4. Restaurants

Federal Taphouse

201 N Queen St, Lancaster, PA, 17603
  • (717) 490-6932
  • Store is closed

Federal Taphouse Menu

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  • Samantha G.

    The Federal Taphouse hasn't been open for even half a year yet, and it is already one of the most (if not THE most) bustling place to be on the weekends in Lancaster. Well I mean, with one hundred beers on tap-- how could it not be? Regardless of how busy, however, it is still possible to be served a drink in a timely matter... getting a table is another story. I went one time in the afternoon (when it was only slightly busy) and sat at the bar. The bar tender, or maybe better to call him a bar genius, was fully equipped to answer any of my questions about the 100 beers they have on tap. He let me try 2 or 3 IPAs before making my choice, and was very helpful with informing me all about the ingredients, flavors, and origins of the beer. The space is very large and open, which makes for a nice atmosphere, especially when they are packed. The upstairs cocktail bar is not finished yet, but I can't wait to check that out too! Recommend: #11. Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, San Diego, CA, ABV 7.0%, 16oz, $7 One of the best IPAs on the market today, light and aromatic with a great balance and good hop kick. Glitch: Don't even try to come here without a reservation on the weekend, unless of course you don't mind having two, three, four... drinks at the bar before being seated.

    (4)

  • Gretchen B.

    Been here 3 times now. The fun of it all is trying new beers based on style and description. If you want Bud lite prices go get a bud somewhere else - you're right this isn't the place for you. All the food we've had here has been great - tried something different every time.

    (4)

  • Ava T.

    I recently went here very excited to eat, and was sadly mistaken. The service took very long and when we finally got our food it was just "okay". It was also overpriced considering the quality of the food.

    (2)

  • gale h.

    Good: A bit loud for a nominally hard of hearing friend, conversation was possible. Phillies were on and we could see without obstruction from our table. Plenty of room at the bar and tables, moderately busy, unlike opening Tuesday when there were no available seats :) Great staff, we saw multiple servers. That said, my water was never refilled (empty for 1.5 hours), maybe if its over 90 degrees out that could be a priority for the team of waiters who all overlooked it. It was not that busy, customer service was good but this seems like one of the first bases to cover during staff orientation. I was impressed with several other aspects of service, it was fine, I could've opened my yapper but staff tended to barrage us with verbiage and then quickly turn away so a yell would've been required. Beer was great (Rogue Pilsner, no. 42). Also 3 other drinks were good too. ~$7 glass. It's contiguous with the parking garage. House made soft pretzel is very good, beer sauce great and wasabi sauce perfect complements. Burger is good and not greasy, bun is average, this could go to great if they'd use the soft-pretzels as buns or at least the dough, oh and must we request catsup for a burger, really? At least ask if it's wanted... They kindly added figs which were an ingredient on another pie to our Chicken BBQ pizza, the figs were not fresh as I'd hoped (dried) and the pizza was average to bland, it was better left over and cold out of the fridge at home, not sure why, maybe flavors could develop, actually tasted the sauce then. Would recommend for location/change of pace. The Fridge beats the pants off this place, exceeding the quality and crushing the prices. FYI, I have no horse in this race. That said I'd go back, maybe soon. Also, Hunger and Thirst is a place that may bear checking out, I've heard good things but the reviews seem mixed. 3 of us spent $79 the pizza, burger and soft pretzel and 4 beverages. I'm thinking you could do better at the Fridge for $45 (I've been there 3-4x).

    (3)

  • J K.

    Great beer selection BUT better step up their game. Went there today for some beer and pizza sat at bar. 10 minutes no beer not even ackowledged too busy chatting withothers. Decided to leave and head to annie baileys. On the way out the group at the host booth says tjank you for stopping have a great day. Lol too funny!

    (1)

  • Brittany P.

    I really wanted to like this place. 100 beers on tap and right in the heart of Lancaster. Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed. The food was tasteless and so expensive that even if it were good it would be hard to make it a regular dining spot for most people. $68 for 2 dinners and 2 beers is hard to swallow. The wood fired pizza crust was so overdone we couldn't even chew it and the salad that we paid $5 extra for chicken on it had 3 pieces of chicken and no taste. The beer is definitely the best part. Its unfortunate that everything else is overpriced and tasteless though.

    (2)

  • Nicole L.

    I really wanted to like this place. I am a supporter of new business in Lancaster especially progressive restaurants. Unfortunately, our experience was less than positive and we will probably not be back. They do have a huge beer list so if you are a beer lover you will be in heaven. The food is lack luster. We had the lamb sliders which was ok but the fried pickles that came with it were gross. We also had the pork belly which was very salty and not very good. ( I have had good pork belly and this was not it) to top it off there was something gross in the arugula salad that came with it. Not sure what it was it looked like some kind of shredded pork I hope, but it was not appetizing. We had the Poutine which was average. Duck fat fries can be heavenly when done correctly but they do not seem to be cooked right. They were crunchy and lacked flavor. I will say that the view from our table was nice we watched the sunset, and our waitress was very nice and helpful.

    (2)

  • Jim G.

    We've been here twice and liked it both times. The beer list divides the beers by style and the ABV of each beer is included. We've had the roasted beet salad, pizza, and the roast pork sandwich with broccoli rabe. The food was good. Not excellent, but good. I 'll mention that when I ordered the pork sandwich the bartender asked me if I wanted any sauce with it because "sometimes it comes out a little dry". I was a bit confused because the pork should be resting in Au Jus so it won't get dry. I asked him what sauces they have and he said, "We have barbecue.". Really? Barbecue sauce on a roast pork sandwich with broccoli rabe? I declined the offer of sauce and took my chances. The sandwich turned out to be good and I would order it again. It was more dry than others I've had but not too dry. In summary, the staff is friendly, the food is good, and the beer list is fantastic. We'll be back.

    (4)

  • Zoey M.

    Prices on drafts are too high for many of the selections. $8 for a Sculpin? Nah. There are many signs that point to the fact that the staff and owners have no idea about craft beer. And the actual bar has no idea what it wants to be. Coffee house, Vegas carpet gone bad, snobby restaurant? There are many other places in Lancaster that employ staff with knowledge about what they are serving. And don't tell me 100 beers is too many to keep track of. There are plenty of people out there that are capable. Next time hire people in the actual field. Anybody can throw 100 beers on tap. Now decide if you want to be amateur hour or a solid craft beer bar.

    (2)

  • Lisa E.

    Food devoid of flavor. Pizza had no cheese, no plates or salt and pepper. Chicken skewer dish arid with no flavor. What a waste of prime space. We were looking forward to going there, better off getting a pizza from Dominos and sitting outside a beer distributor with 100 beers. So many better choices in Lancaster to enjoy your one night out.

    (1)

  • Kelly L.

    So, the beer selection is amazing! The food was so-so.. Crab mac and cheese was DELISH, definitely recommend it with a nice stout! Turkey meatloaf sandwich was not very good.. Mashed potatoes were bland. French fries were very good, aeoli is forgettable. The roasted mushroom pizza was good, just would have liked parm cheese maybe on top, needed a little something extra! Service wasn't very good, we came in around 4pm before the dinner rush with 2 kids after walking in the freezing cold and there was a group of about 6-7 people who worked there at the front just standing and talking to each other.. We stood there waiting to be seated in an empty restaurant for atleast 5 mins.. There was no reason not to seat us and greet us right away. The waitress was nice and brought markers for our toddler, but she didn't have a clue what beers to recommend for the food we ordered so she had to go ask the chef, we felt like she should have been more educated on what to offer patrons especially with such a HUGE list to choose from. Overall it was a good time, just a few things rubbed us the wrong way considering we were the only people there in the dining area.

    (2)

  • Ed I.

    Early dinner on a Saturday night, Labor Day weekend. Seated promptly. Place maybe 80% full. Hostess, waitress and bus staff all friendly. Great beer selection. We were pleasantly surprised by the food after reading some of the reviews. Chop salad with chicken and the appetizers were terrific. Crab cake sandwich was fair. Homemade chips excellent. As far as complaints about pricing. It's 2013 and no matter what you think prices are going up! The day of a few appies, entrees and drinks for $45 is over (unless your going chain of course). Good addition to Lancaster. Hope they address some of the concerns issued here. We will definitely return.

    (4)

  • Mike P.

    loud and a bit pricey...not a place i'd go regularly duck confit pizza was too salty and didn't have enough duck, but still tasty duck fat fries were nothing special

    (3)

  • Eric B.

    A really incredible list of beers to be had. An 11 by 17 paper of small type front and back. Think it's 150 beers long. I haven't had any of the grub but I hear positive comments from others. I like to support the local craft brewers so I had a Belgian Lay Down Stay Down from Roy Pitz which was great. Maybe needed to be aged a bit more. Definitely not a run of the mill brew. The scene is spacious yet still feels non-cavernous. What can I say, if you like to have a wide variety of beer choices, The Fed is the major leagues in small city Lancaster.

    (4)

  • Enyce T.

    Consistently excellent food. I've been there many times and never disappointed. Just had a fontina and duck arugula flatbread... outstanding.

    (5)

  • GingerSnap G.

    Loved their brunch items! Really unique specialty items and really good quality food! We had a mini feast to sample as much as possible! all items received rave reviews from the table!! Floor to ceiling windows didn't hurt either! :o)

    (4)

  • Annie N.

    Tried again for lunch the other day assuming if we didn't have to wait ten years it might be enjoyable. We were seated quickly but service in general was deadly slow. I can't exactly blame the server though, it looked like she was the only one waiting tables and even some bar folks. Food is still good, wish it wasn't so painful to go there. Won't be back.

    (2)

  • Elyse S.

    Just left the bar after not being greeted. Even if they were busy (they weren't), there's always a chance to make eye contact and say hello. Our part of the bar was never bussed. It looked like a server and bartender were behind the bar, neither said anything to us during the time we waited to place an order.

    (2)

  • Kristina Z.

    Updated review my first review of the food still stands but I have to give credit where credit is due. Jason, the AGM handled my concerns and rectified the situation. Major kudos to Jason!!

    (3)

  • Anna E.

    No, just no. Waiting around at an almost empty bar with no acknowledgement at all while bartenders, waitstaff, and the like all blatantly ignore you is not ok. Then you speak with a manager and it all makes sense why his staff are incompetent because he clearly is too and allows for this behavior is reason enough to never ever return. This is by far the worst place I have been to in my short but sweet time in Lancaster.

    (1)

  • Matt Y.

    The owner contacted me and offered a free meal to revisit my review. Well, I went back and they haven't changed anything and I also never received that free meal.

    (1)

  • Elizabeth O.

    Let me begin with saying that Lancaster really needs some late night food offerings. After calling around to be told that every kitchen in the fair city closes at 11pm, I found that the Federal Taphouse at least cooks their pizzas much later. I come to learn that the bathrooms are upstairs (boo) and that certain parts of the bar just simply do not get service (what is up with that?) So we order the Margarita pizza (which was all this tomato sauce with four little pieces of mozzarella and basil) and the Four Cheese pizza (which was yummy with a hint of garlic). At the suggestion of my friend, we actually put the piece of one facing the other to make a pizza sandwich and it was comically good (see posted pic).

    (3)

  • Carey S.

    Federal Tap House is one of the best places to go in Lancaster. Endless beer selection, great food, lots of specials, and spectacular atmosphere. But what really makes FTH the best is the amazing staff. Every time I go, Danielle goes out of her way to make everyone welcome. She provides awesome recommendations, let's you take as long as you need to decide on a beer or food, and is an overall amazing server and person. Be sure to ask for her! I recommend any and all of the pizzas. All made fresh and absolutely delicious. Make sure you save room for the Nutella pizza....I mean what can go wrong when you combine the words Nutella and pizza. Warning: once you go, you will keep coming back!

    (5)

  • Michael S.

    First off, awesome taps with the biggest variety of beer in town. You're here for the beer but the foods not bad either. The place is nice and I've never never had a problem with the wait staff. Tuesday night is for trivia. Do not go there unless you like 2 things. Loud trivia and obnoxious comedians. This guy on Tuesday nights will either make you laugh or make you leave the place never to return on Tuesdays. I watched a table of 10, a table of 4 and another couple walk out after being insulted for not paying attention to him, regardless if they were playing trivia or not. Not counting the 4 of us who will never return on a Tuesday. I got his name so we can avoid any other gigs he has. But hey, if you like insulting comedian this is a good bet.

    (3)

  • Brandon H.

    Selection on beer is great. Attentive service. I wanted to write this review to say, do NOT get their "wings" unless you are looking for a half bbq'd chicken. That is all.

    (3)

  • Shane J.

    I visited this Restaurant because it was across the street from -The Hotel Lancaster - I reviewed this place as well. Let's start with the good points first. Awesome beer selection. The staff appear knowledgeable about the selections, so if you need help in that area ask them. I love good IPA's, so I tried the Green Flash Warrior - 10% ABV - it was a nice taste and that helped me through the rest of my night with the below average food offered. Although I read reviews prior to me and friends deciding to check it out - I saw many 3 stars and thought - why? Well - this is why - me and my friends all ordered different foods and we all had complaints about our meals. Mostly it seems that foods were undercooked and lacked seasoning. I want to end on a positive vibe - it is a large spacious place and it has an upstairs. So, it would be ideal for larger groups.

    (2)

  • Jaimie A.

    Went there for lunch a few times. We really wanted this place to be awesome. We thought it may get better after it had a chance to get adjusted to the Lancaster expectations of craft beer. Not only is the beer old, the food is awful! The prices are insane for the quality of all menu items. I do have to say that the service was pretty good. The bartender took very good care of us every time. Keep at the great service. It will be the only thing that brings people back!

    (1)

  • Russell F.

    Long story short, $17.50 for two four ounce beers. You read that right. Big selection, mostly nice staff, it's a big, somewhat loud place but generally nice. Were the two beers we ordered worth $17.50? Well, not when I could order them in any number of other places for maybe ten bucks. So I pay an extra $7.50 for what? Not the ambience. Not the location. Something. If it weren't for the stupid pricing, I'd go back to the Federal Taphouse but since I don't have money to just burn like that, I'll drink elsewhere. I suspect most of you will as well.

    (2)

  • Doug B.

    100 beers on tap, and the bar staff is incredibly knowledgeable.... it's like they each have a degree in beer. They know each beer by name and number, they can describe each beer with great detail and subtle nuance. For a true beer connoisseur this place is unmatched in selection and knowledge. The beers are not cheap, but for such a selection of specialty beers, I feel the cost is something I can deal with. The food is hit or miss... The pizzas are unique and wood fired, I think they are very good. The calamari was over done and chewy. One of the very few places to get poutain, it is made with duck fat fries... surprisingly good for being so far from Montreal... They were quite salty, but I like that, not too soggy either, but the cheese curd was almost a liquid..super melted. I didn't care for the soft pretzel, sometimes you just have to stop when you are throwing spices on the dish.. it's not hot spicy, just too many spices that were not meant to go together. A great place for specialty pizza and beer. The venue is loud...Very loud when filled. It is two floors with bathrooms on the second floor, there is an elevator. Best part of this place is the many unique and diversified beers, with an incredibly knowledgeable bar staff. Try a sour beer.

    (4)

  • Moira E.

    Never have I ever felt more at home at a restaurant than this one. Danielle goes out of her way to treat each and every one of her tables as her best friends. She knows you the instant you sit down and will make your experience one that includes ONLY the best beers, food items, and inside jokes. Danielle is the best waitress I've ever had at any restaurant ever. Jason is an incredible manager of his fine staff. Emily and Jake are absolute stand outs as awesome personalities and even better servers. Stef is a welcoming hostess with amazing skill at including anyone in this fantastic family as soon as they walk in the door. Jess is an incredible at event management for this place. I was the worst client possible I got the time wrong and estimated the wrong number of people and everything worked out incredibly and they were all so patient. LOVE THEM. My recommendations? The soft pretzel. The beer cheese is insanely good it's out of this world. The veggie burger when served is so dope. Most specials are incredible here so always ask what they are. Arugula salad with goat cheese? Seriously so great. Hamburger is awesome. Pizzas are their trademark so you can't go wrong with those. For dessert get the Nutella pizza or the apple strudel (great but it has dried cherries so watch out). I could go on and on but seriously if you're trying to pick a place to eat just freaking go here and ask for Danielle. Or Emily. Or Jake. Or Jess if she's in. Wave hi to Jason and Stef and be confident you made the best choice in restaurant.

