The Hound’s Tale

If you’re taking a trip to Williamsburg, the Hounds Tale is a must visit! My friend and I were excited to check out this spot, so we split a few different dishes. 1^st up were the pierogi, which were very good. Next were the fried brussels. The brussels themselves were goid, but they were seated in a red sauce and doused in parmesean and aioli. Overall good, but I certainly tried to eat my way around all the extra toppings. The Curried Gnocchi was to die for. I honestly don’t remember the he last time I ate something this good. The gnocchi were cooked perfectly, served with roasted cauliflower, peas and carrots. And the sauce was curry with a hint of brown sugar. So good! For dessert we had the S’mores, which were good and very rich.
Overall, a great spot and I can’t wait to visit again. save me some Curried Gnocchi!

Spectacular dining experience! We ordered the fried Brussels sprouts, skirt steak, roasted organize chicken, and ended with a Napoleon and pecan pie. All so delicious and our server was very attentive and friendly. Would highly recommend!

This new spot in Williamsburg is clearly getting into its groove. We arrived before 6 pm on Valentine’s eve to see couples playing cards at the high top tables with a view of a cracking video fire. Within 45 minutes the place was completely packed with more people waiting. We were definitely lucky to snag one of the bar tables before the rush. There were so many interesting choices on the menu but when the waitress raved about the wagyu beef burger we opted to start with that and see whether we wanted a second entrée. While we waited our waitress, Angela brought popcorn with herbs and Parmesan to nibble… It vanished. They also serve wine on tap and she gave us a nice taste of the Merlot they offer. The burger was very good and the herb fries were extra hot and crispy. The only complaints about the burger were the weird cheese mixture on it which they call «fondue» but is strangely reminiscent of a powdery velveeta. Also the meat was very juicy, but soooo juicy that it rendered the bun inedible. It soaked it up like a sponge. It also left an odd puddle of blood juice on the plate. Nevertheless the meat was well cooked and flavorful. We were tempted to try the pierogi app or another entrée but were filled just splitting the burger. I kinda wished we had opted for the organic chicken because the burger was such a «heavy» choice, and we didn’t get to try more things on the menu, but we will definitely come back and give it another try. The night we came in, outside temps were frigid so we ordered an Irish coffee, which was great but they didn’t have any whipped cream which would seem pretty standard for any restaurant to have on hand. Our waitress was apologetic and promised they’d have it next time. So they are working out a few kinks but clearly this cozy spot is a much needed mid priced option for the CW dining scene. Angela our server was awesome! Kudos for great service even when the place was packed and we didn’t feel rushed either. They were very gracious about not scooting us out the door even when the place was filling up. Looking forward to trying it again.

Wonderful addition to Colonial Williamsburg. I will be returning and recommending to friends!

We hit The Hound’s Tale with friends after a recommendation that there was a new spot to enjoy in the burg. When we walked in it was crowded so word is out!
We started with Fried Brussels, oh my goodness, they were deliciously crisp and drizzled with a lovely lemon aioli.
For our entrees I chose the Skirt Steak, which came out cooked exactly as I asked, the hash it was served with was really flavorful as was the chimichurri, and I’m picky about chimichurri. Everyone else in our party had the Wagu Burger, and what a burger. It’s served with cheese fondue, bacon, grilled onions and fantastic hand cut fries. I stole quite a few off the hubbies plate.
They had a good selection of beers on tap as well as a nice wine selection. The décor is decidedly pubby. It’s fun to have a bar that’s nicer than the delis but not too upscale, it feels really neighborhood watering holish!

Just had my first experience at the Hounds Tail and I thoroughly enjoyed every party of it. From the get the staff was very friendly and engaging, and we were able to get a great table in a matter of minutes. The table shared the shrimp and avocado tempura appetizer and we all realllllyyy enjoyed it. Fried perfectly and tossed in a great sauce. For the entre I got the shrimp cavatelli with andouille sausage, and it was simply amazing. Perfect serving of shrimp and sausage, the «sauce» created from the Parmesan, shrimp and sausage juices was superb, and I left feeling full and not over stuffed. With two drinks my tab came to $ 35, which is an extremely low number given the quality of my experience. I will be returning soon and plan on doing so consistently.

First, may sound like pub by name but don’t be deceived. Menu is not normal pub food, is interesting and notes gluten free selections; ambiance is modern, clean and attractive and there is a dog theme to the place. First visit with our usual monthly dinner group and zero complaints among the five couples. We have some wine enthusiasts in the group and none were disappointed by choices available or the selections made. I had the Cajun Shrimp over pasta and it will be hard to return and not order the same thing as it was excellent. Service was attentive and the Chef stopped by for feedback. Quiet night so hard to tell noise level if the place is full. Television on a wall but not a distraction as it provides a continuous fireplace video. All in all, a very good choice and a welcome newcomer to Williamsburg. We intend to return.

