Conewago Inn Restaurant & Lounge
The Conewago Inn Restaurant & Lounge, purchased by Tom and Sharon Roberts in 2002, is a true family owned and operated business. The entire Roberts family seems to be involved in some way, shape, or form with the running of the restaurant, contributing to its magnificent success. Indeed, you are very likely to find a collection of Roberts family members present during the dinner rush, helping the staff, and providing the top-notch customer service.
The Conewago Inn seats 150 inside, with an additional 30 seats available on the wrap-around patio. The restaurant is well suited for small parties, and specializes in rehearsal dinners. It is even able to handle wedding receptions. Such versatility makes The Conewago Inn an ideal meeting place for parties of all sizes and composition; although I would not suggest this as a family restaurant as the menu does not give itself to the appetites or tastes of children.
John Marks, the Roberts's son, is Executive Chef of the establishment. Originally from
"I've been with restaurants all of my life. I had a couple of jobs between here and there, but it pulls you right back. I was with The Meadowbrook for eight years, first as a dishwasher up through head chef. There were three chefs at The Meadowbrook who took me under their wings. The most influential man was Tim Carr who now owns Carr's in
John has developed a strong affinity for the cuisine of
I wonder how his draw to Cajun cuisine affects and is affected by his theory on cooking. "My theory on cooking is that there's nothing new out there; everything has been made, so you must take it, spin it, and make it your own. Cooking is without boundaries or rules. I've done demonstrations for women's charities and the like and I've told them all to take what you like and use it, change what you don't and add what you do like. Spin it to make it your own recipe," Marks shares with me sagely.
The restaurant has a very interesting way of welcoming its customers like they have been longtime regulars. The Conewago Inn is a fine restaurant in a casual atmosphere where friends are easily made. Noting this point, I ask John about the restaurant's approach to hospitality. "We're family owned and operated, so the employees are extensions of our family. We are loyal to them and they to us. We really must all pull together to do all the little things. Ninety percent of the employees are long-term; we have a very low turnover in all areas. We've all done everything, so we appreciate each other's jobs. We all work hard and pull the same weight for the same goal," John emphasizes. Many "experts" have long speculated that overspecialization of the American workforce has been the downfall of the American economy. Perhaps The Conewago Inn has found a solution to the problem.
The restaurant's menu advertises itself to have a steak and seafood focus, but I can attest that it has a bit more going for it than that. You will also find a variety of salad, chicken, and pork dishes to round out the list of offerings. Marks tells me that his inspiration for the menu is very spur of the moment. Unless he has a customer request for something specific, he wings it! "We try to use whatever is in the house. We recently hooked up with Honolulu Fish Co. in
The menu changes periodically in order to keep things new and different for customers. This way, Marks can also make something for customers on request if he has the ingredients in the kitchen, or by special arrangement. Marks may bring back an item from an older menu with a new preparation, as well, to change things up a little.
With the wide array of choices on the menu, I ask John if there is anything that he would consider a house specialty. Without skipping a beat, he replies, "We are known for our crab dip. I tried a recipe, spun it, played with it, and finished it so I had a unique flavor. We are also known for our prime rib, which is slow roasted for 8 hours. And, of course, our one pound Super Lump Back fin Crab Cake. This is broiled." "One pound? This has to be the largest crab cake in
Conewago Inn Restaurant & Lounge does special events for such groups as The Kidney Foundation and The March of Dimes, to name a few. Do not hesitate to get out to support these great causes and enjoy some great food while you are at it.
John adds, "We like to stress that we are a family owned and operated business. This is getting harder to find in this day and age, especially with restaurants. We love to put back into
The Experience
My girlfriend and I arrived roughly 20 minutes early for our reservation, having been a bit unsure of the location of Conewago Inn Restaurant & Lounge. The restaurant has two parking lots--one on the left side of the building, offering a side entrance that will lead patrons through a hallway into the bar, and one on the right side of the building, requiring patrons to walk a short distance along the road to the front entrance on the patio. Unaware of the left side parking, we ended up walking on the roadway for 30 yards or so. Traffic was not heavy, so this was not a problem.
We were met at the door by a young woman who asked if we had reservations. As she checked the reservation book for our
table assignment, I noted that the restaurant was quite busy this Saturday evening at 6:10. The young woman returned and politely led us to a table by a charming brick fireplace with a stone chimney next to the restaurant's bar and presented us with our menus and a wine list. There was no smoking in the front room; smokers having been relegated to the lounge dining area. There was a gentleman, Mr. Buddy King, playing electric piano and singing a bit too loudly, however, for the size of the room.
Our server arrived and introduced herself. Very nice touch. She took our drink orders and allowed us to examine the menu and wine list. As we began to read and discuss the selections in the menu, a gentleman approached and introduced himself as Tom Roberts, the restaurant's owner. His smile was warm and welcoming. He offered us a few suggestions from the menu should we have trouble choosing, and introduced our server as his daughter. Before excusing himself so that we could get back to our orders, he asked us to let him know if there was anything he could do to be of help while we were at Conewago Inn. This is obviously a man who takes his business seriously and who knows his regulars, recognizing us as first time visitors.
Our server returned to inform us, from memory, of a very long list of specials for the evening. Considering how large the menu is, adding the specials into the mix would only make my choice that much more difficult. As our server left us to make our final decisions, my girlfriend and I looked at each other in total disbelief at the magnitude of our list of choices. We decided to split Heather's Crab Dip, described as lump crab in
Tom Roberts again approached the table and directed our attention to another couple's tray of food. He pointed out the presentation of the Steak and Shrimp Wasabi, having overheard what we had ordered. The dish in question was very attractive, with the shrimp piled atop a filet mignon, the dish decorated with pickled ginger and wasabi aioli, and finished with two chopsticks standing up from the filet. Very artistic. Roberts apologized for the interruption and returned to his seat by the bar.