    (5)

  • Joyette K.

    We met friends here on a Monday evening for an impromptu get together. We came into the city for the choice of 100 beers on tap but left raving about the fries. Relaxed atmosphere, attentive and knowledgeable staff, and food that tasted fresh and prepared thoughtfully. We enjoyed our visit and will definitely come back.

    (5)

  • E. R.

    This is an edited review with updated info, but this place still only has an extra star for the beer selection. Our first experience was when we booked a large party for the upstairs section more than a month in advance and arrived early to be confronted by a walk-in group who had been told they might be able to have our reservation, experienced terrible service (including more than one completely forgotten order resulting in my father-in-law eating over an hour after everyone else) and had staff pressuring us to give up one of our tables while people were still eating and drinking during the allotted time of our reservation. There are plenty of nice places to take a group in Lancaster where you would feel welcome rather than an inconvenience, so I was fine with never returning here. But my most recent visit, not by my choice, just crystallized that opinion. The server took drink orders from two of seven people at our table and started to walk off without speaking to the rest of us. We purposely came after Sunday brunch so we could just dine from the regular menu, but instead, there was a very limited menu available for the rest of the day, just pizzas and salads, a couple of starters and sandwiches, none of their normal entrées. One member of our group did not like her sandwich and ordered a pizza instead, which we were assured was being prepared right away. No complaint on the time we waited for the pizza, it was reasonable, but the server came by first and asked us if we just wanted it in a to-go box or if she wanted to eat it there. She still hadn't eaten, so she said she wanted it there... And it arrived at the table completely undercooked, soupy and soggy in the middle. Just don't bother. There are better places to get excellent handmade pizza that have a huge selection of craft beers in Lancaster, and plenty of good restaurants with much better service. We've come here one or two other times for dinner and it's been pretty average, but the poor service we've had has really overshadowed those other visits.

    (2)

  • Greg K.

    I first visited Federal Taphouse in Harrisburg. I was a bit underwhelmed. But, the massive beer selection piqued my hopes for a better venture when the Lancaster location opened. I visited with my then-girlfriend shortly after they opened at the Lancaster location on North Queen right in the heart of downtown. Again, we were impressed with the selection of beer, but the service and the food left something to be desired. She had the Ceasar's salad that was drowning in salad dressing. I had a burger that was not cooked how I ordered and was very messy to eat. Flash-forward one year. I think that they've gotten a lot of the kinks ironed out. The beer selection, with 100 beers on draft, still remains the most widely available and varied in Lancaster County. You can sample all manner of excellent beers from the big West Coast IPAs to tons of local offerings. They even have Miller-Coors and InBev products for those less adventurous. If you are able to get a seat at the bar, the service is wholly dependent on whom you are fortunate enough to have working that day. It can still vary from attentive and fun to a little slow. Overall, the staff is knowledgeable about the styles of beer they serve, but you might not get a thorough answer to an in-depth question about a particular offering. This is a plethora of constantly-rotating options from which to choose. The food is a small step above what is offered at what is otherwise a predominately beer lover's place.The "Devil on Horseback" is so rich and filing and a bit on the salty-sweet side that you'll need a an extra-hoppy IPA to wash it down. The pizza comes from their pizza oven. And, the overall quality of the experience, again, is dependent on the staff working that day. I've been in here at 4:00 PM and I've been in here at 11:30 PM. If you are looking for a more relaxing experience and a way to catch some sports on several of their large screen TVs on a Saturday afternoon, this is not a bad place to achieve that goal. If you want to bump shoulders on a warm summer Friday night and sometimes struggle to get a spot at the bar, you can do that too. In the end, they have a more-than-ample beer selection to satisfy a wide variety of craft beer palates, including many harder to find selections in Lancaster. If that's your thing, you can't go wrong. Just be prepared to be patient, especially if they're busy.

    (4)

  • Jonny R.

    100 beers on tap? Who cares. No one can drink that many anyway. A good bar thinks about its guests, what they want, and meets their tastes. A bar with a lot of space, and less creativity, just packs 100 beers onto a taplist and hopes it meets its guests' tastes. I did find two beers to enjoy (Uncle Teddy's bitter and Stoudt's Gold Lager). Admittedly this bar is a good measure for what I consider to be the dismal state of craft beer and ingenuity in the U.S.A.

    (1)

  • Daniel B.

    I ordered the salmon rare and it was way over cooked, under seasoned with bland sides. This place is just an Applebee's with higher prices and an expanded beer list.

    (1)

  • Fusu C.

    Fantastic place to hang out at mid night .I have been here for two times server is friendly and fast ..I love it ..

    (5)

  • Chris B.

    The only good thing about this place is their beer selection, aside from that it goes down hill real quick. I ordered a crabcake sandwich with fries, the fries were overcooked and mostly fragments of fries, I might have gotten 2 actual fries on my plate. The crabcake was one of the worst I've ever had. It was flattened into a pancake, and mostly cheap filler. Definitely not a jumbo lump crabcake. I had a doubletake deal which had recently expired, but printed on the deal it says "merchant will honor the $20 you paid for it after expiration" Nope, the manager said I have to contact doubletake deals, that they will not give me anything for an expired deal. I showed him the fine print where it specifically stated the contrary, but he just wouldn't listen to what I had to say. He actually then told me "we don't even have $40 ones, that's not for here" , clearly that was a lie because it said the name and location right on it. Clearly this guy knows nothing about customer service and shouldn't be in a management position. I won't be back, unless its for a drink only. Forget the food, it's just not good. I've had another dish in the past and I recall it being just as bad. I decided to give this place another try even after most of my friends have warned me the food is lackluster.

    (1)

  • Samantha F.

    Cool space, great service, average food at an overpriced rate.

    (3)

  • Lars B.

    I would give this place a 3.5 rating. I wanted to hate it, but I actually enjoyed my experience here. Went here by myself. Sat outside. The server, a bearded fellow, was about as courteous hospitable as it gets. The table I was sitting at was so darn wobbly. The server offered to help, but I was like "whatever". I had never been to downtown Lancaster. It was nice to sit and people watch. I didn't get any beer. Just a Diet Coke. I had the pork belly appetizer. This was pretty good. I could nitpick the dish and say the frisee was a little wilted and poorly dressed (which it was) or that the sauce on the pork belly was a little on the sweet side (for my tastes), but it was pretty darn tasty. I had the turkey burger with duck fat fries. This was pretty good, too. The burger had a nice char and it was plenty juicy. The fries (IMHO) don't have any duck fat flavor - purely gimmick. Adds nothing. They were decent though. Didn't need any ketchup for these. I had the tiramisu for the desert. Frankly, it was the only desert (out of three) sounded good to me. I thought this was pretty good. I like to end a meal with something sweet. My one critique is that it was a little too dense and I like when tiramisu is more light and airy. I suggest sharing this with someone as a desert.

    (4)

  • Ryder B.

    editing this review to give the place another chance

    (2)

  • Andy O.

    Well the beer was good, food, well we will skip that next time. The pizza was ok but I can get better at ANY other pizza shop in the world. Definitely pricey for what you get. The service was lacking, we were there on a sunday and no one I mean no one else was at the bar and our food took 20 minutes. The bartender was talking to someone that must work there because they never came back to see how anything was. All in all good beer, bad service and food was mediocre.

    (2)

  • James R.

    Wow the food was BAD! Cool atmosphere (unless you have to go to the bathroom, it's really far away and up stairs don't wait to you really have to go you might not make it) and the service was good & beer was cold. Had a very nice server Emily who took care of us. Walked us through the extensive beer menu got us a few samples of potential beers and I got the 99 and my wife something sweet both good. For food my wife ordered the soup of the day an cream of artichoke and a salad with goat cheese and grilled chicken. I ordered three apps. One of there specifically pizzas with meatballs, pork & beans dish & perogies. First the soup I don't know what that was maybe a roasted root vegetable soup but it sure in hell was an artichoke soup. It tastes like nothing it was so think you could eat it with a fork and didn't have any artichoke in that I could see (yes I know a cream soup is smooth and creamy and you shouldn't be able to see pieces of things in it but I could see pieces of Onion and carrot and potato so...) it was so bad we sent it back. Next the pizza. A $14 10 inch pizza that comes out with gaint pieces in "meatball" (tasted like they were made by someone who was once told what a meatball should taste like) and the pieces were so big they slid right off the pizza taking that no flavor tomato sauce and cheap mozzarella cheese with it. For $14 I should be getting real fresh mozzarella don't you think. I eat and Veti Pizzeria in Philly that's pizza. The salad was ok but the chicken was grilled and dry and had a spice rub that was spicy that wasn't on the menu and my wife isn't into spicy. The perogies were ok but needed seasoned badly the filling had no flavor. And finally I come to the pork and beans. Pork belly house make baked beans and a slaw well I'm allergic to raw carrot so I asked the server if the slaw had carrot, she knew right away that it did so I asked for no slaw. The dish comes out and the pork belly is so overcooked it's black on top looks dry and is on a bed of beans and carrots. Now I said I'm allergic to raw carrot if it's cooked I'm fine but I'm looking at these carrots they don't look cooked all the way and who puts carrots in BAKED BEANS? I try it and the pork belly in dry and chewy no hint of flavor. The beans again cooked by someone who was given a vague idea of what baked beans should be then made these and there really was a almost 1 to 1 bean to carrot piece ratio. (You want baked beans J.B. Dawons) I tried it and the carrots weren't cooked all the way which means the beans weren't cooked very good either. My throat starts to close up if I eat raw carrot and I can feel it not bad just enough to make it uncomfortable. I send the dish back as well. Emily was awesome apologized and took the soup and pork and beans off our bill. But no one else stopped by not a manager not a chef (we were next to the open kitchen) who walked past our table 4 times to the bar no one. Our bill for basically 2 cold beers 2 bad apps and a ok salad was $50 plus

    (2)

  • Heather P.

    Wow...and that's not with an explanation point. Our server was delightful and she was what made it a good "enough" experience. Accommodating w veggies instead of bread on app. Salmon...good enough. Salad w steak...would never buy again(fat, fat and fat), beers good and pricey. Bartender knew about beers there but that was it. Bathroom...glad my husband wasn't tipsy or a fall down the steps could be inevitable. Parking garage...one word...annoying...bad signage. Just saying. Overall, happy to spend time w my hubby in a new experience, waitress was sweet, responsive and accommodating. Would i go again??? First Friday for a beer but I'd pick Fireside Tavern in Strasburg any day!

    (3)

  • J K.

    Stopped in for a late lunch today. I ordered the 1/2 Caesar salad with the roasted veg wrap. Dressing appeared to be made in the restaurant but lacked the flavors I'd expect -- Garlic? Is that you? Anchovy? Has anyone seen anchovy? Very mild. That might appeal to some. The wrap wasn't described much on the menu but turned out to be excellent and well thought out. A layer of arugula added peppery flavor and kept the wrap from getting mushy from the wetter ingredients. It included roasted tomato, egg plant, and fresh mozzarella. They also put some herb oil in the wrap as well. Very flavorful and pretty healthy. If you're reading this I'm guessing you've already heard but they have 100 beers on tap. I suppose the beer connoisseur would have no problem picking, but the uninitiated might consider checking the beer menu on their website ahead of time. It is pricey so unless you're part of an entourage or gambling on credit card roulette, I'd try to get bombed elsewhere.

    (4)

  • Jessica K.

    Overall, I enjoyed the restaurant. We were told it would be an hour wait but 10 minutes later we were seated. Awesome. The beer list is enormous and our waitress was friendly and helpful. Another awesome. We had the Soups and Bread appetizer...delicious. A third round of awesome. However, that's when the awesome stopped. When our meals came I was a bit disappointed. I had poutine fries which were essentially overcooked gravy fries with bits of melted cheese. I had to laugh as it was definitely not poutine that I was paying $8 for. And the sandwich I had (pulled BBQ chicken) was tasty but there wasn't enough meat to cover the bun, let alone overspill in typical pulled meat sandwiches. I felt a bit cheated. For the price and quality, I think there are better spots to go.

    (2)

  • Jonathan M.

    Place wouldn't take a reservation and waited for hour for a table. Over rated much better places in town that give better service

    (2)

  • Joshua V.

    I can't speak on the food, but the beer selection here is mighty impressive. One Hundo to be exact, and the system they got going maximizes the efficiency (the number system). And apparently all the beer on the menu is on tap. I highly recommend the Beer Buddy app on your phone to give you a few more details on the beer available here. The space is pretty large, nice wooden finish, and an eclectic crowd (mostly 20-30 somethings, but no surprise to see a few older folks who love beer come around here). A fine addition to whatever scene Lancaster City got going on for them right now.

    (4)

  • John O.

    I have to say .... 3 3/4 stars... Read why... Walked in seated right away... It is a little on the " hipster/trendy" side atmosphere as far as other clientele also a bit on the loud side. I look a bit underdressed... But f em my money is green...Our server is Danielle... Had her the last time we were here. So far both times very upbeat positive and makes us feel like we are wanted here. She remembers us from about 3 months ago.. That's a positive and tells me she pays attention. Ordered the lindane framboise raspberry and the wife has an angry orchard. Mine is tasty refreshing... Reminds me of sparkling grape juice. Order taken... Start with the soft pretzels...took about 5 minutes... Very hot.. Very soft... Very tasty! The mustard dip... If you like a corse mustard with a little bite... YES! Entree time!!!! I ordered the turkey burger something or another... they take a perfectly healthy turkey burger.. Grill it... Put it on a bun with avocado, tomato, blue cheese and a helping of bacon! I think the blue cheese puts it right up to the mark of almost too salty... But I can not stop eating it because it is delicious! Be warned... It is a little on the messy side but messy... Is gooooood and you use the awesome fries and dip them in the mess of goodness. Wife had the buratta and tomato with grilled chicken I has a bite and it is very tasty as well... I think it has some kind if basil oil stuff on it...but to best describe... yummy! Desert: I would have had the Nutella pizza for desert... HOWEVER... Our awesome server Danielle said no dice... It is off the menu... YOU GUYS SUCK!.... Just kidding.... About you guys sucking...well you kinda suck for not keeping that desert made of the nectar o the chocolate and hazelnut gods on the menu.... So I had to go with the grilled peaches because well...I have never had them and I am open to experimenting.... With food... Did I mention how awesomely attentive Danielle is? If you are the manager or owner or anyone whom can give that girl recognition.... Please do.. She deserves it! Anywho... Grilled peaches....hmmmm.... Can't say I hated it... Can't say ... OMG I just had an "accident" and now I need an after orgasm smoke...in my opinion.... It needs something... Maybe a little bit of a berry sauce ... Raspberry comes to mind... But it just needs tweaked... Also maybe fresh whipped cream... Or perhaps a fresh raspberry whipped cream ...Just something....to rate it... I guess we will say its mehhhh... Not sorry I got it... Probably won't order again with out it being changed up a little... Ok... So...Over all.... I have rate this visit a 3 3/4 stars... The peaches dropped it a little .... Total bill for wife and I... $60...I will say it in my opinion was certainly more then a $60 over all experience and we will be returning. As before... My opinion...go get your own!

    (4)

  • Kristine D.

    Beer was good, but food was so so for the price. I had the roasted vegetable wrap, which was just ok. I thought it would be warm at least. It was served cold, which I found odd. The chips are bland. We also ordered the soft pretzels. They tasted like flavorless bread; definitely not a soft pretzel consistency. They really need to put a bathroom downstairs. I don't go out to eat to get a workout every time I have to use the bathroom. Wouldn't return for the food. Not worth the $$.

    (2)

  • Travis W.

    Wow, just going through the reviews on yelp and I gotta say I had a great experience here. Now keep in mind I did not eat here so this is based off some great brews and a great bartender. I was impressed with the amount of taps that they had and the different beers they had to offer. They ranged from NY to California and everything in between breweries. We came in with about 4 other people and the place was empty, now granted it was a Tuesday but still we had no problem finding a spot and soaking in some hops. The bartender (i don't know his name but he had a shaved head) he was really nice. I love talking with a bartender that knows his brews and this guy knew his stuff. All around had a great drink enjoying some great beers. When I come back to Lancaster in March 2014 I will be stopping back in here to grab one or two of there great beer selection. CHEERS!!!!

