Tavern23

Went in tonight on the recommendation from a close friend. I live in California, but my family is still here in Poughkeepsie, which I love because it keeps me coming back to the CIA area and the great restaurants their students are opening up. I lived in NYC for 10 years and have been lucky enough to travel and eat all over. I think this is my roundabout way of saying I love love love food and have been lucky enough to eat in a lot of great places.
Tavern23 is a gem. It is tucked back off of the road and very understated. The interior which was redone by the owners, literally they redid it themselves, preserves it’s history, but has all of the great contemporary touches. Basically, it rocks! Great craftsmanship and every element to the place has a story behind it which is fantastic. You can feel the effort and care that went into this place, it is impressive.
The staff is fantastic, the chef came out and spoke to everyone and shared his story and the journey to getting the restaurant up and running. There is a great outdoor space which will be used for a ton of awesome experiences in the warmer weather. In my mind I was already thinking pig roast, clambake, cookouts etc.
The food is fantastic, plentiful, and unbelievably reasonable. I really hope none of this changes because it is only a matter of time before it starts to get packed every night.
We had a fantastic loaded potato soup to start, a salad, all followed by a steak, the pork shanks, and the bratwurst sandwich. The steak was seasoned well and cooked perfectly! Lots great flavor, marbling, and plenty to eat. The pork shank was really a show stopper. These are juicy, delicious fried pork shanks that have the meat falling off the bone. You have a few seasonings to pick from for them or you can have them plain. We went with plain and they were outstanding. The bratwurst was awesome. Great flavor, bread was not soaked and it held up well and married to everything going on in the meal. All of the dishes were awesome. I am anxious to go back and try some of the other food.
I went with a martini to drink which was great. The craft beer selection is awesome and constantly rotating. I really wish these owners all the success in the world. They treated us really well, made great food, and have put a ton of effort into building this. See you in the spring!

How does a place like this stay under the radar for a half-​year? Maybe the regulars don’t want the word to get out? My take is a place like this deserves your business. It’s a casual, friendly, accommodating place for people of all ages to meet, with a fun selection of brews from all over lower New York State. The food is good-​quality, great-​portioned pub-​style. Newbies are welcomed immediately, and it seemed like all I’d need to do is visit once or twice more to feel like a regular. It might be a little tough to find. It’s on a side street in Poughkeepsie, a nondescript building at the back of a large parking lot. The feeling changes once you step inside and into the realm.
The beer list does change from time to time. This evening I started with a Hawaiian brew, Pipeline Porter from the Kona Brewing Company, I ended with a Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout, and in-​between I had a burger and fries. The portions are huge, not only for their burgers but their salads, probably just about everything. My burger was cooked to order, with lettuce, tomato, choice of onion and cheese, and optional condiments. The portion of hand-​cut fries was HUGE, crisp and well seasoned.
It’s inviting to folks of all ages. There were families there, couples eating and drinking at the bar. I’m told there was a 50^th birthday there last night while students from Marist were partying at the table next to it. There’s quite a few tables that can accommodate 6 – 10 customers each. The music was somewhat generically accommodating, stuff like Steve Miller and The Eagles, played at a not-​outrageously-​loud volume.
As of this post, the website wasn’t linking to anything. Until that’s fixed, check out their Facebook page for dinner and drink specials.