Bob’s Tavern

Came here and chowed down about a week ago, with a couple of pitchers of beer to wash things down. My experience, for being an «out of towner» (I was told that most Sheltonians can tell the difference fairly quickly LOL), was spot on. I enjoyed the low key atmosphere and the great service we received; not to mention the food was pretty damn good!
I had the fish & chips meal; son had the chicken wings meal and the bro had the prawns basket. The batter on the fish was NOT overwhelming /​thick, like some places do to their fish! You could actually taste the fish, which were of decent portion sizes, and the batter was tasty. They were NOT oily, dripping and /​or softening up on me. The coating was firm. The fries were plentiful, firm and also quite tasty. I sampled a chicken wing and prawn (I shared too), and they were also very tasty.
The beer was cold and we were brought new chilled glasses with the 2^nd pitcher.
We ate outside, in the back, and the waitress did not forget us. This area is also used as a ‘smoking area’ apparently. So, if you are offended by smoking or a potential whiff of cigarette DON“T sit out there. We were not and it was good to go!
The son and his cousin went out another night and got their buzz and grub on here again. I was told they had a good time and had some funny interactions with the locals (although the cousin is one himself — born and raised). Nothing negative to report on either visit.
As for the uppity poster who wrote: «So, if you are retarded or gay, driving through Shelton being your awesome self, Avoid this cesspool. If you are inbred and ignorant… This is the place for you.» I did not experience the former, but would have actually been relieved to know there are places that are not so damn Politically Correct! As for the latter, we are NEITHER and enjoyed ourselves and the company amongst us. Get off your HIGH HORSE, grow some thicker skin or a bigger sack!
We’ll be back, when in town.

The chicken here is good for what it is. The beer is ok. Not too many choices but has the big names.

The food at Bob’s is fantastic – they have the best fried chicken in the area hands down. Steak night is an absolute treat (currently $ 15 for a boneless rib eye with corn and a baked potato) cooked to order. The staff is wonderful and friendly and the other patrons are good, fun working class people. They give a nice pour and have a good selection of tap beers. Sunday mornings are especially fun with a bloody mary bar (they hand you a pint of ice with vodka and you add the rest). The patio (where smokers can enjoy their drink) is large and has protection from the element but also plenty of space to catch the sun. Worth the drive from Oly anytime.

Pretty good greasy food, Really bad rude service and didn’t even put my whole order in the bag had to drive back and get the rest. I do not recommend

Got here before the dinner rush and once we ordered dinner was completely forgotten about until after the main rush and I approached the bar to get pull tabs and they realized my order was forgotten. Completely unacceptable. Garbage service.

Typical subpar dive Chicken and beer.
If you like your local tavern to be extra undereducated, this is your hot spot! Employees and patrons alike, bashing «retards and gays». So, if you are retarded or gay, driving through Shelton being your awesome self, Avoid this cesspool.
If you are inbred and ignorant… This is the place for you.

Yes this is what one may consider a «dive bar» that being said it is clean, super friendly, with cold drinks and delicious food. Crazy to believe but that famous chicken basket is cut seasons and prepared for the frier every morning. Love the outdoor beer garden and where else can you get a 16oz ribeye bbq to order for that price? LOVE THIS PLACE!

It’s between 2 and 3 stars, depending on the day. The chicken and jo’s are good, but $ 11 good, not so much. There is an outdoor beer garden, which is nice because it can get a little loud inside once someone plays music. The service is great IF you are a regular. If not, plan on fetching your own drinks– especially if you sit outside. We were here a few nights ago with friends, and they don’t itemize your ticket– our friend asked for an itemized receipt, got a «yeah, yeah» from our server accompanied with an eye roll– nice, not. We had talked about going to Olympia, but wanted to stay close to home… we’ll probably be making the 20 minute drive to Olympia from now on.

Oh bobs tavern. I’ve been eating your fried chicken and Jo-Jo’s now since I knew how to chew food. It’s the most delicious thing in Shelton. If you haven’t been here, you have to experience it at least once.
My only issues are that the owners won’t adapt the menu to suit bigger parties/​orders (you have to get one or both of their only 2 ordering options). You have to keep up with the trends And only having two limited orders won’t cut it anymore. That’s issue one, issue two is it hasn’t been kept up. Ya it’s a dive and that’s cool but keep the place clean and hire and properly trained staff the way john taffer would hold his standards. His standards are my standards and that’s why they get a very fair 2. Get the place cleaned up, re group the menu and hire staff who are willing to be trained right and keep up the good hard work.
Oh ya one other thing, you can tell they don’t taste food when they make it (bad! You have to know what you’re serving people). How do I know? Their epic ranch sauce was missing like half the ingredients once so you know regular steps aren’t in place nor are they being used.

I love bobs. The chicken is hands down the best around. I also appreciate the friendly atmosphere. The locals are usually pretty cool.

Bob’s has the best fried chicken and jo-​jos in town. If you place an order over the phone, they quote you half an hour but it generally takes about 15 minutes. Your order consists of half of a chicken (1 breast, wing, thigh, drumstick) and an entire (large) potato that has been cut into eighths. Well worth it for the reasonable price! You also need to get some of their ranch– I’m pretty sure that it’s laced with something illegal because it is so dang delicious.

Could use a better beer selection but the chicken is great. Well worth the money, especially late after a night of bar hopping.

Bob’s Tavern is a classic old dive, apparently established in 1942. Contrary to popular opinion, the bartender Dottie has *not* been there even longer, though she *has* been there for 30 years, and at 71, can still do a crackerjack job trading friendly barbs with the customers.
In addition to Dottie, the bar interior is dominated by a semi-​circular bar, and the outside by a large painting of a chicken. The drinks are pretty standard, and the patrons pleasant and humorous, often with a card game going on in the afternoon.

Driving into Shelton from the freeway you can see the side of a building with a giant chicken painted on the side of it.
Yes, you are correct, this place serves chicken.
The bartender was kind, but a little slow… this could be related to the fact that I put her age somewhere in the early 70s. Beer was cold and the chicken strips were good. The potato jos, however, were probably the best I’ve ever had. Thick and steaming hot with the best coating imaginable, they made the trip worthwhile.
Also worth noting is the men’s room. If you walk in and need to use the toilet, there isn’t a door to open, there’s a showercurtain to open. If you use the urinal, have had a little too much to drink, and miss completely — don’t fear! There is a gaping hole in the ground underneath.
The moral of this story… don’t go to KFC across the street, come to Bob’s.