Kinzer's Station Tavern

3572 Lincoln Hwy East
(Route 30)
Kinzers, PA 17535
(717) 442-8799

Kinzer's Station is located off of Route 30 on the way to Lancaster. I have wanted to stop in here for years, and had planned on it in the spring, but they were closed for a stretch due to a fire. They are back up and running, and I made a Sunday pit stop on the way home from a weekend road trip.

The joint is owned by a really nice fellow named Mike, a South Philly born-and-raised transplant, who bought the place almost sight unseen to get himself out of the city and into a slower-paced lifestyle out in the country. That's my kind of country living: owning a bar/restaurant with Philly originals all over the menu.

They allow smoking, which would have been annoying, but there was barely anyone there, so it wasn't too bad. Bud heavy was the drink of choice.

The food is nothing fancy, Philly area bar food done well. I had a cheesesteak and wings, two of my usual go-to choices.

The cheesesteak was quite good. The meat was well seasoned, and had plenty of cheese spread throughout. The roll was fine but not great. Being there on a Sunday right when they opened, I didn't expect it to be from the same day. Let's face it, I wasn't firing on all cylinders either. For being a day or three old, the roll was still okay.

Pretty well chopped, the meat didn't have any annoying gristly or fatty bites.

One thing you will notice, is they certainly do not skimp on the meat. I was a big fan of the both the quantity and quality.

The wings were also solid. I asked for the cooked extra crispy, and they sure were. The fat was nicely rendered out, and the skin retained it's crunch while I worked my way though them. It did not take long. This is a solid pit stop on your way to/through/from Amish country. A great roadside dive with Philly food done right. I hope to make a stop on a Friday night to get a real feel for the crowd. If I ever get to, I'll report back.

Bruno's Old Style Hoagies

555 Greenfield Rd.
Lancaster, PA 17601
(717) 393-7827
Website

A recent camping trip put me in Lancaster for a pit stop, and in preparation of all of the grilled items to follow, I felt I should fortify myself with a hoagie (or 2). Bruno's Old Style Hoagies sounded right up my alley.

First good sign, Liscio's boxes. My favorite.

I decided to try one turkey and one Italian for good measure. And because I am oh so very glutenous. "The Bruiser" is a spicy turkey with peppered turkey, Cooper sharp, peppershooters, and topped with bruschetta. Curiously, they employed the time honored DelCo meat wrap ordinance, though we were indeed in Lancaster County. The peppered turkey was delicious, the entire hoagie, though hard to eat, was packed full of fresh ingredients. The only part I wasn't thrilled about was the bruschetta. It didn't add much, and pretty much fell out when squeezed. It wasn't bad at all, just me being overly picky. I am, after all, a seasoned hoagie expert.

The hot Italian, however, more than held its own. And let's face it, an Italian is to hoagies as sharp prov is to the provolone family. Everything else is good, but there can be only one king.

This featured a thin layer of fatty, spicy sopressata on the top, and a more traditional cotechino and hot capicola inside. This Italian was about perfect. Thinly sliced meats, made with love, and crunchy veggies down below. Sharp provolone rounded it out. It's good to be king.

This was a hell of a portion on both accounts, and I ate like a ravenous wolf that just stumbled upon a flock of sheep. Lancaster, you have a good hoagie joint.

And no gruff for my famous oil AND mayo request either. Don't hate on deliciousness, South Philly.