Open since 2011, Harvey’s Main Street Bar-B-Q has become one of Mount Joy’s favorite dining destinations. Owner Harvey Schademan is not a newcomer to the barbeque scene – he’s been perfecting his barbeque recipes for nearly 40 years. Today, this Mount Joy success story is a family affair.
Harvey has been making barbecue since 1985. Starting with a roadside stand in Mount Joy, he expanded into catering, engaged in barbecue competitions and opened a food stand at the Elizabethtown Fair (the food stand and the connection to the fair continue today). He briefly owned a restaurant in Marietta and then returned to catering and operating roadside chicken barbecues before opening Harvey’s Main Street Bar-B-Q,
Harvey’s has grown in yet another way, as it’s become a family business, thanks to a second generation joining its ranks. It’s now operated by Harvey, his wife, Stephanie, their daughter, Mollie Schademan, and a nephew, Jeremy Schademan. Harvey oversees the various aspects of the business, while Stephanie tends to the books and landscaping, Mollie is the catering coordinator and Jeremy serves as the head chef.
The Space
A fire in 2014 caused the restaurant to be closed for a time. The Schademans put the time to use by remodeling and expanding indoor dining spaces.
The restaurant makes its home in what long-time Mount Joy residents may remember as the office of physician, Dr. David Schlosser. (Harvey was one of Dr. Schlosser’s patients.) The building dates to the mid-1800s but was renovated in the early 1960s. “Dr. Schlosser’s brother worked for a Philadelphia architectural firm, and the firm’s owner was friends with Frank Lloyd Wright, so the building has a lot of Wright-inspired elements such as the use of natural elements like stone and wood,” Harvey explains. The two fireplaces in the dining areas are original to the building, as is the mahogany paneling and the flagstone floor in the back dining room.
The restaurant was enlarged following a 2014 fire. “Prior to that we had talked about expanding; we turned a tragedy into something good,” Mollie says. The restaurant now seats about 95 indoors. An outdoor seating area that features stone pathways and picnic tables among the lush landscaping was added last year. It seats about 50; outdoor table service was added in May.
The Menu
“Harvey got me into barbecue,” says Jeremy. A graduate of the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, he worked as a banquet chef at Hotel Hershey before coming to Harvey’s on Main.
Of course, the sauce (or rub) defines the style and taste of barbeque. Harvey’s on Main utilizes the signature barbeque sauce – “tangy with a vinegar-butter base and ketchup-mustard flavoring” – its namesake developed.
Can’t decide? The Decision Maker provide a sampling of ribs, chicken, pulled pork, beef brisket and Cajun sausage.
Popular menu items include brisket (available in a salad, as a sandwich or as a dinner), St. Louis-style ribs and pulled pork (available as a sandwich or a dinner). For those who can’t decide between brisket, pulled pork, ribs or Harvey’s Cajun sausage, there’s the Decision Maker, which features a sampling of all four meats.
Another favorite is the Sunday Special: Harvey’s original 1/2 chicken dinner for $12. Harvey says the barbecue sauce for the chicken is different than the sauce used for other items. “I grew up on the chicken dinner,” Mollie comments. “When my dad had the roadside stand, he would bring any leftover chicken home for us. I always hoped he had some chicken left!” Jeremy echoes those sentiments, saying chicken is the one thing he could eat every day.
Ribs are available in half- and full-rack servings.
The house-made sides such as beans, mac & cheese and collard greens are also top sellers. Desserts, which include brownies, are also made in-house.
In addition to off-site catering, Harvey’s can help you take your backyard barbeque to the next level, as they offer a bulk-item take-out menu, as well as barbecue sauce that is sold by the jar, quart or gallon.
Coming!
Although it’s currently BYOB, Harvey’s plans to offer craft beer in the near future thanks to a partnership with Moo-Duck Brewery in Elizabethtown. Moo-Duck will brew craft beer in a newly constructed space at Harvey’s. Pennsylvania wines and craft spirits will also be available.
Another upgrade – a garden-inspired outdoor dining area – seats about 50.
Harvey’s Main Street Bar-B-Q is located at 304 East Main Street, Mount Joy. Hours are Thursday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m., and Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Reservations accepted for parties of 8 or more. Take-out and catering are available. Call 717-653-4224 or visit harveysbbq.com or Facebook.
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