Midtown Harrisburg Restaurants and Cafes

Midtown Harrisburg restaurants and cafes line the blocks a short walk north of the state capitol, around the Broad Street Market, in a neighborhood of rowhouses, bars and small kitchens. The area has become a favorite of residents who want a table that is not a downtown tourist spot. Walk the strip once, read the boards and sit where the regulars sit.

Where is Midtown, and what is neighborhood dining like?

North of the capitol complex and downtown, along the main strip, with the market a block or so away. The neighborhood is made of brick rowhouses, corner taverns and small commercial strips, and it feels like a village within the city. The streets are walkable, and parking is on the street or in small lots.

It is a good place to spend an afternoon, because everything is close. The residents are a mix of long-time Harrisburg families, young professionals and people who work at the capitol, and the shops and kitchens reflect it. You will see a bakery with a line at nine, a tavern with regulars at four and a bistro with candles at eight, all on the same few blocks. Walk early or late to see the different faces of the street.

What are Midtown Harrisburg restaurants like on Third Street?

Small, personal and varied. The mix includes bistros, taverns with serious kitchens, pizza places, bakeries, cafes and a few ethnic restaurants. Many are owner-run, and menus change with the season. A table for two on a weeknight is usually easy, while Friday and Saturday evenings fill early. Ask the server what is new on the menu.

Walk the strip once and look in the windows before you choose. A busy room is a good sign. Small kitchens often have a short, seasonal menu, written on a board, and the best dishes are the ones that change. Weekday lunches are quiet, and a long lunch there is one of the pleasures of a working capital. Ask the server which dish the cook is proudest of, and order that. If the room is loud, ask for a corner, and if the weather is kind, take an outdoor seat and listen to the street. A neighborhood like this rewards a second visit: the first to find your favorite, the second to find out what the kitchen does when it relaxes. Bring a friend who likes to share and order broadly.

What does the market add?

The Broad Street Market is a historic public market with a long tradition, and its food stalls and vendors have shaped the surrounding neighborhood. After a fire damaged part of it, vendors continued in other spaces. The older Broad Street Market guide explains what is open and how to get there. Check the market's own information for days and hours.

Where are Harrisburg cafes?

Scattered through Midtown and downtown. Cafes serve coffee, pastries, sandwiches and soups, and a few offer a quiet space to work. Locals use them as extensions of their living rooms. Go in the morning for the best pastries, and in the afternoon for a seat. Some cafes also sell lunch, and a few open late for events. Many local cafes sell bags of beans from regional roasters, which makes a useful gift. A neighborhood cafe is a gathering place, and the staff are often the best source of news about what is opening and closing in the area. A coffee and a walk through Midtown is a pleasant way to see the neighborhood.

What about Harrisburg dinner?

A good Midtown dinner is a slow one. Choose a bistro or a tavern with a kitchen, order a few things to share and let the evening stretch. Local beer and spirits appear on many menus, and the staff are usually happy to explain them. Phone ahead for a group of more than four.

After dinner, a short walk to the riverfront in summer finishes the evening well.

How do you eat in Midtown on a budget?

Look for the lunch specials, the pizza slices and the bakery counters. A deli sandwich and a coffee make a cheap and filling meal, and a bowl of soup and bread costs little. Happy-hour food at taverns can be good value.

How do tags help?

In the Mosey app, raters add tags when they rate a meal, and diners look for them in the Find sheet. In Midtown the useful ones are Quick Service, Great Value, Date Night, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free and Outdoor seating. A tag is a note from someone who ate there, and a dietary tag is a good opening for a conversation with the kitchen.

Where next in Harrisburg?

The riverfront and City Island guide covers the summer park, and the Farm Show food guide covers the winter event. The US food guides hold the rest of the country.

For the rest of the state, start at the Food in Pennsylvania page.

On your walk back to the car, open the Mosey app, rate your last Midtown meal by the dish and add the place to a list called Third Street that your friends can use.