Quips Pub

Quips PubQuips Pub
Quips PubQuips Pub
Bar, Eatery

457 New Holland Ave
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 17602-2158
United States

(717) 397-3903 | map
quipspub.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.98
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
27
pDev:
12.06%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Stork_Brewz13:
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Rated by Stork_Brewz13 from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +0.5%

Jul 02, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of CaptainJames
Reviewed by CaptainJames from Pennsylvania

4.49/5  rDev +12.8%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.75
Full disclosure about my bias here: this was the first real pub that I frequented while in college, so a piece of my heart will live here forever...alright, with that out of the way, I can say that this place is incredible! There is so much about this place that screams English pub. From the UK inspired dishes, to the warm/dark atmosphere, you really get a taste of the good pub-life. Food, beer selection, and wings have always been on point. We find an excuse to make the 2 hour trip here at least once a year. So many good times and memories with friends and family alike. It can get a bit tight inside on a busy night, and a tad loud, but don't let that deter you from giving Quips a shot. If you're into the classic pub vibe, Quips has got you covered.
Nov 29, 2020
 
Rated: 3.96 by Brob245 from Missouri

Oct 04, 2018
 
Rated: 5 by Fpscheler from Pennsylvania

Mar 13, 2016
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Rated by m_cyphert from Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -7.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4
Best Reuben sandwich I've ever eaten.....
Jun 01, 2015
 
Rated: 3.86 by dfhhead25 from Pennsylvania

Feb 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by gsb22 from Pennsylvania

Dec 07, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by newbeeraday from Pennsylvania

Nov 29, 2014
 
Rated: 2.25 by yarnbomb from Vermont

Nov 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Renegawam from North Carolina

Nov 09, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by orangesol from Pennsylvania

Jul 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Barnsley from Pennsylvania

May 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Durandal_777 from Pennsylvania

Apr 23, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by SharkNado from Pennsylvania

Mar 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by curmudgeon236 from Pennsylvania

Mar 12, 2014
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Reviewed by BradC from Pennsylvania

4.34/5  rDev +9%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4.5
The wife and I are in Quips about once a week. The food is always mostly British Pub style with some rotating specials and always great. Service is great. Love the atomsphere, however, it can be quite crowded and noisy, especially later in the evening. Beer selection is good, not stellar, with 4 rotating taps and several British/Irish staples on tap and a decent bottle list. Its good to keep your eye out for the rotating taps, as they will put a few rare gems on tap from time to time.
Jan 15, 2014
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Reviewed by Scary_Version from Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Great little local bar. Darts in the corner with always someone playing. Dimmly lit and can get crowded. Food is really good. 20min walk from the center of town makes it less traveled but it does have a loyal following. Good beer selection with new beers all the time.
Jul 16, 2013
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Reviewed by Tucquan from Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -4.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 4.5
I've been going to Quips for many years. I really enjoy the ambiance; a nice place for me and a buddy to stop after work for a pint or two and also a good place for a meal with my spouse. Their food is quite good.

The beer selection is decent but not great. They rotate 3 - 4 taps but the other 7-8 stay the same and none of them really interest me. I can usually find something I like from the 3 - 4 rotating taps but sometimes have to resort to bottles. While I really like this place, they don't cater as much to the craft beer drinker as say Capone's in Norristown, PA or Al's of Hampden in Enola, PA. Wish they would.
Feb 05, 2011
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Reviewed by emericanchaos from Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -4.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
If you want to meet some people to run your gabber off too you have to go to Quip's. By far the best group in Lancaster to drink with. The younger college crowd mix in a bit on the busy nights but it doesn't detract at all. Always a good time at Quip's.

Visually the place is nothing to marvel at. It's no Iron Hill but that place is a bit too fancy for it's own good anyway. It IS well kept despite it's appearance though. Stools are fine, tables are fine, everything's clean, etc.

