15 Best Restaurants in Carlisle, PA
Carlisle was established in 1751 by Scots-Irish immigrants and served as the county seat of Cumberland County.
It is nestled in the Cumberland Valley, an extremely fertile area for farming.
Its small-town appeal extends to its many attractions, including museums, antique shops, and a weekly farmer's market.
It's also home to many restaurants and bars where you can enjoy local cuisine.
Here are the 15 best restaurants in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Momma Spriggs Restaurant
Relaxed and casual, Momma Spriggs Restaurant serves New American comfort food with a seasonal twist for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
They have various pasta, steak, wrap, sandwich, seafood, and entrée options.
Momma Spriggs is a stylish, casual, comfort food restaurant where you can rest assured that the cuisine has been prepared with only the freshest ingredients.
The specials are constantly changing to reflect the season's best flavors.
They serve hearty quantities of delicious, home-cooked food and provide outstanding service.
Enjoy a delicious soup of the day or a quesadilla stuffed with chicken, cheese, peppers, and caramelized onions as an appetizer.
After that, pick from items like a Buffalo chicken sandwich, a club sandwich, or one of their famous California burgers.
Shrimp, potato, lettuce, and cheddar cheese make for an extraordinary Baja wrap.
If you're hungry for delicious food, head to York Road and visit Momma Spriggs Restaurant.
Carlisle Diner
The Carlisle Diner is a classic 24-hour eatery that serves traditional American fare in a warm, welcoming setting.
It's a family-owned restaurant serving only fresh, handcrafted meals daily.
You can choose from a wide variety of tasty dishes on their extensive menu.
Kickstart your day with a steaming breakfast like the Carlisle Feast, which consists of two eggs, bacon, home fries, toast, and two pancakes.
In addition, you can choose among the burger options, such as the California Hamburger with green peppers, lettuce, tomato, and onion, which can help you fuel your day.
Carlisle Diner, located at 800 W High Street, is excited to serve you in their dining rooms, patio, or drive-thru.
Rustic Tavern
Rustic Tavern is a cozy restaurant and bar located at 823 Newville Road that serves steak, seafood, and pasta in a rustic, homey setting.
It has a nice dining area with a fireplace and a patio, ideal for warmer days.
It has been a Carlisle staple for 20 years and one of the local favorites.
You'll have a lot of options here, from quick bites to upscale dining.
Their chef gets creative with the seasons, so the daily specialties rotate frequently.
The seafood dishes are excellent, such as the broiled Maine scallops, stuffed shrimp, sweet chili salmon burgers, and rustic crab cakes.
If you want the finest steaks on the West Side, this is also the place to go.
It serves steaks that are USDA Choice and are cut fresh on the premises every day.
The Delmonico, New York Strip, and Filet Mignon steaks are perfectly cooked and bursting with flavor.
Don't also miss one of their cocktails, such as the Stoli Mule, made with Stoli vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice and served in a copper mug.
Hamilton Restaurant
The Hamilton Restaurant is a Carlisle institution and a cozy neighborhood eatery.
Here, you can eat like you're at an authentic, family-run restaurant from the 1950s or 1960s.
It features a homey, down-to-earth vibe reminiscent of local diners with counter and booth seating.
This family-run restaurant serves breakfast in addition to its signature hotdogs smothered with cheese, chili, and mustard.
The Cheeseburger Club served with french fries and coke slaw is a staple at this establishment.
Try the two pork chops with mashed potatoes and corn if you want something heavier.
The Hamilton Restaurant is located at W High Street.
North Hanover Grille
The North Hanover Grille is a cozy little spot with a long bar and a fireplace serving American dishes and craft beer on tap.
This no-frills restaurant has an extensive menu of good old American fare, including burgers, wraps, entrees, wings, steak, fresh salads, and alcoholic beverages.
It offers fifteen different micro and foreign beers on tap, making it the best collection of drafts.
On your visit, split an order of Nachos Grande with your friends; it comes with crisp corn chips, lettuce, tomatoes, Monterey Jack Cheddar, chili, sour cream, salsa, and jalapeno pepper.
Next, order the Salmon Mediterranean for your main course.
