Gettysburg PA area

The wife and I will be there over the Labor day weekend. Does anyone have any favorites (or non-favorites) in that area?
Thanks,
Bill

  Wow,this question has been coming up at least once a year for the last 7 years.Well,I will note as always that I like Tommy's Pizza on Steinwehr Ave across from the battlefield.One thing is different,I always used to go to the Gingerbread Man about a block down from there but I noticed that it has changed its name.Dont know if it changed ownership or menu but a Google search could probably tell you.
  So there ya go!Lets do it again next summer!

For a wonderful meal  and ambiance which is so special, I will say again that The Dobbin House is the place to go.  This very historical building  has a tavern down stairs  and  the more formal dining is on mail floor and upstairs (casual dress).  The  French onion soup is the best,  and  in the dining room   you cannot do better than to order  the  avocado Louis.  The prime rib and the duck are outstanding. 

You can take a look at where they hid the slaves.  This is an outstanding Gettysburg experience.

Dobbin House Tavern

If I am ever in Gettysburg, This would be my #1 food destination.
 
http://chubbysbbq.com/

I am curious, I think of Chubbys as well when anyone asks about Gettysburg. What is the approximate distance and driving time from Tom's place to the battlefield??

mayor al


I am curious, I think of Chubbys as well when anyone asks about Gettysburg. What is the approximate distance and driving time from Tom's place to the battlefield??

It is only about 10 or 12 miles.

It's about 12 miles and takes about 15 minutes to make the trip. A very easy drive.

Thanks Tony, I would certainly think that it would be a good recommendation for a "Gettysburg area" food stop, unless the visitor was coming from the NE and wanting to return that same direction.

Chubby's is a good suggestion. PP, Ava and I stopped there yesterday as we returned from Baltimore. About a 44 mile (round trip) side trip. The food was very good. Some of the best brisket I've ever had. All the sides were very good too.

Although I wouldn't think of it as a Gettysburg stop per se. I think some of the other suggestions are a better fit. Like Dobbin House.

MikeS.


Chubby's is a good suggestion. PP, Ava and I stopped there yesterday as we returned from Baltimore. About a 44 mile (round trip) side trip. The food was very good. Some of the best brisket I've ever had. All the sides were very good too.

Although I wouldn't think of it as a Gettysburg stop per se. I think some of the other suggestions are a better fit. Like Dobbin House.

Thanks one and all!!
Mike it was great to finally meet you and your family, glad you liked the grub, If any other Roadfooders come in, make sure you introduce yourselves.
Lots of Gettysburg visitors come to Chubby's but you certaintly can't go wrong with the Dobbin House, the Onion Soup is the best I've ever had!

From the baattlefields area, it is  just about 15 miles.  Chubby's is certainly the best Roadfood stop in the whole area.  The food is terrific and it is always hard to decide what to order.  I love the place but would not think that anyone spending the weekend at Gettysburg and touring the battlefields and going to the huge new visitor's center would really want to take the time to drive that far..

When I think of people  visiting Gettysburg,  I think of people who are going to want to spend time there, nd not driving very far for a meal.  However if you are going to or coming from Gettysbuarg on Rouate 15, you  will  be delighted with Chubbby's.

i worked in gettysburg all this summer, and my favorite place was hunt's cafe and battlefries... they have really good cheesesteaks and fries, and their other stuff is pretty good too... best of all though, the owners are incredibly nice and the place has a real road-foody atmosphere! 
the dobbin house is good as well but a little pricy, and i didn't particularly enjoy tommy's pizza, but other people love it

oh, and the gingerbread man's reincarnation as gettysburg eddie's was good too... big menu, nothing too special, but quality food and a nice atmosphere

Thanks Greymo!! Hope to see you soon!
I agree with Chainsaw on Hunt's cheesesteaks, really good, the place is small and easy to miss, it's right next to the Dobbin House, and the owners are really nice.
Momma Venturas, right off the square has good Italian food!
NEVER EVER, EVER, go to General Picketts buffet, maybe the worst food in the world, I kid you not!

