The Gingerbread Man

I went with three other people. Everyone enjoyed their meals and they give you a gingerbread cookie for free with every meal and appetizer. All I had was a turkey burger with french fries. We had a green light above our table. The burger was fine, but no different than any other place. The fourth Star is for the free cookies. We live a bit away, so it’s not worth the extra travel. We only went that time to meet some friends halfway (they live even further from us).

Apparently this is the happening place in Carlisle. Set back a bit from High Street, the flashing lights draw you in. Once inside you will see how The Gingerbread Man got its name. It’s from the very intricate and beautiful woodwork inside. Truly impressive. The bar has a large bottled beer selection and the drink menu has a nice variety. The draft beer selection had a nice variety as well. I had a Makers Mark, neat, and was impressed on the size of the pour and that it had no watered down taste. The husband enjoyed a Pumpkin beer. We eventually ordered some Cajun chicken fingers, spicy, and delicious. This definitely had more of a bar scene feel; music was playing at a good level (great mix by the way of 80s — current across many genres) and groups of friends were arriving to hang in the bar area and have drinks. Service was good. This seems like the kind of place I’d go to regularly if I lived nearby. I’m really glad we stopped in.

Best spot in Carlisle for happy hour. Bring in a few friends and enjoy the reasonable prices. The atmosphere is unlike any other. Definitely recommend this to everyone.

Best bar in town !! Dan & Adam along with ambiance. 33 years of good times. Thanks

You have to visit on off, day hours to avoid the rush. Great atmosphere. There is a smoking and a non smoking section that is separated from one another. Mixed drinks taste good. Used to be a tradition to go on Monday evenings for the chicken wings specials. And the wings are good!

The only problem i had here was that the servers dont seem to care, even during peak hours when they arent busy, our waitress couldn’t wait to get our check. food was your average bar chow, wings are good and they have a variety of flavor options. Beer here isnt too pricey, but the imports & mixed drinks are very expensive here. If you go with a group of at least 3, be ready to spend well over $ 200 if you want cocktails. This place is always busy. Always. Dont expect to get any peace and quiet here. That does not exist at the Gman. This is basically just a place you go with your friends to get a few beers and sit around.

2 days in a row, I walk around the corner from hotel get 2 beers and a sandwich or salad. Today I get 3 beers and a salad but charged for 5 beers. 3^rd time was not a charm. Convenient, yes. Satisfies, ok. Repeat business, no. I’ll walk further next time.

I wanted to love this place. I really did. The first time we went there it was an off time, around 3 pm on a Wednesday. We had a great waiter. Very nice and super attentive. Then we were there on a Friday at 5 pm, during the weekend of the truck show. When we got there it wasn’t very busy, but it still took 15 minutes to get a menu. Another 20 to get drinks. I ordered a mojito and I can safely say it was almost all rum, nothing else that should be in a mojito besides a small lime wedge. After 45 minutes of waiting, and everyone who was sat after us receiving food, we had to approach our waitress so she could take our order. We ordered another round of drinks and this time the mojito tasted like pure lime juice. I hadn’t mentioned the poor quality of the first one, but the drinks were completely opposite — and both bad. When our food arrived my salad came with no dressing, was brought out buy a dishwasher, and my biyfriend’s sandwich was not the same sandwich that he ordered. We told the man who delivered it that it was not right, and he brought it back into the kitchen. After about 5 minutes he brought the same exact meals out and we explained again it was not the correct sandwich. He apologized and said he was new and left the meals at our table. Our waitress was right beside him while this was all happening, but kept dealing with all the tables around us and ignoring us. We chased her down to explain the meal wasn’t right. She said she did put the right meal into the computer and offered to tell the chef. By this time it had been over and hour and we were starving so we said we would just eat the incorrect meal. The food itself was good. Typical bar food. But our waitress walked away without even apologizing, and then came back only to slam our bill on the table and dart away without saying a word. I’ve been a server for years and I’ve never seen anyone so rude. We wouldn’t have minded waiting if our waitress would have apologized or acknowledged all the problems! We had to pay for a meal we didn’t order, crazy! The service was unacceptable and I doubt we will be back. I NEVER write negative reviews but the lack of acknowledgement of the poor service was absolutely unacceptable.

Planning to have a wedding in Carlisle this summer. My fiancé and I stopped in and only spent a short time here but we were very happy with the place. It’s right next to the comfort suites so it’s perfect if you are on a short stay in Carlisle. It’s well decorated and seems to have a great atmosphere. The staff showed us around both bars (the separate back bar is used as a smoking room with pool tables). The manager was extremely friendly and even offered to set up a separate area for us the night of the reception. Definitely plan on having the after party at the gingerbread man!

