Alvaro Bread and Pastry Shoppe: More Than Just Sweet Treats

If you’re looking for classic old-school Italian bread, the Alvaro family has a loaf for you. This local favorite, housed in a completely refurbished brick building, has become a hangout for eaters looking not only for baked goods but also Italian classics. Everything is made on the premises, and regulars rave about the pizzas, which are made with the perfect amount of fresh ingredients on a delicious crust. Portions are gigantic and prices are incredibly reasonable. If you’re there for dinner, make sure at least one person at your table orders from the amazing fresh pasta menu—the house-made ravioli are some of the best in town, packed with flavor and cooked to incredible tenderness. Spaghetti is also incredible, with unique thick noodles perfectly supporting a dense, flavorful sauce. For dessert, you have plenty to choose from—Alvaro’s cakes and cookies compete with incredible gelato. This place is a definite winner.

Alvaro Bread and Pastry Shoppe
236 Peffer Street
Harrisburg, PA 17102
(717) 238-1999
www.alvarobread.com

Garrason’s Tavern: Your New Local Hangout

It takes a number of essential factors to turn a bar into a neighborhood hangout. The service is probably the most important thing – if you’re treated like a regular, there’s a good chance you’ll become one. Harrisburg’s Garrason’s Tavern knows that maxim well, and over their twenty years in operation they’ve established themselves as one of the friendliest bars in town. First and foremost, that’s because of their fantastic drink specials. A wide array of beers are available, from national favorites to a few carefully-chosen microbrews. The bar is also locally famous for mixing the best Moscow Mule in hundreds of miles—this delicious concoction of vodka and ginger beer packs quite a kick. As for the food, it’s traditional bar grub, but executed very well. The burgers are huge and perfectly-charred, topped with a variety of goodies and served with hearty fries. Their pizzas are also very much worth ordering.

Garrason’s Tavern
400 Forster Street
Harrisburg, PA 17102
(717) 232-2028
www.garrasonstavern.com

Brick City Bar & Grille

We all need a neighborhood spot to get away, where the bartenders know our name and nobody’s going to hassle us. Harrisburg's Brick City Bar & Grille is your place. Just minutes from downtown, locals claim that it’s the best sports bar in the zip code, with a number of flat-screen TVs showing sports from all over the world.  While you’re there, Brick City offers plenty to quench your thirst and fill your stomach. The fish and chips are spectacular – perfectly breaded and fried, served with amazing shoestring fries and tart cole slaw. The fried calamari is also really good, and the herby aioli for dipping compliments the flavors nicely. Garlic waffle fries are also excellent. The beer and wine selection is above average, and service is attentive and helpful. And even with everything else going on in the space, the volume level's still not too high to carry on a conversation with your pals!

Brick City Bar & Grille
1313 North 2nd Street
Harrisburg, PA 17102
(717) 232-2522
www.brickcitybarandgrille.com

Treat Yourself to a Meal at Mangia Qui

Mangia Qui—together with Suba, its upstairs Spanish tapas bar—is a consistent favorite among discerning diners. Here you’ll find the best of regional Italian and Spanish dishes, performed with agriculturally sensitive local, seasonal ingredients. You can feast righteously and gloriously, though not necessarily inexpensively. Extensive, imaginative menus excite the palate; the dishes merit every bit of that anticipation. Your toughest decision is whether to go for the tapas or the entrées, and you may end up with a little bit of everything. From almond stuffed dates wrapped in bacon and topped with cheese and seafood tacos, to ceviche and calamari, amazing pastas and Tuscan Grill beef, and so much more, Mangia Qui requires repeat visits. Mixed drinks and wines raise a fine meal to exquisite.

Mangia Qui offers lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday, and Sunday brunch. Suba opens at 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.  Live music begins at 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Mangia Qui
272 North Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 233-7358
www.mangiaqui.com

Sphinx of PA: A Culinary Wonder

Egyptian food is a spectacular cuisine, with a wide variety of rich and satisfying flavors. Whether you’re a frequent eater or new to the scene, Harrisburg's Sphinx of PA will serve you up dishes that will have you swooning. The first thing you’ll notice when you walk in the door is the staff's incredible friendliness! The owner and his daughter are almost always there, and they treat just about every diner like family. They’re happy to explain anything on Sphinx of PA's menu — and they're effusive about the wonders of Egyptian cuisine. Start out with some traditional Middle Eastern appetizers. The hummus is spectacular and the baba ghanoush is astoundingly rich and flavorful. When it’s time to move on to entrees, you can’t go wrong with the delicious beef shawarma. Falafel is an excellent vegetarian option. Sphinx's prices are exceptionally reasonable, with many entrees coming in under ten dollars.

