The Doyle Hotel

Great affordable meals with plenty of homemade options. Pat’s homemade soups are really good and hardy. So far I have liked everything I have had there but the soups and fresh cut fries are my favorites. Even though it is a bar, I bring my family there. They do not put up with any foolishness so it is an inviting friendly atmosphere.

The wife & I were in town and had some time to kill so decided to have a drink and maybe a bite to eat. I have read reviews where people described this place as having character or being a dive. I think it is a dive with character but we did not feel like outsiders. It is a small bar with maybe five tables. The wife & I sat at the bar. They have a very limited draft and bottled beer selection. Don’t worry wine drinkers, I saw three selections of wine in a box. Behind the bar was an old Zenith tube television as well as various alien kitsch. I opted for a bottled beer, Bud. We decided to roll the dice and order food. I ordered the cheesesteak & the wife the Doyle dog. We were both very happy with our meals. The rolls were very good. Another bottled beer and we called it a day. The staff was very attentative and friendly. Yes, the Doyle Hotel is a dive. No, I would not take the wife here for our anniversary. It is what it is, a place to have a drink and a bite to eat. We will return.

The Doyle is an Appalachian Trail institution and a «must stop» destination while hiking the AT near Duncannon. Here’s the deal; it’s a dive bar and it’s perfect! The food is fantastic, there’s quality beers on tap and the owners are awesome. Visit the Doyle and you’ll feel at home and in the company of friends. Forget the noise about it being old or dirty; it has character. The «Hotel» is basically a Hiker Hostel. Take it as it is and enjoy the visit.

The difference between a dump and a dive is that a dive is somewhat decrepit, worn, and seedy. But it redeems itself somewhat with personality or hidden qualities.
The Doyle is a dump.
Where, oh where, oh where to begin with this place?
As a resident, you will contend with all of the following: pervasive cigarette smoke. The rankest, skunkiest, cut rate crap weed available in the dankest swamp or moistest compost heap. Everyone smokes in the rooms. If there is an actual no smoking policy, it’s a complete joke. The hallway is choked with a carcinogenic pall. NO ONE smokes on the porch.
Second, the rooms have neither air conditioning, nor screens on the windows. Your choices, then, if you are hot (which is the case all summer) is to either open the window above your door and inhale the cigarette fumes, or open the window which lets in a swarm of mosquitoes, gnats, black flies, and moths. The corpses of these slain bugs are all over the floor and ceiling, a testimony to the battles and past misery of other customers.
Spider webs are webs from spiders which are fresh. Cobwebs are spider webs which have collected dust, hair, dead insects, and which have lingered for months, or years. The Doyle is loaded from top to bottom with the latter. I absolutely doubt the rooms are dusted or vacuumed for cob webs even twice a year. It’s like living in a terrarium. In the pecking order of the Doyle, insects come first, you come last.
What else? Holes in the ceiling, mold, water stains. Standing, fetid water in buckets which may or may not have been used to «clean» months prior. Fixtures held together with duct tape.
Arguments to justify this mess are the following:
1) «Miss Vickie is so nice!»
Yes, Miss Vickie is nice. But she’s not diligent. Most of your time with her will be spent being regaled by lame, incoherent «jokes,» japes, and jabber in the bar/​restaurant/​lobby. My suggestion is her time spent watching SyFy would be better spent cleaning the rooms. I’d definitely prefer less personality and more elbow grease. Miss Vickie, go perform your material on the insects while you vacuum the rooms, ceiling, and floors.
2) «The property is old.»
This is completely spurious, dishonest, and horse crap. I have stayed in hostels, hotels, rooms, shacks, shelters in over fifteen countries and forty-​nine US states and seven Canadian provinces. I’ve stayed in third world properties that were older, cleaner, and it’s an insult to those diligent people who do manage to offer clean rooms at a reasonable rate. This property is not even close to old by non-​American standards. I’ve stayed in run-​down places in Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria, China, Mexico that cost as much or less, but which were far, far cleaner. The age of the property has ZERO to do with whether someone vacuums under a bed or uses duct tape to «fix» a shower which leaks through to floors below.
3) «But the food is great.»
This one is incomprehensible to me. If an owner can’t manage to remove dead insects, mop, sweep, or vacuum, WHY-​OH-​WHY-​OH-​WHY would you assume they would maintain cleanliness in a kitchen? To eat at this place borders on madness, in my view. No, I did not order any food. Why would I? Nor did I order any beer on tap. Care to guess how often, if ever, they’ve cleaned the taps on this place? The tubes for the beer probably look like Ron Jeremy’s urethra.
Whether the food «tastes delicious» or not is totally irrelevant. It’s about hygiene and this establishment makes its position on cleanliness totally clear.
4) «The clientele, mainly hikers, are particularly hard on the property.»
This is simply insulting. First of all, most Appalachian Trail hikers are highly organized, highly fastidious with their gear, highly intelligent, and mindful of their impact on the trail and elsewhere. Certainly, there are some who are just immature jerks bent on causing mayhem and getting blotto drunk, but these are not the majority. Even so, the hikers certainly don’t put cobwebs on the walls, seed the underside of beds with a herd of dust rhinos, or keep every single hallway dark as a crypt because the lightbulbs are all dead.
That all falls 100% on the management and if the owners were genuinely «nice,» they’d be responsible and diligent, not jokey and clever with non-​apologies and excuses. Talk the talk. Less dancing, joking, and more work.
Listen, if you want to «experience» this place, then drop in, look around, take your photos, but don’t eat there, don’t drink there, and definitely don’t stay there. Some will lament that the trail will lose much should this place close. I completely disagree. The planet is full of shoddy, dirty, depressing places to stay and they’re not hard to find.
Miss Vickie jokes that this place is a «no stars establishment.» She’s right. But her jest is not amusing. It’s a dodge for simple incompetence and cynical irresponsibility. I will take a patch of dirt in the woods over this place one hundred times out of a hundred.

