The Sturges Speakeasy
400 Forster St, Harrisburg, PA, 17102
The Sturges Speakeasy Menu
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.
Visit below restaurant in Harrisburg for healthy meals suggestion.
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant blood pressure menu details.
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
-
Address :
400 Forster St
Harrisburg, PA, 17102 - Phone (717) 412-0931
- Website https://www.sturgesspeakeasy.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Good For Dancing : No
Alcohol : Full Bar
Happy Hour : Yes
Best Nights : Wed, Thu, Sat
Coat Check : No
Smoking : Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online
Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.
Amy S.
Great bar but food and service were lacking. Chop salad was so over dressed it was inedible and Thai peanut wings tasted like bland peanut butter soggy wings. Our server was lacking personality and was slow. He didn't even ask if we enjoyed our food when we left full plates. I've never given a 10% tip until I went there. I work in the industry and just couldn't accept that experience. I recommend just drinking there if you don't mind the TV blaring
(2)Tom H.
My wife and I ate here with some friends when we visited Harrisburg. This is easily one of the best places I have been to. Great food for the price and great service. I cannot wait to come back again. If you are in Harrisburg, this place is a must visit.
(5)Liz J.
I feel robbed that I've lived in hbg for so long and just stumbled upon this gem recently! Great atmosphere, great service, delicious food, reasonably priced drinks (even outside of happy hour!). The burgers are awesome. I subbed mahi mahi for the shark in the tacos, and they were fresh and full of flavor. I consider their cornbread to not only be the best above the Mason Dixon line, but a rival to that of the south! It is moist, buttery, and popping with flavor. Highly recommend!
(5)Mohun K.
Great drink selections, good service. Bar atmosphere was good on a Saturday night (3/23/13).
(4)T W.
A really great place! Comfortable atmosphere, filled with a diverse mix of friendly neighborhood locals and state workers after work. Always good service and always easy to strike up conversations. A really nice change from the sophmorish joints down on 2nd St. No knukleheads. Nice beers on tap. The food has been great so far. Turkey burger is moist and well made, with a good bun, and perhaps the best fries I've ever had in my life! Both the hand-cut potato and sweet potato fries, made in peanut oil, are so good! Shark Taco's also a favorite, fresh ingredients, fresh fish cooked well, and delicious. On my short list as one of the best establishments in Harrisburg!
(4)Marissa H.
The bar itself is awesome, the drafts plentiful, and the bartenders make really good mixed drinks. The food is so-so. I've been here 1 time for dinner & the food was really good - nice sized portions for a good price. Recently went back for happy hour and was disappointed. Ordered French fries & the veggie of the day (succotash which ended up being much better than expected) - the amount of French fries equaled the amount a small child would fit in his hand, maybe a total of 10 (??? did the kitchen staff think I didn't need to eat them? heheh) definitely not worth the money; I won't order them again. Also, the happy hour menu for vegetarians is non-existent...everything is meat-centric which is a bummer. It'd be great if they got rid of the smoking on the outside deck too, but that's just a personal wish.
(4)Cynthia L.
Went for dinner and had to fight the parking meter. Should have known it was an omen. Waitress was so pleasant and friendly it did help the evening, . We were excited that they had an extensive drink and food menu. We ordered maple burbon wings. No heat, no flavor. Not sure what was in the sauce, but it was bland. tasted like plain chicken. Blue cheese was runny and wouldn't stick to the wings or the cellery. I was really bummed. My boyfriend ordered a beer and I got a cider. It suprised me that it was on tap. We waited 45 minutes for our dinner. They sat us in the very back by the kitchen door so the ambiance was a little lacking. Found ourselves watching tv of all things. I ordered the gumbo. It is usually full of veggies like okra and seafood, chicken, and sausage. This was aweful. It had a lot of spice, but was really mushy. I got one shrimp, one crawfish and a lot of shells for $19.00. Definately not worth it. Watch the food network, you use the shells for stock, you don't leave them in the dish. It tated like they cooked it last week and kept reheating it. I was so disappointed. We got desert then. I got the gluten free chocolate cake and my boyfriend had the espresso cheese cake. Both were $7 and were ok. My chocolate cake was much better than his chessecake. My boyfriend liked his dinner, but took a lot of it home. He said my cornbread was the best part. All in all, I would have said that the night was about a 3. The was until we got home. I started to feel sick. I got food poisoning. I was in the bathroom all night. I will not be eating there again. I cook better and my food doesn't make me sick! Use caution! We paid $75 for a sickening experience!
(1)Darren T.
It's pretty bad. The food is inconsistent at best. The drinks are confusing. They have a rather extensive cocktail menu consisting of a list of cocktails with names such as "shark tail" and "desert storm" which aren't commonly known cocktails, but there are no ingredients listed. So, it just looks like a long list of random words. They also have a list of classic cocktails, which I love! But, I have been there three times ordered "The Bronx" each time, and every time it's very different! The first time it was a delicious, mostly clear cocktail served in a martini glass. The second time it was a very murky orange juice based drink served in a tall glass that tasted like cheap orange juice. Last night, it was a somewhat transparent drink which still seemed to be OJ based, served in a rocks glass. Why?
(1)Julie B.
Starting on a positive note...this is a great neighborhood bar. The warm & inviting atmosphere is packed with locals. Decent seasonal draft selection. I should end here by saying great drinking hole in Midtown, but I will go on. I really can't say anything positive about the food. It's not even "good for bar food" quality. I was reluctant to eat there again after having an overpriced & seriously underwhelming brunch, but alas I gave it another shot. How do you ruin French fries?!! I ordered them and had them in under a minute. Limp, soggy & under salted. On to the hard boiled egg sampler. A small amount of food on a large serving vessel should be reserved for artfully presented foods. Not four tiny eggs in a glob (not a drizzle) of horseradish sauce. The pulled pork egg had a tiny sliver of dry pork & the bacon egg had what amounted to about two Baco-s on top. Then there was the apple cider bread pudding. I guess there was a faint hint of apple. It also wasn't very warm and what was described as chocolate ganache was clearly Hershey's syrup. Why is the chocolate even necessary? Caramel is the appropriate flavor pairing for apples. I would rate them lower than a three stars for food, but I'm averaging the fact that Sturges is a fine drinking establishment. I will go back to enjoy it as a bar.
(3)Devin V.
The first time there, it was better than average, service was great the beer was cold, the food was although small portioned even for an appetizer, was great. The place remains the same as it was when it was Garrisons's but with such a narrow space it seems your possibilities for a remodel would be limited. I went back a few times since, to what I can only assume was a change in kitchen management, or maybe the first time I was there was a fluke of delight. The same wonderful attentiveness to a diminishing beer. The stuffy, crowded ambiance of friendly, happy faces only a corner bar can deliver. However some of the beers are over priced, but I refer to that as an effort to keep out the riff raff, but anything over 4 dollars for a domestic draft is just ridiculous. (And just to clarify I've been in the business for over 20 years, I'm not cheap, just knowledgeable.) Now onto the food I had cured salmon the first time. It was perfectly balanced, with acidity, sweetness and saltness, crispy, yet soft toasted baguette slices, capers, and red onion made a great presentation. I had wings which were large crispy, and "dressed" properly. (as opposed to drenched in sauce) But for the second visit, it was water logged, unbalanced with over toasted bread and poorly presented. The meat wasn't the same, it was chewy and tasted of strait salt. The Calamari was a rubbery over cooked mess with some store bought Mae Ploy chili sauce. This town is in dire need of a place that practices consistency. I would rather take a consistent good food than playing Russian Roulette with a great food.
(3)Lina K.
Went here on a Saturday night with my husband. We did not have to wait for a table. We sat in the back near a door and were a bit afraid people were going to come out of the door but only one person did the entire time we were there. Great drink menu. Got a Fuzzy Shark. We got nachos for an app. No meat on them and they were still really good. Fresh ingredients. Not the most amazing guacamole and salsa I ever had but they were good. I got the shark tacos and they were great! I thought they were a good price and the serving was just right. I chose the tomato basil soup as a side. Yum! My husband got a pasta dish with shredded pork or beef. It was good as well. We were pleased with this meal and will def get back. Parking is street parking. Evenings and weekends the meters are free.
(4)John L.
Finally! A pub in Harrisburg that has all of the elements on one that you would find in a larger Metro area. The place was renovated nicely, great beers on tap, great food, friendly service, good crowd, really good prices. Braised, smoked pork is outstanding and the absolute best burger in town!
(4)Ben B.
Great drink selections. Half off drafts at happy hour. Great atmosphere.
(4)Angela H.
The atmosphere outside on the deck was nice. The wait staff was great. The place was slammed as to be expected on a Friday night but we got our drinks, appetizer, and meals very efficiently. We had the calimari, a couple of microbrews, the shark tacos, iron skillet cornbread, and the grilled tuna sala. The corn bread was made from scratch and it was amazing! My only gripe was the salad was a little flat, mostly spinach and small peice of tuna that was supposed to be medium but it was well done. Still, we could tell all the ingredients were quality, no micro-grilled fare here. We would go back and order the shark tacos again, the spice was great!
(4)Tony M.
this place could be much better if they did the following: 1. fix the air conditioning. the staff kept saying it was "very hot" but that isn't the point....there are plenty of restaurants that ARE comfortable when it's "very hot"...which means they need to beef up the AC. 2. Larger portions (wrap was quite skinny) (a handful of chips and a little salsa) 3. Lower prices. $8 skinny wrap and $6 for a handful of chips and a little salsa? i most likely will go back and give them another chance, but i'm not in any hurry.
(2)Candice S.
We visited Sturges Speakeasy based on the great reviews we've read about the new menu and remodel. I am so glad we did! The place is beautiful! The menu is not overwhelmingly big, and the beer/drink menu is fantastic. We each ordered beers, and started with the nachos for an appetizer. The waiter was helpful, and we asked what he recommended as a meal, and he gave some great recommendations. All of the ingredients tasted very fresh, and they were delicious! For our entrees, I ordered the steak sandwich and my boyfriend ordered the Noble Experiment. The steak sandwich was delicious, a great combination of steak, cole slaw, and french fries all on a ciabatta bread. The steak was cooked perfectly. I got a side salad instead of fries since the sandwich had fries on it, and the salad was also very fresh. My boyfriend was really happy with his sandwich as well, and I tried it and it was very tasty. Overall, we'll definitely be back, and are so happy to see a great place in the neighborhood! It may appear a bit pricey, but the food is so fresh and fulfilling that you won't be disappointed!
(4)Kristie G.
Great food and atmosphere! I have yet to have something there that I did not like! Staff is very nice. The place is well kept and clean. Great location!
(4)Connie H.
Love the upstairs deck.
(4)Lou L.
I've been here about three or four times and never had a bad experience. The food was always good (chorizo mac and cheese!) and the pork belly sandwich was great. Never had an issue with service and the beer selection isn't too bad either.
(4)Julia D.
Really good food. This is a great take on pub food. Not your average run of the mill fried junk (aka Aroogas). The menu is really great. I've tried the fried chicken, shark tacos, veggie burger, chicken sandwich and the salads. Not disappointed ONCE. Trust me, for Harrisburg this place has some quality grub. AND the bar is so cool, if you have been to the former establishment and haven't been here yet check it out. The decor is very cool and definitely fits the "speakeasy" vibe. I'm a fan of this place and frequently take out of town guests here. Give it a shot. It will not disappoint. Unless you suck.
(4)Joy G.
Nicely redone! This place has an awesome atmosphere. I came here with a friend a few weeks ago and it had just been fixed up and all that jazz. The place looks good and the menu was hard to pick from because everything looked great. Oh, and do yourself a favor and replace the fries with sweet potato fries. They were amazeballs.
(4)Alexis B.
This place is awesome. Awesome atmosphere, and amazing food! We sat on the deck, such a beautiful day. My boyfriend got the shark tacos which were amazing and I got a cranberry chicken spinach salad. SO GOOD! I'm so hungry just talking about it. Not to mention we had there fabulous chorizo macaroni and cheese. At first I thought the portions were a little smaller (probably because I'm use to restaurants giving out pounds of high caloric food) but it was perfect. We were very full at the end and it both sat in our stomachs well. Our server Jess was so patient and kind to us! We can't wait to go back!
(5)Keith N.
