After a long day at the office, I met up with guest Heifer, Eileen, at Bert and the Elephant, a Belgian pub in downtown Lancaster that we'd both been eager to try since it opened. We finally found a time when our schedules aligned and were excited to experience it firsthand.
While I don’t think Bert and the Elephant accepts reservations, it was a quiet evening, so we were seated immediately. The pub itself has a bright, open atmosphere with the option of indoor or outdoor seating. The menu is accessed via QR codes—a feature I appreciate, though I wish it linked to a proper website rather than forcing a PDF download. Even better would be a setup like some of the pubs I visited in London, where you can scan the QR code, order, and pay directly from the site. Less handling of physical items many others have handled, with fewer interruptions.
We both opted for the Flight Night, which offers a selection of four fruity beers. Eileen was especially fond of the Früli Strawberry Beer, which we likened to a liquid Jolly Rancher—it was the only one she finished. I found all of the beers too sweet or floral for my taste, leaving much of mine untouched. Next time, I’ll go for something less reminiscent of springtime meadows and more in line with my usual preferences.
For an appetizer, we ordered the fried cheese curds. I didn’t snap a picture before we dove in, but they were delicious—perfectly fried with a satisfying squeak. The portion was generous, making it a solid start to the meal.
For my main, I went with the moules frites. The frites were excellent, crispy and golden, though I was only given ketchup without the traditional mayo. The mussels themselves were well-cooked but underwhelming in flavor—bland, unfortunately. And the bread served alongside to soak up the broth? A complete miss. It was so dry it was practically inedible. I even made Eileen try it to confirm I wasn’t just being overly critical.
Eileen opted for the bitterballen, a Belgian meatball dish served with spicy mustard. While the mustard added some zing, the meatballs themselves were disappointingly bland, lacking depth.
For dessert, I ordered the chocolate mousse, while Eileen chose the lemon dessert. Unfortunately, hers arrived still frozen, and mine? Mediocre at best. The chocolate cake at the bottom was dry as a bone.
In the end, both Eileen and I agreed that Bert and the Elephant won’t be a regular stop for us. Aside from the cheese curds, the food was consistently under-seasoned and often too dry to truly enjoy.
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