Craft beer joins craft food at Isaac's restaurants

Isaac’s restaurants have built a reputation on craft food, and now the south-central Pennsylvania chain is adding craft beer to the mix.

The bird-themed chain, with three locations in York County, entered the brewery business in 2020 when it opened its first in Lancaster County.

Issac’s now has breweries in Lemoyne, Lebanon and Lancaster, with bars in five locations. Johnny Roberts, director of business and market development for Isaac’s Restaurant, said all 13 Isaac’s restaurants will be pouring beer by the end of the year.

In York County, the Springettsbury Township location at 2960 Whiteford Road operates a nano-brewery, producing 2,000 barrels of beer or less per year, according to Roberts.

“It’s literally a 5-gallon top to meet the requirements for the G license (brewery license),” he said. “We can contract the other breweries to bring beer to York County. We hope to have a full-scale brewing system here in the future, I just don’t know when.”

The Whiteford Road site and the West York location at 2159 White Street each have six beer taps, Roberts said. They also serve wines from Grandview Vineyards in Mount Joy, Lancaster County, and canned cocktails from Hidden Still in Hershey.

The Springettsbury Township location has a five-seat bar located next to its food court, Roberts said. “West York doesn’t have anything yet, but we’re hoping to put a little bar in the front room there. I just don’t have a timeline for it.”

Five locations — Greenfield in Lancaster County, Mechanicsburg, Lemoyne, Lebanon and downtown Lancaster — have full taprooms where 12 different beers are poured.

“The beer we pour at Isaac’s will mostly just be what we brew at our breweries,” Roberts said. “Occasionally we’ll have a guest tap from another local brewery, but not that often.”

Flavors: What kinds of beer are available in York County? How about a Knights of the Rye table or a Flamingo Del Sol? Maybe a Tangerine Gleam sounds good or a Purple Witzard Oola La.

Knights of the Rye Table and Flamingo Del Sol are offered at the West York location. Knights is an old world rye beer, while Flamingo Del Sol is a Mexican style beer. Tangerine Gleam is brewed in Springettsbury Township and is aged on tangerine puree, while Purple Witzard is a witbier aged on blueberries and acai sorbet.

In total, Isaac’s brews 24 different beers between the three breweries. These include Hefeweizen, a locally brewed beer from Lebanon that includes a hint of banana; Roggenbier, an old-world rye beer; and a Fruited Kettle Sour that includes blueberry puree and blood oranges.

New look, new logo: Along with the new craft beer concept will come a new look and new signage — Isaac’s Craft Kitchen & Brewery. Roberts said the Isaac’s restaurants in Greenfield, Lemoyne and Lebanon all have the new look, with matching signs on the buildings and pole signs along the road at those locations.

“We’ve also updated our logo and the flamingo has been changed,” Roberts said. “He has a sheaf of barley for his wing.”

Roberts did not say when the new look will roll out to all of its locations.

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Craft beer joins craft food at Isaac’s restaurants

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