This week marks an important anniversary for Black Gryphon owner and operator Anthony Morgan. Sunday, Sept. 16 marks the first full year that the restaurant has been back in operation since the fire in 2016. The Black Gryphon has risen from the ashes in spectacular fashion. In the words of one review, “it’s weird, but in the best way.”
The Black Gryphon makes a sizable impression on those who enter it. The entrance features a large, colorful blackboard with events and specials posted in trippy fonts. The mantle beneath is covered in decorative bottles and cans. On the walls are prints and paintings by local artist Brian Phillips, whose style is the psychedelic love child of artists Salvador Dali and Ralph Steadman (and you can find him on Instagram @b.l.phillips_art). Needless to say, it leaves a pretty colorful impression on first-time visitors.
The Black Gryphon first opened on Mount Gretna Road 11 years ago, with Morgan and his team dedicated to fresh food and good atmosphere. It quickly became a community organization and the owner and his team made fast friends in the food-loving, farm-fresh Etown community. In 2016, business came a halt when a fire destroyed the restaurant, prompting Morgan to do what he does best: fundraise. He started a GoFundMe campaign to keep his employees paid and had several events to pay for the damage done by the fire. Now, with a year of business under their belt again, the Black Gryphon has returned to rallying around the community.
Pretty faithfully since their first opening, they’ve been fundraising for the Milagro House, a women and children’s shelter in Lancaster. Morgan and company have also helped run several food drives in the restaurant where patrons bring nonperishables for 10 percent off their bill.
In the kitchen, they use local ingredients from farm trades in the area like Breakaway Farm and Butchery. The business is run more with the attitude of a co-op than a stand-alone business, reaching out to farms and providers in the area for raw ingredients and returning consistently with business and fundraisers. The goal for Morgan is to support the Elizabethtown community in a way that is simple, yet effective.
“If you’re truly passionate about food and community, you’re going to put your money back into it,” Morgan said.
The menu includes bar and restaurant classics like burgers, steaks and crab cake sandwiches, but the Black Gryphon offers a few dishes that are a unique blend of outlandish and delicious. One eye-catching example includes the Thai fire-marinated Philly cheesesteak, which takes the traditional Philadelphia staple and turns it a decadent, spicy meal with prime rib, wild mushrooms and a tangy garlic-habanero flavor. It is required that you eat it with your hands and several stacks of napkins at your side.
More than just sourcing food, drinks and art from the local vendors, Morgan finds it crucial to his business that he knows his community and his neighbors. That’s why maintaining a friendly, open atmosphere is at the top of his list of requirements for the Black Gryphon. A democratic club in the area even uses the restaurant for meetings. To Morgan, opening the doors to this group felt natural, even if they hadn’t received the same kindness before.
“It shocked me that this group was sort of not being accepted in some places and it really opened my eyes to how important to me it was that my restaurant was welcoming and open-minded,” Morgan said.
The attitude of open mind, open doors is no idealistic dream; customers feel welcome the minute they walk in. First-time guest and Elizabethtown College sophomore Morgan Smith commented on friendly atmosphere.
“I pass the Black Gryphon every time I drive back to school and I just now discovered it. I just walked in and I felt safe, it was so fun and inviting in there,” Smith said.
The Black Gryphon is a place to make friends as much as it is a place to grab a bite to eat. Upcoming events in the dining room include live blues Saturday, Sept. 15. The address is 54 Mount Gretna Road, Elizabethtown, PA, and believe me, you can’t miss it.
