Came here with my in-laws after doing the auto tour of Gettysburg we'd purchased at the Gettysburg National Military Park. Â It was a very interesting tour (I'll get to that in another review of the actual park). Â As we were doing the tour, I whipped out my handy-dandy go go gadget phone (Aka Smart Phone), and of course, booted my Yelp app. Â I read several reviews of restaurants in the area, and between my mother in law, and myself, we decided where we were off to eat.
It was rather easy to find, and parking wasn't so bad to get either. Â However, if you are going any day but Sunday, before 8 pm, bring change for the meter, you'll need it. Â Once we walked our little jaunt down the street from where we parked, we arrived at our destination.
I cannot remember the exact name of my dinner dish, and unfortunately it was a special of the day, so it's not on the menu either :( . However, it was a Pork steak of sorts, with a apple cream glaze that was amazing on it, fried zucchini, and I substituted the horseradish mashed potatoes with a twice baked potato that was yum (with leeks baked in it). Â The appetizer I shared with my mother in law was the brie with raspberry/port glaze. That was so dang good, I wanted to lick the plate, but alas, I could not, as I was sharing, and plate licking is frowned upon in general *sigh*. Â For dessert, I chose the homemade salted caramel ice cream, with caramel sauce and a toffee bar.
I had absolutely NO complaints about this place at all....which for me is amazing, because I'm rather picky (read that as: REALLY picky!)
Too bad this place is 2 hours away, I'd come eat here again soon to see what else is good.
After a long day of touring the Battlefield, we were looking for a place for dinner that wasn't a chain. Â However, on a Saturday night at 6 pm with beautiful weather, this was not an original idea. Â Every restaurant we attempted had long waits for tables (most of the restaurants along this strip are very small with few tables).
Someone suggested the Blue Parrot, so we walked down and we were able to get a table right away.
The place is set up in 4 sections. Â There is a bar area, an outdoor area, a small area with a single pool table and then a dining area all the way in the back that has a lot of tables. Â The tables are very close together and the noise level gets a little loud, so I found it hard to talk.
The restaurant was very busy, with few waitstaff, but they were working as hard as they could to keep everything moving.
Everything on the menu looked good and interesting and it was hard to pick something, so I decided on a burger. Â I was pleased with my selection. Â The burger was perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned and a nice portion. Â I also ordered iced tea and it's always wonderful when it is fresh and made well.
We were happy with our meal and were happy we found this place. Â I would not hesitate to eat here again or recommend it.
A word about the bathroom. Â There is one (1) stall. Â I was fortunate to not have a line when I used it, but I imagine as the place gets busier later in the evening, the line backs up. Â It's clean, but it's 1 stall. Â Plan accordingly ;o)
My wife and I had dinner in the bar area, which was busy but not overwhelming. The place is nicely decorated and quite comfortable, though the plastic chairs need to go. We found the server attentive and charming. The tap beers offer a good variety and are fresh. We shared the baked Brie appetizer, which was good, but a bit cool and certainly overpriced (a common theme here). We also shared a cup of the excellent crab bisque. The night we were there, they offered a special of ribs which came with salad, a baked potato, cole slaw, and a draft beer. The special was only 14 dollars, a deal considering the generally high prices for other items. The ribs and accompaniments we great. My wife ordered a cheeseburger, made from the obligatory "locally raised beef". The burger was overlooked and dry and was accompanied by commercial potato chips and a slice of tomato. This disappointing burger was 11 dollars, dramatically overpriced given the quality. As an experienced traveler and diner, I have come to be wary of "locally grown or produced, etc." Such a designation does not ensure success. Overall, a decent place, which we would revisit.
Review Source:The Parrot is in a convenient location just off the square. Â It's usually very crowded with an older, upper middle class crowd who can afford the overpriced food and drinks. Â It's usually frequented by Gettysburg College alumni, staff, and middle age tourists. Â This is not a good place for children. Â Although it has a bar in front, and restaurant in back, the only open seating is at the physical bar, not the tables in the bar, which are reserved for restaurant service until the kitchen closes. Â It is not a convenient place to meet people if you are looking to meet up for a drink after dinner.
The food is good, the drinks are usually strong, and the bar tenders are friendly enough as long as you keep drinking.
Saturday night in Gettysburg meant waiting for tables at most restaurants. Not the Blue Parrot and I could see why!
