Editor’s Note: Michael and Nicole Borrell review Lebanon Valley’s restaurants and eating attractions as the Lebanon Valley Food Critics. The couple aims to offer unbiased reviews of the eating and drinking establishments the Lebanon Valley has to offer. LebTown is pleased to partner with LVFC to share these reviews with our readers. Bon appétit!
Welcome back! We enjoyed ourselves during the recent Chicken Pot Pie Wars. Has our opinion changed on what is true chicken pot pie? We shall see.
But for now, it’s time to get back out there and continue our food tour across the Valley. And this time, it’s date night for the critic crew. We needed a spot for us to enjoy some time without the little critic. Tonight, we headed west toward Hershey to a spot we haven’t visited in a while.
Located along Chocolate Avenue in Palmdale lies Rotunda Brew Pub Hershey. This standalone restaurant offers a casual/upscale feel with a menu of burgers, sandwiches, and small and large plates with daily dinner specials. Rotunda is also known for its beer, with a strong selection of sour and IPA beers.
Rotunda Brew Pub
Address
814 E. Chocolate Ave.
Hershey, PA 17033
Phone: (717) 298-6476
Website
rotundabrewpub.com
Hours
Mon: 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Tue: 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Wed: 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Thu: 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Fri: 11 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Sat: 11 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Sun: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
For our dinner tonight we chose the Fish & Chips ($24) and Country Style Shrimp and Grits ($23). Our drinks were the Pumpkin Espresso Martini ($14) and Rainbow Beer-SkitlZ ($8), a fruited sour beer.
The fish & chips was made with fresh cod from Kepler’s Seafood, beer battered in Rotunda’s Piano Man pale ale, and served with house cut french fries, grilled lemon, and Rotunda’s own tartar sauce. You get two large pieces that are freshly battered and juicy. The tarter sauce has a sharp flavor and paired well with the fish. Our fries were on the salty side for our taste, but you get a plentiful pile.
The shrimp and grits are Cajun-dusted shrimp in a coconut rum cream sauce, served with cheddar cheese grits, pineapple, mango salsa, and jalapeno cheddar corn bread. When we ordered this dish, our waitress instantly said that it was the best choice on the menu. This dish has a vast flavor profile. Our only complaint was that it needed two more shrimp to be the perfect ratio with the grits. The mango’s sweetness adds an elevated flavor. The true joy with this dish comes when you get all the flavors at once, especially the cornbread.
Our take: This restaurant offers a classy feel in the dining room with great service. The dishes range from bar food to chef inspired dishes. Food quality and plate presentation are important at this spot. Flavor stands out and the daily specials are good. If you are a fan of sour beers, this is a spot to check out.
We give this place 
.
Be on the lookout as we have a few new restaurants in the Valley that we have got to visit.
If you have a restaurant you would like us to visit or review, whether a place you like or are nervous to try, please message us on Facebook or email lvfoodcritics@outlook.com and let us know. We thank everyone for the recommendations and the kind words we have received.
