Gadsby's Tavern

Gadsby's Tavern reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Review summary

1. I

   Irene VIP

   Washington DC13 reviews

   2.0

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 2

   In a word or rather two words: this is not good. From the hostess seating us to the waiter, the food, and the decor—everything should be better in a place that has historical appeal. There is something to be said for 18th century accuracy but here it is lackluster and dismal. The waiter was quick but dour. The food was just edible and one entree was unacceptable. Billed as chicken pot pie, it came as a dull stew-like concoction in a bowl with a biscuit on the side. There was no “pie”. This place needs saving—in every way.
   

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2. L

   Lee

   Alabama3 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Great ambiance in historic tavern with good food and service. Options are somewhat limited and expensive, but worth it to try.
   

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3. F

   Francis VIP

   Sacramento20 reviews

   4.0

   Dined on April 17, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Stopped by to have lunch in a historical setting. It was truly nice ambience. The food was delicious and prepared well with good ingredients, though menu not necessarily anything ground breaking. Friendly wait staff.
   

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4. N

   Nicky

   San Francisco3 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on April 5, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 1

   I hate leaving bad reviews, but i was extremely disappointed with my experience. Maybe my expectations were just different than what this place has to offer. I’ll start with the environment. The pictures looked cute and drew me in - I expected a nice cozy dining room with colonial decor. But it was far from cozy. For one, the dining room was hot - no AC and the windows were barely open. It was unpleasant with little air flow, even on a mildly hot evening in April. I can’t imagine the conditions in the summer. The space felt empty and echoey, almost too quiet, which made it hard to feel relaxed or comfortable—more like eating in a vacant hall than a welcoming dining room. Now on to the food. I’ll say it wasn’t bad tasting food, but I have some gripes. The chicken pot pie was $26 and I was looking forward to eating the warm home cooked comfort dish, but the dish was deconstructed. It was effectively chicken soup/pie filling in a bowl with a small, airy puff pastry on the side. It was not clear on the menu that this dish would be served this way. It felt extremely overpriced and disappointing. The crab Mac & Cheese ($27) didn’t seem to have crab in it - the taste wasn’t there, and there were no clumps of meat visible in the dish. For the price I expected to be able to notice the crab was there. I was looking forward a nice dining experience with friends and left extremely disappointed. It seems as if this place exists to serve those interested in the history of the tavern and immersing themselves into an overpriced historical experience. Had I known that initially, I would not have booked and would have gone elsewhere.
   

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5. N

   Nina

   Louisville2 reviews

   4.0

   Dined on March 30, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   We really enjoyed our dinner here! The portions were large and the food was delicious. The service was a little slow, but still very kind. We really are so glad we went to dinner here! 
   

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6. G

   Gerson

   Miami1 review

   5.0

   Dined on March 22, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Excellent!!! A+! Loved it. Will recommend. Can't wait to come back
   

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7. J

   Joel VIP

   Washington DC4 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on March 20, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 4

   The service was absolutely horrible. Inattentive, forgetful, and at times completely unavailable. Food was OK but nothing great. Not for those prices.
   

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8. RB

   RebeccaB

   Richmond4 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 15, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Went here over 10 years ago as a kid and now as an adult it’s just as nice as I remembered. Cozy ambience and polite service. Got the appetizer biscuits, jerk chicken and mac and cheese and all were very good. Large dinner portion so definitely took some home. Drinks were good too. Cool spot to stop at if you’re interested in colonial American history.
   

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9. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Cleveland4 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 13, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Had a very good experience with both food quality and service! Dining here is like time warping back to the 1780’s when this place opened, very low lighting, old wooden tables and chairs and a fireplace in each room. We had the gumbo on special, and the chicken pot pie. The gumbo was excellent, the chicken pot was very good also…just needed to be served a little hotter. We had a cup of soup, a chowder I believe, that was very good. Cool establishment!
   

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10. J

    Jennifer

    Los Angeles17 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5

    We enjoyed being immersed in history while dining here. The food was delicious and the menu offered a nice variety. The seafood chowder and the fried oysters were excellent!
    

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