Holy Hound Taproom

Holy Hound TaproomHoly Hound Taproom
Holy Hound TaproomHoly Hound Taproom
Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

57 W Market St
York, Pennsylvania, 17401-1233
United States

(717) 855-2410 | map
holyhoundtaproom.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.19
Reviews:
14
Ratings:
32
pDev:
7.88%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Burtonfree77:
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Rated by Burtonfree77 from Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

Feb 07, 2014
More User Ratings:
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Reviewed by Billolick from New York

4.24/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.25
Worthy spot for a visit if in or near to York Pa. Fine beer selection, better then decent food options available, we visited on trivia night and it was a lively, fun and friendly crowd.

Professional service, nice room with a large, long bar and multiple seating options including some outdoor space...always a plus.
Aug 15, 2019
 
Rated: 3.79 by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

Sep 09, 2018
Photo of Evan93
Reviewed by Evan93 from Pennsylvania

4.51/5  rDev +7.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.5
Great place. Really nice inside, always great beer selections. The owner does a great job of mixing up the varieties of beer on all of their taps, The food is really good as well.
Aug 17, 2018
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Reviewed by bl00 from Pennsylvania

4.39/5  rDev +4.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4
Great place to stop for drinks or a meal. Healthy variety of local and distant beers on tap, plus bottles. Food is tasty, order at bar service with quick, attentive service.
Jan 18, 2017
 
Rated: 4.14 by AMarkle6524 from Pennsylvania

Sep 18, 2016
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Reviewed by BrokenEdge from Pennsylvania

4.11/5  rDev -1.9%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.25
I haven't eaten here yet so I can't speak for their food. But I have been here for drinks a few times with friends. Good traditional bar atmosphere, with friendly customers and servers. They specialize in beer with some choices of scotch and bourbon, no mixed drinks available. I've had a few different beers here and they're always rotating, a lot of variety represented on their taplist and a lot of brand new beers (I had Pineapple Sculpin not long after I first saw it hit store shelves around here). Nice local bar that I recommend to friends.

Update: I have since eaten here many times and everything I've had has been outstanding. I've tried the chicken wings (crunchy on the outside and tasty BBQ sauce), the mac and cheese (very rich and decadent), their chips (comes with potato, sweet potato, and beet chips), and the cheese curds (to die for!). Friends have additionally tried the ice cream and sliders, which also have gotten rave reviews. The food is a little odd for "bar food" and is really classy. Expect things like red onion jam, kimchi, bechamel sauce, and other high end ingredients. Lots of vegetarian options too, and you can even request to have your burger made with venison or bison! Definitely recommended for someone who wants more adventurous bar food than just burgers and personal pizzas.
Feb 14, 2016
 
Rated: 3.33 by TimberSwanson from Pennsylvania

Oct 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.21 by JNForsyth from Pennsylvania

Sep 16, 2015
 
Rated: 4.86 by mandy_mic700 from Pennsylvania

Aug 08, 2015
 
Rated: 4.11 by dfhhead25 from Pennsylvania

Jul 17, 2015
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Reviewed by rld220 from Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -16.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4
Selection is very good if you are in the York, Pa area. We frequented on a Friday night in the midst of a a live band setting up to perform so it was filled to capacity with a younger crowd. Overall I give them a good score for a solid selection of good brews along with a healthy selection of seasonal rotating beers. I have only heard good reviews from the locals so I will not let my one experience impede me from returning.

This seems to be a good place for those seeking a more interactive night out. The bartenders are knowledgeable and very polite. Not my scene as a hermit but they have done a very good job with diversifying their selection and educating their staff.

Parking is a bit of a pain but once you find your way into the pub you will without a doubt find something to quench your thirst. I was overall very pleased with the selection and courteous staff. Looking forward to the next visit.
Jun 19, 2015
 
Rated: 4.48 by Ryften from Pennsylvania

Jun 07, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by Rizzy17 from Pennsylvania

May 01, 2015
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Rated by therealJAYZ from Pennsylvania

4.11/5  rDev -1.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 2
Great selection, one of the best taprooms in York if you're looking for something above average.
Jan 16, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by newbeeraday from Pennsylvania

Nov 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by bigred89 from Maryland

Aug 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by bret717 from Pennsylvania

Jul 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by samsbinky from Illinois

Jun 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by BeerForMuscle from New Jersey

Jun 06, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by BeerFreak

Feb 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by jaltland from Pennsylvania

Jan 14, 2014
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Reviewed by BMart from Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +2.6%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
Has a nice cozy, laid back environment. Service is excellent and the staff is knowledgable of what they are serving and at providing suggestions. Very nice and constantly rotating selection. Nice bottle selection of some limited releases and seasonals. Macro is available, but not advertised or displayed. They also serve wine from a couple of local wineries. Food is good, but has a limited menu with most items coming from vendors at the local market a block away. On the plus side, kitchen is always open. Good draft prices, usually being around $5 a pint. Bottle prices are in line with other shops in the area, which in York tends to be a little on the higher side. Overall this place is something this area has been waiting for. A great establishment that can provide something for everyone.
Nov 10, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by GeoffreyM from Pennsylvania

