Hammond's Pretzel Bakery is a historic pretzel bakery that opened in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in…read more1931. It was founded by baker William Lichty and his grandfather William Hammond. At the height of the Great Depression, Lichty had an idea to open his own pretzel bakery. He enlisted the help of Hammond: his grandfather and next-door-neighbor. Hammond had worked as a pretzel baker in the 1800s and brought with him an excellent recipe for sourdough pretzels. They set up shop in their adjoining garages, where the pretzels were rolled by hand and baked in a brick oven. Other family members soon came on board to assist in the operation. Lichty's daughter and son-in-law, Carol and Tom Nicklaus, took over the business in the 1970s. Today it is run by their son and daughter Brian Nicklaus and Karen Achtermann. Hammond's Pretzel Bakery is the oldest continuously family-operated handmade pretzel bakery in the United States. Still operating in the same location, and still rolling pretzels by hand, Hammond's bakes 1,500 pounds of pretzels on a daily basis. My family and I recently visited Hammond's Pretzel Bakery while we were traveling through Pennsylvania's Lancaster County. The area may be known for its rich Pennsylvania Dutch culture, but it's also known for its rich pretzel history and production. It just so happens that pretzels are my favorite snack! The bakery has a small retail shop for customers to buy pretzel products directly. It smelled amazing when we walked in. We also enjoyed watching the freshly-baked pretzels coming out on the conveyor belt. Hammond's produces a large variety of pretzel snacks: the most popular are their classic old-fashioned sourdough pretzels which come packaged in an iconic five pound orange-and-green can. We decided to stock up on multiple flavor varieties to snack on while we were on the road, including: "Buffalo Ranch", "Dill Pickle", "Garlic Herb", "Cinnamon Sugar", and "Chocolate Covered Clusters". They were all delicious! We don't get to Pennsylvania often, but I think it's safe to say that we'll be ordering more pretzel products from Hammond's online store in the future!

My Brother and I stopped by here on our way from York to Philadelphia. What a cool spot!…read more The shop in front is pretty tiny, but has enough room for a few folks to mingle around. The pretzels from the oven come out right there in the gift shop on the conveyor belt. They even gave us a fresh pretzel off the line. So delicious! I bought about $20.00 worth of pretzels for family and friends back home in AZ/CA. The 2 ladies in the shop were very kind and helpful. They even gave us the tip to look in the 3 back windows of the building on the way out. We did, and we saw about 10 people hand rolling pretzels. YES....they hand roll each (big) pretzel. What attention to detail! Simply amazing. Must stop if you are back in Central PA.

Inside the Central Market is a small stand with lots of pastries- sweet and savory. To fill my…read morehungry stomach on a Friday morning, I ordered five mini sausages wrapped in dough for $5 and a chocolate chip pretzel with sweet cream cheese dipping sauce. Everything was warm and full of flavor.

Extremely affordable pretzels! The classic and cinnamon sugar are my favorites. The sweet…read morepretzels're definitely better than the savory ones. The quality is pretty solid, & they're fresh, but I'm not sure they're worth such a long wait. They're good for the price, but I wouldn't call them a must-try.

Great service and great food!…read more From the hostess to the waitress, everyone there was very attentive. The place was nicely decorated. There was a separate bar area also, where only 15+ was allowed. Our food came very quickly and was delicious. We got wings (nicely done with their own spin for sauce), grilled salmon wrap (huge!, and French dip sandwich. Eberything tasted fresh and seasoned well. Portions were large, too. The price was reasonable too. This is a perfect stop on the way to Penn State. Will definitely come back again.

Honestly, wouldn't really recommend coming here unless you're looking for beer or something basic…read more Their menu shrunk extremely, and they were out of boned wings. Their soda machine was definitely on the verge of being out. When coming over with the drinks, he had spilled them a good amount. The service wasn't too attentive or friendly. Granted they weren't mean. The food just wasn't a vibe in my opinion. The boneless wings were nicely moist in the middle, so that was good. Just wasn't too satisfied here. Loved the decor and the layout though. Just needs better service and more options.

They have been closed for at least a year if not longer. At this point I'm just filling space.read more

Fantastic food, service, and beers. Have visited a couple times over the past few months -- just…read morethe hubs and I, with a small group of friends, and with a large family group for a birthday -- and have been really pleased with the consistency of the experience, no matter how many of us there are, everyone has left more than satisfied. THE SYSTEM/ORDERING // Menus are on the tables, select what you like and order from the bar. Get your pour card so you can self-pour the beers of your choice -- try a little sampler or commit to a full pint, the choice is yours and you pay by the ounce instead of by the glass! I've been so impressed by how easy the system is to use and how many delicious brews I've been able to try for a really reasonable price! THE FOOD // The pretzels are the perfect shareable size for two (they don't last long at my table), the sandwiches are very generous (Turkey and avocado club was enormous, and the pulled pork was juicy and sweet), and the strawberry/blueberry salad was fantastic. They often have specials, too, like coney dogs. THE BEER // This is why you're here, right? There's been a really great variety of styles each time I've visited, and since it's pay-by-the-ounce, I've been braver about trying styles I'm less familiar with or trying styles that I don't typically like just to see if TF can change my mind. My favorites so far are stouts and IPAs -- Knife Fight in a Phone Booth (NE hazy IPA), Mint Maverick (imperial stout), War Bonds Breakfast Stout (oatmeal), and Because I Was Inverted (BIWI) Mango (milkshake IPA). My husbands favorites are the Blue Raider (Kolsch) and Calypso a unleashed (double IPA), which was a collaborative release. There is a cooler of cans for your take home pleasure, too. THE ATMOSPHERE // The space is decently sized, with a variety of regular and high-top tables, and a little makeshift bar near the ordering line. Inside they have a few TVs going, too, usually with sports on. Outside, they have additional seating that will probably fill up quickly once the weather warms up a bit. PARKING // parking is limited on their side of the street. The old Fulton bank is permanently shutdown, so people use the drive through lanes for parking, but there is a little lot right across the street for TF guests, and no one will block you in there.

