Another very overdue review (kindergarten teacher life! ), but this one is especially special because Bert and the Elephant became part of our wedding story long before our wedding day. About a year before our wedding, my husband and I were exploring Lancaster as a potential wedding location. While walking down the street, I spotted a giant pink elephant. For those who don't know me, Delirium is my all-time favorite beer, and its logo is a pink elephant, so of course, it immediately caught my attention. When we walked inside, and I realized it was a Belgian beer bar and restaurant, I was absolutely ecstatic. Bert, the owner, noticed how excited we were, and we started talking. Bert is incredible! He is so knowledgeable about all of his different beers and cares about every single detail. He even has a different glass for almost every beer because, to him, the details matter. But what really stood out was how he treats people. Bert makes you feel like family. Before we left that day, he even gifted me a little ceramic pink elephant straight from his decor. I was absolutely giddy, and I still have that little elephant proudly displayed in my home today. I knew right then and there that we had to have our after-party at Bert and the Elephant. And we did! We were able to rent out the entire place for two hours after our wedding. We had an open bar for the first hour and delicious finger foods for a late-night snack. I'm sure you're thinking, "That must have been insanely expensive," but it wasn't! And it was the perfect location, right down the street from our hotel, so everyone could walk there easily. Our wedding day fell during a heatwave, and unfortunately, the heat definitely affected how many people could make it to the after-party. Everyone was exhausted from the day, but Bert and his staff still made sure that everyone who came had an amazing time. They were welcoming and attentive, making the night feel so special. Bert and the Elephant turned out to be the perfect way to end our wedding night. What started as a random pink elephant catching my eye on a walk through Lancaster turned into one of my favorite wedding memories. We are so grateful to Bert and his staff for helping us end the night with great drinks, delicious food, and even better memories. read more

Great find Smash burger is excellent Beer selection interesting Love the hanging glasses read more

We waited for 15 min after being seated and had to flag down a waiter. Food took forever. Smash burger was the worst I've ever had. Literally each patty was about as thick as the piece of lettuce. It was all bun. Tasted frozen and wasn't even hot. Fries were good but very small portion. They were somewhat quick with the drinks they delivered Flat bread- hot honey could have been good if the meat wasn't completely dried out and over cooked. Chicken flat bread was ok but literally had 2" of crust all the way around. With no ingredients Brought burgers out for 2 people. Them 10 min later brought out a flatbread. Then 10 min later the other 2 orders. No apology. No, sorry we are behind. Nothing Then had to again track someone down to get our bill. I get being busy, but they were not that slammed. They had plenty of servers that all walked by us over and over again. Not worth the $. Food was not good and small portions. read more

My aunt actually lives around the corner and her son was the one that bought us there as she recommended it. The place is amazingly cute inside you must take pictures as much as you can. The service was great. The waitress was very nice. The twice baked chicken wings are the best. Definitely when I go back. I'm definitely gonna try the pretzel and burrata and it's also at a perfect location because you can walk up and down the square and there's a lot of places to choose, but I would choose this one as they do also have outdoor seat seating read more

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Mussels are my favorite Bert the owner gave us the grand tour. Price point the food and Belgian beers are in-line.. Thanks Bert. Don't forget about the 2 outside patios read more

Friendly staff and take out was ready. No mayo w fries as requested beforehand but place was fine. Belgian beers look good but didn't want too much alcohol. Fries are fine and salted well and not too much- nothing really sticks out for me here. Burger had good blue cheese and the patties are fresh and onion is fresh. Lettuce is fine. read more

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My wife and I were curious and decided to check out how it was. The service was ok. Table were a little cramped and not sure why they were sticky. The food was ok, and the beer selection was limited. The beer was served in a round bottom vessel supported by a wooden holder. The neck of the vessel was thin, and it was supposed fit into a slot. It was not a very good fit, and it was difficult get the vessel in and out of the holder. The server was friendly, and efficient at bringing our food and clearing things off the table to allow us to have a little more room. I don't believe we will be returning any time soon. read more

Great service! We had a table of 6 and I am glad I made a reservation since they seemed to have a good crowd even on a January weeknight. We enjoyed our appetizers-cheese curds, wings and Bavarian pretzels. Several of us got the chicken wrap or chicken sandwich plus my SIL enjoyed a burger with 3 patties the staff were friendly and helpful...I would give the service a perfect score. Restrooms were clean and smelled nice...always a good sign! read more

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service and food and beer TOP NOTION! owner is so hands on and attentive making sure everything is nothing but the best!

