Jeff and Matt -
two guys from Iowa who like beer and the Grateful Dead.

Jeff and Matt have enjoyed a decades-long friendship that has centered around great music and whatever beer was on tap at George’s Buffet. 

Matt was the guy who came in and took over Geroge’s legendary jukebox, usually to everyone’s delight. Jeff was the homebrewer. First in the kitchen, then (after his wife kicked him out of the kitchen) in the garage with a slightly larger setup. From pale ales to stouts to barley wine, Jeff always had a brew fermenting. 

In 2014 Jeff left Iowa and headed to Pennsylvania. Five years later when Matt followed, Hell in a Bucket was born.

From humble roots in Wrightsville to historic Marietta

Hell in a Bucket’s Wrightsville taproom opened in December of 2019.  It was tiny, but that didn’t mean that there wasn’t room for live music. We hosted a roster of live music and one of the best open mics in the area, but after 4 years in the space we knew we needed to expand. We moved across the river to historic Marietta in February of 2024 with the same great beer and great music, but with more seats and a full kitchen.

Hell’s Kitchen 

The move to Marietta opened a whole new world for The Bucket. With a full kitchen, we built a menu around local products and suppliers.  Jeff’s love for Chicago deep dish pizza anchored the menu, and his wife Sarah built around that with classic favorites like tacos and burgers. And Lancaster County being a food paradise, we source local and make things from scratch as much as we can. 

Front Street to Front Street - Our Partnership with The Lower Susquehannah Riverkeeper 

Since the very beginning, Hell in Bucket has been situated on the banks of the Susquehannah River.  We support the stewardship of the Lower Susquehannah River Keeper in their efforts to keep our river clean wth our yearly brew of Big River Pale Ale, with a portion of the profits benefiting the organization.