Service is a hard one for me on this place. I'm usually distracted by a fellow beer nerd or a college aged lady in some capacity. I know my beer is always ready for me and I've had the food so I can't knock it. Never really had any interactions with the staff short of ordering though. Quip's usually has a crowd going in my experience.

If you want authentic english beers you might be let down. Selection is very good if you factor bottles in but if you drink the handles expect american beers to dominate. Mostly micro/craft though. This doesn't bother me.

I only eat wings at Quip's and I do so because they're delicious. If you like them hot then you'll feel at home. I order medium everywhere and learned i can't at Quip's. :D they serve standard pub faire and it's done well. They also have a menu for those looking for an actual dinner which is supposed to be good but I'm usually solo for Quip's and tend to stick with apps and pub grub.

Probably the best value in town. Market value on beers and food. Good job Quip's.

Good beers, good food, great crowd, fast service though not always personable. Good mix of people ethnically and by age. I have a small beef with the beer selection. The beers they have are always great. There's definitely someone there who knows what they're doing. I just wish they could give you more choices. Go to Quip's.
Jan 25, 2010
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Reviewed by Drewcifer from Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +6.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Atmosphere: Hard to go beyond what has already been said of the place. A very friendly, warm room with plenty of peculiarities to entertain you, be it the crap on the ceilings (crap being an affectionate term), the Christmas train running around the bar, the inordinate amount of breweriana, or the regulars. A place that is welcoming to those who are there daily, or visit once in their life. A good take on the British pub, maybe a little over-the-top, but in a fun way.

Quality: Everything is kept up and kept after. Tables are clean, stools are sturdy, the dart boards are always in play.

Service: Being a fairly consistent patron, I've never heard or seen any complaints about service. Even on a swamped night, the bartenders are quick, and they're very well able to take care of whatever you throw at them, from pulling a proper beer to mixing up a cocktail. They're a generally friendly bunch, and when not swamped, are pleasant to talk to. The wait staff is also very much on top of things during the dining hours which, especially on weekends, can get hectic.

Selection: The selection is decent. There are the usual macros, but there are also plenty of imports that aren't commonplace in many bars. The tap handles are the usual suspects, with an English slant (Fuller's, Newcastle, Guinness, Harp, Bass, Boddington's) as well as an occasional craft offering from Troeg's or Victory. The best selection is in the bottles, with a greater range of UK brews than any other bar I've been to.

Food: Good, consistent UK fare as well as some American pub favorites, but why get there what you can get anywhere else, when they have plenty of dishes you won't find elsewhere? The daily specials are quality, not fancy, just good solid food. There are plenty of "upscale" dishes, but I would recommend going with their stick-to-your-belly fare such as bangers and mash, shepard's pie and steak and ale pie.

Overall, Quip's is a definite value to the Lancaster bar scene. Great place for import beer, good food, great atmosphere. As far as bars in Lancaster City go, there is little better. And, amazingly enough, it's a great place for conversation as well, which is what a bar should be. Too many are too crowded and noisy, or too sports/television oriented to really carry on good conversation, but Quip's has managed to avoid this problem.

One last note, while the prices may be a little high (for the area, anyways), what you get for it is definitely more than reasonable.
Jan 08, 2008
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Reviewed by RiekerStarBrew from Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -1.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
I recently went to this bar on the biggest drinking holiday of the year, hump night. I just wanted to share how impressed I was with the service. I hate when you push your way to a bar to order drinks and you can see the bartender looking right over you. This wasn't the case at Quips. As soon as I stepped up I was served, and they were very busy. They had a decent selection of beer and some impressive bottled beers displayed on the steps behind the bar (Chimay, Fullers, ect.). I just ordered a pint for myself and a mixed drink for my fiance, but the food floating around looked good. After we got a table, it looked like everyone was having a good time in a fun atmosphere. I would suggest Quips to anyone out for a good time.
Nov 26, 2007
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Reviewed by Slatetank from Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +2.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Quips is a great place to visit for many reasons. It has character and charm first of all and great food, service, beer and reasonable prices. It is easy to find and the menu has good variety. I like the choice selection of english ales and lagers as well as decent regional and local brews. You can get authentic tasting pub food and the ambience is comfy.

