many years ago I had watched a movie called “Roseland”. It was about a dance hall that was thriving in its days, but subsequently went downhill. The movie was beautiful — an Ivory-Merchant production. Now, when I visit Leeds, it reminds of that movie.

Leeds, I hope you return to your heydays....