The Tavern

After hearing some of the good reviews. I was greeted by An amazing welcome then sat at the bar & had the most horrible service. Maybe it was my excitement but was disappointed. Back to The Martha we go.

Charming historic restaurant that has served as far more than a restaurant in this location since 1779.
I enjoyed the crab crakes with a delicious remoulade, while my colleagues had jambalaya and a German dish I’m sure to mangle if I try to spell it. They both loved it
While the food was quite good, the ambience is what wins. I can imagine on s wintry night, the fireside seating and warming brandy would be quite a comfort.
Service was friendly and not hovering. I would come back again.

Loved this place! The owner got us in early so we could make a last minute show and came by to check on us after we got our food. The wait staff was wonderful as well. All of the food was excellent, and very unique. The stuffed filet especially is worth getting. I will definitely be back.

This is one of them fancy eatin’ places in quaint Abingdon. We had dinner here prior to heading over to the Barter Theater. The building was cozy, very old and you had to watch your head passing through doorways. The bar looked like a great place for a cocktail, but we went straight upstairs to the back balcony. It was a great place to sit as the thunderstorms rolled in.
We had some perfectly made martinis, followed by an app (I can’t remember anymore what it was) and salads. There was a sign outside warning of 2 hour dinners, and we were more than ready to kick back and kill those 2 hours with a leisurely dinner. We had an early 5:30 reservation, and arrived even earlier than that, so I think they mistook us for early bird retirees. As we were still working on our salads, the main course arrived. That’s a huge no-​no in my book. And I let the waitress know that. We were feeling rushed, which might be an odd complaint as I see other reviews here complaining that service was too slow. She did adjust after I said something and the pace for the remainder of the meal was fine, but really, you should know not to bring out the next course before the current one is finished.
We both had the Weinerschnitzel. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. Dry and over cooked and the side of cabbage was a bit of a disappointment. The spaetzle was very good. We shared a glass of port for dessert which was good and reasonably priced.
The owner was working the crowd through out dinne. Initially he was laying a Good Ol’ Boy accent pretty thick on one table, and when I said something about him not sounding German he started sounding like Arnold Schwarzenegger (yeah, I know Arnold is Austrian). I have no idea how he really talks. He was German, but also a retired career USAF officer.
The back outside patio looked nice, but it was supposed to rain, and the t-​storms did in fact come through while we were there, so the balcony was the next best thing. It looked like they were having a small kudzu problem along one of the walls.
We’ll definitely be back in the area for another vacation. Abingdon had plenty to offer. I’m not sure we’ll be stopping in here though, it wasn’t quite as nice as we were expecting.

Food mediocre, atmosphere nice. Salad was either 3 days old, or was out of refrigeration for an extended period of time. Wiener Schnitzel was under par: way too much breading and dark brown, indicating old frying oil or other problem. Red cabbage was not home made as far as I can judge: it was not good. Draft German Spaten beer was flat and limp, indicating past it’s freshness date. Being high priced, one expects better food snd beverage.

Not really impressed. Had been recommended by friends but we were disappointed. Steak wasn’t anything special at all. Server was ok but could have checked back to see how food was. Manager came by twice. First time ignored us. second time spoke and talked a few minutes.
All in all I wouldn’t go back. A little too pricey for what one gets. Seems like it is a tourist spot.

