Annie Bailey's

Published August 27, 2024

After our tour of Wheatland, we drove to our accommodations at The Rocky Springs Bed & Breakfast.

 

The Rocky Springs Bed & Breakfast

Out of the downtown, past some residential homes and buildings, and into the woods with hiking trails, was the gates of the Rocky Springs Bed & Breakfast.

The B&B’s property — we learned — dates back to 1855 with the Rocky Springs Park. The park evolved over the years into The Rocky Springs Amusement Park, which finally closed in the 1980s. The current owners, Sam and Elaine Stoltzfus, bought the remaining park land in 2001 and converted it into a bed and breakfast.

The owner, Elaine, gave us a tour of the first floor of the main B&B, sharing with us the maps of the land and amusement park before she and her husband purchased it. It was an incredible history and Elaine and her family — who remain as dairy farmers in the area — know the local area and offered recommendations for what to visit nearby.

We explored the front of the property, which houses some of the remaining amusement park structures — like the popcorn stand, ticket book, and roller coaster cars.

Elaine gave us a photo album with images from the amusement park in the 80s. It was amazing to see these structures in their prime compared to today.

The Cottage

Around the back of the main B&B and next to the innkeeper’s home was The Cottage — an office building converted into a studio. It had a kitchenette, private bathroom, sitting area with an electric stove, and patio that overlooked the grounds.

Elaine’s attention to detail and design choices for The Cottage were perfect. The Cottage had vaulted ceilings, a pastel and floral palette, and felt well-kept and cozy.

The old carousel house was down a path to the right of The Cottage. The unique structure was in surprisingly good condition, and if you peeked through the windows, you could see the old carousel’s tracks. We walked through the open field that eventually led us down to the river, where you could see small fish and the old remains of a dock in the water.

While we considered staying in downtown Lancaster — which appears more walkable on a map then one may expect — staying in the quiet wooded area with the B&B was the ideal choice for us. Plus, an 8-minute drive in either direction brought us back to the bustling downtown or out to the open farmland.

Dinner at Annie Bailey’s Irish Public House

After unpacking and settling into The Cottage, we headed back to downtown for dinner. Now, you know I’m not much of a bar / pub type of person, but in my Lancaster research, Annie Bailey’s was recommended. Since it was early in the evening, we figured the pub wouldn’t be rowdy, so we decided to go there for dinner.

 

Parking was no problem with so many decks available. I believe we paid $8.00 for a few hours, which popped us out on King Street, a few buildings over from Annie Bailey’s.

Annie Bailey’s Interior

Dark wood, massive bar, TVs, and stone. I wasn’t surprised to find that the interior of Annie Bailey’s was a classic pub. It looked neat and organized — with the empty bar chairs lined up in a neat row and various liquor bottles lined along the bar.

We chose to sit outside on the patio and were led to a wide two-top table against the outside wall. Green awnings shaded the large tables, and an outdoor bar was already full of guests. A barrel held games that were carried to different tables.

By now, the air had cooled and sitting outside was pleasant. I enjoyed the greenery on the patio, the low music, and the casual diners. The outdoor dining was more of my vibe.

Annie Bailey’s Dinner Menu

A single page menu was categorized into sections titled “shared,” entrees, soups and salad, and handhelds. Annie Bailey’s rotates their appetizers every few months (as one of the appetizers we tried in July is no longer offered), which may explain why they use a paper menu.

Summer Fizz | $6.00 each

To start, we ordered the Summer Fizz mocktails, one blueberry and one lemon with lavender. I loved the short glasses and the drinks were both refreshingly tart. I stuck with the blueberry fizz as the lemon was too tart for me.

At this time of day, the outdoor dining was quiet. One other couple sat to our right at a large table. They shared drinks and nachos before ordering sandwiches (which were massive). A family with young kids arrived two tables over from them. The kids ran back and forth from the games to their table.

Appetizers

Pork Belly Bites | $15.00 

The pork belly bites were tossed in a honey chipotle BBQ sauce and topped with fried onions.

