GREENCASTLE'S DOWNTOWN DELECTABLES
By The Daily Boro Staff
During a visit to Greencastle, feed your hunger or satisfy your thirst at the community’s best downtown restaurants, bakeries, breweries, and coffee shops. These establishments have varied opening and closing times, so call ahead or visit their websites to confirm more details.
BREAKFAST
Coffee is often the first order of the day, so get a morning jolt of java by stopping at the Bean & Biscuit Coffeehouse at 18 E. Baltimore Street. Owners Rod and Kim Eckstine are celebrating their 5th anniversary this summer, and they invite coffee lovers to sip, snack, and chat in their cozy coffeehouse. Choose from a variety of handcrafted favorites, such as espresso, cappuccino, iced coffee, or macchiato, served by friendly baristas. B&B also offers teas, smoothies, and other drink options for children.
Bean & Biscuit offers savory breakfast items to complement your beverage. Homemade biscuits are on the menu, as expected, and they also serve quiche and bagels. Muffins, scones, and weekend specials round out the delicious breakfast choices. B&B also fixes unique lunch items. Soups of the day are a perfect partner with a specialty sandwich. Finish your meal with a cookie or fresh fruit. The Bean & Biscuit Coffeehouse (717-643-1580/thebeanandbiscuitpa.com) offers a relaxing experience in a comfortable setting.
On the western side of the Square, at 15 W. Baltimore Street, Mama K’s Buns is a treat for the senses. Waltz inside and immediately enjoy the unmistakable aroma of a working bakery. Kris Yoder is Mama K, and she is the chief baker and owner with her husband, Terry. The shop specializes in cinnamon buns, cookies, cupcakes, pies, and breads. Mama K’s promises “homemade goodness fresh from the oven.” A glass showcase brings the latest treats into immediate vision, treating the eyes to what the nose has already detected.
Their famous cinnamon buns are available with several frosting options, such as sticky buns or filled with fruit. They bake four different cupcake flavors each week, and the cookie selection copies this weekly count. But Mama K’s always has its renowned chocolate chip cookies in stock. Fresh-made pies vary in fruit variety depending on the season. Mama K’s also caters to special occasions, so if you’re hosting a holiday party or a family reunion, they can customize a sweets menu that will please everyone. The bakery (mamaksbuns.com/717-360-8545) offers no indoor seating, so take your treats into the Square and enjoy the festivities.
The Home Style Family Restaurant offers three meals daily, but they’re known for their breakfast menu. All the traditional favorites are here, served from 6 am to 11 am by a cheerful staff. French toast, waffles, pancakes (stuffed with blueberries or chocolate chips), omelets, and eggs any style, accompanied by bacon, ham, or sausage. The restaurant has the nostalgic feel of a diner, with a view of bustling Route 11, located just north of Route 16 at 26 N. Antrim Way.
The restaurant doesn’t disappoint at lunch or dinner either, as this establishment is consistently ranked one of Greencastle’s Top 10 eateries by Tripadvisor. They serve a variety of meals, including salads, sandwiches, and subs for lunch, and for dinner, they offer pasta, beef, poultry, chicken, and seafood entrees. Home Style Family Restaurant (717-597-4243) also has a kids’ menu.
LUNCH
Two south-of-the-border-themed restaurants lead the choices for lunch. Café del Sol is the newest addition to Greencastle’s food scene, which opened in 2024 at 164 E. Baltimore Street. The contemporary atmosphere inside this building, with monochromatic furnishings, lets the eye wander to original tile floors and modern light fixtures. Café del Sol perfected its upscale food repertoire after many successful years at six locations.
Pick 3 lunch specials start at $14 and include half a panini (the Cuban and chicken pesto are two favorites), a cup of soup, and a side. The Red Rock crab bisque is excellent, with sweet baby shrimp and scallops swimming in a creamy broth. For those who can’t resist a Mexican-flavored meal, the Baja fish and chimichurri tacos are delicious- as are the shrimp and chorizo quesadillas. A diner can’t go wrong with any of the four rice bowls but take a trip outside the southwest and try the Korean BBQ Pork, served with Asian slaw, mango salsa, and avocado for a unique meal.
Café del Sol (delsolcafes.com/717-666-3114) also serves dinner. Diners enjoy appetizers, salads, pasta, pizza, wraps, and sandwiches. The ahi tuna salad (featuring rare seared yellowfin tuna) includes field greens with cucumber, spiced almonds, sesame mango salsa, is topped with carrot miso ginger vinaigrette. The restaurant’s five-cheese lasagna and Margherita pizzas are appetizing selections. Café del Sol’s short rib burger is a splurge with fresh-cut fries or homemade chips.