Soon thereafter, our soup was served. The seafood bisque was very good. It had an assortment of seafood--shrimp, scallops, whitefish, and crabmeat, but I could not taste any sherry. I expected sherry flavor from the bisque's description. Do not get me wrong; I was not displeased with the soup, just the way that it had been described in relation to the way that it tastes. A sherry cream base should have at least a nuance of sherry to it. This had none.
Our bowls were cleared, and within moments, Heather's Crab Dip was served. The hot bread was fresh baked and hot, as advertised. Steam rose from the dip. I feared that the dip would taste predominantly of mayonnaise, a horrible trend here in
With the crab dip plate licked clean and removed from the table, we tried to make conversation. This was not impossible, but
the live music was louder than necessary, making polite chatting a bit more difficult than necessary. We would learn later in the evening that Mr. King's mother was celebrating her 87th birthday at Conewago Inn Restaurant & Lounge that evening, so he may have been playing and singing extra loudly for her to be able to hear him. One can only conjecture.
My New Orleans Sauté arrived after a short time along with my wine, a Red Rock Merlot, 2005. The entree was served in a large bowl with a rice pilaf. I had also ordered Asian green beans seasoned in ginger, garlic, soy, and cayenne as my side dish. First I tasted the green beans. The flavor was marvelous. The different seasonings combined to give the beans a subtly spicy bite. The beans were overcooked though, ending up very soft. With fresh green beans available, these should be crisp. I should not have been able to bend my beans in half without having them break.
Next I tried the entree. The scallops were cooked perfectly--seared on the outside and rare on the inside. The chicken was moist cooked through. The shrimp were large and succulent. The beef tips were a mixed bag. They were all cooked through, but some of them were cold on my plate, as though they had been prepared separately from the rest of the dish, allowed to sit and cool, and then added to the final mixture where only half of them were given enough time to reheat. Everything blended well with the flavors of the sweet and hot peppers and the sweet bourbon sauce. The mushrooms carried these flavors well, as did the rice.
The merlot was a deep maroon in color. The nose was heavy with berries. The wine was fresh, filled the mouth, and had a good length. I tasted berries predominantly, with an undertone of cola.
For dessert, I decided upon the raspberry cake, which was a white cake with a raspberry swirl, a raspberry cream filling, and a chocolate icing. I also would enjoy a decaffeinated coffee.
The coffee was very good. Rich and full-flavored. The cake was absolutely delicious. The raspberry flavor throughout the cake was powerful and potent. The portion was gigantic; I would be unable to finish the whole thing. The baker had used what appeared to be raspberry preserves in the raspberry cream between the layers. The chocolate icing was decadent and complemented the raspberry well. My girlfriend commented that I made "that face" when I ate the cake. What "that face" is, I have no idea, but she indicated that it is a good thing.
Here is where I get to grade my dining experience. I grade on 5 factors: Atmosphere, Service, Presentation, Taste, and Value. These areas are scored on a 0 to 10 scale with 0 being the lowest and 10 being the highest.
Atmosphere: 8.5 I love the log cabin feel with the brick fireplaces and stone chimneys. The outdoor seating is a nice touch, too. Separating the smoking section from the front dining room is a great way to handle the situation, but this does not address bar-goers who do not like a smoky environment.
Service: 10 Not only was our server of the first order--quick, polite service with a smile and close attention to details, we also received attention from the owner. I would say that he showered this especially upon us, but I watched him work the room and noticed that he visited all of the tables to extend his greetings and make polite conversation. This is a business where the family that runs things takes a hand in the everyday operation to make sure that everything is done the right way every time. It is nice to see that such a work ethic still exists.
Presentation: 9 Everything I was served looked very appetizing. Platter arrangement was done with care in order to achieve eye appeal in order to accentuate the dining pleasure. I was disappointed by the soft green beans and the uneven temperature of the beef tips, though. These elements of presentation affect texture and reaction to the food.
Taste: 9.75 Everything was absolutely delicious. There was not a dish that I did not enjoy thoroughly. However, I fully expected to taste sherry in the seafood bisque. When I did not, I was a bit disappointed. It is like being told that you are getting white CHOCOLATE only to find out that white chocolate tastes nothing like chocolate because it is not, in fact, chocolate at all. If Conewago Inn is going to advertise the bisque as having a sherry cream base, make sure that it tastes at least somewhat like sherry.
Value: 10 I can see no reason that anyone within driving distance would not visit Conewago Inn Restaurant & Lounge regularly. The food alone should have people lined up at the door. Considering the reasonable prices for the quantity of food provided and the high quality meals that are prepared, this restaurant is a must for all discerning diners. The setting is perfect for a romantic date or a friendly get together for a group.
Monday: Home cookin' Monday (PA style entrees) $6.95-$8.95
Tuesday: Italian Nite
Wednesday: Fajitas--beef, chicken, shrimp, or the trio
Thursday: Steak night COMING SOON: Budweiser Casino Steak Night
Desserts are prepared locally.
Every 2-3 weeks, in-house crème Brule
Coming Soon: Tableside Desserts on the Weekends
Coming Soon: Chef's Table for 8 People--6 Courses, including Tableside Salad and Tableside Entree, finished with Tableside Dessert. By Reservation Only.
Serving Lunch and Dinner
Monday Through Saturday 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Sunday 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Strongly Suggest Reservations
Every 3rd Saturday, Live Music by Buddy King
Conewago Inn Restaurant & Lounge |