It’s made from broiled salmon with sautéed spinach, fire-roasted tomatoes, feta cheese, and white wine garlic butter sauce.
To complete your meal, try it with a glass of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Noir.
Craving for more?
Visit North Hanover Grille at 37 N Hanover Street.
Fay's Country Kitchen
Fay's Country Kitchen is a cozy franchise restaurant known for its all-day breakfast and American classics served in a casual atmosphere.
It's the best place in Carlisle for hearty American fare like fries and burgers.
Fay's Country Kitchen provides excellent service that combines two of life's greatest pleasures: delicious and inexpensive food.
It has plenty of seating for big and small groups, including children.
It's a casual eatery where you may come straight from work or a game without worrying about the dress code.
The food is also available for takeout.
Try Fay's Country Kitchen at S Hanover Street if you're in the mood for some good ol' American comfort food.
Grazery
The Grazery is an inviting cafe serving gluten-free and vegan menu dishes with traditional fare, including a Mediterranean breakfast and a variety of soups, salads, and sandwiches.
It opened its doors in downtown Carlisle in July 2017, right across the street from Dickinson College and the Bosler Memorial Library.
Their unique menu is designed with health and wellness in mind—it's a limited menu where practically everything is made from scratch in small batches.
They use fresh seasonal produce, meat, poultry, and eggs from farms around Carlisle to implement their culinary ideas.
Don't miss their Mediterranean sandwich—it's a rustic baguette filled with smoked eggplant spread and loaded with feta, tomato, arugula, and balsamic glaze.
If the vegetarian fare isn't your thing, try the El Torero, a sandwich made with naturally smoked ham, cheddar, Romesco sauce, and spinach on a rustic baguette.
Visit them on W High Street for a one-of-a-kind gastronomic experience.
The Pizza Grille
The Pizza Grille - Carlisle is a cozy restaurant known for its selection of authentic Italian pasta, pizzas, burgers, and salads.
The Pizza Grille, found at Ritner Hwy, is a chic and laid-back restaurant where you can enjoy your meal in the alfresco dining area all year.
Harrisburg Magazine has voted them "Simply the Best" for six years in a row.
They use only the freshest ingredients from local producers to create their handmade dough.
The restaurant also serves homemade soups, pasta, specialty sandwiches, hand-chopped salads, fresh seafood, and award-winning gourmet pizzas.
Their Seafood Trio is a great starter, featuring fresh tuna steak, sea scallops, and shrimp with a sweet soy sauce and topped with pico de gallo.
On the other hand, the Mexican pizza is a one-of-a-kind creation that features spicy chicken chorizo, tomato sauce, typical mozzarella, lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and sour cream.
1794 The Whiskey Rebellion
1794 The Whiskey Rebellion is a country-style restaurant serving American bistro classics.
It is located in the heart of downtown Carlisle, Pennsylvania, at S Hanover Street.
It features a modern rustic vibe, thanks to its stone fireplace and wooden flooring.
The menu boasts delectable dishes prepared with ingredients gathered from within the local community.
It also offers a hundred different whiskeys from around the world.
Their steaks have an exceptional smoky flavor since they are grilled over an open wood fire.
The ribeye is, without a doubt, the best cut, prepared and grilled to perfection.
Meanwhile, you shouldn't miss the Mifflin Bull Burger, which is juicy and flavorful.
Combine it with fries or their enormous, perfectly cooked onion rings, and you'll have a delicious meal.
Wash it all down with one of their signature cocktails to end your meal on a satisfying note.
Redds Smokehouse BBQ
Redd's Smokehouse BBQ is a casual, no-frills barbecue joint that serves sandwiches, wings, and sauces prepared in-house.
Their authentic Southern barbecue is a welcome addition to Carlisle.
Their meats have a distinct flavor since they smoke them with real Applewood from nearby orchards.
Redd's serves affordable, home-cooked meals, including appetizers, sandwiches, and sides.
Their handmade rub, honey mustard BBQ, and ketchup-based barbecue sauces are just a few of the fantastic gourmet sauces they've created using family recipes.
Try Redd's potato skins with pulled pork, cheese sauce, bacon crumbs, and chives drizzled with homemade tomato BBQ sauce and sour cream to get things rolling.