They have darts and plenty of eyecatching breweriana strategically placed. There are bottles displayed climbing the staircase in the center of the bar which I think is a nice touch. The Tuna steak is an excellent choice and vegetables cooked al dente. I have found Quips to be a relaxing, quality experience every time I pop in.
Mar 19, 2007
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Reviewed by gottajiboo2 from Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -6.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
I love this place. It's small warm and feels like a pub should feel. I will say it gets a bit loud at times, but I guess you'll have that at any pub/restaurant. They usually have a few good English beer's on tap and a local mico brew. On occasion I have had a beer that was maybe starting to be past it's prime, but probably most people drink Yuengling lager or Miller lite so this is understandable. If you want leave there feeling extremely satisfied, take a couple of friends along and order yourself a Beef and Cabbage meal, with a pint of Fullers London porter!! You won't regret it. (depending on your size you may have to take some home with you.

cheers
Mar 07, 2007
Photo of Risser09
Reviewed by Risser09 from Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +3.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Atmosphere: Upon entering you notice all the nice hardwood throughout the place. Floors, bar, furniture, etc. Looks like an authentic Enlish/Irish pub. Lots of coasters are plastered in a collection. Good place to go if you enjoy good beer selection and want to avoid annoying college kids, although the refinedon es hang out here. Darts on the right when you walk in (they have a league). The bar is in the center of the room with plenty of bar seats and plenty of outer seatin.

Quality: Very nice. Everything is great. Nice stools. Can't remember if there were many TVs. Didn't really need them anyway.

Service: Awesome. The bartenders seem to be knowledgable and were pretty attentive. Never had an empty glass. They were the pros of Lancaster.

Selection: Great for a Lancaster bar. Standard Guinness/Harp/Stella top keep things authentic but they also have Victory, Stoudt's, Lancaster micros in bottles and on tap. If it wasn't across town for me I'd go more often. Lots of city folk go here to get their fix.

Food: Great. All authentic fish & chips, etc. Delicious and not too pricey. Can't complain here.

Value: On par. Beers are like $3-5 and they'll throw you a free one every so often. Great place for the atmosphere and beer selection.
Dec 19, 2006
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Reviewed by Phatz from Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +7.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I stopped by Quips Pub today on my way home from work to give it another chance before reviewing it. I was pleased with this experience. I have previously had two bad experiences here and swore never to go back. Now that I am a Beer Advocate looking for places to get GOOD beer, Quips is one of the only options in my area. My wife won't go back after the way they humiliated her the last time. So I went by myself to check out the scene, (from a BAs perspective). In short it is a great place to go for beer but the experience we had a couple years ago proves the staff was stuck up and the management stood by their employees NOT the customer (that’s bad business). Hopefully, this has changed by now. Nonetheless, this was a good experience that I had tonight. Onto the specifics:

As you attempt to locate the bar, be aware that it looks like an old fashion rural house, (as you see in picture above). The small sign displaying the name of the pub is easy to miss. They are currently displaying a large banner advertising “Now Open Sundays.” You park on the side and walk up to the country style porch to enter. When you walk in the door you get the sense of a traditional English pub. There are dartboards to your right; the bar is directly in front of you circling a decorated stairway. Surrounding the bar is a number of restaurant style tables and chairs. The décor is very wooden. Fancy woodwork on the bar, surrounded by classic woodwork on the floor and ceiling. Vintage meets modern. Above the oblong bar is a suspended Model Railroad Track. There are no trains on it (unfortunately), but it is full of miscellaneous beer paraphernalia. The ambiance is topped off with very dim lighting and the aroma of fried fish.

