Poll results: Brewery selected as best new place to eat or drink in Centre County

Josh Moyer
·4 min read

Boal City Brewery is the best new place to eat or drink in Centre County, according to readers of CentreDaily.com, who chose it over a dozen other businesses that opened in 2023.

The Boalsburg brewery won our poll with 50% of the vote, or 66 votes.

The taproom and beer garden located at 235 Old Boalsburg Road offers scenic forest views and bike path trails — not to mention their nine beers on tap, rotating food truck appearances, and local wine/cocktail selections. Beers include, but are not limited to, the New England IPA, Dubbel Ale, Flanders Style Brown and Kolsch.

Tasty K, a downtown State College fried chicken eatery, came in second place with 26 votes.

This poll closed Wednesday and was just for fun. In fact, readers could vote as many times as they wanted.

The list of other nominees — new places serving food and drink that opened in 2023 — is below. Not counting national chains like Dunkin’ and Pizza Hut, there were still more than a dozen such places that opened this year. Some locations replaced old favorites, some spots were long-awaited, and some openings came as a bit of a surprise.

8 Mile Pizza, 300 S. Pugh St., State College. The iconic flavors of Detroit-style pizza — a rectangular pan pizza with a thick, chewy crust — are brought to Happy Valley inside this pizzeria, which also serves cheesesteaks, wings, salads, etc. The pizzas come in personal and regular sizes.

Campus Steaks, 119 S. Pugh St., State College. This new business claims to make the best cheesesteaks (and chicken cheesesteaks) in the area, but we’ll let you be the judge. Their “large” cheesesteak is 24 inches. They also boast classic sides such as onion rings, fries and chips.

Carter’s Table, 407 E. Beaver Ave., State College. The caterer-turned-restaurateur offers a unique take on tacos, bowls and quesadillas, with interesting flavors, combinations and rotating specials — from chicken tinga to lamb barbacoa, and cajun shrimp to brisket.

Shawn Carter makes an order of tacos at Carter’s Table on March 22, 2023.
Shawn Carter makes an order of tacos at Carter’s Table on March 22, 2023.

Coffee, Hemp & Tea, 313 W. Foster Ave., State College. This eclectic shop specializes in high-quality beverages and an assortment of CBD treats. The owners’ Puerto Rican roots are evident in their Puerto Rico-sourced coffee beans, in addition to Saturday menu items that have included chicharrones, pinchos, tripletas, etc.

Dead Canary Brewing Company, 5 N. Front St., Philipsburg. A community-focused brewery with monthly events like B-movie screenings, live music and video game tournaments. Beer offerings include the Hazy Triple IPA, Cream Ale, Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Sour, Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, etc.

Patrons enjoy drinks and music at the Dead Canary Brewing Company in Philipsburg on Oct. 19, 2023.
Patrons enjoy drinks and music at the Dead Canary Brewing Company in Philipsburg on Oct. 19, 2023.

Flo Bros. Fire Smoked Pizza, 2042 Axemann Road, Bellefonte. This former “mobile pizza trailer” moved from outside Axemann Brewery to the indoor shared kitchen space with Marin Eats, but their gourmet smoked crust pizza hasn’t changed. They serve pizzas and strombolis, with specialty pizzas such as Buffalo Chicken, Margherita and Meatball Parmigiana.

Giuseppe’s Pizzeria by Brothers, 204 E. College Ave., State College. Obviously specializes in pizza — by the pie and the slice — but also offers strombolis, breadsticks and subs. Owner Joseph Pistone wanted to return to this location since his family’s business occupied the storefront some 47 years ago.

Marin Eats, 2042 Axemann Road, Bellefonte. This food-truck-turned-kitchen now shares a space with Flo Bros. inside Axemann Brewery. Their menu includes restaurant staples such as wings, starters and sandwiches — including a chicken sandwich whose breast has been marinated in Blue Stripe Kolsch. Specials rotate on the menu, from beer-battered cod during Lent to German dishes during Oktoberfest.

Marzoni’s Brick Oven & Brewing Co., 1215 N. Atherton St., State College. This Altoona-based brewpub offers Italian and American fare such as pasta, steak and seafood — but they might be best known for their brick-oven pizza. (Their house lagers and ales aren’t too bad either.)

Meandering Mallard Coffee House, 106 E. Main St., Millheim. Simple and dialed-back classics fill the menu, from egg-and-cheese breakfast sandwiches to lunch specials like the Mallard — a signature sammie stacked with turkey, ham, bacon, provolone, lettuce, pickled onions and pesto mayo. Beverages and baked goods are also made fresh daily.

The Meandering Mallard in Millheim on April 20, 2023.
The Meandering Mallard in Millheim on April 20, 2023.

Sweets of Gold, 200-1 Mill St., Milesburg. This bakery is known for crafting “edible art,” such as cookies, cupcakes and cakes that follow themes such as Wednesday Addams, tea parties, safaris, etc. But good luck finding something this bakery doesn’t make, with past made-to-order items that included pumpkin pies and apple tarts.

Tasty K, 325 E. Calder Way, State College. This Korean-fried chicken joint emphasizes a small menu that’s big on taste. You can either get a small, medium or large order — “Mini Tasty,” “Tasty” or “We Are Tasty” — that includes boneless chicken along with sauces and sides of rice or fries.