I feel South County is the best brewery in town today. The fact that the food is very good as well…read moremakes it a stop for us every time we trip to Lancaster. The venue used to be the Press Room for those that remember. The interior layout is somewhat different.

Crab dip excellent!! He had the 3 meat platter and I had the pizza both excellent as well!…read more What does not work for us is if you are not into microbrews iced tea and sodas are your only options. They have their own distillery and make their own beer. You cannot get your average Miller or cocktails here. The cocktail list just did not work for us, but the food was awesome! Service was great! We will be back!!

This is not usually a place I would visit, but when looking up places to go on a special occasion,…read moreaxe throwing just stood out. We parked across the street in the gravel lot, signs have the buildings number (252) on them designating the spots. Building does have stairs, but they also have a small lift for handicap accessibility. Interior looks exactly like you would expect in a place like this, full of wood everywhere. Due to COVID restrictions, you have to order food, and they have a basic menu that includes things like hot pretzel braids. Our group sampled various Mead's and liked them, but they do offer Beer and Soda. Staff were extremely helpful and knowledgeable. The highlight of the trip and worth every dollar was the axe throwing. You purchase a ticket at the main register, walk over to the throwing area, and sign in. They give you clear instruction how to do it and you're throwing. The instructor was great and very personable. The throwing is very safe and our group loved it, even when we didn't always find the target. Absolutely would return here.

I wasn't sure what to expect since all the reviews and photos were from the "before times", but I…read morewas pleasantly surprised. The tables are spaced apart (reduced tables) and masks are still required. You have to order food to drink, but they have some small bar food items (brats, pretzels, etc.). Definitely get the flights of mead! Best way to see what you'll like. The decor is perfect with swords, shields, and other viking fare. The bartender, even though he doesn't work every day, was extremely knowledgeable about the meads and made suggestions on what we'd like based on our taste preferences. If you go on a weekend, I recommend getting there close to opening. With fewer tables, it got packed quickly! If you're into axe throwing, bring your competitive side and throw out some aggression. If you've never thrown before, never fear. They'll only let you throw a couple terrible throws before they'll give you pointers. We didn't throw but a wedding group took up the great table for a little get together.

Enjoyed coming back here, liked it more than I had remembered…read more We had a nice quick dinner at Burley Bar and Thistle Finch Distillery. Ordered the Wedge salad, and since tacos were on special, two of each the chicken and beef. They were also nice enough to make the elote pretzels without the finishing seasoning and give us cheez dip since that's what the kids prefer. Overall very nice and very good with a few small and tasty surprises

This place has a very cool atmosphere and the drinks are good. I had an espresso martini and my…read morehusband had an Old Fashioned. The service was good and friendly, and we ended up buying two bottles to take home. Definitely check it out!

Dinner at Penleys was ok. The Cobb salad great and chicken nuggets and fries typical. Our son got…read morethe brats. He enjoyed them but we both thought the gravy wasn't needed. I would have liked some cooked marks on them. Mac and cheese looked good The only option for breakfast was the buffet. The only gf/df choices were scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit and granola. Oatmeal with topping choices would have been welcomed. Pancakes and waffles were precooked

This is a small pub within Dutch Wonderland amusement park. Its uncommon for kids amusement parks…read moreto have these, so its mere existence is a win. Whoever set this up knows their beer. Penley's is packed with craft beer from Victory, Lancaster Brewing, and other great breweries. Or if you prefer they have seltzers and smoothies as well. Its a cozy, convenient, and feels like an medieval pub. Draft beers come in sturdy souvenir cup that looks like a old wooden grog cup. It is important to note that you need your drivers license, even if you are old. They are required to scan IDs and can sell four beers per ID per day.

Stopped in to Mad Chef unexpectedly while traveling through Lancaster…read more My wife and I were hungry and tired from traveling through Pennsylvania. Thankfully Mad Chef was open later than most places so we got in before the kitchen closed. I enjoyed the low lighting with the brewery equipment shining in the background. Having the Phillies game on the tv's only added to our experience. Our drinks and food were excellent. I always like to enjoy a local craft beer, having it paired on site with fabulous eats is even better. I ordered Mr Dynamite Brown, their American brown ale which was fabulous. We ordered a small Pommes Frites (French fries) that were cooked in Canola oil. While light in color, these fries were cooked to perfection. Crispy outside, fluffy inside, salted just right. My wife ordered the pretzel and said it was her type, buttery, salty, and doughy. I ordered the Korean Pork Nachos, by far the best nachos I've ever had the pleasure to devour. I can't begin to describe how well the roasted corn poblano medley brought this plate together. Every bite had an explosion of flavor with the Korean glaze and Gochujang aioli. This dish blows Guy Fieri's trash can Brisket nachos out of the water. If ever in Lancaster don't pass up on the Mad Chef Craft Brewing gem.

Very large location with a bunch of seating inside and out. Tons of TVs all over the place for…read moreplenty of games. Very cool decor of all the room entrance ways of the signs of the old beers that have been tapped. Nice little merch section by one of the entrances. You order either by qr code or going up to the kitchen it self. Tried the Bratwurst Platter from their specials menu and the pierogies. Both amazing but both on the small side for the price. They have a bunch of their own homemade beers to choose from.