Just returned after a poor experience... only because we had an expired living social coupon and wanted to at least redeem the cash value of $20. Not too happy again. Got stuck at a small table inches from the kitchen door. We asked for a larger table (there were 3 of us with winter coats and a couple of purses) but were told no... that they were reserved for larger groups... so we stayed in our tight confines while larger groups never materialized and those tables remained empty. But the big turn off was the chicken wing that was not defeathered. Yech! I'm not talking about a few hairs... I'm talking about full feathers... looking stringy as they dripped in sauce and pulled the skin at their roots. The entire table lost their appetites and fought back our gag reflexes. I politely showed the staff (the manager in fact) when we got our check and she just cleared our plate and that was that... no apology... nothing. Not even a smile for our collective revulsion. I at least expected an "oh, I'm sorry" for the inedible and disgustingly feathery chicken wing... but nothing. So never again. You could not pay me to eat a meal there... nope, never again.
(1)Matthew L.
I was here for a beer. The joint was OK. Was crowded on a Friday Happy Hour. Beer selection is good, too. No complaints other than the crowd.
(4)Ben K.
Four of us went and had calamari and mussels for appetizers which were good. Then we had the noble experiment, salmon, sword fish and pork BBQ for entrees. All were perfect portions and fantastic favors. I had the salmon with a cranberry glaze and the combination worked really well. I paired it with a fresh Troegs Perpetual IPA to top it off. Service was a little slow but we were on the deck (which was amazing in and of itself) so they had to hike stairs all night. Overall an incredible meal and a great experience.
(5)C H.
I had really high hopes since the inside is as beautiful as Garrison's was gross. However, it turned out that the decor is the only thing to like about the place. I will preface the following by saying I am not a restaurant complainer. I have worked in the service industry for years and generally eat my food, even if it isn't so good, drink my drinks, and tip well. That being said, last Saturday night, my experience at the Speakeasy required complaint and this review. My friend and I arrived 8:30ish and chose to sit on the deck. There were several tables open and we were seated and served our first round of drinks in a timely manner. We ordered nachos (sans cheese sauce because I am of the belief that even homemade cheese sauce is gross) and a beet salad with basil vinaigrette. I can only guess the chef had a cold when he made the dressing, because it was a garlic bomb. No basil, just vampire-repelling garlic. The salsa and guac served with the nachos were also very heavy-handed with garlic, to the point I could feel it in my sinuses. Which might have not been so bad except our drinks were left empty. Our plates were cleared, tables around us were bused, other servers walked by repeatedly, and the manager sat and chatted with a table across the patio. Drinks still empty. No one ever checked on us and our server was MIA since we placed our order. After 30 minutes of garlic after-taste and no beverages I stopped a passing server to complain. She apologized profusely and went to get the manager, who also apologized, though kinda vaguely, and comped our meal. Even free, it wasn't worth the price. I would be inclined to give the place another try, but my friend, who works across the street and has eaten there approx 8 times, says this level of service and food is pretty much par for the course.
(1)Adam S.
Great place. Good beer selection, fun attentive staff, and good food with reasonable prices. Had the Spanish meatloaf - you had me at "bacon wrapped chorizo...."! I could spend a lot of time here.
(5)Jonathan F.
I really like this place. I've been here maybe 4 or 5 times, and never had bad service. I was just there last night, and the server was especially friendly and attentive, even taking the time to take a few group photos of us. The food is always good. When they first opened, the music was a bit loud for conversation, but that hasn't been a problem in subsequent visits. One of my favorite spots in Harrisburg.
(4)Madison S.
Always have great service and food when we visit the Speakeasy - so mad they got rid of the shark tacos (they were the best!!!)
(5)Juliana K.
Decent place. Food is very oily. Bacon tastes like the old fried oil from their fryer. Terrible. Pork belly eggs Benedict tastes good. Oily though. Biscuit is dry and bland but you have the sauce to help. Corn beef has was a mix of oily potatoes and corn beef. The potatoes were not crispy because of the amoutn of oil used. Breakfast burrito was bad. It was like bland mush with cabbage in a wrap. The description sounds good, but don't get it. Coffee was okay. Some watered down maxwell house coffee. Harrisburg doens't have many brunch places...
(2)Jeffrey S.
What s great find! We arrived on a Sunday evening and the bar was packed. The music playing throughout the place was perfect - loud enough to enjoy and low enough to hear the people you are with. The service was attentive and the waiters recommendations were spot on. We enjoyed the Spanish infused meatloaf with rum glazed carrots (perfect) and the roasted red potatoes were enjoyable. The Pittsburgher that comes with a bacon blue cheese fried egg coleslaw and french fries (I got the coleslaw and fries on the side instead of on it) was cooked perfectly. My only regret is that I don't live close enough to frequent this place more often. If I lived nearby it would become my go to place.
(5)Chris R.
I had a stupendous plate of monkfish and risotto at Sturges Speakeasy. Partner had the nachos which were enjoyed also. I had a pint of Standard cider from their extensive beer and cider list. It took a while for the servers to sort our who was actually going to take our table but once that happened our service was pretty good.
(4)Matt H.
Cool atmosphere on a Saturday night. Prices not bad for Harrisburg and it's a good spot off the beaten path of the 2nd street scene.
(4)Jeannine W.
I really rarely take the time to write reviews. But this time I had to. One of the best Reuben sandwiches I've ever had, amazing. Great beer too!
(5)Kurt I.
One of the better bars in Harrisburg. Few vegetarian options, but that is better than none. Prices for liquor can be a bit high. Clean, decent crowd, and not on 2nd street (A big plus).
(3)Hillary G.
The food is usually great. The atmosphere is also great except the music so loud often it is hard to converse.
(3)J J.
Yummy food for a late night snack with your drinks or a full dinner, we love their Mac and cheese and salads, but the whole menu looks delicious and I'm excited to go back to try more, lots of things that you don't typically see on an everyday menu...never disappointed in our food, also if you enjoy Moscow mules then you must go...absolutely love their drink choices!
(5)John D.
Had no idea what to expect when I entered. was thinking a small little bar. Inside is very nice. Food is slightly higher priced but the qiuality and portions justify it. I had the salad and turkey wrap, both were very good. I will be back, but I will not make a special trip. Too much in the area to try.
(3)Beth H.
I went here for a late lunch and there was almost no one in there. I ordered the turkey burger and it was delicious. The server was kind and helpful. Even though I was there during a very slow time of day, I would return for an evening meal because of the caliber of the food. The fries were fresh cut and cooked perfectly (not too soggy, not too crispy.) I highly recommend this place for everyone and anyone!
(4)Sean S.
Make it a point to hit here on a regular basis. The seating is decent, and the staff has always been very friendly. I usually go vegetarian, and my girlfriend is an unrepentant carnivore. And they accommodate us both easily. She loves the Mexican meatloaf. And I thought the black bean hummus was a great twist on a food that before I had started to become rather bored with. Nice selection of beers, and some cool mixed drinks thrown in to boot. Definitely worth the time to stop if your in the area.
(5)Veronica N.
Stopped in for a late lunch and was pleasantly surprised. The bar area was pretty busy, so we sat in the small dining area at the back. Our server was very nice and attentive. We ordered the firecracker shrimp to start. It was a nice portion of lightly battered and fried shrimp in a mildly spicy chili-soy sauce. Very good and pretty similar to the famous "bang bang shrimp" at Bonefish Grill--only not as creamy and more asian-flavored. I ordered the crispy chicken ranch sandwich on focaccia. The chicken was crispy and juicy, which is a rare combo. The bacon, lettuce, and tomato went well with the ranch sauce. My mom ordered the Delmonico steak. It was cooked to her liking and very tender and had almost no gristle. They had a large selection of craft beer. The vibe is very chill here.
(5)Vince B.
Wow what a great find! This bar has nostalgia and character but is not old school stuffy. Was greeted immediately by bar tender, I was able to work while have some good food and great drinks. Good jukebox too! Chris the bartender was super friendly with both the regulars and new customers(like me) Well done will be back when I visit!
(5)Joani S.
Overview: Great food, with large portions and decently priced. Well-worth a try. Food: I've eaten several things on the menu and have always enjoyed what I had. Recommend: The fish sandwich is huge and very good. During Octoberfest, they have a special menu and the jaegerschnitzel was superb. The burgers are large and well-seasoned. Always check the specials! Atmosphere: Typical bar atmosphere. On weekends and nights it can get rather loud. You can ask to sit at the back or upstairs for a quieter time. Service: I have always had a good experience with the service. Occasionally the food can be a bit slow to come out, but that's usually if they're busy. The waitresses have always been very nice.
(5)Denny T.
Came in for a late dinner a few weeks back. Bar staff and waiter were prompt to help me out. Friendly and ontop during the whole visit. Ordered a Manhattan Speak Easy Style. Asked for suggestions and ended up with the peanut butter, bacon, and grape jelly brisket burger (PBBJ) served with a side of choice. Drink was stiff like I expected. Nothing deceiving here. I ordered a second one which played well with my meal. The food came at a good time. The PBBJ Brisket sandwich as they call it. The combination of ingredients for the burger sounds disgusting however came out hot. The sweetness of jelly matched well with the saltiness of the ground brisket and peanut butter. I enjoyed every bite of the meal. Fries were okay. Only complaint was how messy this meal was. I ended up with jelly in my wallet that was sitting on the counter. Good: food, service, atmosphere and drinks. More than affordable. Bad: nothing to date. I would come back for the food, beverages, service, and atmosphere.
(4)Jacob H.
Outstanding nachos. I know you don't know me, but trust me whenever I say that I love nachos. There are few things in life I enjoyed more than a cold beer with some nachos and this place is the place to get it. They have the most delicious nachos yet, so if you haven't had them, you need to get them and if you don't like them, then you're an idiot. In all serious, this is one of my favorite hangouts whenever I am in Harrisburg. They present a relaxed atmosphere with great staff. They are always attentive and polite. I have had nothing but great experiences at Speakeasy's. Bottom line... You should go, and get the Nachos.
(5)Calvin D.
I ordered a steak sandwich, Tina a burger. Service was slow even though they were not busy. Tina said her burger was good. My steak sandwich tasted like it has sat while they were preparing Tina's burger. My plate was ice cold which really helps already limp fries. Probably will not go back.
(1)Jon M.
The 'Cowboy Burger' is amazing! Order it medium with fries and you won't be disappointed! Finish with a piece of peanut butter pie with grape jelly drizzle and be on the edge of gluttony. *Make sure that they make it medium, I've ordered this 10 times and only once was it correctly done. I hate wasting food but it I want it right when I'm spending $60 on food just for 2.... I want it right! This is why it's only 4 not 5 stars.
(4)Katherine M.
Let's start off with the fact I never disagree with Miss Julie B. up there. Like ever. But maybe since I came here like 2 months after her review, they upped their quality. Or I got a different chef. Or I just chose the 'right dishes', y know? The atmosphere is pretty cute - since it's December their are little Christmas lights all around and I kind of wish they'd be up all year long because it just made it really warm feeling. It's fairly small but inviting enough. A few bears on draft and good ones at that. That could be the influence of the Woodchuck Winter speaking though - I about die when people have that on draft in the winter because I could never find it on draft back in Ohio. Our food ranged from 'this is pretty good' to 'oh my gosh can we please just have 5 of these?' We started off with the nachos which had a real cheese sauce, some good pico de gallo, and really yummy black olives. The only complaint was that the cheese sauce was a bit bland and could have used a little more spice to it. But the sauce was pretty darn good. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich with cornbread. It comes in a skillet and is amazingly delicious and I urge you just to go get a skillet of the cornbread and stuff your face with it. I found that putting the pork from the pulled pork sandwich on the cornbread instead of the bread it came on like the best thing ever. My husband's burger - which came with fried egg and baked beans and bacon - was cooked well and solid. A good burger, probably the best we've had so far in the area (not saying much, I don't feel like we've search them out here) and something we'd order again. The mashed corn potatoes were a different story - a bit too dry and the corn flavor was missing. Not bad, but not amazing like the corn bread. I'd come back for the corn bread and beer alone - but want to try a few other things as well. Definitely a cute little place with an easy to choose from menu.
(4)Pamela C.