This does not feel like a large place, but as you walk around, you realize its capacity is larger than it appears. The bar may seat about 20 and the tables maybe another 60 or so people (approximate guesses).

I sat at the bar and received good service. The bartender was pleasant, and attentive. The food was very quick. I ordered the Fish-n-Chips. I highly recommend, it was excellent. Tender, generously battered fish, and thick French-Fries, wrapped in newspaper, mmmm.

Their beer selection is better than any other bar in Lancaster that I am aware of. Relatively, huge craft beer selection. You can click on the “official website” icon above to see a listing of all the beers they have on-tap at the moment. I had a Fuller's ESB on tap tonight. Very nice. They carry Sierra Nevada beers, Victory, Magic Hat, Ommegang, LNCBC, DFH, and others.

This is not ideal for a wild party scene but it is a great beer experience and good food. The prices are reasonable; one draft beer and the Fish-n-Chips dinner was $15 total (to give you an idea). If you live close by or you are driving through the area, stop in and check it out. It may not quite merit a trip for across or out of the state of PA, but very decent, and far above average in Lancaster.

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!
Jan 17, 2006
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Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
I really should get over to Quips more often. It is situated on the corner of New Holland Avenue and the extension of North Plum Street, beyond the Lancaster Cemetery, and as such, I pass by every morning on my way to work. Its proximity to LNCBC and my membership in LNCBC's Mug Club seems to hold me in their thrall, although there is no reason for me NOT to go to Quips on a regular basis.

The building looks like a quaint cottage, with its white exterior and the dark green porch that runs along the New Holland Avenue and North Plum Street sides. They have a parking lot to the right-facing side of NHA, but there is usually some on-street parking on Plum. The porch's slanted roof is decorated at the corner with a sign bearing their logo: a gentleman wearing pince-nez glasses and a three-piece suit hoisting a goblet of beer for his inspection. Their menu reveals that they have been in business since 198x and that the building was once a part of the Mentzers' Stockyards complex. Also on the exterior and above the porch is a series of three alternating American and British flags along NHA, with another Union Jack on the Plum Street side.

As you enter the front door, you are in a narrow entryway, flanked by a vintage Guinness tin sign on your right and a dart board holder to your left that houses a copy of the menu. Directly in front of you is the beginning of the long oval bar that bisects the majority of the space. There is a break in the bar at the top and bottom of the oval to allow the servers to move freely and just beyond the break at the front is a staircase leading up to a mysterious second floor. Cleverly, they use the stairwell and its banister to hang boards listing their draught beers and to set up examples of their bottled beers. On the back of the stairwell are a number of British beer bar towels.

Off to the right of the bar are two English-style (non-electronic) dart boards that are frequently in use, so be aware as you transit that section of the establishment. The overhead is abundant with exposed wooden beams and joists and above the bar on the right-hand side is where the spent coasters and retired tap handles reside. There are a few restaurant tables and chairs on this side of the room, but the majority are to the left of the bar and aft, towards the back of the space. As you continue aft on the right-hand side, take note of the English-football scarves and the bar odds 'n' ends. It's all up in the overhead evoking, but not meeting the standards set by, Chiodo's.

They have put a lot of money into the place in the last few years and it shows. They have nice wood floors, a highly polished bar and a good waitstaff. In fact, the waitstaff has taken to wearing English-style football jerseys as part of their uniform, which I think is a nice touch. Also, cigar smoking is banned until after 2200 daily. Also important are the locations of the lavs. The Ladies' is all of the way aft, past the tables with the benches along the wall. The Mens' is to the left of the bar, just past the first set of tables.

The draught beer selection is interesting and decent. Boddingtons, Fuller's ESB, Guinness, Bass, Harp, Stella (yeah, yeah) and Miller Light are some of the representative beers from my visit. It's very UK/Irish and that's not to be sniffed at in this area, where BMC rules. The bottles and cans are also interesting. They have three nitro-cans, four different Sam Smith's, a couple of Lindeman's lambics and around eight other assorted beers. I suppose that on my next visit, I can get a detailed list and do an edit.