There seemed to be three waitresses between the whole place, one of whom was also the hostess. It meant that our service was indifferent and sporadic.
My favorite part of the restaurant experience was when my little sister sat in the chair at the table and it broke. Not because she did anything wrong, but because it was missing a bolt. It took a good 30 seconds before a waitress came over and did anything about it, leaving my sister to stand there awkwardly because she no longer had a chair. Aside from making sure she was ok and getting her another chair, they did nothing.
The food was fine. We ordered a hummus plate which comes with vegetables and pita chips. What that really means is two scraggly bell pepper slices and a plate full of pita. Mmmm carbohydrates. The flat iron steak was tender but bland.
The decor of the place was shabby. I know most of the buildings in the area are old...like, really old and therefore all the dining rooms look kind of dilapidated, but hang up a tapestry or something. There was nothing to muffle the conversation of the 30 other people in the room and the dull pepto-pink paint on the stone walls certainly didn't help.
I have been posting my story but management fights to get my story removed.
I am a professional, a veteran and a retired state employee. I have no reason to leave an inaccurate review and reading other reviews should indicate there is a pattern of poor service, mediocre but over-priced food and argumentative management.
We chose Blue Parrot due to its proximity to the downtown and activities. It was crowded, there looked to be good beer on tap, and it is clean. (We like clean)
We had only 90 minutes before tickets to an event and when it took a while to seat our party we told the server our time constraint and asked how long entrees take to arrive.
We were assured we had plenty of time. We ordered drinks and enjoyed the atmosphere.
As time drew closer and closer for us to leave to make our event we asked the server three times when the entrees would arrive. Eventually, I apologetically cancelled our entrees explaining we really had to leave.
As I was trying to explain the to the manager what we had been trying to explain to the server for over an hour the bartender stepped in and argued with me. Both staff were combative and verbally abusive. I told them very firmly I was paying for our drinks and leaving.
The manager condescendingly told me they are a formal restaurant where entrees typically take 90 minutes and if we were to eat at any fine restaurant we should expect as much.
When I corrected them and insisted I was only paying for our drinks and tip they threatened to call the police on me for not paying for the entrees, which were now being plated at our empty table.
I told them they absolutely were welcome to call the police but we were leaving. I left my name and address and suggested they have the owner call me about what happened that evening.
Well, I never heard from anyone but I really have to warn people, there are several reviews complaining about the service and if your patience is short (especially at their prices) I say stay far away.
Years ago, I was taken here when interviewing at Gettysburg College. I didn't get the job, but the meal was good. However, in the last year, I have stopped in twice, and--yes, I know it's busy--but I have been treated rudely or been completely ignored both times. Maybe my wife and I are not dressed like college professors visiting the town, but being ignored is intolerable. We won't be going back.
Review Source:After touring gettysburg, I looked for a place to eat and found this restaurant... Have to say that the ambience is pretty eclectic with all the funky art work on the walls....I ate the best cornbread ever here and coming from Hawaii, cornbread is much more sweeter and cake like, but this cornbread was a crumbly delicious mess....my green salad was fresh and service was great and attentive, but I slightly disappointed in the entree... For the price I was expecting a whole leg of chicken or a nice breast, but received a flatten piece of some kind of chicken.... Overall I had a good experience there...and they have a nice selection of beer too....
Review Source:So The service was as slow as Grandma running the marathon, 47 min. for the dinners to arrive. The waitress was repeatedly forgetful about what we ordered and what we were waiting for.
Our goal was to find  comfortable place to have a pre wedding wedding dinner for about 30 folks from out of town.Based on our experience we will not be going back. Oh , one more thing, the noise level is about the same as a Pro football game. Have a conversation, the person at the next table cupped his hands and yelled his order to the waitress..........twice before she got it
There is an interesting variety of items on the menu, many showing some interesting creativity. Â We were looking for something a little on the lighter side as it was later in the evening. Â There are interesting small and medium plate offerings that fit our interests.
Some entrees  seemed a little on the pricey side.  However, the food was good and the service was fine.  There were some nice wine selections. Â
The one downside was that the crab bisque was served lukewarm. Â Also, the house salad was not very creative. Â We expected something a little different since there were a number of creative entrees on the menu.