    (4)

  • C H.

    Enjoyed what we hope will be the first of many trips to this restaurant. Loved the soft pretzel appetizer. The flat iron steak, fish and chips and chicken breast sandwich were all tasty. The selection of beer was great, but be prepared to pay for what you get. Loved the location and atmosphere.

    (4)

  • Joe G.

    Um, can I say a total turn around. The owner contacted me because of my review and asked me to give them another try. Reluctantly I did, and was blown away. Great service and the food was delish! Keep it up and I'm coming back with reinforcements! Yum!!

    (4)

  • Amanda K.

    Went to Federal Taphouse on New Year's Eve. As a beer enthusiast, this place was quite a letdown. While I appreciate their efforts to expand craft beer in Lancaster, having 100 taps of beer might not be the best way to go about it. My boyfriend and I each got one of the two beers on nitro. Usually, nitro adds a new element to drinking beer - the beer should be filled with tiny bubbles and topped with a fluffy, thick head. Instead, my boyfriend's beer had a less than 1/4" of head, mine had none, and they were both completely flat. It usually takes longer than usual to do a proper pour of a nitro beer for a customer - ours were given to us in a few seconds. I completely understand that there were 98 other taps to keep straight and many people also waiting to order beer, but I was disappointed in our experience and might not return.

    (2)

  • Tina K.

    bathrooms on 2nd floor not great but I was told there was an elevator which I didn't use, we were lucky enough to snag 2 seats at a very crowded bar n we got waited on very quickly. The pizza was far from the best, had the sausage n broccoli were starved so we devoured it. Beer selection is descent, I work at a bar with over 150 microbrews and I thought it was considerate to those who might not know much about beer to have a listing plus describe each .

    (3)

  • Caitlyn B.

    We went back last night after being contacted by the owner about our previous experience almost a year ago. We came in around 7 and were seated right away on the first level this time. It seemed like there wasn't a wait time for anyone who came in either. We had an awesome waitress named Danielle. She was extremely low key and willing to help us out with whatever we needed which was nice I was worried about overcompensation which wasn't the case. We actually decided to get everything that we had gotten the first time around to see if there was an improvement. The only difference was we ordered the short rib fed fries as an app and they were really great. I ordered the salmon which came with green beans and arancini. The salmon was cooked perfectly, the green beans were great and the arancini were amazing!! My husband order the flat iron steak again and this time it was cooked perfectly and everything else that came with it was really good. Overall, this time around the food was hot, the drinks were great, and the service was great as well. We were also in and out in about an hour which was a huge improvement from the 3 hours we spent there last time. It seemed like everyone around us appeared to be enjoying themselves as well. I would say that we would I back again, my only hang up is that it is pricey ($26 for the salmon) so I would like to try a pizza next time. I'd say the drink selection makes it worth it.

    (4)

  • Anthony F.

    I'll start with the positive - they have a fantastic on-tap beer selection you won't find anywhere else in Lancaster. 100 selections from all around the country, in almost any flavor or brew style you can imagine. Now for the negative - It's overpriced, overcrowded, and just has an overall unpleasant vibe. The place is packed to the rim with the type of people you couldn't stand in high school. There's a good chance you'll have to wait to get in. There's never room at the bar and you can barely squeeze past the crowd when trying to move about. The poorly designed building causes sound to echo and travel to every corner - you won't be able to hear the person sitting next to you, but you'll hear every conversation going on in the bar simultaneously. It's almost maddening. Appetizers are $10, entrees can range anywhere from $15 to $30, the beers are anywhere from $5 to $10 each. Add this all up and you can be paying about $50 per person. If you're just going for drinks, you'll get an attitude from your server when you say "no thank you" to the food menu. Our server actually became pretty much nonexistent when she learned we didn't want food. My friend, who went on a separate occasion, said he got an appetizer plate, and paid $13 for a few dabs of mediocre food. They seem to be doing well, but you can find better food, better beer, and better prices elsewhere in Lancaster.

    (2)

  • Nicole S.

    Restaurant boasts 100 beers on tap. An impressive amount of kegs if they were consistently filled. Often times ordering a beer is like playing a game of peekaboo to figure out which beers are available. The layout of the menu is nice and features classic dishes, stereotypical high end bar food that would be quite the crowd pleaser if the cooks could actually execute them. Pizza was burnt. Poutine fries were old and soggy. The flavors were mediocre. Only failed attempts at decent concepts.

    (1)

  • W P.

    We hosted a party of 15 for our son's college graduation. Danielle was our server. She was wonderful, the food was delicious, and the evening was joyous.

    (5)

  • Alex S.

    Came back the evening of the wedding, with the wedding party and bride and groom this time, for round 2. To keep it brief: Emily and Katie are excellent bartenders (so accommodating and awesome!), pizza was good, chicken hearts were fantastic, wedding afterparties are a blast, alcohol is great (loved the local brews, and there was even a beer from my home state of Washington), "short guy with a beard" (he called himself that, but imma call him Gimli) is still awesome, and Pennsylvanians and Lancastians (Lancasterers?) are great people. I have no reason to ever return to Lancaster again (let alone PA), but if I do, Federal Taphouse is at the top of my must-do list.

    (5)

  • Daniel M.

    Went in for lunch on a cold Saturday afternoon, and could not have been better. I picked an obscure stout beer to start out with, and it was very good, very cold, and the waitress (with the coolest tattoos in Pennsylvania) brought it right up. I ordered a simple burger and fries, and again they were done just perfectly. I will come back with friends next time and order a proper dinner, but I have no doubt that they will deliver in spades.

    (4)

  • Larry P.

    My partner and I met for lunch just before noon. When we arrived the restaurant was not busy but by the end or our lunch it was busy. Even with the increased crowd, noise was not an issue. There appeared to be a number of groups being accommodated. We were seated promptly and service was excellent. The waiter was attentive without hovering. From the lengthy list of beers, my partner chose Wolaver's Organic Pumpkin Ale which she enjoyed. The beer list provides details of each beer. We had a large plate of duck fries as an appetizer. They were among the best I have had in Lancaster. The quantity was enough that we could have stopped there Ordinarily, I have a hamburger when eating at a pub while leaving my partner to try out new items. As pizza had been highly rated, my partner and I agreed to experiment so we had mushroom pizza with some unusual (at least to us) cheeses. She ate a few slices but, being a picky eater, I did not finish my only slice. We agreed that the cheeses were not to our liking. The pizza was loaded with mushrooms. The owner inquired about how lunch was and we answered frankly that we loved the fries but that pizza was not appealing to us. He graciously offered to remove the pizza from our bill. We declined as the pizza was fine--just not to our liking and it was our decision to request it. In the end, he gently but firmly insisted that it be removed. His personal attention to us could have raised our rating but we had already concluded that the service was excellent. A public parking garage is adjacent to the restaurant.

    (5)

  • Eric A.

    This place is fantastic. Reasonable prices for outstanding dishes. HUGE beer selection with lots of local brews. Come here!

    (5)

  • Wayne W.

    Ok. This place has worked out kinks and I've gotten multiple piercings and tats since the last time I was there. Food has definitely gotten better. It's a bar, stick to bar food

    (4)

  • Brandon N.

    My mother picked this place to try out for her birthday dinner. The restaurant was very busy as was our server, but we were never neglected and all of our needs were met by our server. She made several beer recommendations and ultimately we just had her choose her favorites for us - which were awesome! The food was mediocre. We shared a pizza, fries with short ribs, mussels, and calamari. The only thing that was worth the price was the mussels. The calamari was absolutely terrible. All in all we had a fun time. Worth checking out, but maybe on a weekday when it's not so busy.

    (4)

  • S R.

    Was very pleased with the beer selection - I've never seen anything like it outside of a huge city! Impressive. If you're just going for a drink, I don't think you'll be disappointed. We went for dinner, however. The place wasn't exceptionally crowded but our waitress was really inattentive and actually sort of rude when we asked for typical things (recommendations, condiments, etc.) I got the crab mac n' cheese - a cheap appetizer - after receiving a recommendation from the host when we walked in. It was decent for the price but the weird thing was the lack of crab - I literally did not see any in the entire thing. Being someone that used to live in Maryland and that loves crabmeat, this made me pretty sad. Boyfriend got the meatball pizza - he was happy with it after he dumped red pepper flakes all over it. For what we got, I would also say that everything was pretty overpriced. All in all, there's much better places around the city - we probably won't be going back here soon.

    (2)

  • Isaiah M.

    Went in for a second dinner visit, taking up the owner on an offer for a comped meal due to a previous poor experience. Service was very prompt and attentive. My date and I split the house soft pretzel app which was really tasty. Light and flaky, not overly buttery. I had the flat-iron steak which was amazing. Cooked perfectly to my order and seasoned very well. One of the best steaks I've ever had. Garlic-parm fries were delicious, I was annoyed I was too full to finish them. Grilled corn-on-the-cob was a pleasant surprise, seeing as it's out of season. Date had the cedar plank grilled salmon and loved it. Very tender, almost melt in your mouth. The arancini was really good, something I have not had before. Finished with the tiramisu, something else I would highly recommend. The house whipped cream is the perfect addition. Beers were fine, wish I would've had room for more. Only downside is the atmosphere and bathroom locations. Still feels too much like a common area or college campus dining commons. Bathrooms are a pain, upstairs and in the back.

    (4)

  • Robert H.

    Food and drink fair. Left because we couldn't get another round. Recommend avoiding eating at bar tables. Better service at bar or dining table.

    (2)

  • Jon L.

    Food is good and they're consistent. The bathroom can be a pain to get to if you're on the far end of the restaurant. They're on the second floor and you either have to take an elevator or stairs. Although this may sound trivial my wife has a broken ankle so I went with her in just to be on the safe side. Prices are a little high when you compare the style of bar/pub food but I don't mind paying if it's good

    (5)

  • Sasha S.

    I visited on a week night and had no wait for seating or issues with noise. It's a beautiful location in downtown Lancaster and very visible. It looks like a great space. Beer: I'm a beer fan, so was able to pick out some exciting things from among the 100 taps, but definitely seemed a bit overpriced for PA. I got a flight of 4 5-oz pours, which was $12, and some of the more expensive beers were not available in the flights without an upcharge - this was the base price. Food: Pretty average restaurant quality food. Between my dinner and the rest of my party we tried the soft pretzels, asian salad, turkey burger, and one of the pizzas. There was nothing outstanding that I'd seek out again, but if someone wanted to go here I'd be content to try it again. I grew up in Lancaster and really enjoy seeing the new places popping up downtown whenever I visit. This one is decent, but I can take it or leave it.

    (3)

  • Shea T.

    How can you go wrong when there are 100 beers on tap! Waitress made great suggestions and gave me a new favorite beer. All the food we have had here is great as well (pizza, burger, fries, salmon, salads).

    (5)

  • Jay E.

    Nice space, huge beer list. Server at lunch appeared to be new to the job - didn't know some things about the food (e.g., didn't know what gazpacho was or how to say it). The ceasar salad, while enormous, was so-so. The pizza was a bit burned, though the flavors were nice and the shrimp very fresh tasting. The burger was good but not fantastic. For a $40 lunch for two (including a beer and 15% tip), I expected better.

    (2)

  • Josh D.

    The Good: 100 mostly obscure and hard-to-find beers on tap The bad: 1. The price - $5 for a beer I can get for $3.25 two blocks down the street (Spring House and Lancaster Brewing Co.), and that's the cheapest. Most are upwards of $6, $7, $8 even $11! $4 Yuengling....Yikes, for a couple bucks more I can get a pitcher at most places. 2. This place gets packed which makes it hard to order drinks or food Do yourself a favor and pick up a couple six packs from The Fridge or Hunger n Thirst and hang out with your friends at home or in one of the many BYOB places in Lancaster. You'll save money and time, and you'll have a more enjoyable night.

    (2)

  • Kenny C.

    On a visit back home to Lancaster, I was excited to try out this brand new tap house getting a lot of buzz with my friends downtown. The only great thing about this place is the HUGE list of beer on tap to make any beer fan's eyes light up. I got there an hour before they closed so I didn't try the food but it looked good. I was greeted by a very judgmental bouncer which is to be expected but the bartenders and other staff were very unfriendly. The ONLY good thing about this place is the beer. I'm never one to hate on beer so that's why two stars. Worth a visit for the beer, but whether or not your service will be good is touch and go.

    (2)

  • Karl H.

    As a Lancaster expat, I'm always curious when new, interesting sounding places open in my former town. On a trip home, I rounded up some family to check the Taphouse out based on another friend's Facebook post, and, well, it was... okay. Luckily, we were there on a slow Monday night, I can only imagine how impossible this place gets when busy. But having the attention of the waitress only goes so far when she's unable to answer any questions about the beer. If you're going to bill yourself a craft beer bar, with (ostensibly) 100 beers on tap (which is too many for any one venue, frankly), then your servers... ALL OF THEM... should have at least a cursory knowledge about what to suggest to the craft beer novice who might want something similar to, say, a Stella Artois. The descriptions on the beer list are insufficient to give an idea of the complexity of the beers ("tastes like dessert" is not enough), and to add insult to injury, our server told us they only allow ONE TASTE per customer?!?! Tasting is a mandatory aspect of any decent craft beer bar, and to put a limit on 1/100th of what they are supposed to have is unforgivable. A server or bartender can easily tell when someone is abusing the privilege, there's no reason to punish someone who wants to expand their palate when it comes to beer. As for the food, it was a very mixed bag. Our charcuterie plate was fine, but rather scant for the price. My friend's pizza was dry and looked like it was sitting under a heat lamp for an hour. As others have mentioned, the wings are unwieldy and not anything spectacular. I thought the Beet Salad was delicious, and the sausage plate likewise earned raves. It does seem to be a bit overpriced, which may have more to do with the overhead in a restaurant this enormous than the quality of the ingredients... Maybe things will shake themselves out at the Taphouse, but unless the management takes the concept seriously, loosens up on the sample restrictions, and demands an education on the part of the staff, I don't have very high hopes for things getting that much better.

    (2)

  • Kathy J.

    Great place! Friendly management and bartenders felt really welcome in a new town. Love the menu lots to chose from my favorite place in Lancaster!

    (5)

  • RJ D.

    My first stop in Lancaster, PA after I got off the train. This place looked promising. They boast over 100 beers on tap which is pretty impressive. Their fridge must be huge. My table ordered a few different beers and they were all good. We started with the pretzel and it was one of the best I've ever had. (Eastern Pennsylvania knows its pretzels) We ordered two pizzas... Pesto and Meatball. This is where things went down hill. The pesto pizza was my choice and my table wouldn't let me forget it... It wasn't that great. It didn't really taste like pesto and the chicken didn't really go with it. The meatball pizza was better but nothing special. Each slice had one meatball chunk. It would have been a lot better if they put the meatball evenly across the slice. There was a band playing blues versions of classic rock tunes and that was pretty good background music. My advice is stick to the beer and pretzels and you'll be a happy camper.

    (3)

  • Rachel F.

    The good: Our server was very nice, the ambiance was cool... I dig the concept. The bad: Unfortunately, everything that would ever make me return to the place was a failure. The food was bland--got wings that the server recommended we get with sauce on the side--and they came to us burnt. I got the "braised rib fries with mozzarella" Seriously, they should just call these cheese fries. The server said it was a meal in itself--and it was, if all you want to eat is flavorless fries. We asked for the aioli on the side, and, seriously, it was just mayo. I picked out a beer, and asked the server if it was good--she said yes, so I asked her what was her current favorite (I don't expect her to know the whole menu by heart--but she should have at least 2 or 3 sincere recommendations!) She giggled in response and said she drinks Budweiser. Seriously?? in place that's primary bragging rights is the craft brews on tap, that's all the info I can get from my server? To top it off, the check--1 appetizer, 1 side dish and 3 beers, plus tip was $50. I could go to almost ANY other restaurant in Lancaster and have better food and a better experience for less money. I will not be going back. Try Pour for equally extensive drink selection (cheaper, with regular changes to the menu, the staff can make helpful recommendations, the best duck fat/aioli fries ever-Pour is my FAV). Try Annie Baileys for great pub food. Try Iron Hill for the hand crafted pizza + TV screens in bar.

    (1)

  • Nick D.