Great food and service. Can't speak for beer quality-but person accompanying me liked it a lot. Get the mussels!! read more

Great drinks, the Appel spritz is delicious with Prosecco, club soda and orange soda. The Long Island ice tea on the happy hour menu is equally delicious for only $7.00! Bert, the owner is a great guy, very personable and engaging. read more

Bert & The Elephant - Aperol Spritz & Long Island Ice Tea - Beer Bar Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

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Really interesting place. Great smash burger. Excellent beer selection. Service consistent with central Pennsylvania vibe, i. e. Nice people, good service. read more

A COLD day at 13ºF with ice on most walks, but not in our neighborhoods , we wanted to get our first taste of Bert's new place...awesome re-invention of a unique place. Immediate service even with most tables taken and many bar stools filled. Good menu, and help with beer choices by server Jesse. While no cider (it's okay), the Lindemand apple will be a great replacement (next time 'she' will do the strawberry beer tested before we exited...served by Bert). Food: Chicken sandwich with large chicken potion, tasty sauce, and potato fries (salted to perfection...perhaps some rosemary powered next time?). 'He" had 5 double fried wings with that same orange colored dressing. Portions of both are perfect for lunch after Central Marketing. Service: Immediate 'welcome' attention from the bar staff at entering. Setting choices from server Jess, with menus help choosing food and drinks...patient and professional by checking drinks availability. Drinks appeared promptly and food appropriately arrived after a few sips of drinks...and this was with a family table of 11, and at least 8 other patrons. Attentive Jesse checks our progress, then brings the billing at the right time, as well as vocally surveys our pleasures of food and drinks. Great first time, and with a pleasant chat with Bert, who we realized we had known from times. Thanks to Bert, Jesse and the bar staff for all their help...we will do this again, and again, but perhaps in warmer times. Price per person $10-20 read more

Great place great food great owner. It was a pleasure to eat here and I will go back.

I recently moved to Pennsylvania and was on the hunt for a real beer bar, and Bert & The Elephant is exactly that. I like to fashion myself as somewhat of a beer connoisseur, and their Belgian-focused list is impressive - great range of styles, and everything served in the proper glassware. Can't say enough positive things. This place is always my go to when I visit Lancaster. read more

Great food, amazing beer selection. Wonderful, knowledgeable staff. An evening in Belgium right here at home.

Great little restaurant in Lancaster! Great food, drinks and service! Did not disappoint. Will definitely be returning. Happy hour specials were great also! read more

Great beer selection. Cute and clean. Good burger and ff. Service is quick and kind. Would come back again.

We came for the anniversary celebration. It was extremely busy, and Bert personally greeted us to start a wait list for a spot. We were served beer from the bar and relocated as soon as they could accommodate. Great variety of Belgians on draft and we enjoyed our meal. Service was great despite the crowd, our food came out quickly, and they even made sure to give us some souvenir glasses on our way out! Bert personally checked on us before we left to make sure everything went well. We don't get out much because of our kids' ages, but I hope we can come back again soon! read more

Bert & The Elephant - Chicken Caesar Wrap with Frites - Beer Bar Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

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Food was amazing. Ambiance and Begian Beers were world class. Bert helped us personally and you can tell he has put his heart and soul to make his dream a reality. The staff were beyond amazing and knew their stuff. Very unique experience and the place was cleaner than a nasa lab. read more

Great staff, beautiful bar setting with some of Lancaster's best beer choices. Always a good time, food and 80s music.

Four of us had a nice dinner, good beer and pleasant service by our waiter, along with a friendly handshake from Bert. It was not overly loud, but one open bar room and we sat at an end booth along the wall. We will be back. I enjoyed the sour beer! read more

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We sat at the bar. Grading: B (for a beer bar) Ambiance: Comfortable, mid level light. Seating: Indoor. Service: Bartenders were friendly and helpful. Crowd: Older, 25+. Drinks: Good Belgian style beer. Food: Food was good. Restrooms: Nice clean, unisex style. Parking: City street parking can be a problem. Value: Ok. Experience: I enjoyed myself. read more

Amazing place, fantastic beers, and we were lucky enough to get to sit and talk with Bert for awhile. Incredible guy and made us feel like regulars immediately. So strongly recommend, especially if you're new to Belgian beers!! read more

Bert & The Elephant - Beer Bar Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

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Awesome Belgian beer selection and great food - especially the mussels!! What more do you need??

The best selection of Belgium beer near Lancaster. The food and service are exceptional!

Amazing food, very rare and great quality drinks, and great staff. We had friends travel to Lancaster to revisit this place! read more

GREAT PLACE for beer, food and atmosphere...have only visited once, but was immediately impressed with the service, beer selection, and quality of the food. Highly recommended! read more

Food and Service was excellent. Bert spent time with us explaining all the beers. Highly recommend trying Bert & The Elephant!!

Bert's is incredible! Always good food, drinks, and welcoming atmosphere! Been a favorite of ours for years.