  I always thought the Gingerbread Man places were what outfits like Applebees tried to model themselves after-a REAL "neighborhood bar and grill" where you always knew what to expect and the neighborhood part was important.The one in Carlisle was one of my favorite places in the whole state.
  Unfortunately Applebees took some kind of bizarre mutation wrong turn and ended up what it is today.But thats another story.

Thanks to all who chimed in. I did search the forums before I posted this, I was looking to see if there were any fresh opinions out there since my last visit to Gettysburg was about four years ago. One thing that we discovered then - the Pickett Buffet is indeed the pits. Had I known about this group then, I would have been spared that bit of indigestion. We tried the Pub on the square on that trip and it was pretty good, but from the (garish) looks of their menu, they have changed a lot. Other sites have them rated not-so-good so we'll try something different this trip.
Thanks again,
Bill

My favorite is the Cross Keys Diner out rte 30 (lincoln highway) about 10 miles east of gettysburg. http://www.crosskeysdiner.com/diner/

They make a great chicken pot pie.   They have other dinner items on the menu that have always been good and plentiful - but that pot pie is the default standard for me.   Fresh, flakey crust, piping hot insides and big, thick noodles.   Good stuff.

The decor is more 60s/70s diner vs. the old 50s chrome diner.  Its open kinda late (for the area) and is always clean.  We like to go antiquing in that area (new oxford/york) and make a point to eat there.   

chainsaw


i worked in gettysburg all this summer, and my favorite place was hunt's cafe and battlefries... they have really good cheesesteaks and fries, and their other stuff is pretty good too... best of all though, the owners are incredibly nice and the place has a real road-foody atmosphere! 
the dobbin house is good as well but a little pricy, and i didn't particularly enjoy tommy's pizza, but other people love it

Hunt's Cafe is a really cool place, we loved it when we visited last spring. Highly recommended if you want to stay in town rather than drive a few miles.

Still, it would be a shame to get so close to Chubby's and not make it there. I would almost think that a better option would be to add a day to the trip, see a bit more of Gettysburg and spend a few hours eating bbq.

Mosca

chainsaw


i worked in gettysburg all this summer, and my favorite place was hunt's cafe and battlefries... they have really good cheesesteaks and fries, and their other stuff is pretty good too... best of all though, the owners are incredibly nice and the place has a real road-foody atmosphere! 
the dobbin house is good as well but a little pricy, and i didn't particularly enjoy tommy's pizza, but other people love it

 
  

Hunt's Cafe is a really cool place, we loved it when we visited last spring. Highly recommended if you want to stay in town rather than drive a few miles.

Still, it would be a shame to get so close to Chubby's and not make it there. I would almost think that a better option would be to add a day to the trip, see a bit more of Gettysburg and spend a few hours eating bbq.

 
Great Idea!

We liked the Farnsworth House for a "period" type experience. A bit pricey but overall a great time. I had to laugh about the reference to Pickett's Buffet. I usually refuse to eat buffets but for some reason was coerced into going to this place. It truly was the worst meal I have ever had.

definitely spend as much time in gettysburg as possible... it's truly a remarkable place with so much history... i don't even feel like i scratched the surface exploring the town while working there the entire summer!

With all the great comments, it's a shame to pass on Chubby's but I never do 'Q joints when traveling, I have several smokers and have all the excellent 'Q I can eat at home, fine-tuned to our tastes. I'm looking at Hunt's, Gettyburg Eddie's (the old Gingerbread) and a toss-up between the Farnsworth House and Dobbin House.
Thanks again to all!
Bill

We love Dobbin House (make sure you do the Tavern on the lowest level) get the sweet bread w/ cream cheese, the French Onion soup and finish with the hot gingerbread. But also don't pass up the Appalachian Brewing Co, on 30W, right across from Seminary Ridge (next to R.E. Lee's headquarters) good beer and the foods not bad either.