I am sure we will give it another try at some point.
dan liked the IPA options I enjoyed the local octoberfest brew. Â dan was very pleased with his burger and even though I was told, by our local friends, they have an amazing salmon I enjoyed the simple portabella quesadilla...though I think the mushrooms may not have been freshly sauteed. Â Salsa was fresh. Â We enjoyed the hummus appie. Â great bar atmosphere...when we visit again we will be sure to revisit garryowen irish pub just up the block and maybe the parrot
Review Source:We stumbled on the Blue Parrot while wandering around looking for a light dinner. We started with the smoked trout pate and a glass of wine. The pate was more like a spread - a little more coarse than a pate - but that was okay. It was very good and the portion was generous as was the wine. My wife had the portabello quesadilla and I had the crab cake. Both were very good, the sauce with the crab cake being especially good. The waitstaff was good. The only downside being the noise of the trucks at the outdoor seating.
Review Source:Nice little spot. Â I recommend having the Troegs on tap - it's a dark IPA that has a hoppy start with a interesting coffee finish. Â Unique.
For a starter, the fried fresh mozzarella with house marinara topped with parmigiano-reggiano is damn tasty.  For my main I had  the pecan crusted chicken breast with whipped jalapeño-maple sweet potatoes topped with honey-Dijon vinaigrette.  It sounds great, but it just doesn't quite deliver.  The chicken was ok, but the sweet potatoes didn't quite work.  They seemed a bit bland and not as creamy as they should be. Â
The service here rocked! Â We sat at the bar and the bartenders couldn't have been nicer.
This was only a couple of doors down from our hotel (The Hotel Gettysburg) so we decided to have our dinner, last Tuesday night here. The bar in the front was pretty full but not crowded, and the dining room had three other parties- one larger party of women and two smaller ones. We were seated in a booth immediately and greeted by our server.
The ambiance is interesting- low ceiling, lots of odd art on the walls. But nonetheless, the menu looked very interesting- SO had the sesame crusted salmon and I decided on the t-bone steak. I had to prompt the server I wanted it cooked, which I found strange. She also didn't seem to knowledgeable about the menu and had to go to the back and ask what was in particular dishes we inquired about.
We got salads with our meal and also dinner rolls that were ok- not served warm, but had this cheese sprinkle that I didn't quite understand how to 'operate', but our server explained very passingly that it's good on the rolls. She didn't give us any extra plates to pour the olive oil (which was on the table) so we drizzled it over the rolls and made a bit of a mess.
Anyway, our entrees came out and that part of our meal was pretty good. My t-bone was cooked to my liking and was served with a mixed potato roast- purple, sweet potato, yukon- yum! SO's salmon was good, cooked well.
We decided to get dessert there since we weren't sure if there would be anything open after dinner (Gettysburg doesn't strike me as a late night kind of town), and we opted on the brownie sundae. It was ok; the brownie was a bit too chewy and we were under the impression that it would be served warm with ice cream, but it was a brownie and ice cream.
SO did have wine, and the glass was very generous. Our bill was a little over 60, closer to 70 from what I remember, a bit pricier for what I thought the area would offer.
I took a customer from Israel here with a co-worker of mine on business, and we were sort of disappointed. We were recommended this location by our hotel because they told us it was the only place in town that served filet mignon, and that may have been true... My customer wanted fries with his... NO DICE! Only chips... Who wants chips from Utz with a 30 dollar filet?
I have the scallop and shrimp pasta, and my co-worker had some kind of chicken that he informed me was not that good.
They seemed like a low grade restaurant that put an extra 20% on ther prices to seem fancy. The wait service wasn't great, the food was decent, but not worth the price.
Come for a beer, leave for dinner...
I was here a couple of years ago, and unfortunately, I don't remember the food. Â What I do remember is that two waitresses fought over serving us with each other, eventually leaving us with a grouchy server and barely any service. Â It was really unpleasant and I haven't been back for that reason.
Review Source:"Pretty good food at a pretty good price." That's how my dad refers to this place.
I haven't actually eaten at the Blue Parrot since I turned 21. I won't comment on the food--except that I did try to have a meeting there once about grad school, but it was on a Monday and they are closed on Mondays.
As a bar, the Blue Parrot rocks. It mostly appeals to locals, I rarely see anyone I don't know there (i.e Gburg college kids), but it is so much cheaper to drink here than in DC, I'll forgive it just about anything. It's clean, it's MUCH classier than the bull, and its only unbearably crowded the night before Thanksgiving, when I rarely go out anyway, to save listening to the "why are you hungover on Thanksgiving" mom lecture.