Then go all out with the Redd's Sampler, which includes 1/4 rack smoked ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork, and two sides in addition to cornbread.
Your search for an appetizing southern barbecue ends at N Hanover Street.
Café Bruges
Café Bruges is a classic watering hole serving authentic bistro-style dishes.
It opened its doors in 2009 and is located at N Pitt Street
Serves traditional dishes from Belgium, its mission is to bring Europe to Carlisle.
The restaurant is a cooperative effort that draws on the skills of its four partners and their experiences in America, France, and Morroco.
The menu features classic Belgian dishes like mussels and waffles and a selection of more than a hundred unique Belgian beers.
On your visit, try their homemade soups.
Then try their house specialties, such as steak frites cooked from sirloin and topped with herb butter made from shallots and parsley, served with frites and Flemish green beans.
Finish off your meal with some exquisite Belgian dark chocolate mousse.
Issei Noodle
With its cozy wood interior, the family-run restaurant Issei Noodle is known for its authentic renditions of Asian noodle classics, including Ramen and pho.
They use the same tried-and-true techniques for making noodles found in pho, Ramen, and other traditional Asian dishes.
They try their best to find the freshest and most premium ingredients to ensure you have the most satisfactory dining experience possible.
Their Spicy Tan Tan Ramen is delicious and a must-try.
You can even order it with Tofu Tan Tan instead of pork for vegetarians.
The beef tom yum noodle soup, wonton ton special, spring rolls, shrimp tempura, fried tofu, and beef pho supreme are just a few of the dishes that will allow you to sample the diverse flavors of Southeast Asia and Japan.
Have a cold glass of Vietnamese iced coffee to round up your meal.
Issei Noodle is located on W High Street.
Marcello's Ristorante & Pizza
At Marcello's Ristorante & Pizza, you can enjoy genuine dishes from the southern region of Italy in a relaxed, kid-friendly setting.
It is one of the most well-liked restaurants in Carlisle and has made a name for itself with its consistently high-quality, freshly prepared food and traditional pizzas.
It first opened in 2005 and has since served pizza, pasta, and other staples to the local community.
Try something from their menu to find out why it's so popular.
The shrimp with cocktail sauce is one of their best appetizers.
Then try the chicken steak special sub or the cheese steak special sub, which both come with different toppings and sauces.
Their handmade alfredo sauce is also so rich and smooth that it is the perfect complement to their fettuccine.
Try some of Carlisle's finest cuisine at Marcello's Ristorante & Pizza located at Cavalry Road.
Taqueria Laurita
Yuca Frita, burritos, empanadas, and tamales are some authentic Mexican street foods at Taqueria Laurita, a cozy counter-service restaurant.
The restaurant is located in a vibrant setting at W High Street.
The top sellers at Taqueria Laurita include the daily empanadas, al pastor taco, and pescado taco.
Order a burrito loaded with beef, Mexican rice, black beans, queso fresco, salsa, crema, and guacamole to satisfy your cravings.
Get the Vegetarian Burrito with Mexican rice, queso fresco, salsa, crema, black beans, and guacamole for a healthier option.
Don’t forget to visit when you're in Carlisle for their other Mexican specialties.
Other Nearby Restaurants
Graziella's Italian Restorante
The fresh ingredients and traditional pizzas at Graziella's Italian Pizza & Subs have made it one of the most popular restaurants in Plainfield, just a few minutes from Carlisle.
Try something from their menu to discover why everyone is raving about it.
Try the french fries or mozzarella sticks for a tasty appetizer or side dish.
For your main course, order a special burger sub stuffed with two cheeseburgers, mushrooms, green peppers, grilled onions, and American cheese.
Their shrimp and scallop fettuccine alfredo is also something to look forward to.
Satisfy your Authentic Italian craving and visit them in Plainfield, Pennsylvania.
Final Thoughts
Carlisle, Pennsylvania, a town once frequented by George Washington, is famous for its restored buildings and tree-lined streets.
Its proximity to the Appalachian Trail means easy access to outdoor recreation, including hiking and biking.
After a day of sightseeing, wind down with a delicious meal.
The best restaurants in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, will surely cap off your adventures on a high note.
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