Great Atmosphere. Great Service. Great mix of guests. And good food! I had the Oyster Po Boy, which will probably be what I will be having every time I stop in. It is that good! It does get a little warm in there will all of the big windows and sun beating into the building, but it's not too bad since the beer cools you down ;D Best of all, they serve brunch on Sundays! (get anything with bacon, trust me)
(4)Micah J.
This place has become a staple in the area over the past year. The brunch on Sunday is some of the best in the area. Along with that brunch make sure you order a bloody mary. The homemade mix they have here is top 3 all time for me. The dinner entrees are pretty good but some items leave me a little disappointed (the steak). Mostly this is a great hometown bar with a lot of locals and a great atmosphere. I love going here and hanging out for some drinks with friends. The service is out of this world. The tenders and servers are all excellent and I`ve never had to wait long for food or drinks. The upstairs deck is so nice during the summer time. I strongly suggest checking out the Speakeasy!
(4)Dan R.
Well I usually dont start my Yelp reviews off with "Mad props!" but all I've gotta say is: Mad Props! I was here a few times when it was Garrison's Tavern, and it was alright. Boy did they do some work to the place... fresh paint, new bar, a dozen extra Tvs, amazing menu items. We had shark tacos with butternut squash soup for around 10 bucks. The wait was a little bit long and it was a full house. I'd suggest reservations for the weekend. Drink menu was quite extensive, though I only occasionally drink myself. It's worth a shot if youre looking for something unique in the area, prices are a tad bit expensive.
(4)Randall G.
We SO wanted to like this place and were glad to see Garrisons go out of business. The new owners gave the building GREAT curb appeal and the deck on the roof is a nice place to sit and relax ... What soured us on this place was a brunch for 6 of us ... Plates the size of a salad plate ( for your breakfast ), a bartender who didn't quite seem to understand the concept of keeping the Mimosas flowing ( @ least until they could manage to get the food out of the kitchen. Trust me, I'm a gay man, I brunch, frequently ... You want brunch you can't finish cause its so huge and affordable, go to Rock Bass Grill on the west shore beside Market Street bridge. One GREAT app is their cheese plate with fruit and honeycomb ... Perfect with a cocktail before heading out for a night of entertainment.
(2)Sizzle C.
meh...its a fun and nicely done place with good bloody marys but the brunch was nothing I would come back for. Burger was just ok....cooked properly but didnt have great flavor i think the patty was underseasoned....also, how hard is it to make a decent batch of french fries? they were cold and limp and gray. A restauarant can make people really satisfied with a plate of hot crispy fries, its NOT HARD. i shouldve sent them back but didnt have the heart as my food already took forever.
(2)Joshua W.
I love this place. It's a great place for friends to get together, eat and have drinks. Our waitress was fantastic as well. However - the caveat of it... Do not plan to have a sit down, peaceful meal on Thursday between 6-8. There is live music (which is decent) but it's also very loud for the small space that it's being played in. Making conversing at a table very difficult to achieve.
(4)Susie M.
What a little gem is the Speakeasy! An excellent menu, charming servers, a friendly bar, a planned year-round deck, and live music on Thursdays, and, let me just say, the BEST GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH EVER. Soak a slab of fine cheddar in Yuengling, slap it between two excellent not too thick slices of bread, toast to perfection on a grill slathered in butter, and serve with a cup of roasted tomato soup for dunking: a gooey cholesterol-ific paradise. Lip-smackin', I'm telling ya! This place deserves our strong neighborhood support, downtowners and midtowners! Get yourself over there, belly up to the bar, and enjoy. I'll see you there soon.
(4)Laurie H.
Found a giant, disgusting hair on the bottom of my turkey burger recently. Won't be returning.
(1)Ashley M.
Awesome bar and restaurant! The menu is fantastic! I havnt had anything that I didn't enjoy! The specials are always something to look forward too! Great service awesome bartenders!!!! The Sunday brunch is perfect for those who want something other than plain old eggs and pancakes! Espresso martinis are a must!!
(5)Kevin N.
Let me say off the bat, that the food was pretty good. I had the Noble Experiment. I enjoyed it, and the fries were seasoned excellently. If you can just get your food to go, I'd recommend that, because inexpensive, pretty good food is really all this place has going for it. Went here because everything else was closed. Loud pop music was blaring, despite it being an early Sunday afternoon. The waitstaff was slow and inattentive at best, and occasionally rather snarky. Most of the people seemed to know each other and were just sitting around getting drunk at the bar, and the staff was far more interested in these people.
(2)Sean O.
Really great food and great atmosphere. I have only been there at lunch but most things I have eaten have been great. I did get a bean burger once that was too dry but the last time it was great. The portobello wrap is the best. Only complaint is how long it takes sometimes. I have an hour lunch and am just across the street and I still need to rush because I waited so long. It has happened a couple times. BUT, the food is worth the wait if you have the time.
(4)Rocio R.
Veeeeery extensive drinks menu which I loved. You can tell bartenders know what they're doing. Ordered the calamari appetizer to share between the two of us and they were very good, not rubbery or chewy like others we've had at other places. It came with a kind of Thai dipping sauce instead of the original marinara and we loved the twist on the dish. The atmosphere that day wasn't that great, but overall we enjoyed it and will go again.
(4)Steve V.
Five stars? Yep. We felt at home. The food was great. Fun menu. Lively, friendly crowd. Will be back!
(5)Lisa S.
On Friday, September 7, 2012, we dined for lunch at Speakeasy. This was our fourth visit, and during previous jaunts, we enjoyed their food. However, on this occasion, their food was subpar at best. Despite only 15 or so patrons present in the restaurant upon our arrival, it took over 30 minutes to get our food. After the food finally arrived, the burger was a frozen, prefab burger from Sysco, which had no flavor. Salt was its best friend. Their fries, which are fresh cut, were too soft and greasy to enjoy. My colleague's Manhattan seafood chowder had three micro slivers of seafood and the remainder was tomatoes and broth. The bread on the bottom of her turkey club had turned to mush, from sitting way too long in he kitchen. The pickle was the best part about this platter. One of the staff members asked us how our food was, and we expressed our dismay. The information was not relayed to the manager, who seemed aloof, walking around aimlessly. Our server did not smile during our entire stay. It's apparent the quality of food and service has suffered, leaving us wondering why we should give this place another try. Perhaps they changed chefs??? But we are forgiving, and will probably give this place a try. Everyone has an off day. But in this case, it was at our expense.
(2)Amy G.
Things have gotten better over the last few months and I'm becoming more and more of a fan. Their happy hour specials are great. The perfect way to wrap up a work day. The deck is nice but service up there can be a little slow.
(4)David K.
Wow. That is all I have to say. This place is the epitome of a cool bar, different, good food, but great drinks. The bar staff are definitely mixologists, and take pride in doing drinks right. You can get all kinds of classic and new drinks, things that no other bar has. The best part, not mentioned enough here - the price. OK, an entire big page of good sized drinks for 5 bucks. A whole page of shooters, 6 bucks, and jello shots for a buck. Honestly, this is top three bars in the area. The deck is really cool, and the whole place is really well decorated. The food - AWESOME! The calamari here is literally, the best we have ever had, and we are pretty foody-ish. Perfectly softened and cooked, great mix of sauce, not too much or too little. The candied nut/chicken salad is ridiculous. Seriously, go to this place.
(5)Patrick B.
Ate at Sturges again last night. The food there is surprisingly creative for a "mere tavern." Hats off to the chef. "The Noble Experiement" is a sandwich of blackened chicken and a red cabbage mayo that was excellent and different. The Sriracha lime wings - which I'm sad to say were a special - were out of this world! Beer selection, as always, is varied and interesting.
(4)David R.
Stopped by for brunch with my wife. My BBQ pork belly Benedict was excellent however her cream chipped beef came out cold. I have been here a few times and inconsistent is the first word that comes to mind. Staff is very nice and helpful in fixing issues.
(3)Kimberly F.
This place is amazing, especially considering what it used to be! The appearance, alone, is worth the stars. The deck is a gorgeous way to enjoy the outdoors in nicer weather and the staff here will make you feel like this is, "your bar." Great drinks, good prices, quality food. Great job on the Speakeasy... maybe started a trend to move the Harrisburg scene up a level.
(5)Ryan S.
LOVE this place! Went here every Thursday before HYP Kickball games in the summer and it was great. Happy Hour is 1/2 priced drafts and they have a nice rotating selection (about 12-15) which allows for new experiences. I usually am only there for pre-game so I keep it light on the food (bar specials: wings, nachos, etc. Which are also $4 during Happy Hour). Atmosphere is great, sometimes get a live musical performance, which could get kinda loud. PLUS there's a rooftop bar/deck. Last time I was there, they were working on building an outdoor bar, which would be great as well.
(5)T W.
A really great place! Comfortable atmosphere, filled with a diverse mix of friendly neighborhood locals and state workers after work. Always good service and always easy to strike up conversations. A really nice change from the sophmorish joints down on 2nd St. No knukleheads. Nice beers on tap. The food has been great so far. Turkey burger is moist and well made, with a good bun, and perhaps the best fries I've ever had in my life! Both the hand-cut potato and sweet potato fries, made in peanut oil, are so good! Shark Taco's also a favorite, fresh ingredients, fresh fish cooked well, and delicious. On my short list as one of the best establishments in Harrisburg!
(4)Marissa H.
The bar itself is awesome, the drafts plentiful, and the bartenders make really good mixed drinks. The food is so-so. I've been here 1 time for dinner & the food was really good - nice sized portions for a good price. Recently went back for happy hour and was disappointed. Ordered French fries & the veggie of the day (succotash which ended up being much better than expected) - the amount of French fries equaled the amount a small child would fit in his hand, maybe a total of 10 (??? did the kitchen staff think I didn't need to eat them? heheh) definitely not worth the money; I won't order them again. Also, the happy hour menu for vegetarians is non-existent...everything is meat-centric which is a bummer. It'd be great if they got rid of the smoking on the outside deck too, but that's just a personal wish.
(4)Cynthia L.
Went for dinner and had to fight the parking meter. Should have known it was an omen. Waitress was so pleasant and friendly it did help the evening, . We were excited that they had an extensive drink and food menu. We ordered maple burbon wings. No heat, no flavor. Not sure what was in the sauce, but it was bland. tasted like plain chicken. Blue cheese was runny and wouldn't stick to the wings or the cellery. I was really bummed. My boyfriend ordered a beer and I got a cider. It suprised me that it was on tap. We waited 45 minutes for our dinner. They sat us in the very back by the kitchen door so the ambiance was a little lacking. Found ourselves watching tv of all things. I ordered the gumbo. It is usually full of veggies like okra and seafood, chicken, and sausage. This was aweful. It had a lot of spice, but was really mushy. I got one shrimp, one crawfish and a lot of shells for $19.00. Definately not worth it. Watch the food network, you use the shells for stock, you don't leave them in the dish. It tated like they cooked it last week and kept reheating it. I was so disappointed. We got desert then. I got the gluten free chocolate cake and my boyfriend had the espresso cheese cake. Both were $7 and were ok. My chocolate cake was much better than his chessecake. My boyfriend liked his dinner, but took a lot of it home. He said my cornbread was the best part. All in all, I would have said that the night was about a 3. The was until we got home. I started to feel sick. I got food poisoning. I was in the bathroom all night. I will not be eating there again. I cook better and my food doesn't make me sick! Use caution! We paid $75 for a sickening experience!
(1)Darren T.
It's pretty bad. The food is inconsistent at best. The drinks are confusing. They have a rather extensive cocktail menu consisting of a list of cocktails with names such as "shark tail" and "desert storm" which aren't commonly known cocktails, but there are no ingredients listed. So, it just looks like a long list of random words. They also have a list of classic cocktails, which I love! But, I have been there three times ordered "The Bronx" each time, and every time it's very different! The first time it was a delicious, mostly clear cocktail served in a martini glass. The second time it was a very murky orange juice based drink served in a tall glass that tasted like cheap orange juice. Last night, it was a somewhat transparent drink which still seemed to be OJ based, served in a rocks glass. Why?
(1)Amy S.
Great bar but food and service were lacking. Chop salad was so over dressed it was inedible and Thai peanut wings tasted like bland peanut butter soggy wings. Our server was lacking personality and was slow. He didn't even ask if we enjoyed our food when we left full plates. I've never given a 10% tip until I went there. I work in the industry and just couldn't accept that experience. I recommend just drinking there if you don't mind the TV blaring
(2)Tom H.
