Seasonal Menu Changes at 12 Hawks: What's New This Year

The menu changed on October 1. Six new items came on, four left, and the rest stayed put because regulars would notice if they didn't.

What's new

Fall means heavier plates and warmer flavors. Here's what showed up this rotation:

• Smoked brisket melt, served on grilled sourdough with sharp cheddar and caramelized onions. Runs $14.

• Butternut squash soup, a cup for $5 or a bowl for $8. Good starter before a burger, not filling enough on its own for most appetites.

• Bourbon glazed wings, ten pieces for $13. Sweeter than the buffalo option, less heat.

• Harvest salad with roasted squash, dried cranberries, and candied pecans. $11, add grilled chicken for $4 more.

• Chili bowl, made in house, $9 with a side of cornbread.

• Apple crisp for dessert, $6, served warm.

What left

The summer fish tacos are gone until spring. So is the watermelon salad, the cold shrimp cocktail, and the peach cobbler. None of these sold poorly, they're just tied to produce that's out of season now. Local suppliers don't carry good watermelon or peaches past September, so we stop serving them rather than use something shipped in from far away and priced up.

What stayed

The core menu doesn't move much. Burgers, the fried chicken sandwich, the ribeye, and the fish and chips are all still there. Kids' menu is unchanged too, still $6 for a corn dog or grilled cheese with fries. If your family has a regular order, it's safe. The full current menu is posted online and gets updated the same day anything changes, so you can check before you drive over.

Why the menu rotates at all

Three reasons. First, ingredients. Grant County produce and meat suppliers shift with the season, and cooking around what's actually available keeps quality up and cost down. Second, variety. A menu that never changes gets stale for people who eat here every week. Third, kitchen bandwidth. Running a smaller, focused list means the kitchen can execute it well instead of stretching thin across forty items nobody orders twice.

That said, rotating the menu isn't free. Every swap means new prep training, new supplier orders, and a week or two where the kitchen is slower on unfamiliar dishes. We eat that cost because a tired menu costs us regulars long term.

Pricing this season

Most new items land between $8 and $14. Nothing on the fall menu breaks $16 except the ribeye, which hasn't moved in over a year. If you're watching a tab with a family of four, expect $45 to $60 total with a couple of appetizers and drinks, not counting alcohol.

Happy hour still applies

Seasonal changes don't touch happy hour pricing, Monday through Friday, 2 to 4pm. Most of the new appetizers, including the bourbon wings, are on that discounted list. If you haven't looked into what's included, there's a breakdown of why locals in Ephrata choose this happy hour that covers the specifics.

Game day and the new menu

Football season and the fall menu launch land at the same time on purpose. Wings, the brisket melt, and chili all work as shared plates for a table watching a game. If you're planning to come in for Sunday football or Monday night, the new items hold up fine as finger food, and the screens run every game we can get, not just one channel.

Closed Tuesdays, still

The seasonal menu doesn't change the schedule. Still closed every Tuesday. If that catches you off guard, there's a short explanation of why 12 Hawks is closed on Tuesdays that lays out the reasoning, mostly staff rest and kitchen deep cleaning.

What's coming next

Winter menu planning starts in December. Expect heavier comfort food, more soups, and probably a holiday-specific special or two around Christmas and New Year's. Spring will bring the fish tacos and lighter salads back. If a dish disappears and you miss it, mention it to staff. Some items that get pulled come back the following year if enough people ask.

12 Hawks keeps the changes small and seasonal rather than overhauling the whole menu at once, because most regulars want their usual order to still be there when they walk in.