Chef Robert Schoelkopf,
If you happen to be driving down Market Street in Mount Joy, your attention might be drawn to an attractive gray-and-black, eye-catching sign depicting an Amish top hat surrounded by a long name beneath.
You probably won’t be able to pronounce the name, at least not on the first try. But you will notice the all-capped word “MICROBREWERY,” which, with any luck, will be enough to lure you inside.
Owner Karen Boyer, who runs the place with her husband Mike, call their snug gastropub and microbrewery Zuckfoltzfus, a name they made up by mashing together several popular Lancaster County-area surnames. However, most people simply call the place Zuck’s (rhymes with ducks).
Since debuting in June 2013, business has grown tremendously (as in, make reservations) as word has spread about the made-from-scratch fare and quality beer selection.
“Mike and I love the opportunity to take the term ‘craft’ and run with it,” said Karen. “We take tremendous pride in using fresh, locally sourced ingredients and utilizing them in every way possible, from our food to our beer.”
Mike Boyer, who spent 20 years in financial services, decided to take the plunge and quit his job as a CFO to manage the operation full time. He is also responsible for all brewery operations, brewing multiple times each week on a half-barrel system and offering appreciative patrons at least eight different selections at any time.
During a recent Saturday night, customers gathered around the 10-person bar and ordered flights of craft beer with names like Amos’s Rye Stout, The IPA and Henry Street Wheat, as well as the more colorfully named Sassy Pants Bitter Ale, Whiney Sarah Pale Ale and War Eagle Ditzy Blonde. A selection of red, white and ice wines from nearby Waltz Vineyards located in Manheim and Lancaster’s Thorn Hill Vineyards satisfied the oenophiles in the crowd.
Bartender Jen Pisco socialized with customers, never missing a beat in the service arena.
“People come here from all over,” she said while pouring a pumpkin sangria, a blend of white wine, spiced pumpkin and peach juice.
Pisco works with the owners to create an ever-changing selection of light and flavorful beer cocktails like Oatmeal Stout Cream Soda, comprised of vanilla syrup, seltzer and Oatmeal Stout, and Zuck’s Orchard Pale Ale, containing caramel syrup, apple cider and Whiney Sarah Pale Ale.
And then there’s the food.
Throughout the evening, guests filtered into the dimly lit dining room with attractive, up-cycled farmhouse décor, coupled with a smattering of antique industrial. Muted walls, done in warm colors of sage, tan and brown, enveloped guests in a homey atmosphere, complementing the wooden tables, floors, chairs and bench spanning the entire back wall.
Karen teams up with local chef Robert Schoelkopf, who recently graduated from a four-year culinary program at Johnson & Wales in Rhode Island. Together, they devise a unique menu every two weeks, and their ambitious culinary efforts are rewarded with accolades on social media and return customers who bring back friends.
When Lancaster residents Anne Thomas and Karen Tomblin learned of the place, they decided to give it a try. They liked it so much they returned as regulars, eventually inviting about 46 others, who joined them in celebrating their nuptials this summer, with owner Karen acting as officiant.
“We really liked them; they are down to earth,” said Thomas. “We like their beer, and they serve great food.”
Mount Joy resident Sharon Christian is thrilled with the convenient and creative dining option.
“We’re so tickled to have an establishment like Zuckfoltzfus in town; it’s such a treasure,” she said. “I love to cook and love to eat whole foods. When I go out, I want to order something that I don’t make at home. There have been wonderful, imaginative offerings on the menu and a lot of homemade pasta combos I typically wouldn’t have thought of.”
Bruschetta was trending as the popular appetizer that evening. But instead of the tried, true and sometimes tired chopped tomato with basil on the typical toasted bread, the server presented creamy goat cheese served with a pumpkin seed crust, topped with fig jam and served with spent grain crostini on an attractive wooden cutting board.
Neighboring diners ordered juniper-fennel spiced brisket, homemade German sausage and pepito-crusted grilled salmon entrees.
I opted for tender, red wine-braised lamb, with a fall vegetable ratatouille over polenta topped with crushed tomato, but also had my eye on the caramelized pumpkin gnocchi combined with lamb pastrami, goat ricotta and rosemary olive oil, which Joan Kester highly recommends, describing it as “out of this world.” Well, maybe next time. The Mount Joy patron said that she and her husband Marty look forward to the unique combination of flavors that the owners craft to pair well with the beers they serve.
“My husband enjoys the variety of stout beer, and I like the variations of the wheat beer,” said Joan. “You can tell that Mike takes great care in crafting the beer; he uses fresh local products.”
Desserts vary throughout the year, but one thing you can count on, and must save room for, is the rich, homemade, smoked chocolate ice cream, which is a house specialty.
As for the owners, they hope to be serving locals, as well as those who drive long distances just to find them, for years to come.
“What we’ve loved most about Zuck’s is the opportunity to be food ambassadors, bringing exciting new twists and tastes to some familiar flavors,” said Karen. “A meal should be an experience, something unique, personal and hand-crafted.”
And that’s certainly what they bring to the table—and the bar.
Zuckfoltzfus Brewing Co. is located at 12 S. Market St., Mount Joy. For more information, visit www.zuckfoltzfus.com or call 717-342-5749.