Poor restaurants are common in Williamsburg, and this is no exception. The food was palatable, but the service and pricing were atrocious. My boyfriend and I ordered the yucca tacos ($ 6 and listed as an appetizer) and the pumpkin ravioli ($ 16 and listed as an entrée), and we communicated to our server that we wanted to split the two dishes. We’ve dined at plenty of other upscale restaurants in Williamsburg (Blue Talon, Dog Street Pub, etc.) and have found that splitting an appetizer and an entrée between us is always plenty of food. When our food came out, we were appalled at the minuscule serving of ravioli — it was nowhere near an entrée-​sized portion of food for one person, much less two. The worst part was that our server knew we had planned to split this entrée, and didn’t think to mention the tiny portion and recommend a different dish upon taking our order. We ordered a glass of wine and a cocktail. The cocktail never came, and the wine was delivered to our table only after we had asked for the check. Also, our server completely neglected to bring us water, both before and during our meal, and he was ignorant of us and impossible to flag down. At a full service restaurant, I typically expect at least one glass of water (maybe even a refill) and for expensive drinks I ordered to actually be delivered to the table before I’ve finished my meal. Considering all the other great restaurants within a mile radius, this place definitely isn’t worth your time or money.

Nice restaurant. Food was very good, service was nice. Wife and I shared four dishes: the beat salad, pear and blue cheese salad, fried shrimp and avocado, and duck. Portions were spot on and everything was well prepared and flavorful. We had the wine on tap (house white and Malbec) and enjoyed them both. Definitely return in the near future.

Very nice restaurant and bar. Very friendly staff and they take very good care of you. My water was immidately refilled multiple times, they offer popcorn at the bar to nibble on which is awesome and the Menu is cute and fun. They call whine «whine» and there is dog décor everywhere. The puns keep following on the menu. Nice spot!

My wife and I went to the Hounds Tale for drinks and dinner. We thought it would be decent, but we were blown out of the water by our meals. In my opinion this is one of the best restaurants in Williamsburg. The food quality is exceptional! We started with the roasted Brussels sprouts appetizer and my wife got the roasted chicken with Spaetzle. I had the flat bread special and a tortellini appetizer.
The owner is very accommodating, she’s comes around to check on the service and food. The husband and wife team behind the bar are gracious hosts as well. We will definitely be back!

Just ate here tonite. Absolutely is now one of my favorite place to get a great meal in Williamsburg. Great vibe and really special menu. We had a party of 10 and everyone’s entre was a hit. Great fresh salads and the burger is worth coming back for alone! Dessert was also fabulous… German chocolate cake!!!

The Hound’s Tale is located just down the street from Merchant’s Square and is the most recent in a crop of new restaurants that have opened near there this year. My friends and I arrived earlier tonight for dinner. The ambiance was fairly modern and tried to blend elements of both casual and upscale restaurants, which mostly worked. The décor and music were both seasonal, and generally the restaurant seemed to benefit from the more wintery aesthetic (it was even a bit cozy despite its modern inclination). Most notably, it felt fairly distinct from any other restaurant I’ve visited in Williamsburg, which is very welcome.
We started by ordering drinks; I had the Ophea’s Elixir, a gin and berry liqueur-​based drink, which tasted a lot like a grown-​up Shirley Temple. The portion was generous, and although it was fairly sweet it never became cloying. A little after this, the waiter brought out some complimentary popcorn with truffle oil and other herbs, which came from a classic popcorn machine that was at the bar. There was just enough oil to keep the popcorn flavorful without becoming heavy. For my entrée, I ordered the cajun shrimp cavatelli, which featured a cheese sauce, chorizo, spinach, and grape tomatoes. The sauce was very rich and flavorful, although ideally it would have preferred a little less cheese. The chorizo came in bigger pieces than I would have liked, but this was easy to fix on my own. All of the elements of the dish came together very nicely, but the tomatoes were especially appreciated to add a lighter, more refreshing note. I finished with the espresso torte, which didn’t overplay either its chocolate or espresso components (appreciated after the heavy meal), although it was still a little overpriced for the portion.
All of the staff were very friendly. The owner checked to see how we liked the meal and even asked each of us about our individual choices. The service was a bit slow, but given the restaurant’s newness this can be excused. I will definitely be returning and am excited to see how the restaurant fares in the future, as it is certainly on par with any of the established upper-​end restaurants in Colonial Williamsburg.