    Probably my favorite brew pub-type place in Lancaster. They have a huge beer selection with some pretty good specials (beer and food). The place is new, so very clean. I love the big windows along the perimeter. Pizzas are surprisingly good and the staff seems pretty friendly. Definitely worth a visit.

    (4)

  • Jane L.

    The swordfish tacos are the best fish tacos I've ever had, and I've had fish tacos all over the U.S. The pickled cabbage is amazing, and the aioli was a revelation. I would have taken a photo, but I inhaled them. There was only one problem. I would have liked about six more tacos.

    (5)

  • Dionne T.

    Great selection of beers and food items to choose from. Was here with a big group and everything I tried was good. Cesar salad with salmon, cheese pizza, apple bread pudding.

    (4)

  • Walter W.

    Great food and service, was here on a Wednesday but it was still hoping. Try the turkey blue cheese burger.

    (5)

  • Naomi S.

    The Williams bros heather ale is to die for for. Duck fat fries with chili are amazing. Burgers are good but the house fried chips make them dish. Not a place to eat healthy. But orgasmic food, yes.

    (5)

  • Steve P.

    Where to start? Okay, the beer, the big 100 on tap. Quite a nice list, easy to find a good beer to enjoy. What's not so easy is getting a seat, or a menu, or someone to pour you a beer. Busy place yes, but they could do better with speeding up the service, especially bringing that first drink. I understand it takes time to do the food, but waiting 20 minutes for a beer is a joke. Now that I've tried the food, I think I'll stick to the beer. The pizza, if you want to call it that, is oven cooked, but that doesn't mean it's tasty. The other bars in the area do a much better job making good pizza, real pizza. This stuff, the dough, tastes like it came out of a grocery store generic box mix. Lousy. And worse yet, after 10pm that's all there is to eat. A whole pie, nothing else. How the hell can you expect to keep people there with only one lousy meal option? According to the staff, who've complained with no success, this is not going to change. They don't want to complicate things for the "pizza chefs". Other problems: Very loud, but is a large building. Shame they couldn't have put the rest rooms on the ground floor. It's (seems like) a 5k hike up the elegant ballroom stairs to the loo. The staff does try, I've met many a good bar server who knows their beers, but they seem to be under a lot of pressure not to make waves or have any negatives discussed in public.. As customers complain about the lack of food after 10, or any other complaint, they quickly change the subject or walk away. The owner recently had their Facebook page "go down" suddenly, thus erasing the long list of negative comments that patrons listed on it. And now he's asking for customers NOT to post negative comments anywhere on the internet, but to send them to him via private email. This is a place I was looking forward to becoming a regular. As I work many late evenings, I was hoping to have a new place to eat a late meal and enjoy a variety of craft beers with that meal. The beer part is pretty damn good, but the the rest of it just isn't working for me. I hope they improve things and learn to listen to the customers. They have many quality employees who I'm sure would much prefer to listen to happy patrons.

    (2)

  • Kristin S.

    I really wanted to like this place. We sat at the very long bar and waited for a bartender for what felt like an eternity. There were a lot of bartenders but I think maybe they thought we were already being helped? I noticed a pizza guy kneeding out dough. He then took his apron off, fixed his shirt, rubbed his face, and continued to roll out dough (without washing his hands!) yikes I got the wings. The server told me they were the best with "fall off the bone meat". They weren't like that at all. I has to ask for more napkins and fork, she apologized and said that they just opened and are still ironing things out. All I asked for, were more napkins lol i didn't even mention the chewy wings! I don't think the servers are very versed on the large beer selection. Bigger isn't always better.

    (2)

  • L M.

    Great bar in downtown Lancaster. The service is really great, especially the bouncer with the beard! Great beer selection, and beautiful building. I definitely recommend.

    (5)

  • Lindsay C.

    There are a lot of negative reviews on here, but they seem to be from several months ago. Give it another try, people! I went for the second time last night with 3 other people. It was a Saturday night and Restaurant Week at 7:00pm, so we waited an hour for a table. I expect this, so no big deal. With good company and great beer, the time flew by. Our food was delicious and arrived at our table in a proper amount of time even though the place was packed. My bf and I each got the restaurant week special for $20- appetizer (I got the pretzels, he got the meatballs), entree (I got margherita pizza, he got mahi mahi tacos), and dessert( bananas foster bread pudding for both). Excellent deal, and everything was super yummy. Our friends got burgers that they loved, and we shared the duck fat fries with cheese curds and gravy (OMG--get these!!). Unnecessary amount of fatty food, but totally worth it. The beer selection is overwhelming...ly awesome! Our waiter made great selections, and we noticed he was a Chiver (KCCO!)..but I can't remember his name. Yes, the beer is overpriced compared to other places, but I think you're also paying to have such an available selection. We really didn't think the prices were enough to deter us from drinking there again. Overall, a great night with excellent service, beer, and food!

    (4)

  • Johnny J.

    Two times I've enjoyed a meal and a few beers here. Excellent food options and so many beers. Jake behind the bar is great, super guy. Come check it out! They have specials. The pizza is great! I have also enjoyed the meat and cheeses plate and oysters; don't judge me. I like this place because they are bringing a big city feel to the area.

    (5)

  • Laura G.

    Really wonderful beer selection. Worth the prices. The staff won't kiss your ass, but they are responsive and accommodating. This is the style of service I prefer. The food is creative, well executed and high in quality. On a moderately busy night the food and drinks came out with out a hitch. The manager was very understanding of our spur of the moment birthday party of 5. He held on to our presents and cake until desert. That's when our lovely waitress, Lindsay(?) brought out the cake candles-a-blazing. There was no plate charge. I was really impressed. Thanks guys

    (5)

  • Andrea S.

    Very crowded, waited over 30 minutes after time given we would be seated. Service was great at the bar, but below mediocre at our table. Food was cold and sloppily prepared. Our waitress never checked back to see how our food was. Had to ask for silverware, napkins, salt, pepper, etcetera. Slow & painfully miserable experience. Expensive & overrated. Don't waste your time!!

    (1)

  • Marie T.

    Tried this place out for the first time the other night and had no complaints. Can't go wrong with the beer selection considering there's 100 beers on tap. The food menu had a variety of good things to choose from. We ordered Calamari, the Margherita pizza, the cheese and meat platter (or whatever it's called), and fries topped with some kind of pork BBQ or something. Though not the best I've ever had, everything still tasted very good. Our waitress was great- very knowledgable and attentive- wish I could remember her name. We also received great service from the food runners. I will definitely be back to pay a visit and can't wait to try more beers on the list !

    (5)

  • Diana B.

    I usually don't write reviews, but I had to share the exceptionally bad time that I experienced a couple of days ago. It's sad because my friend and I were excited to go for her birthday, and I've been there before with no issues. However, this time was different. Like I mentioned before, it was my friend's birthday. We had planned to go to several places in downtown, but decided to stop at the Federal Taphouse first to meet up with some of her other friends. We went over to the desk to ask to be sat. She said there wasn't anything available. We asked when something might be available, she said to be honest, she didn't know, it was trivia night. She said to find a place if we can find something. Now, I understand she might've meant at the bar, but when my friend and I went, there were no seats. There were, however, several open tables. Not just one, several. None of them said reserved or anything, so figuring she had made a mistake, understandable, it happens, we sat down. We asked a waitress if she could get us a menu, and if we could possibly get a server. We were polite, we were patient, we didn't think that was an incredible request. Apparently, it was. Instead of getting service, what we get is a manager that comes up. Instead of being polite and professional, as one in the service industry should be (and I would know, I work in the service industry), he came up with a bad attitude off the start and rudely grilled us with questions. Why are you sitting here? Who sat you here? When we said that one of the girls said to find what was available, he rushed to go find the girl. When he came back, his attitude got worse, and he told us neither of the hostesses had said that, and that we can't sit there. His reasoning was that he wants us to wait "so we can get better service," instead of sitting and waiting patiently to be served. I said, "so you'd rather us wait over an hour to be sat, than for us to sit patiently and wait for someone to serve us, so we can get "better service"? He responded yes, and I was actually the only one that managed to get out enough for a sentence, because he cut my friend (birthday girl) off and clearly did not want to hear else anything we had to say. With the terrible attitude finally completely out, he said "you can argue with me all night but you're not sitting here!" Mind you, I had not yelled, I had not raised my voice, none of us had. We had politely asked the question, and my friend was trying to be polite even though he kept on yelling and being rude to us. So, we left. We're not paying to be treated like crap. It's sad because I've been there before and told my friend it was a good place. I was SO embarrassed to have recommended it. Thankfully, we had a good rest of the night. But definitely no thanks to the Federal Taphouse.

    (1)

  • Bryan B.

    Stopped in with friend for drinks a few times and was unimpressed. The bartenders were unattentive and rude. The appetizers were marginal at best and cold. The place seems disorganized and poorly run. I've been to the Harrisburg location and thought it was great. Won't be back!

    (1)

  • Aaron D.

    fantastic beer selection with great staff. The wood fired pizza is excellent as are the wings. This is a fun place to spend time with friends, try many new beers and enjoy being downtown. Like the Harrisburg location, but love Lancaster!

    (4)

  • Kelly H.

    I want to thank the staff at Federal Taphouse for always being so friendly. The food is incredible and consistent. It has become one of our favorite restaurants in the city.

    (5)

  • Patrick M.

    I've been to the Federal Taphouse about a dozen times, and always had a wonderful experience. They are beer fans, and it shows. Their enthusiasm for niche beer, and the amazing selection make it a must visit for beer fans. I love the pizza, various sandwiches, and the duck fat fries.

    (5)

  • M W.

    Stopped in for dinner tonight and had a terrific time. Jennifer was a great server, very attentive. The Tarfulo (sp?) pizza and Margarita pizza were flavorful and filling, and the order of wings surprised us by being real wings, actually huge. Beer #52 was a sharp lager. Prices on the higher side but actually pretty reasonable for the location. We'll be back.

    (5)

  • Benjamin H.

    ?

    (2)

  • Kim P.

    I will never, ever eat or drink here again. Not only was the beet salad I ordered small and overpriced, it was terrible. I was with a party of 12 or so, and the waitress handled it very very well. That was the only redeeming part of my night. When we got our $200 tab, the management was unwilling to separate the ticket for us. I got to spend 30 minutes separating everyone's bill by hand, and I still had to pay the difference so that I didn't have to spend additional time splitting hairs with tax. The clencher to my evening was when I asked to see the manager, I explained how I felt this was unfair, and he had me removed by an actual bouncer for "cussing him out." I had had two beers and was with a group of people... It was ridiculous. I have never been treated like that in public in my life. I will never. Ever. Go there again.

    (1)

  • Broc V.

    Pizza was pretty decent... After a mishap with our server, the owner was super awesome in clearing things up for us and going the extra mile to make sure he did right by us.

    (4)

  • Trevor S.

    100 beers on tap. Good food and drink specials Monday-Wednesday. I've waited a good amount of time for a drink numerous times. The staff have always been very friendly and accommodating. The pizza is great and so are the fries. I cannot speak to the other menu items which I have not tried. Swanky joint with some good looking patrons. Check it out.

    (4)

  • William W.

    While I can't hate a place that has 100 beers on draft I was far from impressed by this place. A great way to see a places true colors is to order just before the kitchen closes. I did this last night and received a nearly inedible pizza. Too add to my frustration, I looked at my bank account today to find three different charges pending on my card from this place. Do not eat here.

    (1)

  • Matthew B.

    A solid disappointment, beer as far as the eye can see, but I can't drink that much. It was my birthday and was looking forward to Duck Fat Fries, but no duck fat flavor so in the end they were just fries...for too much money. I had the truffle pizza. I love truffles, I love pizza, but it had as much flavor as a shoe box. I had high hopes, but it was noisy, SLOW, tasteless, and expensive. PASS!

    (1)

  • Joe L.

    Service was very slow. They have a lot of beers, but the staff isn't properly trained. What got me was the average price for a draft beer is over $6. The food was also overpriced for what you got. Not a lot of flavor in my salad or the chicken. Lancaster has too many places like this already, Bathroom was actually upstairs in the parking garage area? I would try one of the other bars featuring craft beers.

    (2)

  • Hope K.

    Make your money now folks because with the service we had tonight, you'll need it to pay your bankruptcy lawyer! Sat at the bar and had to wave down a waitress to serve us after 12 minutes of waiting! What??? Finally got our drinks then our waiter goes out for a smoke break, nice breath buddy. I had the chop salad, the watermelon radish was a nice touch. Good salad, nice size. Hubby had the burger, bun was good, burger had no flavor. Fries were good. Check was prompt (of course). $50 for burger, salad, 2 Rieslings and 2 beers. Not too bad but I think I'll go elsewhere next time. Fyi, Bathrooms upstairs via elevator or stairs. Can we get a hook on the stall doors for our purses please. Oh yeah, check the center stall, I just used the last of the TP, sorry ladies. Finally, they don't validate, figures.

    (2)

  • April B.

    Great beer selection and terrific wait staff. Had the crab Mac and cheese which was Delish..hubby had a burger and said it was the juiciest one he ever had. I had the arugula salad which was yummy. Would def go back when I'm in the area again

    (5)

  • Bob B.

    No response from manager as of 09/19/2013 I read your post about slamming you on review sites so I thought I would share this privately. My first visit was with my sister for a long awaited visit to the Taphouse. My beer was great, i have to say the pizza was a disappointment, we had a meatball pizza that had very little cheese, honestly I would have preferred a pizza from Metro. never been disappointed with them. Last night 09/06/2013 my wife and I thought to give the Tap house another try, my raspberry beer was delicious, but $7.50 for the small 12oz serving, sorry, not a do over. This time we ordered wings, flavor was good, but really, whole wings? we found them extremely messy and difficult to eat without getting sauce on us. I'm sorry to say this will likely be our last visit. My wife wanted to go to Marion Court and I think I should have listened. Our server, Amber, she made the evening, pleasant and happy, please pass on to her she did a great job.

    (2)

  • Joe D.

    The Federal Taphouse is, at the time of writing this review, new. With that comes a certain leniency that I will give. Overall, it is totally worth checking out. It may not be the best place to be on a Saturday night for a while, but some of the naysayers have it wrong. I am not going to review the Saturday night bar experience in detail. It was super packed. Go to any restaurant or bar, old or new, that has a crowd like that, and you can expect similar issues. I will say that the staff did seem a bit rusty, either out of practice, or lacking it entirely. I think staffing issues will work themselves out over time. Many new places go through some hire/fire periods. For now, based on the circumstances, my Saturday at the bar was good. Sunday I had an even better experience. I went for dinner at about 6 PM or so. We were seated immediately. Beers came shortly thereafter. The menu had some top tier pricing on it. I was initially concerned. Federal Taphouse is priced with the top Lancaster establishments. Almost every appetizer option was above $10. Items went up from there. This isn't necessarily scary, but with those prices come certain expectations that must be met. I had a hiccup. I ordered charcuterie, wings, and a pizza. What order would you expect those items to be delivered to the table if it wasn't discussed? Right, so the pizza came almost immediately. The timing is off. I think that can be fixed when there is more cohesion on the team. Wait staff will start to ask about the timing of food delivery and discuss it with patrons and the kitchen. I hope anyway. They totally fixed it for me though. No questions asked! The food came in what most people would consider a reasonable order and all was great! The charcuterie was good. There was a nice mix of meats, cheeses, and accompaniments. The wings were different. At first I thought they may have been done different just for the sake of being different. However, after eating them I was quite impressed. It worked! The pizza, once it arrived as the main course, did not disappoint. In all actuality, I have struggled to find good pizza in the city. Sure, this is not your standard delivery fare, but very good in its category. Yes, this review is super optimistic. Is it too lenient? I don't think it is. Is it overly optimistic? Again, I don't think so. I go to established restaurants all the time. I have seen them struggle with crowds. I have seen established places get things wrong. There are many places that don't have the makings of a great goto spot. I really see the potential in this place and it is definitely worth trying out. Don't just try it once. Go a few times to make sure your interpretation of it is accurate. Don't only go on a Saturday night. Over the next month, go 2 or 3 times and go at least one time on what would be considered an "off day" or "off hour." When things settle down, that would be a good bellwether. I have been twice and will certainly go back. I hope I get to update this review to 5 stars eventually.

    (4)

  • Carey S.