Doable, but tough if you don’t like heavy, creamy or fried food (note: a «salad» on the menu includes french fries?!) On our most recent visit I actually had a surprisingly good chopped salad (added avocado and swapped in the Asian dressing).
My meal was a pleasant surprise and I’d order it again, but the overall experience just had way too many caveats. We wanted to sit ouside (late lunch on a hot Saturday). Went in and asked to sit outside, got the ok. After 10min we went in and got our own menus (separate drink menu would be nice). Still no service so after 10 more minutes, went inside to order our own drinks. They came but no place settings. It was more or less self service.
Places like this can only rest on being ghe the «local standard» for so long. Its time to ditch the smoking section, air this place out and spruce it up. Invest in better quality outside tables (read: not plastic), give the staff a refresher, and for the love of arteries add some healthier choices to the menu!

walked in and the place smelled of stale smoke. pretty sure smoking in public establishments had been outlawed in pa. had to ask the waitress if it was a smoking jaun. she said no — but there was a smoking parlor attached in the back behind another door. ewww.
ordered a fishburger of some sort. it was ok. had water.
saving grace for this place was the waitress. she was dying to serve somebody as she hadn’t had customers all day.
just ok

The tomato bisque here is ridiculously good. Everything else I’ve tried is also really very good. During lunch it’s a fantastic place to go, and one can avoid the smoke that plagues the evening hours…

Food was ok, you get alot for the order, atmosphere is good too

EVEN A VEGETARIAN can eat here! They have a HUGE freakin’ menu. I ‘special ordered’ a gyro, requesting no meat, prov cheese, let, tom, zatziki sauce, sauteed mushrooms & onions. It was perfect! And I never say that. My BF’s food was satisfactory to him as well. We went on a very hot summer day, on a Saturday at maybe 11:30-ish. The place was pretty empty. A/​C was wonderfully cold. The intricate architectural accents on the interior were lovely, as a bonus. Waitress was super pleasant, service great, food came out fast.

Without fail, every time we’ve dropped by this place is packed. Outside patio tables? Full. Bar area? Full. Dining area? Full. Though, it was never so full that we ever experienced actual waiting time. Which is good of course!
With its lively atmosphere, friendly bartenders, and cheerful patrons, I would say this place is a solid bet for grabbing drinks, meeting friends, and holding family dinners.
The pours are strong here (yay).so beware. Also, there is a separate room for smokers.
We haven’t tried the food here, but everything brought out to other patrons looks and smells delicious.
Definitely worth a try!

This is a great bar with an awesome atmosphere. You can still smoke cigars in the back room.

A good time, and almost like a high school reunion when I go here. I currently live in boston but every time I am in town I try to go to the G-​Man and Walmart, and I always see someone! This is also where my parents first met and holds nostalgia for my family. The drinks are so cheap and good! Also some of the bartenders worked their when my dad was in college. Crazy!

Cheap stiff drinks. Who doesn’t like a cheap stiffie? This place helped me to survive law school.

Oh the beloved G-​Man: one of the best places to drink if you live in the Lizzle.
The location, in the center of town, is pretty fantastic and is walkable from just about anywhere. The inside is large, and after 8 PM is invariably packed. In the summer there are tables outside, which is nice. The staff and service are generally good. So is the food for a bar/​grill-​type joint. I used to live ½ a block away, so I spent more nights here than I care to recall.
The chicken fingers at this particular location are the bomb. I know it’s just chicken fingers, but they are the best ever especially with their super-​delicious honey mustard. I would go out of my way to have the chicken strips here, really. They’re big and juicy and the breading has great flavor. The fries are also extra good, and I’m pretty sure they’re battered. I’m also a big fan of the fried clams and the onion rings. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad meal. And you get a lot of bang for your buck because the portions are huge.
The drinks are priced pretty average, but they are strong as hell. It is a running joke that if you get a mixed drink, for example a Jack & Coke, it’s almost an entire tumbler of Jack with a splash of Coke. Two drinks and you’re done for the night.
If I ever come back to town to visit, I will definitely be stopping in.

First of all, I can’t really disclose what happened in Gingerbread Man on a very snowy day in February. What happens in Carlisle stays in Carlisle! (Bonus points if anyone knows what the real joke behind that statement is — PM me!)
Gingerbread Man, the G-​Man!
It is probably the best bar in that little town for sure.
Heck, I spent only 5 days in Carlisle, but trust me! I’ve seen it all!!!
It was very fun and cool place filled with mixer of college kids (yes, now I feel old enough to call college students «KIDS») and hard working ‘adults’ having drinks and enjoying couple games of pool.
The atmosphere was good, people were kind, drinks were VERY stiff, budget friendly, and it was filled with SMOKE.
Yeah, PA can still have smokers in restaurants and bars.
It didn’t bother me too much at the time because I was drinking quite a bit and nothing bothers me when I am in happy Beersville. But I HATED cigarette smell from my clothes afterwards.
Food… they have restaurant side too, but I didn’t get to try it because it was closed due to heavy snow.
The ladies at hotel told us the foods are quite good too though.
Do I want to go back to Carlisle, PA to try G-Man’s food?
NO!
Will I stop at G-​Man for more fun time if my company send me to that little town again?
YES!
If you end of going to Dickinson College or somehow find your way to Carlisle, PA, check out the G-​Man!
You will love it!