We were a party of five with a reservation. The restaurant wasn’t overly busy, but there were a fair amount of people there for a weekday night. We were seated on the porch, one flight up. At first it wasn’t so bad because the temps were bearable that evening and there was a slight breeze. BUT, when our dinner arrived so did the FLIES! They dive bombed our plates! And if that wasn’t bad enough, someone sitting on the patio below began to chain smoke! As we walked through the dining room to go downstairs, it was nearly empty. Our dinner would have been so much nicer indoors. Why oh, why did they seat us out there without first warning us about the pests? Why on earth didn’t they give us a choice?
The food was okay but we ate it quickly because of the flies, so who knows. The waitress said the desserts were made fresh each day at The Tavern, but we discovered they were actually from Anthony’s bakery on Main St. No mistake about it!
Sorry to say, the atmosphere of the restaurant was terrible. There was a sloppiness throughout and the service was slow. The wait staff and the young man who greeted us when we walked in were all dressed like they were going to wash their car. Not what we would expect from the highest priced restaurant in Abingdon. The Tavern has slipped. We were embarrassed to take guests out for dinner only to swat flies and rush through dessert under cigarette smoke clouds. We won’t be back.

The filet was awesome, the atmosphere was charming, and our server was friendly. We sat outside which was fine because it was a nice evening, but I wish I had been told that when I made the reservation. I’m a wimp when it comes to heat, but it turned out to be a great night (other than the jackass downstairs smoking a cigar where people are eating). Cigar smoke makes me want to vomit. Luckily he left or quit and didn’t spoil our evening. I will definitely revisit The Tavern when I go back to Abingdon!

I had the Peppercorn Encrusted Duck. It was exceptional. It is also a historic building which has tremendous potential but they have definitely concentrated of the food instead of the building so I can’t complain about that.

I attended a rehersal dinner here ³⁄₂₈ for an out-​of-​town wedding.
The food was authentic German cuisine. My brother was skeptical about how good a certain dish would be, but upon being greeted by the German owner he immediately changed his meal and was not disappointed. The food was incredibly rich and I couldn’t finish my meal, and the house salad dressing (garlic parmesean) is TO DIE FOR. My German beer loving family was in heaven due to the draught selection.
The Revolutionary vibe was wonderful. It wasn’t overdone and there were just enough modern touches to make me feel like I wasn’t in a strange re-​enactment. The building was beautiful.
Shout out to our server, Dwayne. That man was BUSY but was completely charming the whole time. The only reason I took a star away is because he was running around like crazy, and I think for a dinner of this size he really should have had some back-​up. His service was fantastic, but as someone who currently works in the service industry I know how hard it is to keep up with busy guests alone.

We visit only once a year and The Tavern is a MUST before we leave. Delicious German food and very friendly service. It is always perfect. We love The Tavern.

So… My girlfriend a coworker and his wife drove over an hour from Boone to check out this Tavern that the coworker and his wife had been to several times over the years. They had us so excited to try a German /​Austrian restaurant, that the drive did not seem like an issue.
Then we got to The Tavern and were mishandled by the three folks at the front desk. They rudely explained to us that we will have to wait 45 – 60 minutes for a table. We were ok with the wait. The front desk staff went on to explain that they are very busy and that we will definitely be the last guests allowed to get in before kitchen closes at 9. Restaurant closes at 10, hmm.
Then, after an hour of waiting, 915, we were told the kitchen has closed and there is no way to get the kitchen to take on another table. The front desk blamed us for not reminding them we were waiting, even thought the waiting area is at front desk… no more than 5 – 6 feet wide and deep from desk.
Never been treated that way.
Do not understand three people acting this way together.
Disappointing.

You better have reservations at this joint. Otherwise you will be pushed around and placed into limbo. It is ridiculous. The guy who may or may not have been the manager (he was condescending but never actually identified himself) was incredibly difficult to work with and rude. If you walk in without a reservation and put your name on the waiting list you better stand right in front of the hostess stand or else they will forget who you are and the fact that you ARE on the waiting list. Rude. Inflexible. The only reason I have given them 1 star is because I was forced to in order to post this review. We never got past the hostess table & the service sucked so badly that I will not waste my time again.

Just had drinks in the quaint bar. Several local people were sitting nearby and made us feel right at home. Although we could not stay for dinner, the local crowd assured us the food was fabulous!

I had the stuffed filet. Amazing. Never has anything quite like it. Great service. Our server recommended the perfect wine for pairing too. I love the crooked floors and history of this place too. All around great experience!