My wife and I ate here with some friends when we visited Harrisburg. This is easily one of the best places I have been to. Great food for the price and great service. I cannot wait to come back again. If you are in Harrisburg, this place is a must visit.
(5)Liz J.
I feel robbed that I've lived in hbg for so long and just stumbled upon this gem recently! Great atmosphere, great service, delicious food, reasonably priced drinks (even outside of happy hour!). The burgers are awesome. I subbed mahi mahi for the shark in the tacos, and they were fresh and full of flavor. I consider their cornbread to not only be the best above the Mason Dixon line, but a rival to that of the south! It is moist, buttery, and popping with flavor. Highly recommend!
(5)Mohun K.
Great drink selections, good service. Bar atmosphere was good on a Saturday night (3/23/13).
(4)Beth H.
I went here for a late lunch and there was almost no one in there. I ordered the turkey burger and it was delicious. The server was kind and helpful. Even though I was there during a very slow time of day, I would return for an evening meal because of the caliber of the food. The fries were fresh cut and cooked perfectly (not too soggy, not too crispy.) I highly recommend this place for everyone and anyone!
(4)Sean S.
Make it a point to hit here on a regular basis. The seating is decent, and the staff has always been very friendly. I usually go vegetarian, and my girlfriend is an unrepentant carnivore. And they accommodate us both easily. She loves the Mexican meatloaf. And I thought the black bean hummus was a great twist on a food that before I had started to become rather bored with. Nice selection of beers, and some cool mixed drinks thrown in to boot. Definitely worth the time to stop if your in the area.
(5)Ashley M.
Awesome bar and restaurant! The menu is fantastic! I havnt had anything that I didn't enjoy! The specials are always something to look forward too! Great service awesome bartenders!!!! The Sunday brunch is perfect for those who want something other than plain old eggs and pancakes! Espresso martinis are a must!!
(5)Kevin N.
Let me say off the bat, that the food was pretty good. I had the Noble Experiment. I enjoyed it, and the fries were seasoned excellently. If you can just get your food to go, I'd recommend that, because inexpensive, pretty good food is really all this place has going for it. Went here because everything else was closed. Loud pop music was blaring, despite it being an early Sunday afternoon. The waitstaff was slow and inattentive at best, and occasionally rather snarky. Most of the people seemed to know each other and were just sitting around getting drunk at the bar, and the staff was far more interested in these people.
(2)Jacob H.
Outstanding nachos. I know you don't know me, but trust me whenever I say that I love nachos. There are few things in life I enjoyed more than a cold beer with some nachos and this place is the place to get it. They have the most delicious nachos yet, so if you haven't had them, you need to get them and if you don't like them, then you're an idiot. In all serious, this is one of my favorite hangouts whenever I am in Harrisburg. They present a relaxed atmosphere with great staff. They are always attentive and polite. I have had nothing but great experiences at Speakeasy's. Bottom line... You should go, and get the Nachos.
(5)Calvin D.
I ordered a steak sandwich, Tina a burger. Service was slow even though they were not busy. Tina said her burger was good. My steak sandwich tasted like it has sat while they were preparing Tina's burger. My plate was ice cold which really helps already limp fries. Probably will not go back.
(1)Juliana K.
Decent place. Food is very oily. Bacon tastes like the old fried oil from their fryer. Terrible. Pork belly eggs Benedict tastes good. Oily though. Biscuit is dry and bland but you have the sauce to help. Corn beef has was a mix of oily potatoes and corn beef. The potatoes were not crispy because of the amoutn of oil used. Breakfast burrito was bad. It was like bland mush with cabbage in a wrap. The description sounds good, but don't get it. Coffee was okay. Some watered down maxwell house coffee. Harrisburg doens't have many brunch places...
(2)Denny T.
Came in for a late dinner a few weeks back. Bar staff and waiter were prompt to help me out. Friendly and ontop during the whole visit. Ordered a Manhattan Speak Easy Style. Asked for suggestions and ended up with the peanut butter, bacon, and grape jelly brisket burger (PBBJ) served with a side of choice. Drink was stiff like I expected. Nothing deceiving here. I ordered a second one which played well with my meal. The food came at a good time. The PBBJ Brisket sandwich as they call it. The combination of ingredients for the burger sounds disgusting however came out hot. The sweetness of jelly matched well with the saltiness of the ground brisket and peanut butter. I enjoyed every bite of the meal. Fries were okay. Only complaint was how messy this meal was. I ended up with jelly in my wallet that was sitting on the counter. Good: food, service, atmosphere and drinks. More than affordable. Bad: nothing to date. I would come back for the food, beverages, service, and atmosphere.
(4)Veronica N.
Stopped in for a late lunch and was pleasantly surprised. The bar area was pretty busy, so we sat in the small dining area at the back. Our server was very nice and attentive. We ordered the firecracker shrimp to start. It was a nice portion of lightly battered and fried shrimp in a mildly spicy chili-soy sauce. Very good and pretty similar to the famous "bang bang shrimp" at Bonefish Grill--only not as creamy and more asian-flavored. I ordered the crispy chicken ranch sandwich on focaccia. The chicken was crispy and juicy, which is a rare combo. The bacon, lettuce, and tomato went well with the ranch sauce. My mom ordered the Delmonico steak. It was cooked to her liking and very tender and had almost no gristle. They had a large selection of craft beer. The vibe is very chill here.
(5)Vince B.
Wow what a great find! This bar has nostalgia and character but is not old school stuffy. Was greeted immediately by bar tender, I was able to work while have some good food and great drinks. Good jukebox too! Chris the bartender was super friendly with both the regulars and new customers(like me) Well done will be back when I visit!
(5)J J.
Yummy food for a late night snack with your drinks or a full dinner, we love their Mac and cheese and salads, but the whole menu looks delicious and I'm excited to go back to try more, lots of things that you don't typically see on an everyday menu...never disappointed in our food, also if you enjoy Moscow mules then you must go...absolutely love their drink choices!
(5)John D.
Had no idea what to expect when I entered. was thinking a small little bar. Inside is very nice. Food is slightly higher priced but the qiuality and portions justify it. I had the salad and turkey wrap, both were very good. I will be back, but I will not make a special trip. Too much in the area to try.
(3)Joani S.
Overview: Great food, with large portions and decently priced. Well-worth a try. Food: I've eaten several things on the menu and have always enjoyed what I had. Recommend: The fish sandwich is huge and very good. During Octoberfest, they have a special menu and the jaegerschnitzel was superb. The burgers are large and well-seasoned. Always check the specials! Atmosphere: Typical bar atmosphere. On weekends and nights it can get rather loud. You can ask to sit at the back or upstairs for a quieter time. Service: I have always had a good experience with the service. Occasionally the food can be a bit slow to come out, but that's usually if they're busy. The waitresses have always been very nice.
(5)Madison S.
Always have great service and food when we visit the Speakeasy - so mad they got rid of the shark tacos (they were the best!!!)
(5)Jeffrey S.
What s great find! We arrived on a Sunday evening and the bar was packed. The music playing throughout the place was perfect - loud enough to enjoy and low enough to hear the people you are with. The service was attentive and the waiters recommendations were spot on. We enjoyed the Spanish infused meatloaf with rum glazed carrots (perfect) and the roasted red potatoes were enjoyable. The Pittsburgher that comes with a bacon blue cheese fried egg coleslaw and french fries (I got the coleslaw and fries on the side instead of on it) was cooked perfectly. My only regret is that I don't live close enough to frequent this place more often. If I lived nearby it would become my go to place.
(5)Chris R.
I had a stupendous plate of monkfish and risotto at Sturges Speakeasy. Partner had the nachos which were enjoyed also. I had a pint of Standard cider from their extensive beer and cider list. It took a while for the servers to sort our who was actually going to take our table but once that happened our service was pretty good.
(4)Matt H.
Cool atmosphere on a Saturday night. Prices not bad for Harrisburg and it's a good spot off the beaten path of the 2nd street scene.
(4)Jeannine W.
I really rarely take the time to write reviews. But this time I had to. One of the best Reuben sandwiches I've ever had, amazing. Great beer too!
(5)Kurt I.
One of the better bars in Harrisburg. Few vegetarian options, but that is better than none. Prices for liquor can be a bit high. Clean, decent crowd, and not on 2nd street (A big plus).
(3)Hillary G.
The food is usually great. The atmosphere is also great except the music so loud often it is hard to converse.
(3)Dan R.
Well I usually dont start my Yelp reviews off with "Mad props!" but all I've gotta say is: Mad Props! I was here a few times when it was Garrison's Tavern, and it was alright. Boy did they do some work to the place... fresh paint, new bar, a dozen extra Tvs, amazing menu items. We had shark tacos with butternut squash soup for around 10 bucks. The wait was a little bit long and it was a full house. I'd suggest reservations for the weekend. Drink menu was quite extensive, though I only occasionally drink myself. It's worth a shot if youre looking for something unique in the area, prices are a tad bit expensive.
(4)Patrick B.
Ate at Sturges again last night. The food there is surprisingly creative for a "mere tavern." Hats off to the chef. "The Noble Experiement" is a sandwich of blackened chicken and a red cabbage mayo that was excellent and different. The Sriracha lime wings - which I'm sad to say were a special - were out of this world! Beer selection, as always, is varied and interesting.
(4)David R.
Stopped by for brunch with my wife. My BBQ pork belly Benedict was excellent however her cream chipped beef came out cold. I have been here a few times and inconsistent is the first word that comes to mind. Staff is very nice and helpful in fixing issues.
(3)Katherine M.
Let's start off with the fact I never disagree with Miss Julie B. up there. Like ever. But maybe since I came here like 2 months after her review, they upped their quality. Or I got a different chef. Or I just chose the 'right dishes', y know? The atmosphere is pretty cute - since it's December their are little Christmas lights all around and I kind of wish they'd be up all year long because it just made it really warm feeling. It's fairly small but inviting enough. A few bears on draft and good ones at that. That could be the influence of the Woodchuck Winter speaking though - I about die when people have that on draft in the winter because I could never find it on draft back in Ohio. Our food ranged from 'this is pretty good' to 'oh my gosh can we please just have 5 of these?' We started off with the nachos which had a real cheese sauce, some good pico de gallo, and really yummy black olives. The only complaint was that the cheese sauce was a bit bland and could have used a little more spice to it. But the sauce was pretty darn good. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich with cornbread. It comes in a skillet and is amazingly delicious and I urge you just to go get a skillet of the cornbread and stuff your face with it. I found that putting the pork from the pulled pork sandwich on the cornbread instead of the bread it came on like the best thing ever. My husband's burger - which came with fried egg and baked beans and bacon - was cooked well and solid. A good burger, probably the best we've had so far in the area (not saying much, I don't feel like we've search them out here) and something we'd order again. The mashed corn potatoes were a different story - a bit too dry and the corn flavor was missing. Not bad, but not amazing like the corn bread. I'd come back for the corn bread and beer alone - but want to try a few other things as well. Definitely a cute little place with an easy to choose from menu.
(4)Sean O.
Really great food and great atmosphere. I have only been there at lunch but most things I have eaten have been great. I did get a bean burger once that was too dry but the last time it was great. The portobello wrap is the best. Only complaint is how long it takes sometimes. I have an hour lunch and am just across the street and I still need to rush because I waited so long. It has happened a couple times. BUT, the food is worth the wait if you have the time.
(4)Steve V.
Five stars? Yep. We felt at home. The food was great. Fun menu. Lively, friendly crowd. Will be back!
(5)Jon M.
The 'Cowboy Burger' is amazing! Order it medium with fries and you won't be disappointed! Finish with a piece of peanut butter pie with grape jelly drizzle and be on the edge of gluttony. *Make sure that they make it medium, I've ordered this 10 times and only once was it correctly done. I hate wasting food but it I want it right when I'm spending $60 on food just for 2.... I want it right! This is why it's only 4 not 5 stars.
(4)Rocio R.
Veeeeery extensive drinks menu which I loved. You can tell bartenders know what they're doing. Ordered the calamari appetizer to share between the two of us and they were very good, not rubbery or chewy like others we've had at other places. It came with a kind of Thai dipping sauce instead of the original marinara and we loved the twist on the dish. The atmosphere that day wasn't that great, but overall we enjoyed it and will go again.