Also in town just off the square is what I consider a Roadfood worthy place, Ernie's Texas Lunch. If you're there for breakfast try their fried egg sandwiches and of course their Texas style hot dogs.

Also try the subs at La Bella Italia, they make their own bread and its not your typical sub bread/french bread. Try the Italian, ask for it baked, and the giant is enough to feed two.

It's on 30 east of the square.

Beer&Snausages

Also in town just off the square is what I consider a Roadfood worthy place, Ernie's Texas Lunch. If you're there for breakfast try their fried egg sandwiches and of course their Texas style hot dogs.

hehehe.... had a weird memory from there.
 
My wife, kids and I rode the Gettysburg railroad just across the street and came over for a simple 'roadfood' lunch.   The stuff was great, hit the spot and was inexpensive, maybe $18 for the 4 of us. 
 
I went to pay and they don't take credit cards.  OK, outside to get some cash.  ATM across the street - denied.  ATM a block away, denied.  "But didn't I just get paid"?  I called my bank "well, yes, you have some money but you've withdrawn your $500 limit for the day..."
WHAAAATTTTT???
 
Two days before I had gotten the same message at an ATM and called the bank then "Have there been any weird transactions?" "no, looks OK..."
 
But now it mattered - I owed Ernie's $18 and didn't have it.  So I offered to wash some dishes, but they were gracious about it and let me go on a promise I'd pay them.
 
On the way home I finally spoke with someone at the bank that was willing to talk.  Someone in Romania had taken the ATM withdrawl limit from my account, $500, for the last 9 days running - cleaning out almost the whole account.   Don't know why the guy two days before didn't catch it - but about $5000 later we finally stopped it.
 
I got my money back and sent the nice folks at Ernie's a thank you, their money and a generous tip (or was it interest!?!?) 
 
There's more to a place than just the food.  After what happened I don't honestly (frankly? ;) ) remember the food that well, but certainly recommend the folks and the place overall. 

Beer&Snausages


Also try the subs at La Bella Italia, they make their own bread and its not your typical sub bread/french bread. Try the Italian, ask for it baked, and the giant is enough to feed two.

It's on 30 east of the square.

I second the motion!

Just got back from our trip. Hunt's was quite an experience. The fries are as good as any that I have eaten. They are fresh-cut from jacket-on potatos and fried perfectly. The spray bottle of malt vinegar on the table was the only necessary condiment. The cheesesteak was a little on the salty side but very tasty, with plenty of steak for the $$. This is a definite return spot for the next visit.
Gettysburg Eddie's, the old Gingerbread, was a bit of a disappointment. I had their dinner special, a chicken breast on a grilled portobello mushroom with ricotta cheese and a light fire-roasted tomato sauce. Flavor was very good but the chicken was bone-dry, appeared to have been pre-cooked and reheated. With a fresh-grilled piece of chicken, this would have been a superb entree. The wife had their Chicken Marsala, the sauce and pasta were perfect but again, dry chicken. We told our server, her only comment was 'I'll tell the kitchen'. No offer to make it right. I do not recommend this place. If they took that shortcut in preparation, they would likely shortcut other processes too.
Gettysburg is quite an experience, this was our second trip. The new Visitor Center is far better than the old one, better location/parking/exhibits.
Thanks to all for the recommendations!
Bill

i'm glad you enjoyed hunt's!  and the new visitors' center is amazing... gettysburg is such a hallowed place, and the park service does such a wonderful job teaching, preserving, and remembering the battle

My last reip to Gettysburg was several years ago, the day they imploded the old tower thingy. We went that day w/o knowing they were going to drop the tower.

Is that where the new visitors center is?

Some good food suggestions for my next trip there.

If you're coming N from Littlestown it's on the Baltimore Pike between Rte 15 (at the outlet center exit) and The Pike restaraunt before you get into town.

By the way, the new Visitor Center is actually owned, operated and run by the Gettysburg Foundation and doesn't transition over to the National Park Service control for a number of years.