Spice

$ 1.50 drafts at happy hour. Went on a Wednesday night, seemed kinda dead. Menu was a little pricey, but the steaks have decent seasoning. Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie was a delicious ending to the meal.

pretentious, «unremarkable and boring» Our Server was very friendly nice to look at I might add. But I was not there for eye candy, I wanted a damn good meal. This was not the case.
I really am not trying to be cynical. I thought the Calamari was appetizing. But it’s kinda hard to eff that one up.

Anyone who is familiar with the Harrisburg area knows this is a popular spot to grab a few drinks on a Friday or Saturday night. Located in the heart of 2^nd Street with indoor/​outdoor seating, I’ve always associated this venue with cocktails and dancing.
But please, make no mistake, the food is REALLY good here. I thoroughly enjoyed my first dining experience here. I had a chicken salad and fries.
The only complaint I have is that the service was less than average. It took 25 minutes for a waiter to come take our order. I blame it on the fact that I was there smack in the middle of happy hour and the bar was swamped.
Still, I don’t think there’s any excuse to make anyone wait that long to place their order.
All in all, it was an enjoyable experience and I wouldn’t mind going back.
These days, I think I may actually like Spice the restaurant better than Spice the bar/​lounge!

This place was ok. The way the restaurant had open air windows and outdoor seating would have been nice except for the fact that it was 95 degrees out and there was no air conditioning. We were inside, but it still felt like we were sitting on the sidewalk with no air circulation. The service was pretty slow, but our waitress was friendly. I ordered the Pork BBQ sandwich and substituted fries for the maui chips. The sandwich was really dry and had hardly any BBQ sauce on it. Fries weren’t bad. We also split the Mediterranean bread appetizer which also didn’t have a lot of flavor and was soaked in olive oil. We did get a discount though since it was a Monday. I think it was 25% off the total check on Mondays, so that was nice. Overall it was just eh and was not the best place I’ve visited in Harrisburg to eat. The ambiance of the place was cool though, and I could see myself going there for drinks.

Wow! I’m not sure why this place has gotten so many low reviews, but I’m definitely a fan of my recent dining experience here.
Spice offers good food at very reasonable prices in a classy atmosphere (though I do agree it’d help if the employees’ uniforms were a little more refined and a lot less high school-​ish). I highly recommend the Italian Tortellini and Grilled Chicken salad with balsamic vinaigrette. Your plate will literally look like a work of art, and all the ingredients are farm-​fresh and tasty.
The outdoor seating is another plus, as the big covered awning and fans help keep you comfortable during the dog days of summer. All in all, I think this is a nice option for dining in downtown Harrisburg.

Wow, I didn’t expect to see so many bad reviews. Actually, I can’t really complain about the food (most likely got lucky) and I really enjoyed the live guitar music. The indoor outdoor seating was great for the summer weather.
Red snapper, watermelon relish — the snapper wasn’t anything special, but I did enjoy the relish and the slight spice; I have never thought of trying a watermelon relish, but I have to admit that it went well with fish; the green and red sauce on the side was very sweet and didn’t really add much to the dish

This place is a more upscale hangout spot. Higher prices and trendy atmosphere although some guests (and even some wait staff) would have you think otherwise with their respective biker attire and unkempt appearances.
Although there seems to be some difference of opinions in the food with my fellow reviewers I like their food, especially the bacon wrapped scallop appetizer.
I like the fact that there is indoor outdoor seating but because this place opens up in the summer, cigar and cigarette smoke from outside patrons rolls right in.
The wait staff seems hit or miss too. First time I was here about a year ago I had a great bartender who was great conversation and even hung with me and my friend after her shift. Really down to earth and genuinely friendly person.
I went back to Spice a few days ago and the bartender just had dollar signs in her eyes. The whole time she kept pushing drinks (you done with that? You’re drinking slow. I’ll bring you another one just in case) This was an obvious attempt to raise the bill in hopes of a bigger tip.
We were halfway through our dining experience at the bar and she was like «let me cash you out now and if you want to start another tab just hand the card back to the next bartender.» whoa! Really? You wanted the tip that bad? Guess what? We just cashed out and next time I see you there I will just go somewhere else. Although my friend did not mind, I thought that was a little sleazy.