Blue Parrot is a solid choice for drinks in Gettysburg. Nothing stands out about this bar, neither positive or negative. That is why I'm rating the Parrot right down the middle.
The bar area is cozy enough, with several tables surrounding the bar and a tv to watch. There are several beers on tap, including the good ol' American stand-bys and some local beers. A pitcher of Yuengling is $9, which isn't the cheapest around but good enough for someone from out of state like me. The only other local beer I can remember is Troegs. The bartenders are nice, but not super friendly. They can make mostly anything you ask for.
I haven't tried the food at the Blue Parrot, but the restaurant seating in the back is open for bar patrons at night. There is an outdoor patio open during the summer as well. The pool table is a nice touch, but you have to wade through a bunch of locals to get a game in at all. The bar scene here is full of townies who have stayed in Gettysburg after graduating (or not graduating/attending) college. It's an okay environment if you're here with friends, which was thankfully my situation.
Overall, the Blue Parrot is decent and helluva better choice than that sketchy dive below Mamma's down the street!
My fiance and I recently traveled to Gettysburg for an intimate weekend away from family and friends. We had looked up restaurants and bars on line and the menu and reviews of the Blue Parrot Bistro sounded interesting and so on our first night in town we tried them out.
I give the Blue Parrot two stars mainly for the service and atmosphere. Our server's name was Aubrey and she was polite and helpful. The bartender's were also very courteous and helped us while we waited for a table. My fiance and I have over thirteen years of restaurant experience between the two of us. We are not food snobs by any means, but we do have a certain level of expectation based on the menu and pricing of the restaurant itself.
We started with the Hummus, which was prepared nicely and came with toast points and summer vegetables (which consisted of two varieties of peppers that were stuck into the Hummus vertically). The Hummus itself was nice, but the toast points were tough and I usually expect a larger variety of vegetables when it is billed that way in the menu.
We then ordered our entrees; for me the Salmon with a sesame crust, mashed potatoes and a citrus sauce, and for her the Cajun Salad. My fiance does not eat chicken (nor do I) so she ordered the salad with shrimp only and did not ask for extra shrimp to be added to the salad, rather she ordered it without the chicken (I'll come back to this later). Both of our entrees were undercooked. Her shrimp were blue and the edges of my salmon portion were the only cooked part. Her salad was nice (from a bag) and my mashed potatoes were warm enough (also from a bag), but we were severely disappointed in the level of cooking of the food that we were expected to eat.
We explained all this to the server and she assured us that the shrimp were grilled and that the salmon portion comes prepared that way. We were not looking for a discount or for our food to be recooked; in fact we just wanted our server to know this so she could explain it to the "chef" (which it didn't seem like she was very interested in for whatever the reason). Neither I nor my fiance feel comfortable eating this type of raw fish, so we didn't.
After finishing (what we could eat) our meals, our server told us that the kitchen instructed her to up charge our bill for extra shrimp: a $3 charge. The money wasn't the issue that we had with this charge, it was the fact that we didn't order the salad with extra shrimp: just without chicken. If the "chef" felt the need to add extra (uncooked) shrimp then that was his/her prerogative and shouldn't have been an additional charge.
Many times in this review I have used the term "chef" because I don't feel like a chef should want to serve people food that is uncooked or prepared in an unsafe way. A chef also wouldn't serve food that doesn't look a certain way on the plate: normally it is as appealing to the eye as it is to the palate. Maybe the chef was off on the Friday night that we were in the restaurant, maybe the chef was taking a break while we were being served, or maybe this restaurant doesn't have a trained chef that works there- just a glorified cook. Whatever the excuse, it makes no difference to me, I would just like others to know about this place and for them not to have the type of experience that we did.
Good food overall. Â Service was decent, waitress was friendly and accurate, but a little slow sometimes. Â French onion soup was great. Â Local beet salad with chevre was excellent. Â Good bottled craft beer selection. Â Chicken special was very good. Â Steak was somewhat overdone, but flavorful.
Review Source:We went in on a Thursday night, the place was pretty packed. In fact, we had to drive around the block to find a parking spot on the crowded Chambersburg's street. We had to wait for the hostess to show up, but were lucky enough to get a intimate booth in the dining room. Our server was Aubrey and she was willing to help with our menu selections. I had iced tea, BJ got a Magic Hat Wacko brew. Now there's a beer you don't see on every menu!
