posted Nov 01, 2023

Foodie Towns in Lancaster, PA

Lancaster has more than PA Dutch cuisine. Enjoy international, fine dining and so much more!

Downtown Lancaster

Downtown Lancaster is home to 90+ unique dining locations, the majority of which are independently owned and operated. Enjoy restaurants that feature local, farm-raised poultry, organically-produced meats, farm-raised shellfish, and menus that feature innovated fare that emphasizes seasonal items.

Aside from traditional dining, you’ll also want to satisfy your sweet & savory taste buds. Take a trip down memory lane in downtown Lancaster’s only old-time candy shop, Vintage Candy Shop. For classic French cuisine to patisserie perfection, Barberet Bistro & Bakery offers a fresh take on brunch, lunch and dinner. Hammond Pretzel Bakery was voted #1 hard pretzel in Lancaster County Magazine for the past 21 years.

While you're nearby, gather up some supplies from the ultimate foodie stop, Lancaster Central Market - the oldest operating farmers market in America. And support aspiring restaurant owners serving up delicious foods from all around the world at the historic Southern Market Lancaster.

Grab lunch or dinner inside a working microbrewery where all of the beers are brewed on-site and you are welcome to schedule a tour. Try out Isaac's Craft Kitchen & Brewery, Spring House Brewing, Our Town Brewery, or Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, and see which one is your favorite. Be sure to sign up for the Lancaster County Craft & Cork Trail before heading downtown!

Lancaster City is home to Pennsylvania's best cup of coffee according to Food & Wine (Passenger Coffee), Alton Brown's favorite salad (Luca), and Buzzfeed's restaurant to try in Pennsylvania in 2018 (Callaloo Trinidadian Kitchen) - just to name a few favorite spots.

You can try a unique way of visiting foodie spots in Downtown Lancaster with LoKal Experiences and Unique Lancaster Experiences! LoKal offers a Sweet & Savory Tour, and a Lancaster City VIP Restaurant Tour, get up close & personal with the city's vibrant culinary scene. Unique Lancaster Experiences offers an International Food Tour and a Breakfast Food Tour.

Red Rose Walking Food Tour also offers a walking food tour that explores the historic parts of the city while tasting food along the way. This 2 hours long takes you through Downtown on market days where you can taste a wide variety of foods.

While it is true Lancaster County is home to plentiful amounts of PA Dutch style food there are also sidewalk cafés that dot the main streets, and where roadside stands hold brown eggs, fresh produce, and baked apple dumpling. Keep an eye out for a hand-scrawled sign while you're winding down our farm-laden roads.

These are the towns that produce the foods for which we yearn – from Intercourse’s sensational jams and jellies to Downtown's plethora of international cuisine and the Wilbur Buds of Lititz. With hands-on experiences, world-famous food brands, and take-home specialties for culinary adventures in your own kitchen—these towns are don’t miss foodie destinations.

Foodies will LOVE the Lancaster County Experience Passes. These FREE, mobile-based passes are your guide to all things Lancaster County; including freebies and discounts for your favorite restaurants, cafes, shops and more. The pass allows you to earn points and redeem exclusive prizes too!

Intercourse

Founded as a country village in 1754, Intercourse is a quintessential Amish community, where buggy hitching posts stand in parking lots and farming is the talk outside general stores.

For a true taste of Pennsylvania Dutch delights, spend a few hours at Kitchen Kettle Village. This village has 42 shops, cafes and sampling opportunities your taste buds can’t ignore. Visit the Jam & Relish Kitchen to watch Amish and Mennonite women work to “put up” more than 5,000 jars of jams, relishes, and other goodies every day. Sample everything from apple butter to pickled beets.

You can also find shops specializing in candy and fudge, meats and cheeses, olive oils and balsamic, and wine made right here in Lancaster County by Waltz Vineyard.

At Stoltzfus Meats & Deli, discover an old-fashioned butcher shop with farm-fresh meats and cheeses. Pick up some famous Dutch scrapple or grab a quick lunch of a Pennsylvania Dutch hot sausage sandwich— a county fair staple.

Explore the PA Dutch dining scene or pick up ingredients for a recipe that you can make when you get back home.

Lititz

Stroll down the street in Lititz, and you’ll think you’ve wandered right into a scene of a Norman Rockwell painting. Founded by the Moravians 250 years ago, Lititz is home to treats known around the world and that warm, inviting feeling that’s so common in Pennsylvania Dutch Country.

Wander to the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, America’s first pretzel bakery, where Pennsylvania Dutch pretzels are still baked in stone ovens, just as they were 145 years ago. Take a tour of the bakery, and try out the twisting process to become a “pretzel chef.”

Just a few blocks away, satisfy your sweet tooth at the Wilbur Chocolate Factory Store. Wilbur Chocolate, made famous by its Wilbur Buds, produces more than 170 million pounds of superior chocolate every year. Watch skilled candy makers hand-dip marshmallows into chocolate or create nut-filled creations for the perfect gift.

Head up the street to check out Olio Olive Oils & Balsamics. They offer a large selection of fine olive oils and balsamic vinegar that we've expanded since our inception in 2012. They are also known for their selection of honey, imported pasta, sea salts, peppercorns and rubs. They're also one of the largest stand-alone oil and vinegar stores in the nation with approximately 3,000 square feet of deliciousness.

Rooster Street Butcher is a cut above the rest with hand-cut meats, homemade sausage, delicious charcuterie, and so much more. They have a fantastic menu for a bite to eat and plenty of goodies to take back to your kitchen.

Head to Artisan Mill for a unique and boutique shopping experience. While you're there, head next door and grab some delicious pierogis from Inna's Pierogi Shop.

Each year, Lititz hosts foodie-centric events to highlight the tastes of the town. Taste of Lititz and Pretzel Fest are held in the Spring, while Chocolate Walk and Lititz Craft Beer Fest are held in the fall.