It’s a gorgeous late spring/early summer day. You decide to take a drive, maybe through Lancaster County. It’s strawberry season so everywhere you go signs pop up STRAWBERRIES! ONIONS! LETTUCE! You stop, you shop, you drive on. Getting on to lunchtime you start to think about a place to eat (because even though you bought strawberries, you didn’t eat quite all of them . . . yet!). Where do you go? Some national chain on the major highway you’ve been avoiding? Nonsense! If you’re anywhere near Leola, and you don’t go to Gracie’s on West Main, you will have missed an opportunity.
I only found the place because my sister and I were meeting for lunch and wanted it somewhere between us. She is an avid Yelp user and so she said, “Do you know Gracie’s?” I’ve never even been in Leola, so no, I hadn’t heard of it. I arrived late (I had swung through Lebanon to pick up Shuey’s Pretzels for my brother-in-law [see below]) and when I found the restaurant the parking lot was full and I had to park in the back (not a problem). Gracie’s does not have a large roadside presence (e.g., no windmill on the roof). It is part of a conglomeration of businesses under one roof, not quite a strip mall, not quite a business center. What it is, however, is a really great little restaurant.
They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, brunch, and bacon. Lots of bacon. (The menu says: “We use real butter for our eggs and toast, and rendered bacon fat for our home fries.”) Also an assortment of grilled cheese sandwiches. Yes, other sandwiches, soups, and salads, too. I debated getting the Irish breakfast sandwich (one of my favorite things to see on a menu: Breakfast all day!) but opted for a lunch item instead—the PLT (pulled pork, apple butter BBQ, lettuce, tomato and ranch dressing on toasted sourdough—shouldn’t that be PPLT?), but I skipped the ranch dressing. My drink was not my usual Diet Pepsi but a locally made cola, with real sugar but not overly sweet. Sister went for the Cobb salad and took half home.
It came time for dessert (well, yes) and I ordered the strawberry-rhubarb Riesling crisp cake and she had the key-lime pie with a macaroon crust. We were very happy diners. I had just ordered another key-lime pie to take home to Husb when the cook showed up with a slice of her angel-food cake with strawberries and whipped cream. She said they had it left over and everyone else had had some so “enjoy!” Oh, we did. I have never had better angel-food cake. I wish I could make it that well!
Gracie’s is the kind of place if you’re not a local you may not know it, if you drive by it you may not notice it, but if you go in and have something to eat you will never forget it. I’m already ready to go back and try something else on the menu!
Note: You probably don’t know Shuey’s Pretzels either. A plain little house on the east side of Lebanon that creates pretzel heaven Wednesdays through Saturdays. Large hard pretzels in two forms: regular and beer (the latter a little thicker). Not so hard it hurts to bite them but just right. Made fresh every day; the shop often smells like heaven. And if you want soft pretzels, they’re available only on Saturdays. I have not yet had the pleasure but one of these days I will.
(Photo from Gracie's Facebook page)
