Batdorf Restaurant

Batdorf RestaurantBatdorf Restaurant
Batdorf RestaurantBatdorf Restaurant
Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

245 W Main St
Annville, Pennsylvania, 17003-1326
United States

(717) 867-0113 | map
batdorfrestaurant.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.92
Reviews:
10
Ratings:
19
pDev:
13.01%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of bl00
Reviewed by bl00 from Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +6.6%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Batdorf is the pub that Rotunda operates out of. Located around 15 minutes outside of Hershey. Parking is decent, small lot and street. Inside is a more UK style pub setting, while outside there is a tiki style bar and table seating. Beer and food are both top notch, which excellent deals on crowlers to go. Food is solid, a mix of typical bar food and mexican style dishes. Sauces and salsas are very good, I highly recommend them. Service has been spotty. First visit the server was in no hurry to help us. Second visit the server was not knowledgable on the beer at all, though was quite polite and friendly. I won't hesitate to return based on quality of food and beer.
Sep 17, 2018
 
Rated: 4.11 by JNForsyth from Pennsylvania

May 29, 2015
 
Rated: 3.91 by Afroman from Arizona

Apr 21, 2015
 
Rated: 3.76 by mpr5083

Oct 15, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by alcohline_trip from Pennsylvania

Oct 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by BeerCon5 from Pennsylvania

Sep 23, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by stakem from Pennsylvania

Jul 11, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by orangesol from Pennsylvania

Jul 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by dth4lf from Pennsylvania

Dec 07, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by GeoffreyM from Pennsylvania

Oct 21, 2013
Photo of jorg2619
Reviewed by jorg2619 from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I had been to the old Batdorf one time at its older location and a couple of times now at its new larger spread. I would have to say that overall It is a great place to eat and get good drafts. They advertise that they have 30 beers on tap. Of those 30 about 10 are macro brews and common imports. The other 20 tend to be good to rare craft beers. The atmosphere is good. You can be extra social in one of the two bar areas, or dine in one of the two more intimate small dining rooms on the first floor. Private parties can also be booked for upstairs though I have never been. The quality is good but not great the servers are not the most knowledgeable, and the beer menu is always wrong... look on the main wall for what is on tap. The selection is totally random, but I have always found at least two beers that I had to have while there. I have also been impressed with the rarity of some of the drafts. The food is good, I have had mostly sandwiches and apps but the entrees look good and I am going back for my birthday. The value was good I think that the selection is way random but it works for having a good time and ticking some new beers.
Jan 10, 2011
Photo of pecokid
Reviewed by pecokid from Pennsylvania

2.1/5  rDev -46.4%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3 | service: 1 | selection: 2 | food: 2.5
I went there for a rare night out. The first two beers I tried to order were on the menu but no longer avialable. The waitress had a slip of paper with the "current" draft list. However even a few of those were crossed off. This place advertises that it has the best beer selection in the area. It might if the draft list was actually what they have. Brass Rail far out shines this place. That speaks to selection. Now to atmosphere, average. This place is a bar thats tries to be a nice restuarant and has acomplished this to a limited extent. Service: not having my first two beer choices set me off so there was little a beer novice waitress was going to do that could make amends. I wanted to leave ASAP so I could go home where I know I could find good beer but had to go track down someone to get my bill. The lamb taco's were meaty enough but dry. Value: reasonable for what they were actually able to serve.
Jul 12, 2010
Photo of Slatetank
Reviewed by Slatetank from Pennsylvania

4.16/5  rDev +6.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
I stopped in at the Batdorf Restaurant and Lounge after work and had a pint. The place was not very busy for a Friday with only 4 people seated at the bar and a few more at tables.

The atmosphere is rustic and 'saloon-like' with a piano player making lively bar music and the bar area is comfortable and casual w/ a marble topped bar and plenty of decorations like a moosehead and metal frog playing guitar to look at. There are tap handles above the bar and a listing of every tap directly behind you when you are sitting at the bar. They have many breweriana items like a Samuel Adams barrel in the corner and Sierra Nevada plaque over the doorway by the piano. It strikes me as a neighborhood bar w/ people saying hello to each other and friendly banter about the Phillies and Mets as the game was being watched on a couple tv's.

The quality was very high, I was able to smell the mint being muddled w/ lime in a mojito as it was made by the bartender. The IPA I had tasted fresh and the place was relaxing to me as I enjoyed my ale.