(4)Lisa S.
On Friday, September 7, 2012, we dined for lunch at Speakeasy. This was our fourth visit, and during previous jaunts, we enjoyed their food. However, on this occasion, their food was subpar at best. Despite only 15 or so patrons present in the restaurant upon our arrival, it took over 30 minutes to get our food. After the food finally arrived, the burger was a frozen, prefab burger from Sysco, which had no flavor. Salt was its best friend. Their fries, which are fresh cut, were too soft and greasy to enjoy. My colleague's Manhattan seafood chowder had three micro slivers of seafood and the remainder was tomatoes and broth. The bread on the bottom of her turkey club had turned to mush, from sitting way too long in he kitchen. The pickle was the best part about this platter. One of the staff members asked us how our food was, and we expressed our dismay. The information was not relayed to the manager, who seemed aloof, walking around aimlessly. Our server did not smile during our entire stay. It's apparent the quality of food and service has suffered, leaving us wondering why we should give this place another try. Perhaps they changed chefs??? But we are forgiving, and will probably give this place a try. Everyone has an off day. But in this case, it was at our expense.
(2)Amy G.
Things have gotten better over the last few months and I'm becoming more and more of a fan. Their happy hour specials are great. The perfect way to wrap up a work day. The deck is nice but service up there can be a little slow.
(4)David K.
Wow. That is all I have to say. This place is the epitome of a cool bar, different, good food, but great drinks. The bar staff are definitely mixologists, and take pride in doing drinks right. You can get all kinds of classic and new drinks, things that no other bar has. The best part, not mentioned enough here - the price. OK, an entire big page of good sized drinks for 5 bucks. A whole page of shooters, 6 bucks, and jello shots for a buck. Honestly, this is top three bars in the area. The deck is really cool, and the whole place is really well decorated. The food - AWESOME! The calamari here is literally, the best we have ever had, and we are pretty foody-ish. Perfectly softened and cooked, great mix of sauce, not too much or too little. The candied nut/chicken salad is ridiculous. Seriously, go to this place.
(5)Micah J.
This place has become a staple in the area over the past year. The brunch on Sunday is some of the best in the area. Along with that brunch make sure you order a bloody mary. The homemade mix they have here is top 3 all time for me. The dinner entrees are pretty good but some items leave me a little disappointed (the steak). Mostly this is a great hometown bar with a lot of locals and a great atmosphere. I love going here and hanging out for some drinks with friends. The service is out of this world. The tenders and servers are all excellent and I`ve never had to wait long for food or drinks. The upstairs deck is so nice during the summer time. I strongly suggest checking out the Speakeasy!
(4)Randall G.
We SO wanted to like this place and were glad to see Garrisons go out of business. The new owners gave the building GREAT curb appeal and the deck on the roof is a nice place to sit and relax ... What soured us on this place was a brunch for 6 of us ... Plates the size of a salad plate ( for your breakfast ), a bartender who didn't quite seem to understand the concept of keeping the Mimosas flowing ( @ least until they could manage to get the food out of the kitchen. Trust me, I'm a gay man, I brunch, frequently ... You want brunch you can't finish cause its so huge and affordable, go to Rock Bass Grill on the west shore beside Market Street bridge. One GREAT app is their cheese plate with fruit and honeycomb ... Perfect with a cocktail before heading out for a night of entertainment.
(2)Sizzle C.
meh...its a fun and nicely done place with good bloody marys but the brunch was nothing I would come back for. Burger was just ok....cooked properly but didnt have great flavor i think the patty was underseasoned....also, how hard is it to make a decent batch of french fries? they were cold and limp and gray. A restauarant can make people really satisfied with a plate of hot crispy fries, its NOT HARD. i shouldve sent them back but didnt have the heart as my food already took forever.
(2)Joshua W.
I love this place. It's a great place for friends to get together, eat and have drinks. Our waitress was fantastic as well. However - the caveat of it... Do not plan to have a sit down, peaceful meal on Thursday between 6-8. There is live music (which is decent) but it's also very loud for the small space that it's being played in. Making conversing at a table very difficult to achieve.
(4)Susie M.
What a little gem is the Speakeasy! An excellent menu, charming servers, a friendly bar, a planned year-round deck, and live music on Thursdays, and, let me just say, the BEST GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH EVER. Soak a slab of fine cheddar in Yuengling, slap it between two excellent not too thick slices of bread, toast to perfection on a grill slathered in butter, and serve with a cup of roasted tomato soup for dunking: a gooey cholesterol-ific paradise. Lip-smackin', I'm telling ya! This place deserves our strong neighborhood support, downtowners and midtowners! Get yourself over there, belly up to the bar, and enjoy. I'll see you there soon.
(4)Laurie H.
Found a giant, disgusting hair on the bottom of my turkey burger recently. Won't be returning.
(1)Pamela C.
Great Atmosphere. Great Service. Great mix of guests. And good food! I had the Oyster Po Boy, which will probably be what I will be having every time I stop in. It is that good! It does get a little warm in there will all of the big windows and sun beating into the building, but it's not too bad since the beer cools you down ;D Best of all, they serve brunch on Sundays! (get anything with bacon, trust me)
(4)Kimberly F.
This place is amazing, especially considering what it used to be! The appearance, alone, is worth the stars. The deck is a gorgeous way to enjoy the outdoors in nicer weather and the staff here will make you feel like this is, "your bar." Great drinks, good prices, quality food. Great job on the Speakeasy... maybe started a trend to move the Harrisburg scene up a level.
(5)Ryan S.
LOVE this place! Went here every Thursday before HYP Kickball games in the summer and it was great. Happy Hour is 1/2 priced drafts and they have a nice rotating selection (about 12-15) which allows for new experiences. I usually am only there for pre-game so I keep it light on the food (bar specials: wings, nachos, etc. Which are also $4 during Happy Hour). Atmosphere is great, sometimes get a live musical performance, which could get kinda loud. PLUS there's a rooftop bar/deck. Last time I was there, they were working on building an outdoor bar, which would be great as well.
(5)Juliana K.
Decent place. Food is very oily. Bacon tastes like the old fried oil from their fryer. Terrible. Pork belly eggs Benedict tastes good. Oily though. Biscuit is dry and bland but you have the sauce to help. Corn beef has was a mix of oily potatoes and corn beef. The potatoes were not crispy because of the amoutn of oil used. Breakfast burrito was bad. It was like bland mush with cabbage in a wrap. The description sounds good, but don't get it. Coffee was okay. Some watered down maxwell house coffee. Harrisburg doens't have many brunch places...
(2)Marissa H.
The bar itself is awesome, the drafts plentiful, and the bartenders make really good mixed drinks. The food is so-so. I've been here 1 time for dinner & the food was really good - nice sized portions for a good price. Recently went back for happy hour and was disappointed. Ordered French fries & the veggie of the day (succotash which ended up being much better than expected) - the amount of French fries equaled the amount a small child would fit in his hand, maybe a total of 10 (??? did the kitchen staff think I didn't need to eat them? heheh) definitely not worth the money; I won't order them again. Also, the happy hour menu for vegetarians is non-existent...everything is meat-centric which is a bummer. It'd be great if they got rid of the smoking on the outside deck too, but that's just a personal wish.
(4)Cynthia L.
Went for dinner and had to fight the parking meter. Should have known it was an omen. Waitress was so pleasant and friendly it did help the evening, . We were excited that they had an extensive drink and food menu. We ordered maple burbon wings. No heat, no flavor. Not sure what was in the sauce, but it was bland. tasted like plain chicken. Blue cheese was runny and wouldn't stick to the wings or the cellery. I was really bummed. My boyfriend ordered a beer and I got a cider. It suprised me that it was on tap. We waited 45 minutes for our dinner. They sat us in the very back by the kitchen door so the ambiance was a little lacking. Found ourselves watching tv of all things. I ordered the gumbo. It is usually full of veggies like okra and seafood, chicken, and sausage. This was aweful. It had a lot of spice, but was really mushy. I got one shrimp, one crawfish and a lot of shells for $19.00. Definately not worth it. Watch the food network, you use the shells for stock, you don't leave them in the dish. It tated like they cooked it last week and kept reheating it. I was so disappointed. We got desert then. I got the gluten free chocolate cake and my boyfriend had the espresso cheese cake. Both were $7 and were ok. My chocolate cake was much better than his chessecake. My boyfriend liked his dinner, but took a lot of it home. He said my cornbread was the best part. All in all, I would have said that the night was about a 3. The was until we got home. I started to feel sick. I got food poisoning. I was in the bathroom all night. I will not be eating there again. I cook better and my food doesn't make me sick! Use caution! We paid $75 for a sickening experience!
(1)Darren T.
It's pretty bad. The food is inconsistent at best. The drinks are confusing. They have a rather extensive cocktail menu consisting of a list of cocktails with names such as "shark tail" and "desert storm" which aren't commonly known cocktails, but there are no ingredients listed. So, it just looks like a long list of random words. They also have a list of classic cocktails, which I love! But, I have been there three times ordered "The Bronx" each time, and every time it's very different! The first time it was a delicious, mostly clear cocktail served in a martini glass. The second time it was a very murky orange juice based drink served in a tall glass that tasted like cheap orange juice. Last night, it was a somewhat transparent drink which still seemed to be OJ based, served in a rocks glass. Why?
(1)Denny T.
Came in for a late dinner a few weeks back. Bar staff and waiter were prompt to help me out. Friendly and ontop during the whole visit. Ordered a Manhattan Speak Easy Style. Asked for suggestions and ended up with the peanut butter, bacon, and grape jelly brisket burger (PBBJ) served with a side of choice. Drink was stiff like I expected. Nothing deceiving here. I ordered a second one which played well with my meal. The food came at a good time. The PBBJ Brisket sandwich as they call it. The combination of ingredients for the burger sounds disgusting however came out hot. The sweetness of jelly matched well with the saltiness of the ground brisket and peanut butter. I enjoyed every bite of the meal. Fries were okay. Only complaint was how messy this meal was. I ended up with jelly in my wallet that was sitting on the counter. Good: food, service, atmosphere and drinks. More than affordable. Bad: nothing to date. I would come back for the food, beverages, service, and atmosphere.
(4)Veronica N.
Stopped in for a late lunch and was pleasantly surprised. The bar area was pretty busy, so we sat in the small dining area at the back. Our server was very nice and attentive. We ordered the firecracker shrimp to start. It was a nice portion of lightly battered and fried shrimp in a mildly spicy chili-soy sauce. Very good and pretty similar to the famous "bang bang shrimp" at Bonefish Grill--only not as creamy and more asian-flavored. I ordered the crispy chicken ranch sandwich on focaccia. The chicken was crispy and juicy, which is a rare combo. The bacon, lettuce, and tomato went well with the ranch sauce. My mom ordered the Delmonico steak. It was cooked to her liking and very tender and had almost no gristle. They had a large selection of craft beer. The vibe is very chill here.
(5)Vince B.
Wow what a great find! This bar has nostalgia and character but is not old school stuffy. Was greeted immediately by bar tender, I was able to work while have some good food and great drinks. Good jukebox too! Chris the bartender was super friendly with both the regulars and new customers(like me) Well done will be back when I visit!
(5)Joani S.
Overview: Great food, with large portions and decently priced. Well-worth a try. Food: I've eaten several things on the menu and have always enjoyed what I had. Recommend: The fish sandwich is huge and very good. During Octoberfest, they have a special menu and the jaegerschnitzel was superb. The burgers are large and well-seasoned. Always check the specials! Atmosphere: Typical bar atmosphere. On weekends and nights it can get rather loud. You can ask to sit at the back or upstairs for a quieter time. Service: I have always had a good experience with the service. Occasionally the food can be a bit slow to come out, but that's usually if they're busy. The waitresses have always been very nice.
(5)Madison S.
Always have great service and food when we visit the Speakeasy - so mad they got rid of the shark tacos (they were the best!!!)
(5)Jeffrey S.
What s great find! We arrived on a Sunday evening and the bar was packed. The music playing throughout the place was perfect - loud enough to enjoy and low enough to hear the people you are with. The service was attentive and the waiters recommendations were spot on. We enjoyed the Spanish infused meatloaf with rum glazed carrots (perfect) and the roasted red potatoes were enjoyable. The Pittsburgher that comes with a bacon blue cheese fried egg coleslaw and french fries (I got the coleslaw and fries on the side instead of on it) was cooked perfectly. My only regret is that I don't live close enough to frequent this place more often. If I lived nearby it would become my go to place.