    Federal Tap House is one of the best places to go in Lancaster. Endless beer selection, great food, lots of specials, and spectacular atmosphere. But what really makes FTH the best is the amazing staff. Every time I go, Danielle goes out of her way to make everyone welcome. She provides awesome recommendations, let's you take as long as you need to decide on a beer or food, and is an overall amazing server and person. Be sure to ask for her! I recommend any and all of the pizzas. All made fresh and absolutely delicious. Make sure you save room for the Nutella pizza....I mean what can go wrong when you combine the words Nutella and pizza. Warning: once you go, you will keep coming back!

    (5)

  • Anna E.

    No, just no. Waiting around at an almost empty bar with no acknowledgement at all while bartenders, waitstaff, and the like all blatantly ignore you is not ok. Then you speak with a manager and it all makes sense why his staff are incompetent because he clearly is too and allows for this behavior is reason enough to never ever return. This is by far the worst place I have been to in my short but sweet time in Lancaster.

    (1)

  • Matt Y.

    The owner contacted me and offered a free meal to revisit my review. Well, I went back and they haven't changed anything and I also never received that free meal.

    (1)

  • Elizabeth O.

    Let me begin with saying that Lancaster really needs some late night food offerings. After calling around to be told that every kitchen in the fair city closes at 11pm, I found that the Federal Taphouse at least cooks their pizzas much later. I come to learn that the bathrooms are upstairs (boo) and that certain parts of the bar just simply do not get service (what is up with that?) So we order the Margarita pizza (which was all this tomato sauce with four little pieces of mozzarella and basil) and the Four Cheese pizza (which was yummy with a hint of garlic). At the suggestion of my friend, we actually put the piece of one facing the other to make a pizza sandwich and it was comically good (see posted pic).

    (3)

  • Kristina Z.

    Updated review my first review of the food still stands but I have to give credit where credit is due. Jason, the AGM handled my concerns and rectified the situation. Major kudos to Jason!!

    (3)

  • Michael S.

    First off, awesome taps with the biggest variety of beer in town. You're here for the beer but the foods not bad either. The place is nice and I've never never had a problem with the wait staff. Tuesday night is for trivia. Do not go there unless you like 2 things. Loud trivia and obnoxious comedians. This guy on Tuesday nights will either make you laugh or make you leave the place never to return on Tuesdays. I watched a table of 10, a table of 4 and another couple walk out after being insulted for not paying attention to him, regardless if they were playing trivia or not. Not counting the 4 of us who will never return on a Tuesday. I got his name so we can avoid any other gigs he has. But hey, if you like insulting comedian this is a good bet.

    (3)

  • Brandon H.

    Selection on beer is great. Attentive service. I wanted to write this review to say, do NOT get their "wings" unless you are looking for a half bbq'd chicken. That is all.

    (3)

  • Shane J.

    I visited this Restaurant because it was across the street from -The Hotel Lancaster - I reviewed this place as well. Let's start with the good points first. Awesome beer selection. The staff appear knowledgeable about the selections, so if you need help in that area ask them. I love good IPA's, so I tried the Green Flash Warrior - 10% ABV - it was a nice taste and that helped me through the rest of my night with the below average food offered. Although I read reviews prior to me and friends deciding to check it out - I saw many 3 stars and thought - why? Well - this is why - me and my friends all ordered different foods and we all had complaints about our meals. Mostly it seems that foods were undercooked and lacked seasoning. I want to end on a positive vibe - it is a large spacious place and it has an upstairs. So, it would be ideal for larger groups.

    (2)

  • Jaimie A.

    Went there for lunch a few times. We really wanted this place to be awesome. We thought it may get better after it had a chance to get adjusted to the Lancaster expectations of craft beer. Not only is the beer old, the food is awful! The prices are insane for the quality of all menu items. I do have to say that the service was pretty good. The bartender took very good care of us every time. Keep at the great service. It will be the only thing that brings people back!

    (1)

  • Doug B.

    100 beers on tap, and the bar staff is incredibly knowledgeable.... it's like they each have a degree in beer. They know each beer by name and number, they can describe each beer with great detail and subtle nuance. For a true beer connoisseur this place is unmatched in selection and knowledge. The beers are not cheap, but for such a selection of specialty beers, I feel the cost is something I can deal with. The food is hit or miss... The pizzas are unique and wood fired, I think they are very good. The calamari was over done and chewy. One of the very few places to get poutain, it is made with duck fat fries... surprisingly good for being so far from Montreal... They were quite salty, but I like that, not too soggy either, but the cheese curd was almost a liquid..super melted. I didn't care for the soft pretzel, sometimes you just have to stop when you are throwing spices on the dish.. it's not hot spicy, just too many spices that were not meant to go together. A great place for specialty pizza and beer. The venue is loud...Very loud when filled. It is two floors with bathrooms on the second floor, there is an elevator. Best part of this place is the many unique and diversified beers, with an incredibly knowledgeable bar staff. Try a sour beer.

    (4)

  • Moira E.

    Never have I ever felt more at home at a restaurant than this one. Danielle goes out of her way to treat each and every one of her tables as her best friends. She knows you the instant you sit down and will make your experience one that includes ONLY the best beers, food items, and inside jokes. Danielle is the best waitress I've ever had at any restaurant ever. Jason is an incredible manager of his fine staff. Emily and Jake are absolute stand outs as awesome personalities and even better servers. Stef is a welcoming hostess with amazing skill at including anyone in this fantastic family as soon as they walk in the door. Jess is an incredible at event management for this place. I was the worst client possible I got the time wrong and estimated the wrong number of people and everything worked out incredibly and they were all so patient. LOVE THEM. My recommendations? The soft pretzel. The beer cheese is insanely good it's out of this world. The veggie burger when served is so dope. Most specials are incredible here so always ask what they are. Arugula salad with goat cheese? Seriously so great. Hamburger is awesome. Pizzas are their trademark so you can't go wrong with those. For dessert get the Nutella pizza or the apple strudel (great but it has dried cherries so watch out). I could go on and on but seriously if you're trying to pick a place to eat just freaking go here and ask for Danielle. Or Emily. Or Jake. Or Jess if she's in. Wave hi to Jason and Stef and be confident you made the best choice in restaurant.

    (5)

  • Joyette K.

    We met friends here on a Monday evening for an impromptu get together. We came into the city for the choice of 100 beers on tap but left raving about the fries. Relaxed atmosphere, attentive and knowledgeable staff, and food that tasted fresh and prepared thoughtfully. We enjoyed our visit and will definitely come back.

    (5)

  • Greg K.

    I first visited Federal Taphouse in Harrisburg. I was a bit underwhelmed. But, the massive beer selection piqued my hopes for a better venture when the Lancaster location opened. I visited with my then-girlfriend shortly after they opened at the Lancaster location on North Queen right in the heart of downtown. Again, we were impressed with the selection of beer, but the service and the food left something to be desired. She had the Ceasar's salad that was drowning in salad dressing. I had a burger that was not cooked how I ordered and was very messy to eat. Flash-forward one year. I think that they've gotten a lot of the kinks ironed out. The beer selection, with 100 beers on draft, still remains the most widely available and varied in Lancaster County. You can sample all manner of excellent beers from the big West Coast IPAs to tons of local offerings. They even have Miller-Coors and InBev products for those less adventurous. If you are able to get a seat at the bar, the service is wholly dependent on whom you are fortunate enough to have working that day. It can still vary from attentive and fun to a little slow. Overall, the staff is knowledgeable about the styles of beer they serve, but you might not get a thorough answer to an in-depth question about a particular offering. This is a plethora of constantly-rotating options from which to choose. The food is a small step above what is offered at what is otherwise a predominately beer lover's place.The "Devil on Horseback" is so rich and filing and a bit on the salty-sweet side that you'll need a an extra-hoppy IPA to wash it down. The pizza comes from their pizza oven. And, the overall quality of the experience, again, is dependent on the staff working that day. I've been in here at 4:00 PM and I've been in here at 11:30 PM. If you are looking for a more relaxing experience and a way to catch some sports on several of their large screen TVs on a Saturday afternoon, this is not a bad place to achieve that goal. If you want to bump shoulders on a warm summer Friday night and sometimes struggle to get a spot at the bar, you can do that too. In the end, they have a more-than-ample beer selection to satisfy a wide variety of craft beer palates, including many harder to find selections in Lancaster. If that's your thing, you can't go wrong. Just be prepared to be patient, especially if they're busy.

    (4)

  • Enyce T.

    Consistently excellent food. I've been there many times and never disappointed. Just had a fontina and duck arugula flatbread... outstanding.

    (5)

  • Tina K.

    bathrooms on 2nd floor not great but I was told there was an elevator which I didn't use, we were lucky enough to snag 2 seats at a very crowded bar n we got waited on very quickly. The pizza was far from the best, had the sausage n broccoli were starved so we devoured it. Beer selection is descent, I work at a bar with over 150 microbrews and I thought it was considerate to those who might not know much about beer to have a listing plus describe each .

    (3)

  • E. R.

    This is an edited review with updated info, but this place still only has an extra star for the beer selection. Our first experience was when we booked a large party for the upstairs section more than a month in advance and arrived early to be confronted by a walk-in group who had been told they might be able to have our reservation, experienced terrible service (including more than one completely forgotten order resulting in my father-in-law eating over an hour after everyone else) and had staff pressuring us to give up one of our tables while people were still eating and drinking during the allotted time of our reservation. There are plenty of nice places to take a group in Lancaster where you would feel welcome rather than an inconvenience, so I was fine with never returning here. But my most recent visit, not by my choice, just crystallized that opinion. The server took drink orders from two of seven people at our table and started to walk off without speaking to the rest of us. We purposely came after Sunday brunch so we could just dine from the regular menu, but instead, there was a very limited menu available for the rest of the day, just pizzas and salads, a couple of starters and sandwiches, none of their normal entrées. One member of our group did not like her sandwich and ordered a pizza instead, which we were assured was being prepared right away. No complaint on the time we waited for the pizza, it was reasonable, but the server came by first and asked us if we just wanted it in a to-go box or if she wanted to eat it there. She still hadn't eaten, so she said she wanted it there... And it arrived at the table completely undercooked, soupy and soggy in the middle. Just don't bother. There are better places to get excellent handmade pizza that have a huge selection of craft beers in Lancaster, and plenty of good restaurants with much better service. We've come here one or two other times for dinner and it's been pretty average, but the poor service we've had has really overshadowed those other visits.

    (2)

  • Jonny R.

    100 beers on tap? Who cares. No one can drink that many anyway. A good bar thinks about its guests, what they want, and meets their tastes. A bar with a lot of space, and less creativity, just packs 100 beers onto a taplist and hopes it meets its guests' tastes. I did find two beers to enjoy (Uncle Teddy's bitter and Stoudt's Gold Lager). Admittedly this bar is a good measure for what I consider to be the dismal state of craft beer and ingenuity in the U.S.A.

    (1)

  • Daniel B.

    I ordered the salmon rare and it was way over cooked, under seasoned with bland sides. This place is just an Applebee's with higher prices and an expanded beer list.

    (1)

  • Fusu C.

    Fantastic place to hang out at mid night .I have been here for two times server is friendly and fast ..I love it ..

    (5)

  • Caitlyn B.

    We went back last night after being contacted by the owner about our previous experience almost a year ago. We came in around 7 and were seated right away on the first level this time. It seemed like there wasn't a wait time for anyone who came in either. We had an awesome waitress named Danielle. She was extremely low key and willing to help us out with whatever we needed which was nice I was worried about overcompensation which wasn't the case. We actually decided to get everything that we had gotten the first time around to see if there was an improvement. The only difference was we ordered the short rib fed fries as an app and they were really great. I ordered the salmon which came with green beans and arancini. The salmon was cooked perfectly, the green beans were great and the arancini were amazing!! My husband order the flat iron steak again and this time it was cooked perfectly and everything else that came with it was really good. Overall, this time around the food was hot, the drinks were great, and the service was great as well. We were also in and out in about an hour which was a huge improvement from the 3 hours we spent there last time. It seemed like everyone around us appeared to be enjoying themselves as well. I would say that we would I back again, my only hang up is that it is pricey ($26 for the salmon) so I would like to try a pizza next time. I'd say the drink selection makes it worth it.

    (4)

  • Chris B.

    The only good thing about this place is their beer selection, aside from that it goes down hill real quick. I ordered a crabcake sandwich with fries, the fries were overcooked and mostly fragments of fries, I might have gotten 2 actual fries on my plate. The crabcake was one of the worst I've ever had. It was flattened into a pancake, and mostly cheap filler. Definitely not a jumbo lump crabcake. I had a doubletake deal which had recently expired, but printed on the deal it says "merchant will honor the $20 you paid for it after expiration" Nope, the manager said I have to contact doubletake deals, that they will not give me anything for an expired deal. I showed him the fine print where it specifically stated the contrary, but he just wouldn't listen to what I had to say. He actually then told me "we don't even have $40 ones, that's not for here" , clearly that was a lie because it said the name and location right on it. Clearly this guy knows nothing about customer service and shouldn't be in a management position. I won't be back, unless its for a drink only. Forget the food, it's just not good. I've had another dish in the past and I recall it being just as bad. I decided to give this place another try even after most of my friends have warned me the food is lackluster.

    (1)

  • Samantha F.

    Cool space, great service, average food at an overpriced rate.

    (3)

  • Eric B.

    A really incredible list of beers to be had. An 11 by 17 paper of small type front and back. Think it's 150 beers long. I haven't had any of the grub but I hear positive comments from others. I like to support the local craft brewers so I had a Belgian Lay Down Stay Down from Roy Pitz which was great. Maybe needed to be aged a bit more. Definitely not a run of the mill brew. The scene is spacious yet still feels non-cavernous. What can I say, if you like to have a wide variety of beer choices, The Fed is the major leagues in small city Lancaster.

    (4)

  • Lars B.

    I would give this place a 3.5 rating. I wanted to hate it, but I actually enjoyed my experience here. Went here by myself. Sat outside. The server, a bearded fellow, was about as courteous hospitable as it gets. The table I was sitting at was so darn wobbly. The server offered to help, but I was like "whatever". I had never been to downtown Lancaster. It was nice to sit and people watch. I didn't get any beer. Just a Diet Coke. I had the pork belly appetizer. This was pretty good. I could nitpick the dish and say the frisee was a little wilted and poorly dressed (which it was) or that the sauce on the pork belly was a little on the sweet side (for my tastes), but it was pretty darn tasty. I had the turkey burger with duck fat fries. This was pretty good, too. The burger had a nice char and it was plenty juicy. The fries (IMHO) don't have any duck fat flavor - purely gimmick. Adds nothing. They were decent though. Didn't need any ketchup for these. I had the tiramisu for the desert. Frankly, it was the only desert (out of three) sounded good to me. I thought this was pretty good. I like to end a meal with something sweet. My one critique is that it was a little too dense and I like when tiramisu is more light and airy. I suggest sharing this with someone as a desert.

    (4)

  • Ryder B.

    editing this review to give the place another chance

    (2)

  • Andy O.

    Well the beer was good, food, well we will skip that next time. The pizza was ok but I can get better at ANY other pizza shop in the world. Definitely pricey for what you get. The service was lacking, we were there on a sunday and no one I mean no one else was at the bar and our food took 20 minutes. The bartender was talking to someone that must work there because they never came back to see how anything was. All in all good beer, bad service and food was mediocre.

    (2)

  • GingerSnap G.

    Loved their brunch items! Really unique specialty items and really good quality food! We had a mini feast to sample as much as possible! all items received rave reviews from the table!! Floor to ceiling windows didn't hurt either! :o)

    (4)

  • Annie N.

    Tried again for lunch the other day assuming if we didn't have to wait ten years it might be enjoyable. We were seated quickly but service in general was deadly slow. I can't exactly blame the server though, it looked like she was the only one waiting tables and even some bar folks. Food is still good, wish it wasn't so painful to go there. Won't be back.

    (2)

  • Elyse S.

    Just left the bar after not being greeted. Even if they were busy (they weren't), there's always a chance to make eye contact and say hello. Our part of the bar was never bussed. It looked like a server and bartender were behind the bar, neither said anything to us during the time we waited to place an order.

    (2)

  • James R.