What an amazing bar restaurant! The drinks were incredible. The food was awesome but being educated by the owner on Belgian cuisine and beer was the best part. Bert is a passionate engaging man. I can't wait to come back!!! read more

Shout to this place and the amazing beer selection there. Bartender was respectful and quick to help. Such a vibe. Wake up Lancaster and go to Bert & The Elephant. read more

This is hands down the best restaurant I've been to all year. The service was absolutely phenomenal, and so was the owner who was walking around asking people how they are doing. My waitress was constantly coming over to check on our table, and she was extremely friendly and funny. I was there with my Parents, along with my Grandparents to celebrate Mother's day, and we still got seated quickly. It was a casual place, but it had a friendly demeanor. I absolutely loved this place and recommend it to anyone who is celebrating with a big group, or just need to go out somewhere to eat. The food was as good as the service, and it was reasonably priced as well! read more

Bert & The Elephant - Bavarian Pretzel - Beer Bar Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Second time there with friends, sadly it was a big swing and a miss. Out of a few Belgian beers that were on the posted draft list (pet peeve: always keep an updated accurate list for patrons to check beforehand), a few were not available which was a surprise considering this is a Belgian beer venue. Disappointed. Pommes fritte and wings were just not good. Hoping Bert can figure out the kitchen/menu soon. The meal was too pricey for the quality and availability of the beer and food. read more

New place in Lancaster. Totally not the atmosphere I was expecting but it was cool. Small and quaint. I was thinking it was going to be a large beer hall, I was wrong. I am going to instantly help this establishment. Remove that pretzel from your menu or make it homemade and better. Don't mean think about it or add a sauce to dip it in, I mean remove it. Punt it into the sun and pretend you never tried to sell people a microwaved super pretzel like it's anything different. It was sad, disappointing and something a toddler with microwave skills could produce....don't you dare say it's not microwaved...don't do it! Now that I said that, let's talk about the rest of the food. It was great. Smash burger was a hit for my son, my wife had a great bowl of soup and I had the mushroom flat bread which was really well done! Crispy and great flavor. Beers? Delicious....don't go there for an IPA, understand it's all Belgian beers. They are great and we love the glassware they are served in. Sooo to sum it up, go there for sure, it's a fun new place in lancaster with fun drinks and food, but for the love of all things good and pure in this world do not and I mean DO NOT order the PRETZEL. read more

A beautiful space with an extensive Belgium draft menu. Each beer is poured as intended in appropriate glassware. Not a beer drinker myself, I was able to order a simple vodka drink while my friends enjoyed touring the draft menu. We ordered wings, cheese curds and fresh cut fries and were not disappointed. I'll go back for the dry rubbed twice baked wings and fries alone. They have a large outdoor courtyard space as well but we didn't take a peek as it was a frigid snowy day. I saw a TV over the bar, but it wasn't turned on despite a major football game being played. Bert and his son are wonderful people who are enthusiastic about the space and the service they provide. It's a great addition to this very busy full block. Can't wait to go back when the town thaws out enough to enjoy the outside courtyard ! read more

Tried once, wasn't familiar with some of the beers and asked for a taste of one of them & was charged for a small pour. They don't give samples like other bars. Underwhelming 1st visit. Will try again. read more

The atmosphere is pub like and fun. Our group of seven all agreed that their meals were good. The best thing about this restaurant, however, was the beer. They feature a variety of Belgian beers and ales that are wonderful. This place deserves return visits, and we'll most definitely be back soon. The service was a bit slow because the place was crowded. The owner came over to our table and explained the intricacies and costs of importing Belgian beers, and also explained how to enjoy and savor them. All in all, it was an enjoyable evening. read more

Overall 3.5 stars for a first trip to Bert & the Elephant. You'll go to Bert's for the Belgian beers, as they offer a great selection of regional draft and bottled/cans. The location is new, but the bar decor gives an established pub type feel. The food was good, not great, with the best of our meal being the twice baked wings. Additionally, it seemed the bar tenders and service staff are still learning the ropes on operating systems, what beers are offered/where they're located in coolers, as well as what glass to use for each pour. The place was packed for a Wednesday evening, and add that to the new staff still learning the ropes and drink wait times were long. I like to try different beers so I'm sure I'll be back and would love to increase my score once operations become seasoned. read more

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Walking in the door is like being teleported to a Belgian Pub. From the decor on the walls to the warm lighting and what seemed like a thousand different beer steins hanging from the ceiling it was nothing short of immaculate. My wife has celiac disease so options are limited as to where we can go, Bert offers an array of gluten free items, each more impressive than the previous. Definitely recommend the gluten free flat breads, the fires, the cheese curds. But let's talk about service, knowing nothing about Belgian beer before I arrived I was greeted by none other than Bert himself. After a brief conversation with the very upbeat and customer facing owner I was given the opportunity to learn about the beer, the culture and what makes Belgian beer special. Bert was kind enough to provide me with not one but two out standing recommendations that were nothing short of amazing. If you're looking for gluten free food, a meticulously designed feel, or just a home run of a beer. Look no further, you've found it at Bert & The Elephant. If I could give him a 6th star, without a doubt he would have earned that. 10/10. 5. A+. read more