Gadsby's Tavern

Review summary

1. B

   Barbara

   St. Louis

   23 reviews

   vip
   3.0

   23 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 5

   While the history and e of the restaurant are lovely, the food was mediocre. We did enjoy the ham and e biscuits. The seafood chowder was fine. But the peanut soup was basically watered down peanut butter. Not what was expected at all. And the Bread Basket was made up of overly dense sweet bread that wasn’t warm.
   

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2. LN

   LauraN

   Charleston

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Pleasantly surprised! Wanted to go because of the historical aspect but was expecting more of a tourist experience with mediocre food. What we discovered was a unique experience, friendly service, fun atmosphere and incredibly good food! Can’t believe I have lived here this long and not been before. I’ll be back and will be bringing others! Thank you!
   

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3. A

   Allen

   Wilmington

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined on 15 November 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 4

   Not a great waiter. Wanted to get the table turned. Just got drinks when he wanted appetizer and main course order. Same silverware from appetizer thru dessert. Had to ask for clean spoon. Dropped off bill while having dessert...never asked if we wanted anything else like an after dinner drink. Disappointing. Lots of other good restaurants in Alexandria.
   

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4. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Dallas

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 11 November 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   It was lovely, food was good! Loved the lively tableside entertainment & the punch bowl drink! As a Gadsby we thoroughly enjoyed! Wish the fires had been lit!
   

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5. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Washington DC

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined on 7 November 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 5

   Love the ambiance and history! The food was hit or miss depending on what you ordered
   

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6. S

   Shawn

   Richmond

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined on 3 November 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 5

   Great atmosphere and historical feel. Mr. Hall was engaging and funny adding more than a touch of period drama to the experience with a quippy table side manner. Unfortunately the food was not hot and the service was slow. Staff was nice and attentive table side.
   

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7. K

   Kim

   San Diego

   12 reviews

   vip
   2.0

   12 reviews

   Dined on 3 November 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 2

   We made a brunch reservations for 2. When we arrived the restaurant was relatively empty, maybe 3 of the 20+ tables were full. We were sat in the far back next to the kitchen and service galley. And the smell from that area was of dirty carpet and greasy dirty dishes. If you know, you know. We should have asked to be moved but the hostess was not pleasant. She barely made eye contact with us when we arrived and when she sat us she just walked away without saying anything. The table was grimy. The food was not good. My friend had a BLT and I had the traditional breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage and potatoes. Something was off about the eggs. They tasted like powdered eggs and had too much water in them. They say scrambled on the menu so I’m wondering since they don’t give you your choice of preparation if they don’t serve fresh eggs. I was so hungry but could not eat them. They tasted like they might make me sick. Same with the bacon, I think it was microwaved or cooked in advance and reheated. I ate nothing after the first bite. And I’m an eater! We had mimosas. And no one ever asked us if we’d like a second. Aside from food & service- the carpets going down to the bathrooms are filthy. Like disgusting. They look like they haven’t been vacuumed in days and never shampooed. They are grimy and covered In debris. The bathrooms are just gross. I’m sorry- I never leave a bad review. It’s so sad because this place was probably once really well run and lovely. It was a grave disappointment from start to finish
   

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8. C

   Clive

   London

   14 reviews

   4.0

   14 reviews

   Dined on 2 November 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Excellent food. Really nice to have a change from standard fare. This was enjoyable
   

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9. J

   JUSTIN

   Washington DC

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 27 October 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   Good food, good atmosphere. Great service, always checking up on us.
   

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10. M

    Maciej

    Washington DC

    9 reviews

    4.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on 24 October 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3

    Gadsby’s Tavern is a very special place to me, I got engaged there and I celebrated my wedding dinner as well. Last night we went to Gadsby’s to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. The elegant dining room was closed, I think they were just not too busy that, so our table was in a pub area, still nice, but at the same time disappointing. The menu was just updated, some of the prices went really up, and some of the choices raise a brow. For example: bruschetta. What does bruschetta have in common with all the history of these place? They are many very good Italian options in Alexandria, so do we really need another bruschetta? Especially when it is made with a rather sweet bread, so the flavors don’t go well together. The classic dishes like meatloaf are gone, but now you can find on the menu some West African options, which I read as a nice way to celebrate the history and culture of the people who were brought to US as slaves. Our server Gloria was delightful and we’ve enjoyed our dinner. But there was something missing in the overall experience.
    

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