This USED to be the place we would hit for happy hour, great drink prices and I really like the mushroom starter which is ½ price at happy hour, BUT now you can ONLY get happy hour if you sit at the bar!!!
Yeah, your summer crowd is gonna love that
Bad idea

Can I give this half a star not one? Stopped here on my drive through Harrisburg and was less than impressed. I want to note that I’ve been using Unilocal for a while to read others reviews but had not yet been compelled to start contributing until I experienced this place. My experience here was so bad that I HAD to review it for fear that other people would have to experience the same thing we did!
Although our server was nice, I would’ve been better off getting food from Applebee’s. My salad was soggy, and pork chops which were supposed to be «juicy» were dry and under seasoned. Don’t waste your time!

It’s kind of ironic how a place named spice has such bland food.
Ok, so maybe that’s a little harsh, but I was unimpressed with my experience. Had one of the chicken dishes and was not impressed at all. The chicken was dry and not flavorful. The asparagus was mushy and seemed sloppily prepared. The food looked ok, they definitely tried to make the presentation nice, but the taste was just not there. Prices seemed high for the amount and quality of the food.
Didn’t stick around for drinks afterwards, so can’t speak to that aspect of it.
Granted, this is not at all my usual type of place, seemed like there’s an effort to give the place a big city feel, and to me it felt a little cheesy. But to each their own, give me a dive bar and a greasy burger over this any day.

Here’s my take:
Great in the summer for the outdoor seating
Horrible, horrible HORRIBLE food, inedible chicken sandwiches, drippy dressing salads everytime I want to throw up after I eat it. Seriously.
Drinks are pretty good
Late crowd tends to be pretty douchy.
I might sit here for a couple drinks on a summer evening, but I won’t eat there ever again after 4 failed attempts at a dining experience. I also won’t be found there after 9PM because the douches are out in full effect. Ew.

If they were still going under their old moniker and were in their old location, I’d give them a 5-​star review. Still, this is a solid choice for downtown HBG dining!
The menu has seriously changed. And the prices have SERIOUSLY gone up! They’re charging NYC rate but not giving the full NYC experience. But everything I’ve had at the new location is quality.
Give ‘em a whirl!

Came here will passing thru Harrisburg on our way to NYC. We were attracted to Spice because of the outdoor seating with people actually out at 2 in the afternoon on a holiday. We were looking for a Braves game, but manager couldn’t find it :-(
$ 2 beer specials. Ok service.

If SoHo was in Harrisburg would it be called So-​Harry? This is a strange place. Maybe Spice is trying too hard.
Entrees were a bit pricey for the setting at $ 25+
A bar dominates the interior. Garage doors allow the entire restaurant to open to the street and become intolerably hot. Flat screen TVs stream golf or other sports, the music is loud and top 20 (bleegh), décor is kind of «sophomore design school». Textured wall sculpture panels illuminated by colored lights.
Just when I was unimpressed, a two man band began their set of arrangements for Flamenco guitar and harmonica; I am not kidding. Could this get any weirder? What’s next, bagpiper accompanied by didgeridoo? (I must confess the harmonica player did bust out a smokin’ «Sanford and Son» theme solo)
Perhaps it was an off night (Sunday) based on my brief encounter with unimpressed patrons, I will not be back.
Focus Spice; focus.

My girlfriend I ended up having dinner here on Memorial day as we wanted to sit outdoors. Our hostess and waiter were accommodating and we had a table that we were quite pleased with.
Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the food. Chewy calamari, kinda tasted like having some rubber bands fried up (no seasoning to boot & a sad remoulade) Crap cakes were rather mushy (unfortunately, the lump meat was of high quality when packaged) and a total waste of good crab meat. The blue cheese burger was dense and not juicy and the fries were the batter dipped kind that you find at a diner (the best food item of the evening.)
I have to say that I would have had a significantly better food experience at an Applebee’s or a Friday’s
Spice is an example of a restaurant that is owned by some one who is well traveled and wants to translate their travels (Miami, Rio?) into a restaurant that really does not fit into it’s surroundings. Now, add a Chef that knows how to pretty much crap on a plate and the end results are pretty depressing.
Go for the drinks as it does have a decent downtown location… but walk down to Stocks or Fresco for food.