(5)Chris R.
I had a stupendous plate of monkfish and risotto at Sturges Speakeasy. Partner had the nachos which were enjoyed also. I had a pint of Standard cider from their extensive beer and cider list. It took a while for the servers to sort our who was actually going to take our table but once that happened our service was pretty good.
(4)Matt H.
Cool atmosphere on a Saturday night. Prices not bad for Harrisburg and it's a good spot off the beaten path of the 2nd street scene.
(4)Jeannine W.
I really rarely take the time to write reviews. But this time I had to. One of the best Reuben sandwiches I've ever had, amazing. Great beer too!
(5)Kurt I.
One of the better bars in Harrisburg. Few vegetarian options, but that is better than none. Prices for liquor can be a bit high. Clean, decent crowd, and not on 2nd street (A big plus).
(3)Hillary G.
The food is usually great. The atmosphere is also great except the music so loud often it is hard to converse.
(3)J J.
Yummy food for a late night snack with your drinks or a full dinner, we love their Mac and cheese and salads, but the whole menu looks delicious and I'm excited to go back to try more, lots of things that you don't typically see on an everyday menu...never disappointed in our food, also if you enjoy Moscow mules then you must go...absolutely love their drink choices!
(5)John D.
Had no idea what to expect when I entered. was thinking a small little bar. Inside is very nice. Food is slightly higher priced but the qiuality and portions justify it. I had the salad and turkey wrap, both were very good. I will be back, but I will not make a special trip. Too much in the area to try.
(3)Beth H.
I went here for a late lunch and there was almost no one in there. I ordered the turkey burger and it was delicious. The server was kind and helpful. Even though I was there during a very slow time of day, I would return for an evening meal because of the caliber of the food. The fries were fresh cut and cooked perfectly (not too soggy, not too crispy.) I highly recommend this place for everyone and anyone!
(4)Sean S.
Make it a point to hit here on a regular basis. The seating is decent, and the staff has always been very friendly. I usually go vegetarian, and my girlfriend is an unrepentant carnivore. And they accommodate us both easily. She loves the Mexican meatloaf. And I thought the black bean hummus was a great twist on a food that before I had started to become rather bored with. Nice selection of beers, and some cool mixed drinks thrown in to boot. Definitely worth the time to stop if your in the area.
(5)Ashley M.
Awesome bar and restaurant! The menu is fantastic! I havnt had anything that I didn't enjoy! The specials are always something to look forward too! Great service awesome bartenders!!!! The Sunday brunch is perfect for those who want something other than plain old eggs and pancakes! Espresso martinis are a must!!
(5)Kevin N.
Let me say off the bat, that the food was pretty good. I had the Noble Experiment. I enjoyed it, and the fries were seasoned excellently. If you can just get your food to go, I'd recommend that, because inexpensive, pretty good food is really all this place has going for it. Went here because everything else was closed. Loud pop music was blaring, despite it being an early Sunday afternoon. The waitstaff was slow and inattentive at best, and occasionally rather snarky. Most of the people seemed to know each other and were just sitting around getting drunk at the bar, and the staff was far more interested in these people.
(2)Jacob H.
Outstanding nachos. I know you don't know me, but trust me whenever I say that I love nachos. There are few things in life I enjoyed more than a cold beer with some nachos and this place is the place to get it. They have the most delicious nachos yet, so if you haven't had them, you need to get them and if you don't like them, then you're an idiot. In all serious, this is one of my favorite hangouts whenever I am in Harrisburg. They present a relaxed atmosphere with great staff. They are always attentive and polite. I have had nothing but great experiences at Speakeasy's. Bottom line... You should go, and get the Nachos.
(5)Calvin D.
I ordered a steak sandwich, Tina a burger. Service was slow even though they were not busy. Tina said her burger was good. My steak sandwich tasted like it has sat while they were preparing Tina's burger. My plate was ice cold which really helps already limp fries. Probably will not go back.
(1)Rocio R.
Veeeeery extensive drinks menu which I loved. You can tell bartenders know what they're doing. Ordered the calamari appetizer to share between the two of us and they were very good, not rubbery or chewy like others we've had at other places. It came with a kind of Thai dipping sauce instead of the original marinara and we loved the twist on the dish. The atmosphere that day wasn't that great, but overall we enjoyed it and will go again.
(4)Dan R.
Well I usually dont start my Yelp reviews off with "Mad props!" but all I've gotta say is: Mad Props! I was here a few times when it was Garrison's Tavern, and it was alright. Boy did they do some work to the place... fresh paint, new bar, a dozen extra Tvs, amazing menu items. We had shark tacos with butternut squash soup for around 10 bucks. The wait was a little bit long and it was a full house. I'd suggest reservations for the weekend. Drink menu was quite extensive, though I only occasionally drink myself. It's worth a shot if youre looking for something unique in the area, prices are a tad bit expensive.
(4)Katherine M.
Let's start off with the fact I never disagree with Miss Julie B. up there. Like ever. But maybe since I came here like 2 months after her review, they upped their quality. Or I got a different chef. Or I just chose the 'right dishes', y know? The atmosphere is pretty cute - since it's December their are little Christmas lights all around and I kind of wish they'd be up all year long because it just made it really warm feeling. It's fairly small but inviting enough. A few bears on draft and good ones at that. That could be the influence of the Woodchuck Winter speaking though - I about die when people have that on draft in the winter because I could never find it on draft back in Ohio. Our food ranged from 'this is pretty good' to 'oh my gosh can we please just have 5 of these?' We started off with the nachos which had a real cheese sauce, some good pico de gallo, and really yummy black olives. The only complaint was that the cheese sauce was a bit bland and could have used a little more spice to it. But the sauce was pretty darn good. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich with cornbread. It comes in a skillet and is amazingly delicious and I urge you just to go get a skillet of the cornbread and stuff your face with it. I found that putting the pork from the pulled pork sandwich on the cornbread instead of the bread it came on like the best thing ever. My husband's burger - which came with fried egg and baked beans and bacon - was cooked well and solid. A good burger, probably the best we've had so far in the area (not saying much, I don't feel like we've search them out here) and something we'd order again. The mashed corn potatoes were a different story - a bit too dry and the corn flavor was missing. Not bad, but not amazing like the corn bread. I'd come back for the corn bread and beer alone - but want to try a few other things as well. Definitely a cute little place with an easy to choose from menu.
(4)Sean O.
Really great food and great atmosphere. I have only been there at lunch but most things I have eaten have been great. I did get a bean burger once that was too dry but the last time it was great. The portobello wrap is the best. Only complaint is how long it takes sometimes. I have an hour lunch and am just across the street and I still need to rush because I waited so long. It has happened a couple times. BUT, the food is worth the wait if you have the time.
(4)Steve V.
Five stars? Yep. We felt at home. The food was great. Fun menu. Lively, friendly crowd. Will be back!
(5)Jon M.
The 'Cowboy Burger' is amazing! Order it medium with fries and you won't be disappointed! Finish with a piece of peanut butter pie with grape jelly drizzle and be on the edge of gluttony. *Make sure that they make it medium, I've ordered this 10 times and only once was it correctly done. I hate wasting food but it I want it right when I'm spending $60 on food just for 2.... I want it right! This is why it's only 4 not 5 stars.
(4)Lisa S.
On Friday, September 7, 2012, we dined for lunch at Speakeasy. This was our fourth visit, and during previous jaunts, we enjoyed their food. However, on this occasion, their food was subpar at best. Despite only 15 or so patrons present in the restaurant upon our arrival, it took over 30 minutes to get our food. After the food finally arrived, the burger was a frozen, prefab burger from Sysco, which had no flavor. Salt was its best friend. Their fries, which are fresh cut, were too soft and greasy to enjoy. My colleague's Manhattan seafood chowder had three micro slivers of seafood and the remainder was tomatoes and broth. The bread on the bottom of her turkey club had turned to mush, from sitting way too long in he kitchen. The pickle was the best part about this platter. One of the staff members asked us how our food was, and we expressed our dismay. The information was not relayed to the manager, who seemed aloof, walking around aimlessly. Our server did not smile during our entire stay. It's apparent the quality of food and service has suffered, leaving us wondering why we should give this place another try. Perhaps they changed chefs??? But we are forgiving, and will probably give this place a try. Everyone has an off day. But in this case, it was at our expense.
(2)Amy G.
Things have gotten better over the last few months and I'm becoming more and more of a fan. Their happy hour specials are great. The perfect way to wrap up a work day. The deck is nice but service up there can be a little slow.
(4)David K.
Wow. That is all I have to say. This place is the epitome of a cool bar, different, good food, but great drinks. The bar staff are definitely mixologists, and take pride in doing drinks right. You can get all kinds of classic and new drinks, things that no other bar has. The best part, not mentioned enough here - the price. OK, an entire big page of good sized drinks for 5 bucks. A whole page of shooters, 6 bucks, and jello shots for a buck. Honestly, this is top three bars in the area. The deck is really cool, and the whole place is really well decorated. The food - AWESOME! The calamari here is literally, the best we have ever had, and we are pretty foody-ish. Perfectly softened and cooked, great mix of sauce, not too much or too little. The candied nut/chicken salad is ridiculous. Seriously, go to this place.
(5)Micah J.
This place has become a staple in the area over the past year. The brunch on Sunday is some of the best in the area. Along with that brunch make sure you order a bloody mary. The homemade mix they have here is top 3 all time for me. The dinner entrees are pretty good but some items leave me a little disappointed (the steak). Mostly this is a great hometown bar with a lot of locals and a great atmosphere. I love going here and hanging out for some drinks with friends. The service is out of this world. The tenders and servers are all excellent and I`ve never had to wait long for food or drinks. The upstairs deck is so nice during the summer time. I strongly suggest checking out the Speakeasy!
(4)Randall G.
We SO wanted to like this place and were glad to see Garrisons go out of business. The new owners gave the building GREAT curb appeal and the deck on the roof is a nice place to sit and relax ... What soured us on this place was a brunch for 6 of us ... Plates the size of a salad plate ( for your breakfast ), a bartender who didn't quite seem to understand the concept of keeping the Mimosas flowing ( @ least until they could manage to get the food out of the kitchen. Trust me, I'm a gay man, I brunch, frequently ... You want brunch you can't finish cause its so huge and affordable, go to Rock Bass Grill on the west shore beside Market Street bridge. One GREAT app is their cheese plate with fruit and honeycomb ... Perfect with a cocktail before heading out for a night of entertainment.
(2)Sizzle C.
meh...its a fun and nicely done place with good bloody marys but the brunch was nothing I would come back for. Burger was just ok....cooked properly but didnt have great flavor i think the patty was underseasoned....also, how hard is it to make a decent batch of french fries? they were cold and limp and gray. A restauarant can make people really satisfied with a plate of hot crispy fries, its NOT HARD. i shouldve sent them back but didnt have the heart as my food already took forever.
(2)Joshua W.
I love this place. It's a great place for friends to get together, eat and have drinks. Our waitress was fantastic as well. However - the caveat of it... Do not plan to have a sit down, peaceful meal on Thursday between 6-8. There is live music (which is decent) but it's also very loud for the small space that it's being played in. Making conversing at a table very difficult to achieve.
(4)Susie M.
What a little gem is the Speakeasy! An excellent menu, charming servers, a friendly bar, a planned year-round deck, and live music on Thursdays, and, let me just say, the BEST GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH EVER. Soak a slab of fine cheddar in Yuengling, slap it between two excellent not too thick slices of bread, toast to perfection on a grill slathered in butter, and serve with a cup of roasted tomato soup for dunking: a gooey cholesterol-ific paradise. Lip-smackin', I'm telling ya! This place deserves our strong neighborhood support, downtowners and midtowners! Get yourself over there, belly up to the bar, and enjoy. I'll see you there soon.
(4)Laurie H.
Found a giant, disgusting hair on the bottom of my turkey burger recently. Won't be returning.
(1)Pamela C.
Great Atmosphere. Great Service. Great mix of guests. And good food! I had the Oyster Po Boy, which will probably be what I will be having every time I stop in. It is that good! It does get a little warm in there will all of the big windows and sun beating into the building, but it's not too bad since the beer cools you down ;D Best of all, they serve brunch on Sundays! (get anything with bacon, trust me)
(4)Patrick B.
