Ready to eat dinner 43 feet beneath a small Pennsylvania town, in a beer cellar that has outlasted Prohibition, a century of change, and, if you believe the stories, a few ghosts?
Remember our dinner in the La Cantina cavern in Orange, France? We found another underground dining room, this one in our own backyard, Lancaster County. It’s Bube’s Brewery in Mount Joy, home of the Catacombs restaurant.
The Restaurant
Reservations for Bube’s Brewery – The Catacombs begin with a short tour of the historic brewery, and then you head down. And down. The dining room sits roughly 43 feet below street level, a few stories underground, in stone-lined vaults that feel as old as they are.
The ambiance is part romantic, part eerie, and entirely memorable. There’s no natural light, so the staff relies on candles and twinkling lights to set the mood. Like La Cantina, the stone walls wrap around you. But the Catacombs feel deeper and heavier, with arched ceilings and the weight of history pressing in. The space also hosts themed feasts and murder mystery dinners. And yes, the brewery is said to be haunted, with ghost tours that run on certain nights.
The History
Alois Bube was a young German immigrant with brewing in his blood. He bought the small Mount Joy brewery in 1876, during the height of America’s lager boom. He grew it into a complex that included a brewery, a hotel, a bar, and a series of cellars where lager aged in the cool dark. The hotel even claimed the first flush toilet in town.
Brewing stopped in the early 1900s, but the family kept the buildings. Today, Bube’s is considered the only nearly intact lager-era brewery in the country, and it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Beer returned to the property in 2001, brewed in the original ice house.
Note that the “catacombs” aren’t a burial place. The name simply comes from the old aging cellars, where barrels once rested for months.
The Food
The Catacombs serves a fine dining menu in the evenings, and it’s a step up from typical brewery fare. Look for small plates like stuffed mushrooms and bruschetta, soups and salads, and entrees such as steak, surf and turf, roasted chicken, pork tomahawk, salmon, and seafood pasta. Some German and American classics round things out. The menu is written in both German and English, a nod to Alois Bube’s roots.
Pair dinner with one of the house-brewed beers. The brewery makes a changing lineup, including sours, stouts, and IPAs. Reviews of the food are mixed, with some diners loving the atmosphere more than the plate, so go for the setting and the history first.
Accessibility: Know Before You Go
This one matters. There is no elevator to the Catacombs. The only way down is by stairs, and it’s a long descent. The steps are old and worn, and the lighting is low. If you have mobility concerns, use a cane or walker, or struggle with stairs, the Catacombs may not work for you. Remember that a trip back up is part of the evening, too.
Other dining areas on the property, like the Bottling Works and the seasonal Biergarten, offer a more casual experience. Call ahead to ask about access at each spot.
The Wrap Up
Bube’s Catacombs is a bit theatrical, a bit spooky, and a truly one-of-a-kind dinner. Make a reservation, wear comfortable shoes, and go ready to enjoy a slice of American brewing history. It’s at 102 North Market Street in Mount Joy.
Journey Moore Often, because the best tables are sometimes a few flights down.