This place was AMAZING when it was the location of Zephyr’s express (which has moved to a side street off of Second Street). It then became Fisagas (which is a-​ok), and now Spice (which is horrible).
The food here is mostly pasta dishes, and the décor of the restaurant is cheesy as most other Unilocalers have pointed out. The place gets way to crowded with wanna-​be guidos and meat-​heads who create a tense unenjoyable atmosphere on weekends.
The last time I was here (on a Friday night), there was a DJ who played decent music, along with the music videos projected on the screen. BUT, he insisted on chiming into the song every other word, singing only the lyrics he knew, and then like the creepy old guy he really is, entered the crowd and gyrated on the girls cuttin’ a rug on the dance floor.
When friends say they’re going here for drinks, I usually pass unless it’s a warm summer evening (pre-​8pm) and I can get a table outside of this restaurant.
Don’t take a date here for dinner and drinks, unless of course your idea of sexy is being bloated from the double-​portion entrees of buttered and greasy pasta you just ate and then having an old creepy DJ who, like Lil John, only knows how to grunt «yeaaaahhhh, okkkkk» into a microphone, gyrate all over your girlfriend. Personally, it’s not my idea of a fun Friday night.

In my experience:
Average food
Poor bar service
Tacky atmosphere
Outstanding location
I will admit they have good happy hour specials and being located smack dab in the middle of 2^nd St. it’s a busy destination if that’s what you’re into.

My experience at Spice was quite ducky, thank you. Sure, we may have just had drinks — I can’t speak to their food — but we had a LOT of drinks.
Spice had no obvious dress code[1]: bouncers let me in with sneakers, and my friend with her flip flops.
There’s much to like about this venue: multiple flat screens (showing sports) kept our eyes busy, and laser lights illuminated the dance floor. A DJ (who got better as the night went on) kept our ears busy. The place was packed with a largely younger crowd, but we noticed a group all decked out, probably from a wedding. An outdoor patio provided an outlet for smokers amongst us, while a friend and I busied ourselves at the bar with Naughty Picture Match[2].
Visit bartender[3] Trista. She rocked, didn’t give us any attitude, and took the time to find a tasty root beer shot recipe ($ 6/​shot) — A+ for effort! She poured us duck fart shooters, straight vodka ($ 5/​shot), kamikazes ($ 5/​shot), Washington apples ($ 6/​shot), and Bombay Sapphire gin ($ 5.50/shot). We might have had beer ($ 4.25/beer) and well drinks ($ 4/drink)[4].
Bathroom attendant Leon was friendly (in a good way). In addition to mints, he stocked Visine, which I thought was crazy; he’s prepared so we don’t have to be.
[1] Hate places that unnecessarily try to be elitist. I won’t name names, but Spice didn’t seem to be one of those.
[2] Photos were from the 80’s, so they weren’t terribly titillating.
[3] All the bartenders wore glowing pendants. Neat.
[4] Like the number of drinks? Don’t worry, we were at Spice for awhile.

Archie: So which one of these sandwiches would you recommend?
Waitress: None of them, I’m a vegetarian and they all have meat.
Archie: Hmmm… Ok then, which one of these sandwiches disgusts you the most?
Waitress: Probably the Spice sandwich.
Archie: That’s what I’ll have.
Waitress: Gross.
Archie: I know. *smiles*
The sandwich was bacon, ham, turkey, and melted cheese on Texas toast.
Pretty damn good if I don’t say so myself.
I think the other reviews about this place might be overly harsh. It’s worth a look if you don’t have many other options.
Steel.

Was really split on how to rate this place. I’ve been here a handful of times, but only once for happy hour. So here goes …
Happy Hour — Granted, we got here early for a work celebratory thing and the place was empty. Not sure of drink specials because someone else picked up the tab (YAY. at least this time. YAY!). The crowd was sparse and didn’t leave an impression on me, good or bad. So … 2.5 stars for the bar.
Meals — I always like to check out different places, especially on Second Street, because there’s a few places to choose from. However (on the weekends in the summer/​fall … not sure for weekdays/​winter), I always get suckered in by the food displayed by Fisaga’s by the outside seating. Had family and friends over at various times and all really liked the food, were wow’ed by the portions and of course, the cost! I had a bbq type sandwich once, which was just okay. But the next meal I had there was amazing — a pork loin/​baked apple special that was really good. They used dried or fried spinach as a garnish but I could have eaten that as a side. No judgements until you have tasted!!! Food — 4 stars.
The only real negative is one that is common with restaurant/​true bars: the bar-​like/​smoky/​alcohol spilled on floor smell that always just seems to linger on. I probably wouldn’t notice it if I was drinking but particularly noticeable during Sunday lunch.
Overall — 3 stars +/​-​a little rounding. I will definitely go back.