Oct 21, 2013
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Reviewed by britt27 from Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +6.9%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 3.75
The only place I truly enjoy going to in York, even though I know I will rack up a nice tab before I leave. I work at a beer store in York and I can say that the Hound often charges significantly less for the same singles with a much nicer atmosphere. As a vegetarian the food options aren't stellar but this is central PA and the mac-and-cheese is cheap and delicious. Overall, a wonderful place that I always enjoy.
Sep 30, 2013
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Reviewed by dbl_delta from Pennsylvania

3.99/5  rDev -4.8%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
Noisy when crowded. Although the owners have tried to suppress the echo, it's hard to hear yourself think (much less talk) when crowded. Live entertainment just exacerbates the acoustics problem.

BUT: The beer selection is outstanding, staff is friendly and knowledgeable, beer is fresh, food is OK (hey, I'm not there for the food), and it's great to have this kind of quality available in a small south-central PA city.

Although it's a bit pricey, you can sample a beer before springing for a full serving. All in all, well worth the price!
Sep 24, 2013
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Reviewed by ericamenouen from Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
Taproom with 30 taps of consistently rotating beers with a better and more unique draft selection than the majority of places in the Central PA area, even those with more taps. Staff is knowledgeable about tap selection, friendly and generally quick to provide service. Sampling a beer before buying is allowed, except for a few rare exceptions.

Atmosphere is open and inviting, however not the best acoustics when the room is filled with people - it gets very loud, especially when live music is being performed, which makes it hard to hold conversations.

Great place in Central PA to go with a few friends to try some more unique beers than your typical selection. Prices are decent for the quality of beer you are getting but maybe a dollar lower on most drafts would be a little more reasonable.
Jun 06, 2013
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Reviewed by mk66 from Pennsylvania

4.93/5  rDev +17.7%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Pure, beer! This place is a beer lover's paradise. 30 rotating taps. No liqueur. The service was excellent. They do not have a full menu, because this place is all about beer. However, the food they offer is great, it's fresh and tasty. They had live music the first night I was there, not great, but didn't force me out the door either.
Mar 02, 2013
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Reviewed by bad72amx from Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev -1.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 2.5
As a York resident, I am thrilled to see what the small area roughly around the ball field is becoming. Mudhook, Liquid Hero, and the White Rose have all rejuvenated this small area, and I hope more is to come. This summer, more did come, in the form of the Holy Hound Taproom. I have been twice now, and both times I was pleasantly surprised.

The selection of the 30 taps is interesting and widely varied. While many of the taps are more common craft beers, you will never see a macro and not likely to even see more than one Sam Adams and the like. It is nice to see beers from all over the country and the world, even some rare choices. There is always a Founders, Southern Tier, Dogfish, and other well known craft product on tap, as well as something from the locals like Liquid Hero, Troegs, and Victory, so you're sure to find something that pleases.

While there are always many Lager's and Ale's on tap, less common genres like high gravity barleywines and Wee Heavies, and Altbiers are well represented as well. I love the turnover; I was there Saturday, about 4 months after opening, and saw the 500th tap kicked (It was a Belgian Tripel, my mother ordered it.) Once a tap is kicked, it will be replaced by something different, and often something new to HH.

Another positive attribute is the glassware. The menuboard lists both glass type and price, and you can rest assured your beer will be poured properly into an appropriate vessel. Speaking of price, it isn't cheap, but considering there is nothing like HH in the area, it is very reasonable, and attracts a respectable crowd. It was busy during both of my extended stays, and is filled with young and old, usually well dressed, and rarely rambunctious. It is, however, already growing beyond its capacity, and can get very crowded during peak times. The place has a long bar, several tables, and barstools surrounding the perimeter, as well as a roped off area where drinking is allowed outside. A small stage area is set up off to the side for live bands, usually local and very good matches for the place. It is located in a restored former hotel, and is decorated with wood, earthen tones, and beer and music memorabilia.

Long story short, if you are near York and want a craft on tap, this is your place. Food selection is limited, so I suggest dinner at the White Rose up the street first.
Nov 14, 2012
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Reviewed by John_M from Washington

3.74/5  rDev -10.7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
Stopped by this past Sunday afternoon for lunch. Have been on the lookout for a viable substitute for Al's of Hampden (nothing against Al's, but it would be nice to find someplace a bit closer to my home in Baltimore), and while this probably isn't it, it's not bad.

Located in downtown York, the taproom is very near to the Mudhook brewery and central market (which is convenient). There's only street parking and nearby lots, but at least on a Sunday afternoon, I had no problem locating parking.