Ate at Sturges again last night. The food there is surprisingly creative for a "mere tavern." Hats off to the chef. "The Noble Experiement" is a sandwich of blackened chicken and a red cabbage mayo that was excellent and different. The Sriracha lime wings - which I'm sad to say were a special - were out of this world! Beer selection, as always, is varied and interesting.
(4)David R.
Stopped by for brunch with my wife. My BBQ pork belly Benedict was excellent however her cream chipped beef came out cold. I have been here a few times and inconsistent is the first word that comes to mind. Staff is very nice and helpful in fixing issues.
(3)Kimberly F.
This place is amazing, especially considering what it used to be! The appearance, alone, is worth the stars. The deck is a gorgeous way to enjoy the outdoors in nicer weather and the staff here will make you feel like this is, "your bar." Great drinks, good prices, quality food. Great job on the Speakeasy... maybe started a trend to move the Harrisburg scene up a level.
(5)Ryan S.
LOVE this place! Went here every Thursday before HYP Kickball games in the summer and it was great. Happy Hour is 1/2 priced drafts and they have a nice rotating selection (about 12-15) which allows for new experiences. I usually am only there for pre-game so I keep it light on the food (bar specials: wings, nachos, etc. Which are also $4 during Happy Hour). Atmosphere is great, sometimes get a live musical performance, which could get kinda loud. PLUS there's a rooftop bar/deck. Last time I was there, they were working on building an outdoor bar, which would be great as well.
(5)T W.
A really great place! Comfortable atmosphere, filled with a diverse mix of friendly neighborhood locals and state workers after work. Always good service and always easy to strike up conversations. A really nice change from the sophmorish joints down on 2nd St. No knukleheads. Nice beers on tap. The food has been great so far. Turkey burger is moist and well made, with a good bun, and perhaps the best fries I've ever had in my life! Both the hand-cut potato and sweet potato fries, made in peanut oil, are so good! Shark Taco's also a favorite, fresh ingredients, fresh fish cooked well, and delicious. On my short list as one of the best establishments in Harrisburg!
(4)Amy S.
Great bar but food and service were lacking. Chop salad was so over dressed it was inedible and Thai peanut wings tasted like bland peanut butter soggy wings. Our server was lacking personality and was slow. He didn't even ask if we enjoyed our food when we left full plates. I've never given a 10% tip until I went there. I work in the industry and just couldn't accept that experience. I recommend just drinking there if you don't mind the TV blaring
(2)Tom H.
My wife and I ate here with some friends when we visited Harrisburg. This is easily one of the best places I have been to. Great food for the price and great service. I cannot wait to come back again. If you are in Harrisburg, this place is a must visit.
(5)Liz J.
I feel robbed that I've lived in hbg for so long and just stumbled upon this gem recently! Great atmosphere, great service, delicious food, reasonably priced drinks (even outside of happy hour!). The burgers are awesome. I subbed mahi mahi for the shark in the tacos, and they were fresh and full of flavor. I consider their cornbread to not only be the best above the Mason Dixon line, but a rival to that of the south! It is moist, buttery, and popping with flavor. Highly recommend!
(5)Mohun K.
Great drink selections, good service. Bar atmosphere was good on a Saturday night (3/23/13).
(4)Julie B.
Starting on a positive note...this is a great neighborhood bar. The warm & inviting atmosphere is packed with locals. Decent seasonal draft selection. I should end here by saying great drinking hole in Midtown, but I will go on. I really can't say anything positive about the food. It's not even "good for bar food" quality. I was reluctant to eat there again after having an overpriced & seriously underwhelming brunch, but alas I gave it another shot. How do you ruin French fries?!! I ordered them and had them in under a minute. Limp, soggy & under salted. On to the hard boiled egg sampler. A small amount of food on a large serving vessel should be reserved for artfully presented foods. Not four tiny eggs in a glob (not a drizzle) of horseradish sauce. The pulled pork egg had a tiny sliver of dry pork & the bacon egg had what amounted to about two Baco-s on top. Then there was the apple cider bread pudding. I guess there was a faint hint of apple. It also wasn't very warm and what was described as chocolate ganache was clearly Hershey's syrup. Why is the chocolate even necessary? Caramel is the appropriate flavor pairing for apples. I would rate them lower than a three stars for food, but I'm averaging the fact that Sturges is a fine drinking establishment. I will go back to enjoy it as a bar.
(3)Devin V.
The first time there, it was better than average, service was great the beer was cold, the food was although small portioned even for an appetizer, was great. The place remains the same as it was when it was Garrisons's but with such a narrow space it seems your possibilities for a remodel would be limited. I went back a few times since, to what I can only assume was a change in kitchen management, or maybe the first time I was there was a fluke of delight. The same wonderful attentiveness to a diminishing beer. The stuffy, crowded ambiance of friendly, happy faces only a corner bar can deliver. However some of the beers are over priced, but I refer to that as an effort to keep out the riff raff, but anything over 4 dollars for a domestic draft is just ridiculous. (And just to clarify I've been in the business for over 20 years, I'm not cheap, just knowledgeable.) Now onto the food I had cured salmon the first time. It was perfectly balanced, with acidity, sweetness and saltness, crispy, yet soft toasted baguette slices, capers, and red onion made a great presentation. I had wings which were large crispy, and "dressed" properly. (as opposed to drenched in sauce) But for the second visit, it was water logged, unbalanced with over toasted bread and poorly presented. The meat wasn't the same, it was chewy and tasted of strait salt. The Calamari was a rubbery over cooked mess with some store bought Mae Ploy chili sauce. This town is in dire need of a place that practices consistency. I would rather take a consistent good food than playing Russian Roulette with a great food.
(3)Lina K.
Went here on a Saturday night with my husband. We did not have to wait for a table. We sat in the back near a door and were a bit afraid people were going to come out of the door but only one person did the entire time we were there. Great drink menu. Got a Fuzzy Shark. We got nachos for an app. No meat on them and they were still really good. Fresh ingredients. Not the most amazing guacamole and salsa I ever had but they were good. I got the shark tacos and they were great! I thought they were a good price and the serving was just right. I chose the tomato basil soup as a side. Yum! My husband got a pasta dish with shredded pork or beef. It was good as well. We were pleased with this meal and will def get back. Parking is street parking. Evenings and weekends the meters are free.
(4)John L.
Finally! A pub in Harrisburg that has all of the elements on one that you would find in a larger Metro area. The place was renovated nicely, great beers on tap, great food, friendly service, good crowd, really good prices. Braised, smoked pork is outstanding and the absolute best burger in town!
(4)Ben B.
Great drink selections. Half off drafts at happy hour. Great atmosphere.
(4)Angela H.
The atmosphere outside on the deck was nice. The wait staff was great. The place was slammed as to be expected on a Friday night but we got our drinks, appetizer, and meals very efficiently. We had the calimari, a couple of microbrews, the shark tacos, iron skillet cornbread, and the grilled tuna sala. The corn bread was made from scratch and it was amazing! My only gripe was the salad was a little flat, mostly spinach and small peice of tuna that was supposed to be medium but it was well done. Still, we could tell all the ingredients were quality, no micro-grilled fare here. We would go back and order the shark tacos again, the spice was great!
(4)Tony M.
this place could be much better if they did the following: 1. fix the air conditioning. the staff kept saying it was "very hot" but that isn't the point....there are plenty of restaurants that ARE comfortable when it's "very hot"...which means they need to beef up the AC. 2. Larger portions (wrap was quite skinny) (a handful of chips and a little salsa) 3. Lower prices. $8 skinny wrap and $6 for a handful of chips and a little salsa? i most likely will go back and give them another chance, but i'm not in any hurry.
(2)Candice S.
We visited Sturges Speakeasy based on the great reviews we've read about the new menu and remodel. I am so glad we did! The place is beautiful! The menu is not overwhelmingly big, and the beer/drink menu is fantastic. We each ordered beers, and started with the nachos for an appetizer. The waiter was helpful, and we asked what he recommended as a meal, and he gave some great recommendations. All of the ingredients tasted very fresh, and they were delicious! For our entrees, I ordered the steak sandwich and my boyfriend ordered the Noble Experiment. The steak sandwich was delicious, a great combination of steak, cole slaw, and french fries all on a ciabatta bread. The steak was cooked perfectly. I got a side salad instead of fries since the sandwich had fries on it, and the salad was also very fresh. My boyfriend was really happy with his sandwich as well, and I tried it and it was very tasty. Overall, we'll definitely be back, and are so happy to see a great place in the neighborhood! It may appear a bit pricey, but the food is so fresh and fulfilling that you won't be disappointed!
(4)Kristie G.
Great food and atmosphere! I have yet to have something there that I did not like! Staff is very nice. The place is well kept and clean. Great location!
(4)Connie H.
Love the upstairs deck.
(4)Lou L.
I've been here about three or four times and never had a bad experience. The food was always good (chorizo mac and cheese!) and the pork belly sandwich was great. Never had an issue with service and the beer selection isn't too bad either.
(4)Julia D.
Really good food. This is a great take on pub food. Not your average run of the mill fried junk (aka Aroogas). The menu is really great. I've tried the fried chicken, shark tacos, veggie burger, chicken sandwich and the salads. Not disappointed ONCE. Trust me, for Harrisburg this place has some quality grub. AND the bar is so cool, if you have been to the former establishment and haven't been here yet check it out. The decor is very cool and definitely fits the "speakeasy" vibe. I'm a fan of this place and frequently take out of town guests here. Give it a shot. It will not disappoint. Unless you suck.
(4)Joy G.
Nicely redone! This place has an awesome atmosphere. I came here with a friend a few weeks ago and it had just been fixed up and all that jazz. The place looks good and the menu was hard to pick from because everything looked great. Oh, and do yourself a favor and replace the fries with sweet potato fries. They were amazeballs.
(4)Alexis B.
This place is awesome. Awesome atmosphere, and amazing food! We sat on the deck, such a beautiful day. My boyfriend got the shark tacos which were amazing and I got a cranberry chicken spinach salad. SO GOOD! I'm so hungry just talking about it. Not to mention we had there fabulous chorizo macaroni and cheese. At first I thought the portions were a little smaller (probably because I'm use to restaurants giving out pounds of high caloric food) but it was perfect. We were very full at the end and it both sat in our stomachs well. Our server Jess was so patient and kind to us! We can't wait to go back!
(5)Keith N.
Just returned after a poor experience... only because we had an expired living social coupon and wanted to at least redeem the cash value of $20. Not too happy again. Got stuck at a small table inches from the kitchen door. We asked for a larger table (there were 3 of us with winter coats and a couple of purses) but were told no... that they were reserved for larger groups... so we stayed in our tight confines while larger groups never materialized and those tables remained empty. But the big turn off was the chicken wing that was not defeathered. Yech! I'm not talking about a few hairs... I'm talking about full feathers... looking stringy as they dripped in sauce and pulled the skin at their roots. The entire table lost their appetites and fought back our gag reflexes. I politely showed the staff (the manager in fact) when we got our check and she just cleared our plate and that was that... no apology... nothing. Not even a smile for our collective revulsion. I at least expected an "oh, I'm sorry" for the inedible and disgustingly feathery chicken wing... but nothing. So never again. You could not pay me to eat a meal there... nope, never again.
(1)Matthew L.
I was here for a beer. The joint was OK. Was crowded on a Friday Happy Hour. Beer selection is good, too. No complaints other than the crowd.
(4)Ben K.
Four of us went and had calamari and mussels for appetizers which were good. Then we had the noble experiment, salmon, sword fish and pork BBQ for entrees. All were perfect portions and fantastic favors. I had the salmon with a cranberry glaze and the combination worked really well. I paired it with a fresh Troegs Perpetual IPA to top it off. Service was a little slow but we were on the deck (which was amazing in and of itself) so they had to hike stairs all night. Overall an incredible meal and a great experience.
(5)C H.