I found the selection to be very good w/ 30 beers on tap, DFH, Stone, Rogue, Leinenkugel, Lancaster Brewing Company, Flying Fish, Victory Golden Monkey, Philadelphia Brewing's Newbold IPA and Delerium Tremens on tap just to name a few.
They had about 5 wheats including Sam Adams summer and Shock top but also had locals like Stoudt's Porter and Irish choices like Guinness and Smithwicks for variety. The bottle selection is ok, but there are a few interesting options like Immort ale, St Bernardus, Brooklyn East India, Blue Point No apologies and Unibroue Ephemere for example

I didn't try any food, but the entrees and nachos looked appealing. I was served in a polite and friendly way and the beer was given to me with a head, not filled to the brim which I appreciate. I consider the value to be good and I could picture myself stopping in for a pint again.
Jul 11, 2009
Photo of akorsak
Reviewed by akorsak from Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -3.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Visited on a cool December night.

Atmosphere: We ate in the Tiki Pub in the back. Up front, a bar and nice dining area greats you. The bar is metallic and unoriginal, although it is pretty sizeable.

Quality: Service, cleanliness and food were all up to par.

Service: Service was fast, taking drink orders and meals promptly.

Selection: A sizeable tap and bottle list was a welcome surprise. From the tap list (available online), I went with Moonglow and Flying Fish's Grand Cru. My wife went with Bell's Winter. All were good, although each arrived without any type of head, no foam, no carbonation, no nothing.

Food: Pub grub up to entrees, the menu runs the gamut. I enjoyed my grinder enough.
Dec 19, 2008
Photo of BeerIsland
Reviewed by BeerIsland from Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +12.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I finally got to a very revitalized looking Annville with a couple buddies and we all had a very pleasant time. We had Beamish, Arrogant B, Merry Monks, Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, Liberator Doppel, and a taste of Alexander Keith's lager. Lou Rotunda, one of the 3 brothers that own the Batdorf, was very gracious and took some time to talk to us. It seems that the beers rotate a bit and I would say they all tasted great and were reasonably priced. We only had a little snack during an, unfortunately, too brief a session. I highly recommend!
May 06, 2008
Photo of HugoGrim
Reviewed by HugoGrim from Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +9.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
I've visited the Batdorf countless times in recent years. In terms of local establishments serving good food with a nice variety of craft beer it's top of the heap around here really. Recently the Batdorf has moved from a smaller location just down the street to a much larger place which has turned out to be a great move. Parking can be a pain on a Friday or Saturday night, be warned.

Basically what you've got here is a standard American pub with a Southwest twist. Menu is just a touch higher class than your average place, though by no means overly so. A complement of Mexican entrees as well as sandwiches coming with chips and homemade salsa form the southwest element I mentioned. The "back" bar as I suppose I'll refer to it, is in what is essentially a large garage with the surrounding glass walls able to retract up creating an open air setting for warmer weather.

The service is slightly better than average. Not exceptionable, but nothing that would detract from the experience either. In my experience the bar tenders have a serviceable knowledge of the beer they serve, Belgians served in a proper glass more often than not. The wait staff does try their best to keep a working list of options, but I'd recommend a trip to the bar prior to your meal so you can decide what you want as not to be at the mercy of your server's memory. The best advice I can provide in terms of the service is try your best not to sit upstairs, as it will make your service quite slower.

I'm scoring selection a 5 taking into consideration where the Batdorf is located. Sure there are countless places with vastly superior beer selection, but none of them are anywhere near this area, so the place really stands out. Since moving to the new location they now have two bars with more than double the number of taps, which I would estimate is now at approx 25. With this increase in selection also comes an increase in variety and quality. Victory, Troegs, Stone, Unibroue, Stoudt's, Ommegang, and Rogue come immediately to mind as a few brewers I can remember ordering on tap. Every time I visit there are new tap options including many seasonals. The bottle selection is also quite respectable. Last time I was there I noticed seven different varieties of Unibroue 750 ml bottles for example.

The food is quite good. I can recommend the burgers as well as seafood options like the shark or seared tuna sandwiches. I have yet to try any of the Mexcian options.
Apr 19, 2008
Photo of tgbljb
Reviewed by tgbljb from Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -3.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
Stopped at the establishment early on a Friday afternoon with my wife for lunch. We were promptly seated, but there was a long delay before our waitress arrived. She apologized and told us that no one had let her know we were there.
When she presented us with our menus she asked for our drink order before we even had a chance to look at what was available. When she returned for our drink order, she also wanted to take our food order but I was afraid if I did, the food would arrive before the beer. The beer selection was good, but not great. The food was very good, served appropriately, and of good quantity.
As I said the beer selection was good, but not great. Is this place a destination to go to for their beer selection? Probably not. Is this a place to go to get a good reasonably priced meal, and enjoy some good beer with your meal? Yes it is.
Dec 20, 2007
Photo of Deuane
Reviewed by Deuane from Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +3.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
As you can see this place is overall a good location! I visited a few days back to meet up with a fellow BA for a chat. I do not venture to the Annville area often due to the traffic patterns on US 422 so visiting here was new to me.