I'd be curious to know what this place was in it's past life. The place is fairly good size with high ceilings, but the fairly large dining room is pretty stark (neutral colors with minimal decorations presently), and the dining table layout just seems a bit awkward. I sat at the good size bar for a while (around 15 or 20 seats I would guess), and found the atmosphere here to be relaxed and informal. The taproom has three or four flat screen TV's, all turned to baseball games on this particular day (no complaints about that).

As for the beer selection, it's pretty good, though I wouldn't call it outstanding. The HH typically has 30 beers on tap, with the more interesting (to me) options including the Dupont saison, FBS, weihenstephaner weisse and Bell's two hearted. Unfortunately, the Springhouse Big Gruesome had just kicked prior to my arrival. The HH also has a few bottled craft and import selections (10 or 11, depending upon whether Yuengling counts), as well as the usual macro swill choices (bud, bud light, etc.).

Service was OK, though I think this is one area where the place is still struggling a bit (it's only been open since 7/2/12 I was told). I waited nearly 15 minutes for my first beer before someone finally noticed me at the bar (the HH was no more than half full). At that point the bartender noticed me, apologized, and indicated the first beer was on the house (so full marks for that). After that service was pretty good and I didn't have to wait more than a minute for a beer (I'm still not sure what the problem was initially; the staff was friendly, but they just seemed a bit slow, as if they were still trying to figure things out).

Prices were decent, though I wouldn't call them cheap. Lower alcohol beers were sold by the pint, generally selling for $5 a pop. Higher alcohol beers came in a snifter or tulip glass, with the price ranging between $6 and $7 generally. In terms of food, my understanding is that the HH does not yet have an operational kitchen. I don't know if this is just a temporary arrangement, but at present they get everything from the central market and, if necessary, heat it up at the taproom (soups and chili, for example). My BLT wrap had clearly come right out of the fridge; it was pretty decent, though I thought the $8 price tag a bit high for a medium size (at most) wrap. In any event, I don't feel as if I can rate the HH's food, given the current arrangement.

Shrug. All things considered, I enjoyed my visit here and will likely come back (the beer selection is decent and the folks working here were very nice). My bartender indicated they're hoping to model the taproom after the Toronado in SF (they realize they have their work cut out for them in that regard), with a focus on a large selection of high quality beer. The place has only been open for a couple of weeks, so clearly there is room (and time) for improvement. For now, I'd say this is a solid addition to the local craft beer scene in York.
Jul 16, 2012
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Reviewed by DrBier from Pennsylvania

3.74/5  rDev -10.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.75 | food: 3.25
Have been in twice now with few complaints. 30 taps with ~10-12 dedicated to PA beers. They did have 3 beers I never had before on my first visit, quite suprising for a 15+yr craft drinker like myself, that number did drop to 0 on my next visit. Bottle selection is quite limited, about 10, nothing special here. Pricing is reasonable, had a Noble Rot served in 12oz tulip for $6, most pints are $5. No happy hour or sample sizes / flights. One server was a little weak on describing some beers and where some breweries were located. Nice open space, big bar and an amazingly friendly crowd for York, at least the folks I met at the bar my 2 visits. Food is locally sourced and decent, limited menu. Beer, food, staff and organization pretty good for just opening. Live music one or two nights a week and with the owner being an old Deadhead, we'll see, how about Yorks original Dead cover band Hexbelt, they're allowed to play in York again :)
Nice addition to York, will go back when I'm downtown. Otherwise I'll still go the extra miles to Al's or Shady's or to Max's most days.
Jul 16, 2012
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Reviewed by Slatetank from Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
I stopped in at the Holy Hound taproom which was originally supposed to be called the Good Dog, but to avoid confusion with the bar in Philadelphia it was changed. The place is easy to get to -about a block away from the square and on the corner of Beaver which is right on the same block as the White Rose and Central Market.

The atmosphere is pretty cool, just relaxed and open with lots of seats at the bar and scattered tables around the interior they have a cd jukebox and the chalkboard displays the taps in an easy to read format above the tap handles. You can get food which is supplied by local businesses nearby like Busy bee in the market. They had a carolina style pork sandwich on the menu while we were in. The quality is good everything I had was fresh and served in the appropriate glassware at good temperature. The only drawback to me was pricing can be high depending on what you order since they serve higher abv beers in snifters which are 10oz and it could be 7 or 8% as the cut off depending, so you might want to ask first.

Overall the place is a nice alternative on the York scene with good selection of beers that is well run from what I can gather on my first visit. The service is good for a new place and I will return based on the friendliness of the owner who mentioned the free wi-fi to us while we sat at the bar. I hope to come back for food and a beer in the near future.
Jul 10, 2012
Holy Hound Taproom in York, PA
Place rating: 4.19 out of 5 with 32 ratings