I had really high hopes since the inside is as beautiful as Garrison's was gross. However, it turned out that the decor is the only thing to like about the place. I will preface the following by saying I am not a restaurant complainer. I have worked in the service industry for years and generally eat my food, even if it isn't so good, drink my drinks, and tip well. That being said, last Saturday night, my experience at the Speakeasy required complaint and this review. My friend and I arrived 8:30ish and chose to sit on the deck. There were several tables open and we were seated and served our first round of drinks in a timely manner. We ordered nachos (sans cheese sauce because I am of the belief that even homemade cheese sauce is gross) and a beet salad with basil vinaigrette. I can only guess the chef had a cold when he made the dressing, because it was a garlic bomb. No basil, just vampire-repelling garlic. The salsa and guac served with the nachos were also very heavy-handed with garlic, to the point I could feel it in my sinuses. Which might have not been so bad except our drinks were left empty. Our plates were cleared, tables around us were bused, other servers walked by repeatedly, and the manager sat and chatted with a table across the patio. Drinks still empty. No one ever checked on us and our server was MIA since we placed our order. After 30 minutes of garlic after-taste and no beverages I stopped a passing server to complain. She apologized profusely and went to get the manager, who also apologized, though kinda vaguely, and comped our meal. Even free, it wasn't worth the price. I would be inclined to give the place another try, but my friend, who works across the street and has eaten there approx 8 times, says this level of service and food is pretty much par for the course.
(1)Adam S.
Great place. Good beer selection, fun attentive staff, and good food with reasonable prices. Had the Spanish meatloaf - you had me at "bacon wrapped chorizo...."! I could spend a lot of time here.
(5)Jonathan F.
I really like this place. I've been here maybe 4 or 5 times, and never had bad service. I was just there last night, and the server was especially friendly and attentive, even taking the time to take a few group photos of us. The food is always good. When they first opened, the music was a bit loud for conversation, but that hasn't been a problem in subsequent visits. One of my favorite spots in Harrisburg.
(4)Keith N.
Just returned after a poor experience... only because we had an expired living social coupon and wanted to at least redeem the cash value of $20. Not too happy again. Got stuck at a small table inches from the kitchen door. We asked for a larger table (there were 3 of us with winter coats and a couple of purses) but were told no... that they were reserved for larger groups... so we stayed in our tight confines while larger groups never materialized and those tables remained empty. But the big turn off was the chicken wing that was not defeathered. Yech! I'm not talking about a few hairs... I'm talking about full feathers... looking stringy as they dripped in sauce and pulled the skin at their roots. The entire table lost their appetites and fought back our gag reflexes. I politely showed the staff (the manager in fact) when we got our check and she just cleared our plate and that was that... no apology... nothing. Not even a smile for our collective revulsion. I at least expected an "oh, I'm sorry" for the inedible and disgustingly feathery chicken wing... but nothing. So never again. You could not pay me to eat a meal there... nope, never again.
(1)Matthew L.
I was here for a beer. The joint was OK. Was crowded on a Friday Happy Hour. Beer selection is good, too. No complaints other than the crowd.
(4)Ben K.
Four of us went and had calamari and mussels for appetizers which were good. Then we had the noble experiment, salmon, sword fish and pork BBQ for entrees. All were perfect portions and fantastic favors. I had the salmon with a cranberry glaze and the combination worked really well. I paired it with a fresh Troegs Perpetual IPA to top it off. Service was a little slow but we were on the deck (which was amazing in and of itself) so they had to hike stairs all night. Overall an incredible meal and a great experience.
(5)C H.
I had really high hopes since the inside is as beautiful as Garrison's was gross. However, it turned out that the decor is the only thing to like about the place. I will preface the following by saying I am not a restaurant complainer. I have worked in the service industry for years and generally eat my food, even if it isn't so good, drink my drinks, and tip well. That being said, last Saturday night, my experience at the Speakeasy required complaint and this review. My friend and I arrived 8:30ish and chose to sit on the deck. There were several tables open and we were seated and served our first round of drinks in a timely manner. We ordered nachos (sans cheese sauce because I am of the belief that even homemade cheese sauce is gross) and a beet salad with basil vinaigrette. I can only guess the chef had a cold when he made the dressing, because it was a garlic bomb. No basil, just vampire-repelling garlic. The salsa and guac served with the nachos were also very heavy-handed with garlic, to the point I could feel it in my sinuses. Which might have not been so bad except our drinks were left empty. Our plates were cleared, tables around us were bused, other servers walked by repeatedly, and the manager sat and chatted with a table across the patio. Drinks still empty. No one ever checked on us and our server was MIA since we placed our order. After 30 minutes of garlic after-taste and no beverages I stopped a passing server to complain. She apologized profusely and went to get the manager, who also apologized, though kinda vaguely, and comped our meal. Even free, it wasn't worth the price. I would be inclined to give the place another try, but my friend, who works across the street and has eaten there approx 8 times, says this level of service and food is pretty much par for the course.
(1)Adam S.
Great place. Good beer selection, fun attentive staff, and good food with reasonable prices. Had the Spanish meatloaf - you had me at "bacon wrapped chorizo...."! I could spend a lot of time here.
(5)Jonathan F.
I really like this place. I've been here maybe 4 or 5 times, and never had bad service. I was just there last night, and the server was especially friendly and attentive, even taking the time to take a few group photos of us. The food is always good. When they first opened, the music was a bit loud for conversation, but that hasn't been a problem in subsequent visits. One of my favorite spots in Harrisburg.
(4)Julie B.
Starting on a positive note...this is a great neighborhood bar. The warm & inviting atmosphere is packed with locals. Decent seasonal draft selection. I should end here by saying great drinking hole in Midtown, but I will go on. I really can't say anything positive about the food. It's not even "good for bar food" quality. I was reluctant to eat there again after having an overpriced & seriously underwhelming brunch, but alas I gave it another shot. How do you ruin French fries?!! I ordered them and had them in under a minute. Limp, soggy & under salted. On to the hard boiled egg sampler. A small amount of food on a large serving vessel should be reserved for artfully presented foods. Not four tiny eggs in a glob (not a drizzle) of horseradish sauce. The pulled pork egg had a tiny sliver of dry pork & the bacon egg had what amounted to about two Baco-s on top. Then there was the apple cider bread pudding. I guess there was a faint hint of apple. It also wasn't very warm and what was described as chocolate ganache was clearly Hershey's syrup. Why is the chocolate even necessary? Caramel is the appropriate flavor pairing for apples. I would rate them lower than a three stars for food, but I'm averaging the fact that Sturges is a fine drinking establishment. I will go back to enjoy it as a bar.
(3)Devin V.
The first time there, it was better than average, service was great the beer was cold, the food was although small portioned even for an appetizer, was great. The place remains the same as it was when it was Garrisons's but with such a narrow space it seems your possibilities for a remodel would be limited. I went back a few times since, to what I can only assume was a change in kitchen management, or maybe the first time I was there was a fluke of delight. The same wonderful attentiveness to a diminishing beer. The stuffy, crowded ambiance of friendly, happy faces only a corner bar can deliver. However some of the beers are over priced, but I refer to that as an effort to keep out the riff raff, but anything over 4 dollars for a domestic draft is just ridiculous. (And just to clarify I've been in the business for over 20 years, I'm not cheap, just knowledgeable.) Now onto the food I had cured salmon the first time. It was perfectly balanced, with acidity, sweetness and saltness, crispy, yet soft toasted baguette slices, capers, and red onion made a great presentation. I had wings which were large crispy, and "dressed" properly. (as opposed to drenched in sauce) But for the second visit, it was water logged, unbalanced with over toasted bread and poorly presented. The meat wasn't the same, it was chewy and tasted of strait salt. The Calamari was a rubbery over cooked mess with some store bought Mae Ploy chili sauce. This town is in dire need of a place that practices consistency. I would rather take a consistent good food than playing Russian Roulette with a great food.
(3)Alexis B.
This place is awesome. Awesome atmosphere, and amazing food! We sat on the deck, such a beautiful day. My boyfriend got the shark tacos which were amazing and I got a cranberry chicken spinach salad. SO GOOD! I'm so hungry just talking about it. Not to mention we had there fabulous chorizo macaroni and cheese. At first I thought the portions were a little smaller (probably because I'm use to restaurants giving out pounds of high caloric food) but it was perfect. We were very full at the end and it both sat in our stomachs well. Our server Jess was so patient and kind to us! We can't wait to go back!
(5)Lina K.
Went here on a Saturday night with my husband. We did not have to wait for a table. We sat in the back near a door and were a bit afraid people were going to come out of the door but only one person did the entire time we were there. Great drink menu. Got a Fuzzy Shark. We got nachos for an app. No meat on them and they were still really good. Fresh ingredients. Not the most amazing guacamole and salsa I ever had but they were good. I got the shark tacos and they were great! I thought they were a good price and the serving was just right. I chose the tomato basil soup as a side. Yum! My husband got a pasta dish with shredded pork or beef. It was good as well. We were pleased with this meal and will def get back. Parking is street parking. Evenings and weekends the meters are free.
(4)John L.
Finally! A pub in Harrisburg that has all of the elements on one that you would find in a larger Metro area. The place was renovated nicely, great beers on tap, great food, friendly service, good crowd, really good prices. Braised, smoked pork is outstanding and the absolute best burger in town!
(4)Ben B.
Great drink selections. Half off drafts at happy hour. Great atmosphere.
(4)Angela H.
The atmosphere outside on the deck was nice. The wait staff was great. The place was slammed as to be expected on a Friday night but we got our drinks, appetizer, and meals very efficiently. We had the calimari, a couple of microbrews, the shark tacos, iron skillet cornbread, and the grilled tuna sala. The corn bread was made from scratch and it was amazing! My only gripe was the salad was a little flat, mostly spinach and small peice of tuna that was supposed to be medium but it was well done. Still, we could tell all the ingredients were quality, no micro-grilled fare here. We would go back and order the shark tacos again, the spice was great!
(4)Tony M.
this place could be much better if they did the following: 1. fix the air conditioning. the staff kept saying it was "very hot" but that isn't the point....there are plenty of restaurants that ARE comfortable when it's "very hot"...which means they need to beef up the AC. 2. Larger portions (wrap was quite skinny) (a handful of chips and a little salsa) 3. Lower prices. $8 skinny wrap and $6 for a handful of chips and a little salsa? i most likely will go back and give them another chance, but i'm not in any hurry.
(2)Joy G.
Nicely redone! This place has an awesome atmosphere. I came here with a friend a few weeks ago and it had just been fixed up and all that jazz. The place looks good and the menu was hard to pick from because everything looked great. Oh, and do yourself a favor and replace the fries with sweet potato fries. They were amazeballs.
(4)Candice S.
We visited Sturges Speakeasy based on the great reviews we've read about the new menu and remodel. I am so glad we did! The place is beautiful! The menu is not overwhelmingly big, and the beer/drink menu is fantastic. We each ordered beers, and started with the nachos for an appetizer. The waiter was helpful, and we asked what he recommended as a meal, and he gave some great recommendations. All of the ingredients tasted very fresh, and they were delicious! For our entrees, I ordered the steak sandwich and my boyfriend ordered the Noble Experiment. The steak sandwich was delicious, a great combination of steak, cole slaw, and french fries all on a ciabatta bread. The steak was cooked perfectly. I got a side salad instead of fries since the sandwich had fries on it, and the salad was also very fresh. My boyfriend was really happy with his sandwich as well, and I tried it and it was very tasty. Overall, we'll definitely be back, and are so happy to see a great place in the neighborhood! It may appear a bit pricey, but the food is so fresh and fulfilling that you won't be disappointed!
(4)Kristie G.
Great food and atmosphere! I have yet to have something there that I did not like! Staff is very nice. The place is well kept and clean. Great location!
(4)Connie H.
Love the upstairs deck.
(4)Lou L.
I've been here about three or four times and never had a bad experience. The food was always good (chorizo mac and cheese!) and the pork belly sandwich was great. Never had an issue with service and the beer selection isn't too bad either.
(4)Julia D.
Really good food. This is a great take on pub food. Not your average run of the mill fried junk (aka Aroogas). The menu is really great. I've tried the fried chicken, shark tacos, veggie burger, chicken sandwich and the salads. Not disappointed ONCE. Trust me, for Harrisburg this place has some quality grub. AND the bar is so cool, if you have been to the former establishment and haven't been here yet check it out. The decor is very cool and definitely fits the "speakeasy" vibe. I'm a fan of this place and frequently take out of town guests here. Give it a shot. It will not disappoint. Unless you suck.
(4)