The Tavern Restaurant
22 E. Main Street
Abingdon, VA 24210
http://www.abingdontavern.com/
Phone: (276) 628-1118
Hours: Dinner only, Monday – Saturday, 5:00pm – 10:00pm
open Sundays for special engagements
My husband and I were looking for a special place to dine with our two teenage daughters to celebrate our 25th wedding aniversary in lovely southwestern Virginia, where our eldest daughter attends college. Everyone we talked to recommended the same place: The Tavern Restaurant in Abingdon, Virginia. We quickly made a reservation for the Saturday evening prior to Valentine’s Day, knowing that it would be a busy weekend for any restaurant. The staff taking the reservation over the phone were friendly and helpful, and even quickly agreed to allow us to bring our own cake in to cut and and serve as dessert in lieu of the regular restaurant offerings.
We found that The Tavern Restaurant had a very interesting history. It is located in the oldest building in Abingdon. It was built in 1779 and originally served as a tavern and inn for stagecoach travelers. It was one of the oldest taverns west of the Blue Ridge mountains when it opened. Many illustrious guests have been hosted at the tavern, including Henry Clay; President Andrew Jackson; Pierre Charles L’Enfant, the designer of Washington D.C.; and the King of France, Louis Philippe. The first post office west of the Blue Ridge mountains was located in the east wing of The Tavern and The Tavern still has the original mail slot. The Tavern served as a tavern, a general store, a bakery, a post office, a bank, a barber shop, a cabinet shop, an antique shop and a restaurant. It also was briefly a hospital for wounded soldiers, both Union and Confederate, during the Civil war. So much history happened within its walls that is said to be haunted, not by just one, but by many ghosts. One source says it is “filled to the rafters” with ghosts. The Tavern was restored in 1984 by a local attorney. In 1994 it was purchased by the current owner, Maxx Hermann, a native of Germany, and opened under his management as The Tavern Restaurant. Little has changed since then. It is a well known restaurant in the area, famous for being a place to relax and enjoy fine food in a casual and comfortable setting.
We found The Tavern Restaurant easily thanks to the easy directions and map we found on the restaurant’s website, http://www.abingdontavern.com/. To our relief we found not just one, but two close parking spaces, one directly in front of the restaurant and one on the closest side street. We parked on the side street and stepped onto the old cobblestone sidewalk that lines historic Abingdon’s downtown area. We marveled at the architecture of the historic buildings in this quaint southern town as we walked down the block to the restaurant.
The Tavern Restaurant was clearly marked with a signpost set into the cobblestone sidewalk. The restaurant itself was a long, two-story, low-slung building with a coat of pale green paint and dark green wooden shutters. We could tell that the building itself was very old from the appearance. We pushed on a heavy old oak door and entered the building at the main entrance, and stepped into a crowded and noisy pub with a well-worn brick floor. The bar in the pub was busy and appeared to be well stocked. We saw several dining rooms off to the rear and the side of the pub area, both with brick floors. The dining rooms were full and appeared comfortable and cozy, with wooden tables, Windsor chairs, and lovely fires burning in the fireplace in each area.
We found the hostess and checked in. She quickly led us up a set of steep wooden stairs to the second floor, which offers non-smoking dining in three separate rooms. We were seated at a large wood farmhouse-type table, which had six large Windsor chairs around it. We had a nice view of the fireplace and its realistic gas fire, as well as the other diners in the small, dimly-lit and intimate room. There were a few interesting old framed prints on the walls. Many old and original architectural details in the room caught our eye, including a rough wooden door in the adjoining wall, and a small wooden closet in the corner. We conjectured about possible former uses of the upstairs space.
The waitress came quickly with menus and to take our drink orders. My husband and I selected two different excellent German beers on tap and my daughters ordered water. We sampled our drinks, which arrived very quickly, and settled back to peruse from the menu. There was a good selection of appetizers to choose from, including stuffed mushrooms, oysters Bienville, oysters Rockefeller, shrimp cocktail, escargot, smoked Norwegian salmon, and Tavern onion soup. It being a cold evening, we chose to share a hearty warming appetizer of Brie cheese baked with honey, brown sugar and almonds and served in a toasted bread bowl. The appetizer arrived promptly along with four small plates and we proceeeded to sample it. It warm, sweet and satisfying, and went well with the smooth German beers we’d ordered. The portion was just right for the four of us.
