The Iron Horse Inn

Poor service, we are first arrived and last served of the 10 customers arriving almost on the same time.
Waiters are very nice but the kitchen didn't follow the order.
The food is a good quality for price
Terrace is a little bit noisy because on the road but you can see Amish family passing around often as several Harley Davidson's riders!

My girlfriend and I showed up 5 minutes before they opened (didn't know they weren't open yet as it was 12), there was a older lady outside with dark hair who was sweeping and quickly ran inside as we approached.

I'd like everyone to keep in mind that my girlfriend and I just came from church, I was wearing an expensive suit and my girlfriend was wearing a nice white dress so we didn't look or act like bums.

So, the doors were locked and all we wanted to do is look at a menu while we waited, there was a guy at the bar who just turned around and looked at us and went back to staring at the bar top. The same older lady who was sweeping opened the door and asked in a rude tone "Can I HELP you?". My girlfriend replied that we'd like to have lunch, and she replied in a rude and snotty tone "Well we aren't open yet, do YOU have RESERVATIONS?" No, we didn't have reservations but it doesn't even look like we would have needed them as we are the ONLY people there 5 minutes (now about 2 minutes) before it opened. The rude old woman shoved one menu at the two of us and shut the door and locked it again. I literally dropped the menu on the ground and left.

F YOU!!! You don't want my business? That's fine. I'll go somewhere else as apparently you are overpriced and your food sucks. Vito D. says the management has a lot to learn? Yeah, I'd say that they do. Please keep in mind that we were never rude or short with this person, we were very polite which is why we were so shocked with her attitude and tone.


You need an attitude check lady, and you need learn how to treat (potential) customers better. Customer service is one of the most important aspects in the SERVICE industry I guess you haven't learned this. I hope this place goes under after the experience that I had.

Get real.





EDIT: Wow, a solid two star average with 5 reviews? That is pathetic. How is this place even in business???

I've only been here twice and the visits have been about a year apart. The first time, it was the middle of the week and in the middle of the afternoon so I got a lot of personal attention.

The second time was a Saturday and it was a bit crowded with a private party going on and the tourists (like myself) and some regulars in the place having a good ol' time.

I like this place. Strasburg is an old railroad town and even though this place is called the Iron Horse (get it? train? iron horse?) there isn't a ton of railroad paraphernalia around like you might find at an Applebee's or Friday's.

Lots if wood. Ample seating. Friendly service. And good food.

The food is served in decent portion sizes and the salads are real salads - not iceberg lettuce with a tomato slice. Lots of different greens, onions and so on.

All in all, I really enjoy this place and would come here, again, next time I'm in Lancaster County, PA.

Great food and reasonable prices. Went twice, service was great the first time and good the second. I guess it depends on who you get. Got the chef's special each time and was not disappointed. My whole family enjoyed it. Looks like the place got some "Bitter Betty" reviews. Not sure what that 'all about but believe me when I say my wife is very particular when it comes to restaurants and we've been to this one twice!

Wow
What a fabulous meal. Asked them to hurry when we arrived because of the limited time we had before our show in Lancaster County (Sight & Sound Theater) Our B&B (Limestone Inn) had arranged a 15% discount for us as well. I had the scallop pie, as good as it gets. My spouse had the Filet Mignon, cooked perfectly, with a nice complement of vegetables and potatoes. They scored real high on service as well as the food. We'll be back.

Our visit to the Iron Horse Inn was preceded by a busy day of entertaining the grandparents with trips to the National Christmas Museum and American Music Theater, to make sure that everyone was indeed at the Christmas spirit. If 2,748 creepy Santas and 3 hours of over-zealous Christmas production don't put you in some sort of Christmas spirit, nothing will.

The grand finale of this merry day was a trip to the Iron Horse, selected due to its offer on doubletake deals. We made a reservation, and were seated promptly upon arrival.