Jim started with a crab bisque. I thought it was a little watery, but the flavor was good. For dinner Jim had the seafood stew. It was packed with fish, scallops, shrimp, clams, and mussels steamed with artichoke hearts, tomatoes, and leeks in a garlic and lemon broth. BJ really liked the freshness of the seafood and the flavor of the broth. I had the chicken, sausage, and shrimp tossed with Cajun seasoning, leeks, mushrooms, cream and fettuccine. It was delicious.
For dessert we shared a tiramusi. It was more of a pudding version of the dessert, rather than a cake. We both really liked it. All in all, a great evening.
I was in Gettysburg for the first time this past weekend and wanted to enjoy some upscale fare. Â After 30 minutes for walking back and between 3 different restaurants we finally decided on the Blue Parrot Bistro. Â There was a 20 minute wait so we decided to have a cocktail at the bar. Â Our bartender was great very friendly and made exceptional cocktails! After we were seated it took about 20 minutes for our sever to come over. Â We finally ordered our appetizers the mozzarella sticks were terrible, but the crab dip was pretty good. Â When it came time to order our entree i decided on the burger. I noticed that the menu said it came with a side of potato chips! What kind of UPSCALE bistro serves potato chips! So when our sever came over I asked if the potato chips were house made? "No sir they are store BOUGHT"! Â Now as someone who has worked in the culinary world for a long time, knows any idiot can take a mandolin slice a potato into chip and throw it into the deep fryer for 3 minutes! Â So I ordered a side of mashed potatoes, BAD CHOICE. Â Soupy and very spicy, a grave disappointment . Â Mashed potatoes are culinary school 101. Â After a terrible meal and even worse service we decided against dessert. Â This restaurant is great if you have a poor pallet and dint mind a chef whose resume must include McDonald's and Denny's this is the place for you. Â The only upside was affordable cocktails.
Review Source:I have been going to the Blue Parrot since I was 6 years old, when it opened. Â It is my favorite hometown hangout spot, in a beautiful building just off the square.
The food is amazing, the atmosphere is relaxed and happy, there is outdoor seating and a pool table, the drinks are great, what more could you want???
I really miss that place, I hope I'll get back soon!
come here one friday night in the summer and you will see me there with tons of friends, drinking slightly overpriced beer and liqour. i think it's worth the extra price. everytime i come in it's like cheers...everyone knows my name! relaxed atmosphere and friendly staff...tons of places to sit. the best bar in town
Review Source:The Blue Parrot has the best food in Gettysburg, hands-down. Â The owners take pride in developing their menu, which is always evolving. Â They are very particular about how their restaurant is run. Â
Do notice the art on the walls; it changes monthly. Â
If you walk into the Parrot and just see a bar, relax. Â Grab one of their draft beers (there's always something new and unusual on tap) and head to the back of the bar, downstairs past the pool table to the restaurant. Â
The cheesy powder they serve w/ olive oil for the bread is FANTASTIC. Â The poor servers cannot bring me bread fast enough. Â If you're there, just order something off the Specials list. Â If the chicken liver pate is on special, don't pass it up.
The service is hit or miss. Â A lot of young waitresses got their first job at the Blue Parrot. Â The owners' standards are pretty high, so it's unlikely that you'll get poor service but it may be less than perfect. Â
Breads and pastries come from local artisans, and a lot of those are also available at The Yellow Canary, the affiliated gourmet shop next door to the Blue Parrot. Â If you're there during their limited hours of operation, try the cookies or any of the fresh salads from the deli case.
The crowd at the bar varies. Â Sometimes the place is packed with Gettysburg College students, but if school is not in session the bar tends to attract a more affluent crowd. Â
Enjoy your visit to the Blue Parrot (but be prepared to spend a few...)
Probably one of the fancier restaurants in Gettysburg, but it doesn't disappoint. Â My guess is that these are not small town folks trying to act fancy, but that the owners and/or chefs have actually worked in bigger cities because they pull off the concept pretty well. Â The food has always been good in the half-dozen or so times that I've been here. Â And the menu is innovative in a way that little else in Gettysburg is. Â They also have a nice little outdoor area in clement weather. Â The service could stand to be a little more friendly and I wish that they would do away with smoking altogether. Â They have a separate bar area where people can smoke - it doesn't drift over to the dining area too much, but us Californians aren't used to the concept of people smoking indoors at all!
Review Source:
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