All entrees on the menu included a salad of fresh wild greens topped by a homemade salad dressing of your choice. The salad dressing choices are: Honey Dijon, Garlic Parmesan, Creamy Bleu Cheese, and Orange Balsamic Vinagrette. Our salads arrived soom after we finished the appetizer, and looked lovely and fresh, with a few crisp julienned carrots and a few small ripe tomato wedges topping the wild baby greens. My husband and daughters agreed the Garlic Parmesan dressing was excellent, and I found the Orange Balsamic Vinagrette dressing to be just the right blend of sweet and tangy.
The entree selection at The Tavern Restaurant is varied, with something to please everyone’s taste. Besides American and continental dishes, there are several German specialties offered such as Wienerschnitzel, Jagerschnitzel, Kassler Rippchen, and Zigaunerschnitzel. The German dishes are authentic as the the restaurant’s owner is a native of Germany. The German dishes are served with sides of spaetzle and red cabbage. American dishes are served with a side of starch such as abaked potato or with a vegetable such as glazed vegetable medley. The American dishes offered on the menu include Native American Trout, Jambalaya, Baked Salmon, Scallops au Gratin, Surf and Turf, Crab Cakes Imperial, Black and Bleu Filet Medallions, and Prime Rib. Continental dishes offered include Palermo Style Stuffed Filet Mignon, Ahi Tuna, Full Rack of Lamb, Pan-Seared Herb Duck, and Chicken Saltimbocca. There were also three specials offered the evening we visited.
For this meal, I chose a 14 oz. cut of prime rib, seasoned and slow-roasted to medium done, served with au jus and horseradish sauce, with a side baked potato. My husband ordered Palermo Style Stuffed Filet Mignons, which were 8 oz. filets filled with a spinach wrapped stuffing of ricotta and cream cheese, shrimp and bacon. The filets were lightly bread on the crusts and glazed with a Marsala wine reduction sauce. He had a side of winter vegetable medley. My eldest daughter chose one of the evening’s specials, a freshly prepared pasta dish of fettucine with shrimp, scallops and aspragus in herb sauce. My younger daughter chose the traditional German dish Wienerschnitzel, which was two large pan-fried, breaded veal cutlets served with beef-mushroom gravy, spaetzle and red cabbage.
There was a long wait between the finishing of our appetizer and the arrival of the entrees, perhaps because the restaurant had become more crowded. We talked and indulged in the freshly baked wheat bread and butter in the bread basket while we waited for the entrees to arrive. The waitress did arrive to refill the bread basket, but did not give us any work on when to expect the entrees. We were afraid our orders had been forgotten in the dinner rush, but they finally arrived before we got around to inquiring about them.
We were very pleased with the entrees. They all arrived warm, freshly prepared, and were just as we’d ordered. My husband said his filet mignon dish was excellent, and the best beef he’d had in ages. My prime rib was cooked to melting perfection and the potato was baked just long enough and not dried out as often happens in restaurants. My eldest daughter said the seafood in her pasta was plentiful, plump and fresh, and the sauce was nicely spiced with herbs. My youngest daughter enjoyed her Wienerschnitzel, but was unable to eat all of it as the portions were large. My husband and I sampled her uneaten red cabbage, and declared it pleasing with its soft raisins and light scent of cardamon.
We did not order dessert at The Tavern Restaurant as my daughter had brought along a special cake she’d ordered from a local bakery for the occasion. The desserts offered on the menu included Caramel Fudge Pecan Torte, Peach Streusel Tart, Ginger Pear Pound Cake, Black Bottom Peanut Butter Torte, New York Style Cheesecake, and Sinful Decadent Dark Chocolate Cake. there is also a daily dessert special. The desserts ordered by those dining near us looked tempting and the portions appeared average in size.
The historic building and the cozy ambience add to the dining experience. Although we dined inside, we saw that there was a lovely courtyard and a large balcony available for outdoors dining in finer weather. These areas would also be nice to use for a large private social gathering or corporate function. The private dining rooms are available for banquets, also. Although The Tavern Restaurant is normally closed Sundays, they do open for special engagements.
We thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience at The Tavern Restaurant.The staff was friendly and professional and the food was freshly prepared by hand at the time of the order. The prices are moderate. The beer and wine list in this restaurant was extensive, with many German beers offered both in bottles or on tap. I highly recommend The Tavern Restaurant to anyone looking for fine dining in a relaxed, casual atmosphere in Southwestern Virginia.