[Edit]: Selection as of 02 August 2005
Draughts: Guinness; Harp; Bass; Fuller's ESB; Newcastle Brown; Smithwick's Ale; Stella Artois; Boddington's (Nitro pour); Hoegaarden; Woodchuck Cider; Yuengling Lager; Miller Lite
Cans: Beamish; Guinness; Abbot Ale - all widget pour; B to the E
Bottles: Lindeman's Kriek and Framboise; Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout, Nut Brown, Pale Ale, and Taddy Porter; Belhaven Scottish Ale; Old Speckled Hen; McEwan's Scotch Ale; Grolsch; Old Peculiar; John Courage; Hacker-Pschorr Weisse; SNPA; Victory Prima Pils; Troegs Troegenator; Magners Cider.

They also have an occasional gravity-poured firkin, especially around the holidays, but NO beer engine.

Speaking of the waitstaff, I found them to be quite friendly and my friend knew one of them as we came in, which always helps.

Finally, the food. Admittedly, the entrees can be tending towards expensive, especially for LNC County, but that is why you plan ahead. They have a daily special Monday through Friday, most for $6. with the exception of Friday, when it jumps to $14.95. The website, www.quipspub.com, is to be updated soon with this info, but I'll provide it in the meantime. Monday: All You Can Eat Wings; Tuesday: Fish & Chips; Wednesday: Bangers & Mash; Thursday: Cotswold Chicken (my personal fave); and Friday: Steak & Cake (crab cake, that is).
Aug 02, 2005
Photo of diakron
Reviewed by diakron from Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +1.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
I'm somewhat surprised to see only one review of Quips here.

I live only a few blocks away, so I'm fairly well-acquainted with the place. Most of what the prior reviewer wrote is accurate. Quips is no longer the exclusive purveyor of draft Stella in Lancaster. It may also be worthwhile to note that this summer, they are not open on Sundays. I don't know if that's a temporary or permanent policy.

Aside from the aforementioned note about Stella, beer selection is about the same these days at it was for my predecessor two years ago. Usually there are about six to eight taps that will tempt the real beer drinker. The centerpieces are local favorite Victory Hop Devil, and either Fuller's ESB or London Pride. Last time I was in, they were serving Hoegaarden witbier, which is always nice to drink on a hot evening. Also, they serve their Newcastle and Fuller's "cool," which makes it a fairly authentic experience not often found in middle America. The quality (i.e., not Coors/Yuengling) tap selections are served in English pint glasses, or occasionally in proprietary glassware.

The atmosphere is pleasant as long as it's not packed, which it can be on Friday nights in the fall and spring. Quips has always seemed to draw a pretty big Franklin and Marshall crowd. We are generally there to sit down and have a meal, and this is where Quips shines. I really think it's an underrated restaurant. The pub food selections are good -- I usually opt for bangers, fish & chips (very generous portion), or the Cotswold chicken, which is a kind of Anglophile chicken parm dish. The dinner menu is very, very good, and the kitchen does a surprisingly good job. I've deemed Quips "a bit pricey" due to relatively few entrees coming in below $18 or so. This is pricey in Lancaster, but might be a relief for visitors from more urbane locales.

Finally, a word about service. Quips used to experience a lot of turnover among its server staff, and the quality of service suffered as a result. I don't know what they did to change that, but the current crew has been on hand as a more or less cohesive unit for at least a couple of years now, and they're great. Prompt, friendly, knowledgeable enough about the taps for the uninitiated, and decked out in (English) football jerseys for a little extra British flair. Overall, Quips is my second-favorite beer bar in Lancaster after the Brewing Company, which is conveniently located about three blocks south of Quips.

[edit 08/09/05: my spelling sucks]
Jul 19, 2005
Quips Pub in Lancaster, PA
Place rating: 3.98 out of 5 with 27 ratings