Josephine's Downtown

Sam Slaymaker

6 months ago

My wife and I have dined at Josephine's many times and always enjoyed its excellent food and intimate elegance. In September, I phoned the restaurant to explain that I wanted to reserve a table for 11 for family members who would be having dinner following my mother's interment at Woodward Hill Cemetery. The gentleman who took my reservation over the phone kindly offered his condolences. When we arrived at the restaurant, our group was seated in a semi-private back room, I imagine because of the circumstances surrounding our visit. It was wonderful for our family to be in this serene environment in which we could share reminisces of my mother. The server was excellent. He projected just the right balance of warmth with gracious formality. He provided extensive descriptions of the specials (including price, which is rare and was much appreciated) and welcomed any questions about the menu. He took the orders of the ladies at the table first, which was a traditional and elegant touch. Of course, the food and service was excellent. The atmosphere of the restaurant, including its decor and photos of stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood, evoked my mother and her era even better than I had hoped. In the end, I felt that Josephine's had done an outstanding job in providing my family with an unforgettable evening that allowed us to gather in a fitting tribute to a great lady.

Bhien Powell

6 months ago

Josephine — A Michelin-worthy Experience! We were a party of four and decided to share our dishes so we could taste a bit of everything. Every single dish was excellent — beautifully presented, perfectly seasoned, and full of flavor. The atmosphere was elegant yet comfortable, and the service was outstanding. My favorite main dishes were the beef, crab cake, and sea scallops — each cooked to perfection. We loved the experience so much that we came back the very next night! I live in Miami and my friends are from San Francisco — we all agreed that Josephine deserves a solid five stars and is truly Michelin-quality dining in Lancaster.

Cindy Lee

6 months ago

We visited Josephine’s on a Friday night for the first time and it was truly amazing. We didn’t know what to expect going in, but from start to finish, everything was perfect — the food, the service, and the warm, romantic atmosphere. Our server, Kyle, was wonderful and made sure we had a special date night. Every dish we tried was outstanding, and the flavors were so well balanced. Do not miss out on the honeynut squash soup — it was absolutely incredible and one of the best soups I’ve had anywhere. We’ll definitely be back soon. Highly recommend Josephine’s for anyone looking for a memorable, elevated dining experience!

Bernadette Dougherty

10 months ago

I cannot wait to come back to Josephine's! Our server, Hunter was excellent; he was attentive and made sure to answer any questions we had. The food runners went above and beyond, instead of delivering food and disappearing they told us what their favorite meals were and made sure we didn't need anything before they left. The food was delicious with attention to detail that we appreciated. The drinks were tasty!

Tony Y

5 months ago

Visited for my wife’s birthday and everything was amazing! Our waiter Tate was awesome, extremely knowledgeable and very friendly. His recommendations were spot on! I had the squash soup and rack of lamb and both were incredible. My wife was also very happy with the Caesar salad and the salmon which was cooked perfectly. Vanilla crème brûlée was a perfect end to the night. See you again soon!

V

2 months ago

Wow. Some of the best food I've ever eaten. Staff was delightful. Atmosphere is second to none.

Nathaniel Youndt

a year ago

We had an exceptional dinner experience at Josephine’s! Our server, Kyle, was fantastic, provided great recommendations and had the perfect level of attentiveness. We shared the sea bass, house bacon, and shrimp cocktail for starters and, while all were delicious, the sea bass was a real winner. The favorite fish was the duck breast - absolute killer. And all of the cocktails were creative and awesome, as well.

Mira

2 months ago

Incredible dining experience. Our waiter was so attentive and friendly. The antelope meat was tender and delicious. It is a must try! The Marilyn Monroe cocktail was amazing! The best lemon meringue in the city!!

Danielle Christy

3 months ago

So we didn’t expect to need plans for Valentine’s Day due to other reasons…but we stumbled on this place and although they were booked we were able to get seats at the bar! The restaurant itself was so beautiful, it reminded me of new york. There was also live music!! It was piano and cello I think. We ordered a salad and the antelope appetizer that my boyfriend wanted to try very badly and then we also ordered the vegan dish which was very good and the salmon birria. My boyfriend actually liked my vegan dish better than his but we liked both. It was such a pleasant experience especially as we didn’t think we could get int any nice place for Valentines!

Cory Minnich

3 months ago

As far as we're concerned, this is Lancaster's top restaurant. Never a disappointment. Tonight we started with the new to menu Cream of Onion soup and the Chilean Sea Bass app. Both were fabulous. The soup is decadently rich and savory...it arrives at your table as a dry bowl with a crostini topped with onion jam and lump crab. The server pours the creamy soup around and over the crostini. Both of us loved it. The sea bass was very good, though we preferred the previous version of it with the more savory miso glaze over the new Kim chi version. Entrees were the always scrumptious scallop dish and the salmon Birria. My wife has a difficult time ordering anything other than the scallops here. She swears they are the best anywhere and she loves the sear on top. All of the sauces were directly on point Speaking of sauces... The Birria sauce on my salmon was out of this world. I've never tasted anything like it. The mild chili and other spices in this greatly reduced version were the perfect complement to the fish. Probably my favorite salmon dish of all time. Though both of us were pleasantly full, you can't go to Josephine's and not get the lemon meringue dessert. A creamy style lemon surrounds a poached pear and the whole thing is surrounded by superb toasted meringue. Kyle, our server, was amazing. Helpful, pleasant, interactive, informative, and funny. The meal was paced perfectly. Can't wait to go back!