Sphinx of PA
2810 Paxton Street
Harrisburg, PA 17111
(717) 558-0702
www.sphinxofpa.com

Miso Sushi and Grill: Japanese Delights

If you’re looking for awesome sushi in the Harrisburg area, you’ll find it at Miso Sushi and Grill. This institution has been pleasing diners with a great combination of expertly-prepared nigiri and rolls as well as hot dishes from the kitchen. Miso's teriyaki dinners are also very, very good. The meat's cooked to tender perfection and the sweet sauce is mouth-wateringly tasty. The tempura dishes are also excellent, with a wonderfully light, crisp batter surrounding shrimp and vegetables. If you crave sushi, Miso does it right. The nigiri's fresh and beautifully presented, and the rolls cover all the bases from traditional to modern. The room is small, but Miso manages to seat a fair number of customers without the space seeming overcrowded. Service is very good as well, with attentive staff there when you need them. Regulars also enjoy some benefits, as the chefs like to send out free rolls to frequent eaters!

Miso Sushi and Grill
4620 Jonestown Road
Harrisburg, PA 17109
(717) 526-4088
www.misosushibar.com

Lancaster Brewing Company: Tip A Glass

Pennsylvania has a number of high-quality microbreweries advancing the art of craft beer. The Lancaster Brewing Company is no exception. Established in 1840, it’s one of the oldest breweries in Pennslyvania. As the years have gone by, it’s become a very popular local watering hole with its combination of excellent beers and top-quality food. An outpost of the brewery recently opened in Harrisburg and locals have been giving it rave reviews. If you want an overview of what they brew, the beer sampler lets you get a taste of four beers for a mere ten bucks. The food is competent but unexceptional, with a crabcake sandwich and the mussels appetizer winning special mention. While you’re waiting for your food, take a few minutes to explore the incredibly detailed “History of Beer” mural – you’re bound to learn something.

Lancaster Brewing Company
469 Eisenhower Boulevard
Harrisburg, PA 17111
(717) 564-4448
www.lbcharrisburg.com

McGrath’s Pub: A Neighborhood Institution

There’s something about the atmosphere of an old-school Irish pub that’s impossible to duplicate: dark wood, friendly bartenders, and a crowd of regulars that never seem to change. Since opening in Harrisburg in 2002, McGrath's Pub has been providing the authentic pub experience to hordes of thirsty people, offering excellent food at great prices. McGrath's is certainly not anything fancy – it’s bar grub through and through, but it’s all executed well. The Celtic wings (a re-interpretation of the classic Buffalo wing with a choice of sauces) are cooked to perfection, and the pulled venison BBQ sandwich is a unique treat. McGrath's fish and chips are made with salmon instead of the traditional cod, which seems strange until you try it. A local favorite is Irish nachos, made from fried potato skins with melted cheese, scallions, bacon and banana peppers. The tap beer selection is great and the bar can make just about any drink you desire.

McGrath’s Pub
202 Locust Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 232-9914
www.mcgrathspub.net

Dunes: Desert Magic

Harrisburg natives who hanker for high-quality Mediterranean cuisine have been flocking to Dunes for years. One meal here will make you a convert! Step inside to Dunes and you’ll be transported to a dimly-lit souk far away, where a panoply of delicious options await you. Regulars rave about the lamb, which is cooked to staggering tenderness. The slow-cooking method of Moroccan cuisine is excellent for getting the most out of this sometimes tricky meat… and Dunes nails it. Start your meal with the tapas appetizer, which presents some regional favorites including hummus, zalouk, carrots, olives, and more. It’ll wake your mouth up to the rich diversity of flavor on offer here. Another specialty is the bastilas – pockets of phylo dough stuffed with shrimp, chicken or spinach, there’a perfect snack to grab and go. Couscous is also excellent. Some complain that the food can be uneven, but when it’s good it’s very, very good.

Dunes
19 South 3rd Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 695-0873
www.harrisburgdunes.com

Cafe Fresco: Asian Fusion From An Award-Winning Chef

Since 2005, Café Fresco has been Harrisburg’s premiere spot for top-notch Asian fusion food, delivering amazingly diverse and tasty dishes to appreciative eaters from all around the state. Award-winning chef Travis Mumma has carefully conceived the menu to contain nothing but essential dishes, and diners rave over his presentation. Start out with the house Tigerlily Martini, made with fresh lychee for a unique flavor twist. The seafood is all exceptional, with the Chilean sea bass with creamy miso and the sesame encrusted Ahi tuna being notable standouts. If you don’t feel like fish, Café Fresco has a wide variety of other delectable dishes on the menu, ranging from a tender roasted duck breast to remarkably good pizzas—slightly unusual for a restaurant with such open Asian influences. For budget-conscious diners, a visit during Happy Hour is great for a menu of food and drink specials.

Café Fresco
215 North 2nd Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 236-2599 ‎
www.cafefresco.com

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