Nice old building with two seperate bars, 54 taps total with 30 different beers. Lots of nooks and crannies with tables for more private eating experiences. A very nice place for sure.

The quality and selection of beer was good. A few of the bottles surprised me, Founder's Breakfast, Lagunitas Brown Shugga and a few others....the taps while plentiful....are nothing out of this world...but solid. I was happy to see Rogue's Santa and North Coast Old Rasputin, of which I had one of each.

My service by the barkeep in the Tiki Bar area was attentive but not annoying. He always asked us for beer refills quickly and kept my water glass filled.

I liked the menu very much and plan to go back with the wife for another dining experience. I especially enjoyed the "Latino" section and opted for the Torta de Pollo (Chicken Sandwich) and homemade tortilla chips with homemade salsa verde...hmmmm.

Overall a much needed addition to the beer culture for the area...which despite being so close to Hershey( which has none)..there wasnt much of a place between Harrisburg and the Lancaster area to think about. I will also have to stroll down the street and check out the Corvette Bar too....WOW...Annville as a beer stop....crazy!
Dec 05, 2007
Photo of ffejherb
Reviewed by ffejherb from Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +1.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
EDIT - 1/24/08:
Changed selection score from 3 to 4. The Batdorf seriously overhauled their tap selection! I was just in last night, and they replaced a lot of the common craft selections with stuff like Bells Two Hearted, Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot, Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye, Three Philosophers, and more. Great job!

Finally, Annville, PA makes the BeerFly guide! My wife, a friend and I visited The Batdorf over opening weekend on 11/19/07. They recently moved from their old location a few blocks down on Main Street. The new location boasts more square footage, a much larger lounge/bar area, and a really cool Tiki Bar in the back that is enclosed and open year round. There's lots of parking in the back, thought it was completely packed.

We sat at the bar in the lounge area, since we were just visiting to check things out and have a few beers. The lounge, decorated in a western motif, was dimly lit with high ceilings. The bar itself is an interesting "R" shape (if you can imagine) and seated perhaps 20-24. Several high bar tables offered additional seating in the lounge area. There is also a brick fireplace toward the back center of the lounge that provided a cozy atmosphere. The lounge is non-smoking, which is nice. The music was at a good level and in the background, where it should be for this type of establishment.

Beers were served in standard pint glasses (not frosted or chilled, which was nice). I ordered a Sam Adams Winter Lager, which was fresh and served at an appropriate temperature. My wife got a Hoegaarden in the standard Hoegaarden glass, but she said it was way too cold.

Three bartenders on staff were very attentive and friendly, even though they were quite busy. They also seemed fairly knowledgeable about the selection of beers.

Now on to the selection. I heard through the grapevine from a few people that the new Batdorf was going to be a beer destination with tons of taps and an amazing selection. While they do have 24 taps in the main lounge and the same 24 plus six additional taps in the Tiki Bar, I defiitely felt let down by the selection. They have a very import-heavy selection on draught, including the basics (Guinness, Bass, Harp, Fuller's ESB, Hoegaarden, Franzi, Lindemans Fromboise Lambic, Dos Equis, etc.) as well as Labatt, Moosehead and Amstel Light. There were only a handful of craft brews, and most were pretty standard, including Sea Dog Blueberry Wheat, Rogue Santa's Private Stock (surprise), North Coast Old Rasputin, Troegs Mad Elf, and Sam Adams Lager, Ale and Winter Lager. In the Tiki Bar, they supplemented this selection with ABC Water Gap Wheat, Troegs Hopback, Victory Hopdevil, Magic Hat #9 and Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, plus one other I forget. Some good beers for sure, but nothing really out of the ordinary, except for the Rogue and North Coast selections. They round out their tap selection with Coors Light, Miller Lite and Yuengling Lager. Their bottle selection seems a bit more extensive, boasting 200 different micros, imports and macros. Unfortunately, they didn't have a full bottle menu, and the coolers were hard to see, as they were situated under the bar area. But I did see the following: DFH 60min. and 120min., Lagunitas, Troegs, Chimay, various lambics, Sam Adams, Lancaster, Sea Dog, Brooklyn, Sam Smith, and Magic Hat, among some others.

Overall, it is surely the best selection around the Annville-Cleona-Palmyra-Hershey area, but it isn't really a beer destination. If you are passing through or live within a 15-mile radius, it is definitely worth a stop. It's a nice, clean establishment, and $3.00 for a Sam Adams pint is good by me!
Nov 26, 2007
Batdorf Restaurant in Annville, PA
Place rating: 3.92 out of 5 with 19 ratings