Iron Horse has certainly gotten an extreme Inn makeover since our last visit in the late '90's. If I remember correctly, it was paneled in dark wood, and had more of western flare to the interior. That is to say, dated. Someone has thrown a lot of cash at the Horse, and it shows. New walls, new ceilings, new feel. Seating is on the smallish side, with two rooms in the front, and one more in the back; yet all are very pleasant seating areas.

Menu offerings were good, with some decent specials. I had a seafood stew, with crab, shrimp, clams and scallops over rice, for $27; wife had the chef's special, with samples of lamb, shrimp, and pork ($25). Pot Roast was ordered by the two grandmothers, and grandpa had crab cakes. Kids pulled standard kids' offerings, $8 apiece. A $25 bottle of wine also graced the table. Food wise, there were no complaints, except from #3 son, who didn't like his pizza. Everyone else seemed pretty happy, overall. Meals looked good, tasted good.

I guess a few buffaloes kept the Iron Horse from a full-throttle run to Awesomeville. First, it was flaming hot inside. Someone tried to open a window, but it didn't help. I'm talking "quit stoking the boilers" hot. Secondly, nice as our waitress was, she disappeared for crazy amounts of time. Perhaps it had something to do with the "Parties of a or more- 20% gratuity added in" policy, which in essence, leaves you handcuffed to bad service, with nothing to do but suffer, as the waitress already knows a good tip is on the way...so why not invest better service at other tables? No joke, from the time we were done eating, it took 20 minutes to get the dishes cleared, 10 minutes for three ice- creams, and another 15 to get the bill to the credit card machine (thanks, hostess!!). Meanwhile, the only time we could grab her was as she gave a nearby table of 4 what appeared to be great service. Handcuffed, I say. Handcuffed. All other tables had cleared and cycled and cleared by the time we got out and found fresh air..and the hostess, who was apparently escaping for a gasp of fresh air likewise. Buffalo #3 would also be the pricing, which has been discussed in other yelpings. Doubletake certainly did us right tonight, but yeah, I'd put specials and entrees $5 higher than necessary.

It is good to see that this historic Inn can still pack a crowd, and serve a good meal. And, meritorious improvements have been made in terms of interior atmosphere and décor. I'll root for this place to do well, but will come back armed...with another doubletake, and a party of 7!

I took my mom here for her birthday dinner (a month late thanks to a stomach virus and a little holiday). Upon arrival we stood waiting about 5 minutes before a hostess showed up. After telling her we had reservations we were promptly led to our table... In the bar area. Normally I wouldn't mind this except there were several open tables within view and outside the bar area and we had made reservations. Add the fact that at about the same time 2 other tables walked in and sat in the bar area, clearly overwhelming the single bartender on duty.

After this shaky start, however, things steadily improved. Even though he had a full bar and three tables to cover, the bartender did his best and was quite friendly.

The food was excellent, if a bit pricey. My mom had the crab cakes, which I sampled and can say were quite good. Lump crab with very little filler and nicely sized and browned perfectly golden. I had the ribeye, my favorite cut of steak, and it did not disappoint. Cooked to a perfect medium, simply sumptuous. The vegetable and starch were also nicely prepared (can someone tell me when it become vogue to refer to mashed potatoes as smashed potatoes? Was the extra S necessary?) I finished off with a slice of tiramisu cake that was exceedingly moist and very delicious.

All in all a very excellent meal, worthy of a 5 star rating if the host/hostess performance and general staffing issues improve. I would definitely recommend.

First time here after hearing good reviews. Not really busy so I was really confused on why it took 15 minutes to be seated. Someone must have called off because they had the bartender waiting tables. Food was okay, nothing to write home about and they charged me 3.00 extra for coleslaw instead of sauerkraut on my sandwich.
( aren't they the same thing? ) They did have a great selection of local beers. I personally wouldn't go back.

The food is way over priced, and 8 out of ten times, it's cold when you get it. Management tends to scold their staff in front of the customers. The wait staff is wonderful, but management has much to learn.

Definitely over priced. I guess they stay in business by the out of towners coming in. My family and I walked out after we looked at the menu prices.Closed down!