Had a week off and thought to give the Doyle a try for lunch. As others attested, the food is just delicious and owners very welcoming. Only one at the place was me at 1:30 in the afternoon. I am one to frequent such places instead of chain restaurants and highly recommend this one ! From the exterior not very impressive but the friendly folks and good food warrant a return trip for sure.

A favorite for sure!
It looks like a dive, but they have the BEST food & servers around.
The owners are fantastic, ever present & tending to the restaurant/​bar as if it’s their child (but if you ask, Vicky will jokingly point to her «child», an alien behind the bar). The staff are friendly & quick to recommend a dish if you can’t decide. Beyond that, they actually care about their customers & their lives. And they’re always willing to answer questions about town, the trail or anything else you might want to know.
The Doyle is known on the Appalachian Trail, so depending when you hit it, you just might find some AT hikers there & get some awesome entertainment & stories with your meal. It’s also frequented by the locals.
Their portions are crazy big… the burgers, the belly buster fish, large fry, etc. You won’t go hungry… or broke since their prices are great. And they are always coming up with delicious specials.
I’m a fan of the chilli, southwest burger, french fries & shrimp basket… but I’ve had so many good meals in here, it’s hard to recommend just a few things!
Don’t let the appearance scare you off… it’s worth a trip!

Yup… as others have said, it’s a dive.
But don’t let that hold you back! This place is awesome! It’s one of those unique things in this world that you’ll tell all your friends about. Plus, the outside tends to scare away any of the whiny hipsters that would spoil all the fun.
Here’s the scoop: the food is inexpensive and DELICIOUS. The sweet potato fries are great, and I’m a fan of the jalapeño burger. This thing would cost 2 – 3 bucks more at another location, but here, you can get it for less.
If you like good, local, homebrewed beer, you’re in luck, as they have Troegs on tap!
Plus, the folks that own the place are very nice people. They’ll chat, ask about your day, and treat you well, even if it’s the first time you’ve ever stepped in.
If you are in for an adventure, are laid back, and up for anything, I’d encourage you to come down and check out the Doyle Hotel. You’ll be glad you did.
Oh, and if you’re not? Stay out and don’t ruin the fun for the rest of us :)

This place could be so much more if properly restored. As it sits, it’s just a run down eye sore in the square of Duncannon. The food is ok and service is fine, but the condition of the building ruins any good feeling about eating there. It makes one wonder just how clean the kitchen is if the rest of the building is left to such decay.

Yes, the other reviews are correct. The Doyle Hotel is pretty awesome. I would definitely confer «dive» status on this place but don’t let that scare you away. It’s a little dark, hasn’t been updated in a while and there’s an awful lot of space alien paraphernalia adorning the bar/​dining room, but the staff was super friendly and so were the locals. The menu is extensive and there’s a good selection of bottled beer and a few on draft. The bacon cheeseburger and chili-​cheese fries were top-​notch. Portion sizes are gigantic.

This hotel was kind enough to refund our money after we saw our rooms (minus 7.95 for a shower… each) but the fact that it isn’t a condemned building is a mystery. Kind owners just don’t make up for conditions like these. They said they were «known for their food not their lodging» but if the lodging looks like this, what does the kitchen look like? A shelter on the AT is cleaner.