    Wow the food was BAD! Cool atmosphere (unless you have to go to the bathroom, it's really far away and up stairs don't wait to you really have to go you might not make it) and the service was good & beer was cold. Had a very nice server Emily who took care of us. Walked us through the extensive beer menu got us a few samples of potential beers and I got the 99 and my wife something sweet both good. For food my wife ordered the soup of the day an cream of artichoke and a salad with goat cheese and grilled chicken. I ordered three apps. One of there specifically pizzas with meatballs, pork & beans dish & perogies. First the soup I don't know what that was maybe a roasted root vegetable soup but it sure in hell was an artichoke soup. It tastes like nothing it was so think you could eat it with a fork and didn't have any artichoke in that I could see (yes I know a cream soup is smooth and creamy and you shouldn't be able to see pieces of things in it but I could see pieces of Onion and carrot and potato so...) it was so bad we sent it back. Next the pizza. A $14 10 inch pizza that comes out with gaint pieces in "meatball" (tasted like they were made by someone who was once told what a meatball should taste like) and the pieces were so big they slid right off the pizza taking that no flavor tomato sauce and cheap mozzarella cheese with it. For $14 I should be getting real fresh mozzarella don't you think. I eat and Veti Pizzeria in Philly that's pizza. The salad was ok but the chicken was grilled and dry and had a spice rub that was spicy that wasn't on the menu and my wife isn't into spicy. The perogies were ok but needed seasoned badly the filling had no flavor. And finally I come to the pork and beans. Pork belly house make baked beans and a slaw well I'm allergic to raw carrot so I asked the server if the slaw had carrot, she knew right away that it did so I asked for no slaw. The dish comes out and the pork belly is so overcooked it's black on top looks dry and is on a bed of beans and carrots. Now I said I'm allergic to raw carrot if it's cooked I'm fine but I'm looking at these carrots they don't look cooked all the way and who puts carrots in BAKED BEANS? I try it and the pork belly in dry and chewy no hint of flavor. The beans again cooked by someone who was given a vague idea of what baked beans should be then made these and there really was a almost 1 to 1 bean to carrot piece ratio. (You want baked beans J.B. Dawons) I tried it and the carrots weren't cooked all the way which means the beans weren't cooked very good either. My throat starts to close up if I eat raw carrot and I can feel it not bad just enough to make it uncomfortable. I send the dish back as well. Emily was awesome apologized and took the soup and pork and beans off our bill. But no one else stopped by not a manager not a chef (we were next to the open kitchen) who walked past our table 4 times to the bar no one. Our bill for basically 2 cold beers 2 bad apps and a ok salad was $50 plus

    (2)

  • Heather P.

    Wow...and that's not with an explanation point. Our server was delightful and she was what made it a good "enough" experience. Accommodating w veggies instead of bread on app. Salmon...good enough. Salad w steak...would never buy again(fat, fat and fat), beers good and pricey. Bartender knew about beers there but that was it. Bathroom...glad my husband wasn't tipsy or a fall down the steps could be inevitable. Parking garage...one word...annoying...bad signage. Just saying. Overall, happy to spend time w my hubby in a new experience, waitress was sweet, responsive and accommodating. Would i go again??? First Friday for a beer but I'd pick Fireside Tavern in Strasburg any day!

    (3)

  • J K.

    Stopped in for a late lunch today. I ordered the 1/2 Caesar salad with the roasted veg wrap. Dressing appeared to be made in the restaurant but lacked the flavors I'd expect -- Garlic? Is that you? Anchovy? Has anyone seen anchovy? Very mild. That might appeal to some. The wrap wasn't described much on the menu but turned out to be excellent and well thought out. A layer of arugula added peppery flavor and kept the wrap from getting mushy from the wetter ingredients. It included roasted tomato, egg plant, and fresh mozzarella. They also put some herb oil in the wrap as well. Very flavorful and pretty healthy. If you're reading this I'm guessing you've already heard but they have 100 beers on tap. I suppose the beer connoisseur would have no problem picking, but the uninitiated might consider checking the beer menu on their website ahead of time. It is pricey so unless you're part of an entourage or gambling on credit card roulette, I'd try to get bombed elsewhere.

    (4)

  • Jessica K.

    Overall, I enjoyed the restaurant. We were told it would be an hour wait but 10 minutes later we were seated. Awesome. The beer list is enormous and our waitress was friendly and helpful. Another awesome. We had the Soups and Bread appetizer...delicious. A third round of awesome. However, that's when the awesome stopped. When our meals came I was a bit disappointed. I had poutine fries which were essentially overcooked gravy fries with bits of melted cheese. I had to laugh as it was definitely not poutine that I was paying $8 for. And the sandwich I had (pulled BBQ chicken) was tasty but there wasn't enough meat to cover the bun, let alone overspill in typical pulled meat sandwiches. I felt a bit cheated. For the price and quality, I think there are better spots to go.

    (2)

  • Jonathan M.

    Place wouldn't take a reservation and waited for hour for a table. Over rated much better places in town that give better service

    (2)

  • John O.

    I have to say .... 3 3/4 stars... Read why... Walked in seated right away... It is a little on the " hipster/trendy" side atmosphere as far as other clientele also a bit on the loud side. I look a bit underdressed... But f em my money is green...Our server is Danielle... Had her the last time we were here. So far both times very upbeat positive and makes us feel like we are wanted here. She remembers us from about 3 months ago.. That's a positive and tells me she pays attention. Ordered the lindane framboise raspberry and the wife has an angry orchard. Mine is tasty refreshing... Reminds me of sparkling grape juice. Order taken... Start with the soft pretzels...took about 5 minutes... Very hot.. Very soft... Very tasty! The mustard dip... If you like a corse mustard with a little bite... YES! Entree time!!!! I ordered the turkey burger something or another... they take a perfectly healthy turkey burger.. Grill it... Put it on a bun with avocado, tomato, blue cheese and a helping of bacon! I think the blue cheese puts it right up to the mark of almost too salty... But I can not stop eating it because it is delicious! Be warned... It is a little on the messy side but messy... Is gooooood and you use the awesome fries and dip them in the mess of goodness. Wife had the buratta and tomato with grilled chicken I has a bite and it is very tasty as well... I think it has some kind if basil oil stuff on it...but to best describe... yummy! Desert: I would have had the Nutella pizza for desert... HOWEVER... Our awesome server Danielle said no dice... It is off the menu... YOU GUYS SUCK!.... Just kidding.... About you guys sucking...well you kinda suck for not keeping that desert made of the nectar o the chocolate and hazelnut gods on the menu.... So I had to go with the grilled peaches because well...I have never had them and I am open to experimenting.... With food... Did I mention how awesomely attentive Danielle is? If you are the manager or owner or anyone whom can give that girl recognition.... Please do.. She deserves it! Anywho... Grilled peaches....hmmmm.... Can't say I hated it... Can't say ... OMG I just had an "accident" and now I need an after orgasm smoke...in my opinion.... It needs something... Maybe a little bit of a berry sauce ... Raspberry comes to mind... But it just needs tweaked... Also maybe fresh whipped cream... Or perhaps a fresh raspberry whipped cream ...Just something....to rate it... I guess we will say its mehhhh... Not sorry I got it... Probably won't order again with out it being changed up a little... Ok... So...Over all.... I have rate this visit a 3 3/4 stars... The peaches dropped it a little .... Total bill for wife and I... $60...I will say it in my opinion was certainly more then a $60 over all experience and we will be returning. As before... My opinion...go get your own!

    (4)

  • Kristine D.

    Beer was good, but food was so so for the price. I had the roasted vegetable wrap, which was just ok. I thought it would be warm at least. It was served cold, which I found odd. The chips are bland. We also ordered the soft pretzels. They tasted like flavorless bread; definitely not a soft pretzel consistency. They really need to put a bathroom downstairs. I don't go out to eat to get a workout every time I have to use the bathroom. Wouldn't return for the food. Not worth the $$.

    (2)

  • Travis W.

    Wow, just going through the reviews on yelp and I gotta say I had a great experience here. Now keep in mind I did not eat here so this is based off some great brews and a great bartender. I was impressed with the amount of taps that they had and the different beers they had to offer. They ranged from NY to California and everything in between breweries. We came in with about 4 other people and the place was empty, now granted it was a Tuesday but still we had no problem finding a spot and soaking in some hops. The bartender (i don't know his name but he had a shaved head) he was really nice. I love talking with a bartender that knows his brews and this guy knew his stuff. All around had a great drink enjoying some great beers. When I come back to Lancaster in March 2014 I will be stopping back in here to grab one or two of there great beer selection. CHEERS!!!!

    (4)

  • C H.

    Enjoyed what we hope will be the first of many trips to this restaurant. Loved the soft pretzel appetizer. The flat iron steak, fish and chips and chicken breast sandwich were all tasty. The selection of beer was great, but be prepared to pay for what you get. Loved the location and atmosphere.

    (4)

  • Joe G.

    Um, can I say a total turn around. The owner contacted me because of my review and asked me to give them another try. Reluctantly I did, and was blown away. Great service and the food was delish! Keep it up and I'm coming back with reinforcements! Yum!!

    (4)

  • Amanda K.

    Went to Federal Taphouse on New Year's Eve. As a beer enthusiast, this place was quite a letdown. While I appreciate their efforts to expand craft beer in Lancaster, having 100 taps of beer might not be the best way to go about it. My boyfriend and I each got one of the two beers on nitro. Usually, nitro adds a new element to drinking beer - the beer should be filled with tiny bubbles and topped with a fluffy, thick head. Instead, my boyfriend's beer had a less than 1/4" of head, mine had none, and they were both completely flat. It usually takes longer than usual to do a proper pour of a nitro beer for a customer - ours were given to us in a few seconds. I completely understand that there were 98 other taps to keep straight and many people also waiting to order beer, but I was disappointed in our experience and might not return.

    (2)

  • Joshua V.

    I can't speak on the food, but the beer selection here is mighty impressive. One Hundo to be exact, and the system they got going maximizes the efficiency (the number system). And apparently all the beer on the menu is on tap. I highly recommend the Beer Buddy app on your phone to give you a few more details on the beer available here. The space is pretty large, nice wooden finish, and an eclectic crowd (mostly 20-30 somethings, but no surprise to see a few older folks who love beer come around here). A fine addition to whatever scene Lancaster City got going on for them right now.

    (4)

  • Anthony F.

    I'll start with the positive - they have a fantastic on-tap beer selection you won't find anywhere else in Lancaster. 100 selections from all around the country, in almost any flavor or brew style you can imagine. Now for the negative - It's overpriced, overcrowded, and just has an overall unpleasant vibe. The place is packed to the rim with the type of people you couldn't stand in high school. There's a good chance you'll have to wait to get in. There's never room at the bar and you can barely squeeze past the crowd when trying to move about. The poorly designed building causes sound to echo and travel to every corner - you won't be able to hear the person sitting next to you, but you'll hear every conversation going on in the bar simultaneously. It's almost maddening. Appetizers are $10, entrees can range anywhere from $15 to $30, the beers are anywhere from $5 to $10 each. Add this all up and you can be paying about $50 per person. If you're just going for drinks, you'll get an attitude from your server when you say "no thank you" to the food menu. Our server actually became pretty much nonexistent when she learned we didn't want food. My friend, who went on a separate occasion, said he got an appetizer plate, and paid $13 for a few dabs of mediocre food. They seem to be doing well, but you can find better food, better beer, and better prices elsewhere in Lancaster.

    (2)

  • Nicole S.

    Restaurant boasts 100 beers on tap. An impressive amount of kegs if they were consistently filled. Often times ordering a beer is like playing a game of peekaboo to figure out which beers are available. The layout of the menu is nice and features classic dishes, stereotypical high end bar food that would be quite the crowd pleaser if the cooks could actually execute them. Pizza was burnt. Poutine fries were old and soggy. The flavors were mediocre. Only failed attempts at decent concepts.

    (1)

  • W P.

    We hosted a party of 15 for our son's college graduation. Danielle was our server. She was wonderful, the food was delicious, and the evening was joyous.

    (5)

  • Alex S.

    Came back the evening of the wedding, with the wedding party and bride and groom this time, for round 2. To keep it brief: Emily and Katie are excellent bartenders (so accommodating and awesome!), pizza was good, chicken hearts were fantastic, wedding afterparties are a blast, alcohol is great (loved the local brews, and there was even a beer from my home state of Washington), "short guy with a beard" (he called himself that, but imma call him Gimli) is still awesome, and Pennsylvanians and Lancastians (Lancasterers?) are great people. I have no reason to ever return to Lancaster again (let alone PA), but if I do, Federal Taphouse is at the top of my must-do list.

    (5)

  • Daniel M.

    Went in for lunch on a cold Saturday afternoon, and could not have been better. I picked an obscure stout beer to start out with, and it was very good, very cold, and the waitress (with the coolest tattoos in Pennsylvania) brought it right up. I ordered a simple burger and fries, and again they were done just perfectly. I will come back with friends next time and order a proper dinner, but I have no doubt that they will deliver in spades.

    (4)

  • Larry P.

    My partner and I met for lunch just before noon. When we arrived the restaurant was not busy but by the end or our lunch it was busy. Even with the increased crowd, noise was not an issue. There appeared to be a number of groups being accommodated. We were seated promptly and service was excellent. The waiter was attentive without hovering. From the lengthy list of beers, my partner chose Wolaver's Organic Pumpkin Ale which she enjoyed. The beer list provides details of each beer. We had a large plate of duck fries as an appetizer. They were among the best I have had in Lancaster. The quantity was enough that we could have stopped there Ordinarily, I have a hamburger when eating at a pub while leaving my partner to try out new items. As pizza had been highly rated, my partner and I agreed to experiment so we had mushroom pizza with some unusual (at least to us) cheeses. She ate a few slices but, being a picky eater, I did not finish my only slice. We agreed that the cheeses were not to our liking. The pizza was loaded with mushrooms. The owner inquired about how lunch was and we answered frankly that we loved the fries but that pizza was not appealing to us. He graciously offered to remove the pizza from our bill. We declined as the pizza was fine--just not to our liking and it was our decision to request it. In the end, he gently but firmly insisted that it be removed. His personal attention to us could have raised our rating but we had already concluded that the service was excellent. A public parking garage is adjacent to the restaurant.

    (5)

  • Eric A.

    This place is fantastic. Reasonable prices for outstanding dishes. HUGE beer selection with lots of local brews. Come here!

    (5)

  • Wayne W.

    Ok. This place has worked out kinks and I've gotten multiple piercings and tats since the last time I was there. Food has definitely gotten better. It's a bar, stick to bar food

    (4)

  • Brandon N.

    My mother picked this place to try out for her birthday dinner. The restaurant was very busy as was our server, but we were never neglected and all of our needs were met by our server. She made several beer recommendations and ultimately we just had her choose her favorites for us - which were awesome! The food was mediocre. We shared a pizza, fries with short ribs, mussels, and calamari. The only thing that was worth the price was the mussels. The calamari was absolutely terrible. All in all we had a fun time. Worth checking out, but maybe on a weekday when it's not so busy.

    (4)

  • S R.

    Was very pleased with the beer selection - I've never seen anything like it outside of a huge city! Impressive. If you're just going for a drink, I don't think you'll be disappointed. We went for dinner, however. The place wasn't exceptionally crowded but our waitress was really inattentive and actually sort of rude when we asked for typical things (recommendations, condiments, etc.) I got the crab mac n' cheese - a cheap appetizer - after receiving a recommendation from the host when we walked in. It was decent for the price but the weird thing was the lack of crab - I literally did not see any in the entire thing. Being someone that used to live in Maryland and that loves crabmeat, this made me pretty sad. Boyfriend got the meatball pizza - he was happy with it after he dumped red pepper flakes all over it. For what we got, I would also say that everything was pretty overpriced. All in all, there's much better places around the city - we probably won't be going back here soon.

    (2)

  • Isaiah M.

    Went in for a second dinner visit, taking up the owner on an offer for a comped meal due to a previous poor experience. Service was very prompt and attentive. My date and I split the house soft pretzel app which was really tasty. Light and flaky, not overly buttery. I had the flat-iron steak which was amazing. Cooked perfectly to my order and seasoned very well. One of the best steaks I've ever had. Garlic-parm fries were delicious, I was annoyed I was too full to finish them. Grilled corn-on-the-cob was a pleasant surprise, seeing as it's out of season. Date had the cedar plank grilled salmon and loved it. Very tender, almost melt in your mouth. The arancini was really good, something I have not had before. Finished with the tiramisu, something else I would highly recommend. The house whipped cream is the perfect addition. Beers were fine, wish I would've had room for more. Only downside is the atmosphere and bathroom locations. Still feels too much like a common area or college campus dining commons. Bathrooms are a pain, upstairs and in the back.