I thought this was a large portion for an appetizer. Thick cubes of pork belly contrasted with the crunchy onions. The BBQ sauce was the ideal balance of flavors without being overly sweet. I saw on the menu that this appetizer came with coleslaw, but I don’t recall that we had any in our bowl. That would’ve been the ideal addition to cut down on the richness of the appetizer.

Bavarian Pretzel Sticks | $10.00 

Of course, dining at a pub — we had to get the pretzel sticks. They came with a side of beer cheese and spicy mustard.

Warmed with the extra flavor from the seeds and the dipping sauce, this was a good appetizer to share.

A table of 10 college students were ushered to the back of the patio, behind us. The volume on the patio increased with their shouted stories and laughter. The couple to our right paid and left, and the three tables closest to us filled with couples of all ages who eyed our appetizers as they took their seats. I thought it was interesting that Annie Bailey’s was a destination for all ages to have a great meal.

Entrees

Bangers and Mash | $22.00

While I was tempted to try the fish and chips, I decided on the bangers and mash, which is my go-to Irish entree.

One word: Incredible. I have never had a dish with so few ingredients taste so amazing. Even the carrots and peas — which must’ve just been cooked in butter — tasted sweet and fresh.

The sausage in this dish was so tender and flavorful that I could cut it without using a knife. The gravy overtop was Guinness and onion and it packed a ton of flavor, especially when paired with the sausage. And the potatoes — who could go wrong there? Perfect. It was a delicious entree.

Shepherd’s Pie | $25.00

Truthfully, I was so excited for my entree I didn’t even try my boyfriend’s shepherd’s pie. It arrived on a cutting board with a personal Irish soda bread.

A swirl of golden potatoes covered the crock in a layer before reaching the filling of ground lamb, beef, peas, and carrots in a brown gravy. While I think the soda bread was an on-brand idea, I think another type of bread would’ve been easier for dipping in the gravy, as the soda bread was too crumbly for soaking up the gravy.

Overall, our meal at Annie Bailey’s was the perfect start to our trip. While I was curious to see what desserts may have been offered at Annie Bailey’s we decided to visit another spot on my restaurant list for dessert.

Dessert

One building over from Annie Bailey’s was the Bistro Barberet & Bakery.

 

Unfortunately, since it was the end of the day — and close to closing — most of the pastry cases were empty. You can see the elaborate decorations and thoughtful arrangement that Barberet cares about the quality of their offerings. The men behind the counter even apologized that the cases were so empty. I couldn’t imagine what they may have looked like at the start of the day! Clearly, that’s an indication of their popularity.

The name cards were pretty tiny to read, so we selected one chocolate item and one vanilla — the flan and the tiramisu-style cake. Between the two, I preferred the richness of the tiramisu, which also had a layer of chocolate on top.

I would’ve loved to have tried more of Barberet’s pastries, as there were at least 3 other cases that were entirely empty. However, I’m glad that we managed to visit such a popular location during our visit and hope to return the next time we’re in Lancaster.

My Recommendations

I give our visit to Annie Bailey’s a 10/10 for the following:

• Decor and Design

  • From the bright red exterior and gold and black signage, to the stone and wood interior, Annie Bailey’s stays true to the Irish Pub experience. Their outdoor dining provides a lighter space with more areas of greenery and casual dining, which aligns with their brunch and family-friendly offerings.

• Service

  • No complaints on the service. Our waitress timed our order perfectly, so we had time to enjoy our drinks and appetizers before our food arrived. I observed the service was tag-team style, with servers from the kitchen running the food, while the waitresses focus on the orders. If I had one recommendation, it would be to have a dedicated staff member for collecting menus and clearing the tables, as it seemed to be up to each staff member whether they should do that task, which left menus fluttering around the patio and plates lingering on the edges of tables between courses.

• Food

  • The food at Annie Bailey’s offers the classic Irish fare with some unique additions. I was surprised to see the pork belly bites and was happy to try such an offering as an appetizer. My classic bangers and mash was the best I’ve ever had and I would absolutely recommend trying to anyone visiting Lancaster.

Do you have a favorite dish from Annie Bailey’s? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, I’d love to hear from you.

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