Great food — not just for AT hikers! Stopped in while exploring north of Harrisburg and had a great lunch with girlfriend. The cook/​owner looks like a standard bar owner «rustic» but don’t let that fool you — he is a foodie and makes wonderful creations. House made Clam Chowder was perfection. I also ordered a special from the board and really enjoyed it + hand cut fries made in peanut oil. A medium fries is a lot for 2 to share.
Why not 5 stars — pretty cold inside and only 3 tables. If your feeling «rustic» and want a great meal, TRY THE DOYLE HOTEL.

«This place is unique and has cheap rooms ($ 25/​nite), bathrooms down the hall and limited but good draft selection. Caters to hikers.. . No one in the place. Built 107 yrs ago … 1905.» Friendly owners.

Great beer, wonderfully fresh and varied menu. Bar food plus. Don’t expect artisanal breads and fine wine. And note: kit hen closes @ 6 on Sundays

I stayed at the Doyle in February 2012 during a weekend hike on the Appalachian Trail with the Chester County Trail Club. Had a great time thanks to the absolutely fabulous owners who treated us as family and I look forward to the next time I see these great people.
I’m a complete vegetarian (vegan) and had no trouble here. Pat is a thoughtful chef who is happy to discuss ingredients and cooking methods with refreshing openness and care. I got two excellent meals. Example: Sunday’s lunch was a gorgeous salad consisting of every delight from the garden and topped off with a wine vinaigrette that was a perfect complement to a baked potato. Those who can do simple meals like this with real flair win my appreciation, and Pat did it with ease.
The bar is a classic pub and it has everything a classic pub would have. If you want a good local pale ale, you’ll be happy with the Tröegs (in small, medium, or large glasses!). Depending on the time of day and the mood of the trail, the Doyle’s atmosphere can range from a calm refuge amidst the ancient wooden panels to a happy hubbub tinted with a Bob-​Dylan-​ballad sort of mood. There are more than enough stories for a book in the printed articles and pictures on the entrance wall and in the memories of those who know the town and those who pass through it.
The rooms are basic: Don’t envision plastic shampoo bottles and blow-​dryers; think no-​frills hiker hostel. You’ll get a good rest and that’s the whole point when coming in from the trail. On the 2^nd of June 2012, if I heard correctly, Duncannon will become an official Trail Town. I hope the Doyle gets recognition for the key role it plays in the constantly unfolding story of the Appalachian Trail.

That there are only two reviews for the Doyle is illuminating. One would assume, with over 2,000 through-​hikers a year and many thinking of nothing but the Doyle the days before arriving Duncannon, that there’d be more than two reviews.
But no. How can this be?
My brother and I finished our section yesterday. Five and a half days and 65 miles later I’m no worse for wear. We’ve now covered from the southern Maine line to nearly Maryland. 300 more miles and we’ll be halfway done.
Midway through our week we visited the Doyle. Because that’s what you do when you walk the AT through Duncannon.
It’s run by two of the nicest people I’ve met in a long time. If the reception we received was the same they give the other three dozen-​a-​day, this pair has an inexhaustible enthusiasm for life. Which would be reason enough to check them out. Add to that their penchant for aliens, their delicious (not epicurean) grub, the cross-​section of human curiousity in the dining room/​bar — it’s like you’ve stumbled on a little carnival.
The markers in part of my life are white blazes on trees in a green tunnel through the mountains of the eastern seaboard. Markers in another are curiosities and people who seem to have made peace with their place in the milieu. I’ll spend as much of my time with both as I can. Maybe … you too?

Very good place. We came back for second time just for the food. Absolutely good. And the price is right. Homemade soup, fresh food and good service. There’s billiard table in one room, hotel up stair, computer, jukebox, drinks, beer. The place is ancient is 100 years old and in downtown Duncannon. Definitely will come back again.

The Doyle Hotel was one of the coolest places I’ve been to in a long time! Im a foodie that’s for sure, but I was blown away by the friendliness and good tasting food here. We stopped in on a sunday afternoon (they opened a few minutes beforehand. We sat down in the dining area, which was pretty small: three tables, an 8 seat bar, jukebox and internet accessable computer. There also was a pool room and an upper floor with rooms for rent.
The food took quite some time to come out of the kitchen, 45 minutes to an hour, which didnt really bother me, our party ordered a cup of chicken soup, cup of chili, southwest burger and a cheesesteak. Menu was about 4 — 5 pages long, and they had some daily food & drink specials.
The Doyle is pretty famous for hosting Appalachian Trail hikers, there’s a posterboard in the front enterance with people who have made the whole hike and sent letters, pictures and postcards back to the hotel. Accepts cash, visa, mastercard and has private parking out back.