    (4)

  • Robert H.

    Food and drink fair. Left because we couldn't get another round. Recommend avoiding eating at bar tables. Better service at bar or dining table.

    (2)

  • Jon L.

    Food is good and they're consistent. The bathroom can be a pain to get to if you're on the far end of the restaurant. They're on the second floor and you either have to take an elevator or stairs. Although this may sound trivial my wife has a broken ankle so I went with her in just to be on the safe side. Prices are a little high when you compare the style of bar/pub food but I don't mind paying if it's good

    (5)

  • M W.

    Stopped in for dinner tonight and had a terrific time. Jennifer was a great server, very attentive. The Tarfulo (sp?) pizza and Margarita pizza were flavorful and filling, and the order of wings surprised us by being real wings, actually huge. Beer #52 was a sharp lager. Prices on the higher side but actually pretty reasonable for the location. We'll be back.

    (5)

  • Benjamin H.

    ?

    (2)

  • Sasha S.

    I visited on a week night and had no wait for seating or issues with noise. It's a beautiful location in downtown Lancaster and very visible. It looks like a great space. Beer: I'm a beer fan, so was able to pick out some exciting things from among the 100 taps, but definitely seemed a bit overpriced for PA. I got a flight of 4 5-oz pours, which was $12, and some of the more expensive beers were not available in the flights without an upcharge - this was the base price. Food: Pretty average restaurant quality food. Between my dinner and the rest of my party we tried the soft pretzels, asian salad, turkey burger, and one of the pizzas. There was nothing outstanding that I'd seek out again, but if someone wanted to go here I'd be content to try it again. I grew up in Lancaster and really enjoy seeing the new places popping up downtown whenever I visit. This one is decent, but I can take it or leave it.

    (3)

  • Shea T.

    How can you go wrong when there are 100 beers on tap! Waitress made great suggestions and gave me a new favorite beer. All the food we have had here is great as well (pizza, burger, fries, salmon, salads).

    (5)

  • Jay E.

    Nice space, huge beer list. Server at lunch appeared to be new to the job - didn't know some things about the food (e.g., didn't know what gazpacho was or how to say it). The ceasar salad, while enormous, was so-so. The pizza was a bit burned, though the flavors were nice and the shrimp very fresh tasting. The burger was good but not fantastic. For a $40 lunch for two (including a beer and 15% tip), I expected better.

    (2)

  • Josh D.

    The Good: 100 mostly obscure and hard-to-find beers on tap The bad: 1. The price - $5 for a beer I can get for $3.25 two blocks down the street (Spring House and Lancaster Brewing Co.), and that's the cheapest. Most are upwards of $6, $7, $8 even $11! $4 Yuengling....Yikes, for a couple bucks more I can get a pitcher at most places. 2. This place gets packed which makes it hard to order drinks or food Do yourself a favor and pick up a couple six packs from The Fridge or Hunger n Thirst and hang out with your friends at home or in one of the many BYOB places in Lancaster. You'll save money and time, and you'll have a more enjoyable night.

    (2)

  • Kathy J.

    Great place! Friendly management and bartenders felt really welcome in a new town. Love the menu lots to chose from my favorite place in Lancaster!

    (5)

  • RJ D.

    My first stop in Lancaster, PA after I got off the train. This place looked promising. They boast over 100 beers on tap which is pretty impressive. Their fridge must be huge. My table ordered a few different beers and they were all good. We started with the pretzel and it was one of the best I've ever had. (Eastern Pennsylvania knows its pretzels) We ordered two pizzas... Pesto and Meatball. This is where things went down hill. The pesto pizza was my choice and my table wouldn't let me forget it... It wasn't that great. It didn't really taste like pesto and the chicken didn't really go with it. The meatball pizza was better but nothing special. Each slice had one meatball chunk. It would have been a lot better if they put the meatball evenly across the slice. There was a band playing blues versions of classic rock tunes and that was pretty good background music. My advice is stick to the beer and pretzels and you'll be a happy camper.

    (3)

  • Karl H.

    As a Lancaster expat, I'm always curious when new, interesting sounding places open in my former town. On a trip home, I rounded up some family to check the Taphouse out based on another friend's Facebook post, and, well, it was... okay. Luckily, we were there on a slow Monday night, I can only imagine how impossible this place gets when busy. But having the attention of the waitress only goes so far when she's unable to answer any questions about the beer. If you're going to bill yourself a craft beer bar, with (ostensibly) 100 beers on tap (which is too many for any one venue, frankly), then your servers... ALL OF THEM... should have at least a cursory knowledge about what to suggest to the craft beer novice who might want something similar to, say, a Stella Artois. The descriptions on the beer list are insufficient to give an idea of the complexity of the beers ("tastes like dessert" is not enough), and to add insult to injury, our server told us they only allow ONE TASTE per customer?!?! Tasting is a mandatory aspect of any decent craft beer bar, and to put a limit on 1/100th of what they are supposed to have is unforgivable. A server or bartender can easily tell when someone is abusing the privilege, there's no reason to punish someone who wants to expand their palate when it comes to beer. As for the food, it was a very mixed bag. Our charcuterie plate was fine, but rather scant for the price. My friend's pizza was dry and looked like it was sitting under a heat lamp for an hour. As others have mentioned, the wings are unwieldy and not anything spectacular. I thought the Beet Salad was delicious, and the sausage plate likewise earned raves. It does seem to be a bit overpriced, which may have more to do with the overhead in a restaurant this enormous than the quality of the ingredients... Maybe things will shake themselves out at the Taphouse, but unless the management takes the concept seriously, loosens up on the sample restrictions, and demands an education on the part of the staff, I don't have very high hopes for things getting that much better.

    (2)

  • Kenny C.

    On a visit back home to Lancaster, I was excited to try out this brand new tap house getting a lot of buzz with my friends downtown. The only great thing about this place is the HUGE list of beer on tap to make any beer fan's eyes light up. I got there an hour before they closed so I didn't try the food but it looked good. I was greeted by a very judgmental bouncer which is to be expected but the bartenders and other staff were very unfriendly. The ONLY good thing about this place is the beer. I'm never one to hate on beer so that's why two stars. Worth a visit for the beer, but whether or not your service will be good is touch and go.

    (2)

  • Rachel F.

    The good: Our server was very nice, the ambiance was cool... I dig the concept. The bad: Unfortunately, everything that would ever make me return to the place was a failure. The food was bland--got wings that the server recommended we get with sauce on the side--and they came to us burnt. I got the "braised rib fries with mozzarella" Seriously, they should just call these cheese fries. The server said it was a meal in itself--and it was, if all you want to eat is flavorless fries. We asked for the aioli on the side, and, seriously, it was just mayo. I picked out a beer, and asked the server if it was good--she said yes, so I asked her what was her current favorite (I don't expect her to know the whole menu by heart--but she should have at least 2 or 3 sincere recommendations!) She giggled in response and said she drinks Budweiser. Seriously?? in place that's primary bragging rights is the craft brews on tap, that's all the info I can get from my server? To top it off, the check--1 appetizer, 1 side dish and 3 beers, plus tip was $50. I could go to almost ANY other restaurant in Lancaster and have better food and a better experience for less money. I will not be going back. Try Pour for equally extensive drink selection (cheaper, with regular changes to the menu, the staff can make helpful recommendations, the best duck fat/aioli fries ever-Pour is my FAV). Try Annie Baileys for great pub food. Try Iron Hill for the hand crafted pizza + TV screens in bar.

    (1)

  • Nick D.

    Probably my favorite brew pub-type place in Lancaster. They have a huge beer selection with some pretty good specials (beer and food). The place is new, so very clean. I love the big windows along the perimeter. Pizzas are surprisingly good and the staff seems pretty friendly. Definitely worth a visit.

    (4)

  • Jane L.

    The swordfish tacos are the best fish tacos I've ever had, and I've had fish tacos all over the U.S. The pickled cabbage is amazing, and the aioli was a revelation. I would have taken a photo, but I inhaled them. There was only one problem. I would have liked about six more tacos.

    (5)

  • Dionne T.

    Great selection of beers and food items to choose from. Was here with a big group and everything I tried was good. Cesar salad with salmon, cheese pizza, apple bread pudding.

    (4)

  • Walter W.

    Great food and service, was here on a Wednesday but it was still hoping. Try the turkey blue cheese burger.

    (5)

  • Naomi S.

    The Williams bros heather ale is to die for for. Duck fat fries with chili are amazing. Burgers are good but the house fried chips make them dish. Not a place to eat healthy. But orgasmic food, yes.

    (5)

  • Kelly H.

    I want to thank the staff at Federal Taphouse for always being so friendly. The food is incredible and consistent. It has become one of our favorite restaurants in the city.

    (5)

  • Patrick M.

    I've been to the Federal Taphouse about a dozen times, and always had a wonderful experience. They are beer fans, and it shows. Their enthusiasm for niche beer, and the amazing selection make it a must visit for beer fans. I love the pizza, various sandwiches, and the duck fat fries.

    (5)

  • Steve P.

    Where to start? Okay, the beer, the big 100 on tap. Quite a nice list, easy to find a good beer to enjoy. What's not so easy is getting a seat, or a menu, or someone to pour you a beer. Busy place yes, but they could do better with speeding up the service, especially bringing that first drink. I understand it takes time to do the food, but waiting 20 minutes for a beer is a joke. Now that I've tried the food, I think I'll stick to the beer. The pizza, if you want to call it that, is oven cooked, but that doesn't mean it's tasty. The other bars in the area do a much better job making good pizza, real pizza. This stuff, the dough, tastes like it came out of a grocery store generic box mix. Lousy. And worse yet, after 10pm that's all there is to eat. A whole pie, nothing else. How the hell can you expect to keep people there with only one lousy meal option? According to the staff, who've complained with no success, this is not going to change. They don't want to complicate things for the "pizza chefs". Other problems: Very loud, but is a large building. Shame they couldn't have put the rest rooms on the ground floor. It's (seems like) a 5k hike up the elegant ballroom stairs to the loo. The staff does try, I've met many a good bar server who knows their beers, but they seem to be under a lot of pressure not to make waves or have any negatives discussed in public.. As customers complain about the lack of food after 10, or any other complaint, they quickly change the subject or walk away. The owner recently had their Facebook page "go down" suddenly, thus erasing the long list of negative comments that patrons listed on it. And now he's asking for customers NOT to post negative comments anywhere on the internet, but to send them to him via private email. This is a place I was looking forward to becoming a regular. As I work many late evenings, I was hoping to have a new place to eat a late meal and enjoy a variety of craft beers with that meal. The beer part is pretty damn good, but the the rest of it just isn't working for me. I hope they improve things and learn to listen to the customers. They have many quality employees who I'm sure would much prefer to listen to happy patrons.

    (2)

  • Kristin S.

    I really wanted to like this place. We sat at the very long bar and waited for a bartender for what felt like an eternity. There were a lot of bartenders but I think maybe they thought we were already being helped? I noticed a pizza guy kneeding out dough. He then took his apron off, fixed his shirt, rubbed his face, and continued to roll out dough (without washing his hands!) yikes I got the wings. The server told me they were the best with "fall off the bone meat". They weren't like that at all. I has to ask for more napkins and fork, she apologized and said that they just opened and are still ironing things out. All I asked for, were more napkins lol i didn't even mention the chewy wings! I don't think the servers are very versed on the large beer selection. Bigger isn't always better.

    (2)

  • L M.

    Great bar in downtown Lancaster. The service is really great, especially the bouncer with the beard! Great beer selection, and beautiful building. I definitely recommend.

    (5)

  • Lindsay C.

    There are a lot of negative reviews on here, but they seem to be from several months ago. Give it another try, people! I went for the second time last night with 3 other people. It was a Saturday night and Restaurant Week at 7:00pm, so we waited an hour for a table. I expect this, so no big deal. With good company and great beer, the time flew by. Our food was delicious and arrived at our table in a proper amount of time even though the place was packed. My bf and I each got the restaurant week special for $20- appetizer (I got the pretzels, he got the meatballs), entree (I got margherita pizza, he got mahi mahi tacos), and dessert( bananas foster bread pudding for both). Excellent deal, and everything was super yummy. Our friends got burgers that they loved, and we shared the duck fat fries with cheese curds and gravy (OMG--get these!!). Unnecessary amount of fatty food, but totally worth it. The beer selection is overwhelming...ly awesome! Our waiter made great selections, and we noticed he was a Chiver (KCCO!)..but I can't remember his name. Yes, the beer is overpriced compared to other places, but I think you're also paying to have such an available selection. We really didn't think the prices were enough to deter us from drinking there again. Overall, a great night with excellent service, beer, and food!

    (4)

  • Johnny J.

    Two times I've enjoyed a meal and a few beers here. Excellent food options and so many beers. Jake behind the bar is great, super guy. Come check it out! They have specials. The pizza is great! I have also enjoyed the meat and cheeses plate and oysters; don't judge me. I like this place because they are bringing a big city feel to the area.

    (5)

  • Laura G.

    Really wonderful beer selection. Worth the prices. The staff won't kiss your ass, but they are responsive and accommodating. This is the style of service I prefer. The food is creative, well executed and high in quality. On a moderately busy night the food and drinks came out with out a hitch. The manager was very understanding of our spur of the moment birthday party of 5. He held on to our presents and cake until desert. That's when our lovely waitress, Lindsay(?) brought out the cake candles-a-blazing. There was no plate charge. I was really impressed. Thanks guys

    (5)

  • Andrea S.

    Very crowded, waited over 30 minutes after time given we would be seated. Service was great at the bar, but below mediocre at our table. Food was cold and sloppily prepared. Our waitress never checked back to see how our food was. Had to ask for silverware, napkins, salt, pepper, etcetera. Slow & painfully miserable experience. Expensive & overrated. Don't waste your time!!

    (1)

  • Marie T.

    Tried this place out for the first time the other night and had no complaints. Can't go wrong with the beer selection considering there's 100 beers on tap. The food menu had a variety of good things to choose from. We ordered Calamari, the Margherita pizza, the cheese and meat platter (or whatever it's called), and fries topped with some kind of pork BBQ or something. Though not the best I've ever had, everything still tasted very good. Our waitress was great- very knowledgable and attentive- wish I could remember her name. We also received great service from the food runners. I will definitely be back to pay a visit and can't wait to try more beers on the list !

    (5)

  • Diana B.

    I usually don't write reviews, but I had to share the exceptionally bad time that I experienced a couple of days ago. It's sad because my friend and I were excited to go for her birthday, and I've been there before with no issues. However, this time was different. Like I mentioned before, it was my friend's birthday. We had planned to go to several places in downtown, but decided to stop at the Federal Taphouse first to meet up with some of her other friends. We went over to the desk to ask to be sat. She said there wasn't anything available. We asked when something might be available, she said to be honest, she didn't know, it was trivia night. She said to find a place if we can find something. Now, I understand she might've meant at the bar, but when my friend and I went, there were no seats. There were, however, several open tables. Not just one, several. None of them said reserved or anything, so figuring she had made a mistake, understandable, it happens, we sat down. We asked a waitress if she could get us a menu, and if we could possibly get a server. We were polite, we were patient, we didn't think that was an incredible request. Apparently, it was. Instead of getting service, what we get is a manager that comes up. Instead of being polite and professional, as one in the service industry should be (and I would know, I work in the service industry), he came up with a bad attitude off the start and rudely grilled us with questions. Why are you sitting here? Who sat you here? When we said that one of the girls said to find what was available, he rushed to go find the girl. When he came back, his attitude got worse, and he told us neither of the hostesses had said that, and that we can't sit there. His reasoning was that he wants us to wait "so we can get better service," instead of sitting and waiting patiently to be served. I said, "so you'd rather us wait over an hour to be sat, than for us to sit patiently and wait for someone to serve us, so we can get "better service"? He responded yes, and I was actually the only one that managed to get out enough for a sentence, because he cut my friend (birthday girl) off and clearly did not want to hear else anything we had to say. With the terrible attitude finally completely out, he said "you can argue with me all night but you're not sitting here!" Mind you, I had not yelled, I had not raised my voice, none of us had. We had politely asked the question, and my friend was trying to be polite even though he kept on yelling and being rude to us. So, we left. We're not paying to be treated like crap. It's sad because I've been there before and told my friend it was a good place. I was SO embarrassed to have recommended it. Thankfully, we had a good rest of the night. But definitely no thanks to the Federal Taphouse.