Just excellent German/​Austrian food, beer, and wine. Skip over the American steaks and whatnot, and try the wienerschnitzle — the best I’ve had on this side of the Atlantic. The atmosphere is lovely as well.

The German food was awesome. Wish I would have taken a picture of it. The old building is really cool and the owner checked on me several times, which was nice.
The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars was the bar atmosphere. I eat at the bar a lot and this one was pretty uncomfortable. It doesn’t have an overhang like modern bars, and you have to lean over and bang your knees into it to eat. Also, the staff and local patrons were hanging out and really loud. Of course I walked in at just after 5 on a Wednesday, so that’s certainly excusable.
Overall, a great place to eat and I’ll certainly be back.

Love going to the Tavern when visiting Abingdon. Great historic location, rustic interior, attentive service and diverse menu. Appetizer: Brie with honey and toasted almonds was great. Entrée was Filet mignon stuffed with Gorgonzola, spinach and bacon with plum sauce. Meat was perfectly cooked and stuffing was delicious. However the plum sauce almost ruined the dish; way too sweet, way too much sauce… very overwhelming. A drizzle would have been sufficient.
I’ll be back but won’t order that again.

Can’t believe I have to rate it this low! I wish for 2.5 stars but because of the good bar service I went with 3 rather than 2. We tried for reservations for E&H homecoming weekend but were told they were booked. I spent MANY evenings here when I was in undergrad at E&H and the memories were waiting around for me. That part was great. Also, the bartender had an engaging personality and served up some excellent drinks.
We spent 2 evenings having cocktails here before supper elsewhere but on the 2^nd evening we were told a spot had opened up and we took it. I really wish we had kept our reservation elsewhere. The food may have been OK under all the heavy sauce and salty spices. WHY WOULD ANYONE DO THAT TO A NICE STEAK?! Salads were wilting and boring. Bland and heavy are the best adjectives for the overall food experience. The service was OK — but not on par with the prices which have skyrocketed, even considering inflation.
We’ll visit again for drinks before going somewhere else for supper — I recommend you do the same.

The Tavern is a very charming restaurant located in the heart of quaint, historic downtown Abingdon, VA. Being the oldest of Abingdon’s historic buildings and one of the oldest west of the Blue Ridge, The Tavern was originally built in 1779. During it’s more than 200 years of existence, it has served as a tavern, overnight inn, and even a hospital for wounded soldiers during the Civil War. You may sit on a bar stool or at a table that once graced notable guests such as Henry Clay, Louis Philippe (King of France), President Andrew Jackson, or Pierre Charles L’Enfant who was the principal architect of Washington, D.C.
It is owned by Max Hermann and his lovely wife. Max served 20 years in the United States Air Force before retiring and relocating to Abingdon. Being a native German, you’ll find several German brews on tap at the small, rustic bar that is just off to your right as you enter. On tap selections include Franziskaner, Spaten, and Warsteiner. However, when in Abingdon, do as the locals do and reach for a delicious pint from Wolf Hills Brewery which always has a seasonal brew on tap. You can’t go wrong with the Troopers Alley IPA. If you arrive later in the evening, you may also run into a few of the players, hanging out after a show, from the local Barter Theatre.
Apart from the rich history, the unique ambiance of The Tavern only adds to its charm. The juxtaposition of the old and new combine for a rather surreal experience as you gaze into the eyes of your lover or take in the view of historic downtown Abingdon from a table located upstairs. The low hanging ceilings and uneven doorways are subtle reminders of another place and time. Just don’t get so lost in the moment and your surroundings that you forget to enjoy one of the many amazing dishes on the menu. I can personally vouch for the stuffed filet mignon.
If you are looking for an especially romantic evening, ask for the «Love» table located upstairs. You’ll have to experience it firsthand to learn why it is labeled as such. Oh, and you can thank me later:)