Casa Agave Mexican Restaurant is a mid-priced choice for traditional Mexican cuisine. Three Escobar family members established the eatery. This brotherly trio boasts 50 years of collective cooking and restaurant management experience and opened Casa Agave after years of careful planning. The result is a friendly establishment that is consistent, colorful, and creative.
Lunch and dinner are available here, and specialties include burritos. Bring your full appetite for the Monster Burrito, stuffed with steak, chicken, and shrimp and wrapped inside a 12-inch flour tortilla. The Agave Fajitas are a wise choice for couples, served with that same trio of meats and accompanied by bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions.
Combination dinners are a fun way to try different types of Mexican cuisine, including Chile Relleno, enchiladas, tamales, and the staple of many meals, tacos. Casa Agave’s Tropical Tilapia is a festive and lighter dish.
Casa Agave (717-597-3928/140 N. Antrim Way/casaagavepa.com) is open from 11 am to 9 pm daily (except Sunday from 11 am to 7 pm), and the service is prompt and pleasant.
After lunch, cool off in the afternoon at Scoops on the Square, at 12 W. Baltimore Street (717-643-2435/scoopsonthesquare.com). Scoops offers 32 varieties of ice cream at a time and adds new flavors each month. Stop by the shop to see what flavors they’re scooping this fall.
Owners Sarah Nelson and Jeremy Jamison proudly sell Perry’s ice cream. Whether licked from a cone or spooned from a cup, a helping of ice cream is a treat for any season.
DINNER
John Allison founded Greencastle, and the restaurant named in his honor is one of the community’s favorite choices for dinner and drinks. At the John Allison Public House, located at 155 S. Antrim Way (717-643-0218/johnallisonpublichouse.com), every night brings a new experience as the eatery hosts themed specials throughout the week.
The party kicks off with Beer Night on Tuesdays, followed by Burger Night on Wednesdays and Wing Night on Thursdays. Signature cuts of prime rib are available on Fridays and Saturdays after 4 pm while supplies last. The restaurant offers tavern and dining room seating for both lunch and dinner.
For the finest dining experience in Greencastle, B Street Restaurant is a sophisticated bistro where the cuisine, atmosphere, and service combine to inspire memorable evenings. Housed inside an architectural Greencastle gem, once home to the McLaughlin Hotel, original stained glass windows are a feature of the cozy Listening Room, the B Street venue for live music. Intimate dining experiences are available in the privacy of the Wine Room and Barn Room, which can accommodate up to 14 people.
Along with the tasteful main dining room, these settings promote a relaxing vibe that accompanies meals created with locally sourced and high-quality ingredients. B Street (104 E. Baltimore Street/717-643-1621/bstreet104.com) carefully crafts a diverse selection of dishes expertly prepared by talented chefs.
Try the mussels as an appetizer, served with andouille sausage and red peppers, or the Calypso Salad featuring blackened salmon, avocado, and mango. The Peruvian Stir Fry and fire-grilled NY Strip steak headline the beef choices, while the Crispy Pork Tenderloin and Seafood Pasta are other standouts.
B Street’s menu is updated daily with kitchen specials and other creative new dishes. With great food, service, and its signature ambiance, this restaurant is the venue where “strangers become friendly, and friends become family.”
For locally brewed beer and other cocktails, along with live music options, Hidden Key Brewery (101 W. Baltimore Street) is the first and only brewery in Greencastle. Brewmeister’s Rick, Steve, and Tim pour a rotating draft selection of a dozen brews year-round.
Favorites include the Three Amigos Mexican Lager, Happy Pappy Double IPA, and Blue Devil Blonde Ale. Along with a selection of Pennsylvania wines and local spirits, including whiskeys and bourbons, Hidden Key is a place to “let loose, bond with friends, and enjoy life’s victories.”
The menu at Hidden Key is as eclectic as the beers, with salads, appetizers, and hand-held menu items. Their dinner specialty is Slow-Braised Short Ribs, and the Salmon Piccata and Steak Diane are also tempting. The restaurant serves a hearty brunch menu on Sundays. Hidden Key (hiddenkeybrewingco.com/717-895-3816) sponsors a variety of local musical talent and posts a monthly concert schedule on its Facebook page.
These first-class Greencastle hospitality venues offer a variety of meals, snacks, and drinks that are sure to please any palette.