    (1)

  • Bryan B.

    Stopped in with friend for drinks a few times and was unimpressed. The bartenders were unattentive and rude. The appetizers were marginal at best and cold. The place seems disorganized and poorly run. I've been to the Harrisburg location and thought it was great. Won't be back!

    (1)

  • Aaron D.

    fantastic beer selection with great staff. The wood fired pizza is excellent as are the wings. This is a fun place to spend time with friends, try many new beers and enjoy being downtown. Like the Harrisburg location, but love Lancaster!

    (4)

  • Kim P.

    I will never, ever eat or drink here again. Not only was the beet salad I ordered small and overpriced, it was terrible. I was with a party of 12 or so, and the waitress handled it very very well. That was the only redeeming part of my night. When we got our $200 tab, the management was unwilling to separate the ticket for us. I got to spend 30 minutes separating everyone's bill by hand, and I still had to pay the difference so that I didn't have to spend additional time splitting hairs with tax. The clencher to my evening was when I asked to see the manager, I explained how I felt this was unfair, and he had me removed by an actual bouncer for "cussing him out." I had had two beers and was with a group of people... It was ridiculous. I have never been treated like that in public in my life. I will never. Ever. Go there again.

    (1)

  • Broc V.

    Pizza was pretty decent... After a mishap with our server, the owner was super awesome in clearing things up for us and going the extra mile to make sure he did right by us.

    (4)

  • Trevor S.

    100 beers on tap. Good food and drink specials Monday-Wednesday. I've waited a good amount of time for a drink numerous times. The staff have always been very friendly and accommodating. The pizza is great and so are the fries. I cannot speak to the other menu items which I have not tried. Swanky joint with some good looking patrons. Check it out.

    (4)

  • William W.

    While I can't hate a place that has 100 beers on draft I was far from impressed by this place. A great way to see a places true colors is to order just before the kitchen closes. I did this last night and received a nearly inedible pizza. Too add to my frustration, I looked at my bank account today to find three different charges pending on my card from this place. Do not eat here.

    (1)

  • Matthew B.

    A solid disappointment, beer as far as the eye can see, but I can't drink that much. It was my birthday and was looking forward to Duck Fat Fries, but no duck fat flavor so in the end they were just fries...for too much money. I had the truffle pizza. I love truffles, I love pizza, but it had as much flavor as a shoe box. I had high hopes, but it was noisy, SLOW, tasteless, and expensive. PASS!

    (1)

  • Joe L.

    Service was very slow. They have a lot of beers, but the staff isn't properly trained. What got me was the average price for a draft beer is over $6. The food was also overpriced for what you got. Not a lot of flavor in my salad or the chicken. Lancaster has too many places like this already, Bathroom was actually upstairs in the parking garage area? I would try one of the other bars featuring craft beers.

    (2)

  • Hope K.

    Make your money now folks because with the service we had tonight, you'll need it to pay your bankruptcy lawyer! Sat at the bar and had to wave down a waitress to serve us after 12 minutes of waiting! What??? Finally got our drinks then our waiter goes out for a smoke break, nice breath buddy. I had the chop salad, the watermelon radish was a nice touch. Good salad, nice size. Hubby had the burger, bun was good, burger had no flavor. Fries were good. Check was prompt (of course). $50 for burger, salad, 2 Rieslings and 2 beers. Not too bad but I think I'll go elsewhere next time. Fyi, Bathrooms upstairs via elevator or stairs. Can we get a hook on the stall doors for our purses please. Oh yeah, check the center stall, I just used the last of the TP, sorry ladies. Finally, they don't validate, figures.

    (2)

  • April B.

    Great beer selection and terrific wait staff. Had the crab Mac and cheese which was Delish..hubby had a burger and said it was the juiciest one he ever had. I had the arugula salad which was yummy. Would def go back when I'm in the area again

    (5)

  • Bob B.

    No response from manager as of 09/19/2013 I read your post about slamming you on review sites so I thought I would share this privately. My first visit was with my sister for a long awaited visit to the Taphouse. My beer was great, i have to say the pizza was a disappointment, we had a meatball pizza that had very little cheese, honestly I would have preferred a pizza from Metro. never been disappointed with them. Last night 09/06/2013 my wife and I thought to give the Tap house another try, my raspberry beer was delicious, but $7.50 for the small 12oz serving, sorry, not a do over. This time we ordered wings, flavor was good, but really, whole wings? we found them extremely messy and difficult to eat without getting sauce on us. I'm sorry to say this will likely be our last visit. My wife wanted to go to Marion Court and I think I should have listened. Our server, Amber, she made the evening, pleasant and happy, please pass on to her she did a great job.

    (2)

  • Samantha G.

    The Federal Taphouse hasn't been open for even half a year yet, and it is already one of the most (if not THE most) bustling place to be on the weekends in Lancaster. Well I mean, with one hundred beers on tap-- how could it not be? Regardless of how busy, however, it is still possible to be served a drink in a timely matter... getting a table is another story. I went one time in the afternoon (when it was only slightly busy) and sat at the bar. The bar tender, or maybe better to call him a bar genius, was fully equipped to answer any of my questions about the 100 beers they have on tap. He let me try 2 or 3 IPAs before making my choice, and was very helpful with informing me all about the ingredients, flavors, and origins of the beer. The space is very large and open, which makes for a nice atmosphere, especially when they are packed. The upstairs cocktail bar is not finished yet, but I can't wait to check that out too! Recommend: #11. Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, San Diego, CA, ABV 7.0%, 16oz, $7 One of the best IPAs on the market today, light and aromatic with a great balance and good hop kick. Glitch: Don't even try to come here without a reservation on the weekend, unless of course you don't mind having two, three, four... drinks at the bar before being seated.

    (4)

  • Joe D.

    The Federal Taphouse is, at the time of writing this review, new. With that comes a certain leniency that I will give. Overall, it is totally worth checking out. It may not be the best place to be on a Saturday night for a while, but some of the naysayers have it wrong. I am not going to review the Saturday night bar experience in detail. It was super packed. Go to any restaurant or bar, old or new, that has a crowd like that, and you can expect similar issues. I will say that the staff did seem a bit rusty, either out of practice, or lacking it entirely. I think staffing issues will work themselves out over time. Many new places go through some hire/fire periods. For now, based on the circumstances, my Saturday at the bar was good. Sunday I had an even better experience. I went for dinner at about 6 PM or so. We were seated immediately. Beers came shortly thereafter. The menu had some top tier pricing on it. I was initially concerned. Federal Taphouse is priced with the top Lancaster establishments. Almost every appetizer option was above $10. Items went up from there. This isn't necessarily scary, but with those prices come certain expectations that must be met. I had a hiccup. I ordered charcuterie, wings, and a pizza. What order would you expect those items to be delivered to the table if it wasn't discussed? Right, so the pizza came almost immediately. The timing is off. I think that can be fixed when there is more cohesion on the team. Wait staff will start to ask about the timing of food delivery and discuss it with patrons and the kitchen. I hope anyway. They totally fixed it for me though. No questions asked! The food came in what most people would consider a reasonable order and all was great! The charcuterie was good. There was a nice mix of meats, cheeses, and accompaniments. The wings were different. At first I thought they may have been done different just for the sake of being different. However, after eating them I was quite impressed. It worked! The pizza, once it arrived as the main course, did not disappoint. In all actuality, I have struggled to find good pizza in the city. Sure, this is not your standard delivery fare, but very good in its category. Yes, this review is super optimistic. Is it too lenient? I don't think it is. Is it overly optimistic? Again, I don't think so. I go to established restaurants all the time. I have seen them struggle with crowds. I have seen established places get things wrong. There are many places that don't have the makings of a great goto spot. I really see the potential in this place and it is definitely worth trying out. Don't just try it once. Go a few times to make sure your interpretation of it is accurate. Don't only go on a Saturday night. Over the next month, go 2 or 3 times and go at least one time on what would be considered an "off day" or "off hour." When things settle down, that would be a good bellwether. I have been twice and will certainly go back. I hope I get to update this review to 5 stars eventually.

    (4)

  • Gretchen B.

    Been here 3 times now. The fun of it all is trying new beers based on style and description. If you want Bud lite prices go get a bud somewhere else - you're right this isn't the place for you. All the food we've had here has been great - tried something different every time.

    (4)

  • Ava T.

    I recently went here very excited to eat, and was sadly mistaken. The service took very long and when we finally got our food it was just "okay". It was also overpriced considering the quality of the food.

    (2)

  • gale h.

    Good: A bit loud for a nominally hard of hearing friend, conversation was possible. Phillies were on and we could see without obstruction from our table. Plenty of room at the bar and tables, moderately busy, unlike opening Tuesday when there were no available seats :) Great staff, we saw multiple servers. That said, my water was never refilled (empty for 1.5 hours), maybe if its over 90 degrees out that could be a priority for the team of waiters who all overlooked it. It was not that busy, customer service was good but this seems like one of the first bases to cover during staff orientation. I was impressed with several other aspects of service, it was fine, I could've opened my yapper but staff tended to barrage us with verbiage and then quickly turn away so a yell would've been required. Beer was great (Rogue Pilsner, no. 42). Also 3 other drinks were good too. ~$7 glass. It's contiguous with the parking garage. House made soft pretzel is very good, beer sauce great and wasabi sauce perfect complements. Burger is good and not greasy, bun is average, this could go to great if they'd use the soft-pretzels as buns or at least the dough, oh and must we request catsup for a burger, really? At least ask if it's wanted... They kindly added figs which were an ingredient on another pie to our Chicken BBQ pizza, the figs were not fresh as I'd hoped (dried) and the pizza was average to bland, it was better left over and cold out of the fridge at home, not sure why, maybe flavors could develop, actually tasted the sauce then. Would recommend for location/change of pace. The Fridge beats the pants off this place, exceeding the quality and crushing the prices. FYI, I have no horse in this race. That said I'd go back, maybe soon. Also, Hunger and Thirst is a place that may bear checking out, I've heard good things but the reviews seem mixed. 3 of us spent $79 the pizza, burger and soft pretzel and 4 beverages. I'm thinking you could do better at the Fridge for $45 (I've been there 3-4x).

    (3)

  • J K.

    Great beer selection BUT better step up their game. Went there today for some beer and pizza sat at bar. 10 minutes no beer not even ackowledged too busy chatting withothers. Decided to leave and head to annie baileys. On the way out the group at the host booth says tjank you for stopping have a great day. Lol too funny!

    (1)

  • Brittany P.

    I really wanted to like this place. 100 beers on tap and right in the heart of Lancaster. Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed. The food was tasteless and so expensive that even if it were good it would be hard to make it a regular dining spot for most people. $68 for 2 dinners and 2 beers is hard to swallow. The wood fired pizza crust was so overdone we couldn't even chew it and the salad that we paid $5 extra for chicken on it had 3 pieces of chicken and no taste. The beer is definitely the best part. Its unfortunate that everything else is overpriced and tasteless though.

    (2)

  • Nicole L.

    I really wanted to like this place. I am a supporter of new business in Lancaster especially progressive restaurants. Unfortunately, our experience was less than positive and we will probably not be back. They do have a huge beer list so if you are a beer lover you will be in heaven. The food is lack luster. We had the lamb sliders which was ok but the fried pickles that came with it were gross. We also had the pork belly which was very salty and not very good. ( I have had good pork belly and this was not it) to top it off there was something gross in the arugula salad that came with it. Not sure what it was it looked like some kind of shredded pork I hope, but it was not appetizing. We had the Poutine which was average. Duck fat fries can be heavenly when done correctly but they do not seem to be cooked right. They were crunchy and lacked flavor. I will say that the view from our table was nice we watched the sunset, and our waitress was very nice and helpful.

    (2)

  • Jim G.

    We've been here twice and liked it both times. The beer list divides the beers by style and the ABV of each beer is included. We've had the roasted beet salad, pizza, and the roast pork sandwich with broccoli rabe. The food was good. Not excellent, but good. I 'll mention that when I ordered the pork sandwich the bartender asked me if I wanted any sauce with it because "sometimes it comes out a little dry". I was a bit confused because the pork should be resting in Au Jus so it won't get dry. I asked him what sauces they have and he said, "We have barbecue.". Really? Barbecue sauce on a roast pork sandwich with broccoli rabe? I declined the offer of sauce and took my chances. The sandwich turned out to be good and I would order it again. It was more dry than others I've had but not too dry. In summary, the staff is friendly, the food is good, and the beer list is fantastic. We'll be back.

    (4)

  • Zoey M.

    Prices on drafts are too high for many of the selections. $8 for a Sculpin? Nah. There are many signs that point to the fact that the staff and owners have no idea about craft beer. And the actual bar has no idea what it wants to be. Coffee house, Vegas carpet gone bad, snobby restaurant? There are many other places in Lancaster that employ staff with knowledge about what they are serving. And don't tell me 100 beers is too many to keep track of. There are plenty of people out there that are capable. Next time hire people in the actual field. Anybody can throw 100 beers on tap. Now decide if you want to be amateur hour or a solid craft beer bar.

    (2)

  • Lisa E.

    Food devoid of flavor. Pizza had no cheese, no plates or salt and pepper. Chicken skewer dish arid with no flavor. What a waste of prime space. We were looking forward to going there, better off getting a pizza from Dominos and sitting outside a beer distributor with 100 beers. So many better choices in Lancaster to enjoy your one night out.

    (1)

  • Kelly L.

    So, the beer selection is amazing! The food was so-so.. Crab mac and cheese was DELISH, definitely recommend it with a nice stout! Turkey meatloaf sandwich was not very good.. Mashed potatoes were bland. French fries were very good, aeoli is forgettable. The roasted mushroom pizza was good, just would have liked parm cheese maybe on top, needed a little something extra! Service wasn't very good, we came in around 4pm before the dinner rush with 2 kids after walking in the freezing cold and there was a group of about 6-7 people who worked there at the front just standing and talking to each other.. We stood there waiting to be seated in an empty restaurant for atleast 5 mins.. There was no reason not to seat us and greet us right away. The waitress was nice and brought markers for our toddler, but she didn't have a clue what beers to recommend for the food we ordered so she had to go ask the chef, we felt like she should have been more educated on what to offer patrons especially with such a HUGE list to choose from. Overall it was a good time, just a few things rubbed us the wrong way considering we were the only people there in the dining area.

    (2)

  • Ed I.

    Early dinner on a Saturday night, Labor Day weekend. Seated promptly. Place maybe 80% full. Hostess, waitress and bus staff all friendly. Great beer selection. We were pleasantly surprised by the food after reading some of the reviews. Chop salad with chicken and the appetizers were terrific. Crab cake sandwich was fair. Homemade chips excellent. As far as complaints about pricing. It's 2013 and no matter what you think prices are going up! The day of a few appies, entrees and drinks for $45 is over (unless your going chain of course). Good addition to Lancaster. Hope they address some of the concerns issued here. We will definitely return.

    (4)

  • Mike P.

    loud and a bit pricey...not a place i'd go regularly duck confit pizza was too salty and didn't have enough duck, but still tasty duck fat fries were nothing special

    (3)

  • Russell F.

    Long story short, $17.50 for two four ounce beers. You read that right. Big selection, mostly nice staff, it's a big, somewhat loud place but generally nice. Were the two beers we ordered worth $17.50? Well, not when I could order them in any number of other places for maybe ten bucks. So I pay an extra $7.50 for what? Not the ambience. Not the location. Something. If it weren't for the stupid pricing, I'd go back to the Federal Taphouse but since I don't have money to just burn like that, I'll drink elsewhere. I suspect most of you will as well.

    (2)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:30 am - 2:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch
    Parking : Garage
    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, Fri, Sat
    Coat Check : Yes
    Smoking : No
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : Free
    Has TV : Yes
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Federal Taphouse

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