It's wasn't the down right worst place I've been to in Gettysburg or even ever, but I don't think I'll be back.
This is a place that draws in tourists. If you are looking to have dinner in an old house and be served by someone in period clothing, and you really don't care about the food, by all means come here.
If you are like me and would rather a restaurant have delicious food, this isn't the place for you.
I had the summer sangria, because, why not? It was meh. Which I expected. The duck, which actually got okay reviews here on Yelp, was far too sweet and terribly overcooked. The apple just really doesn't work with the duck. The duck was also fairly small for the price, it looks large until you realize it's resting atop a ton of apples it was cooked with (which were awful tasting. Apple and duck juices - weird combo). Even the baked potato wasn't cooked through. My husband's chicken was bland.
But, for what it is, it tastes like fairly underseasoned food that they probably would have served way back when.
It seems people rave about the bread. Which I REALLY do not get. It's basically sliced white bread. It tastes like wonder bread. It was nothing special. They had little banana peanut butter muffins along with the bread the day I came, and those were the best thing.
We skipped dessert, so I can't tell you about that. But if you are looking for food that is good, and not a tourist trap, in Gettysburg, this isn't your place.
It's not often you get to eat at a restaurant old as your country. Â For the 150th Anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg we dined one night in the Alexander Dobbin Dining Room. Â I thought sitting in one of the beds was a little cheesy, but the meal was too good to complain. Â The bread they bake in-house was out of this world. Â I loved, given the colonial theme of the place, how the drink menu featured several punches. Â I had the duck and it was exquisite. Â And the service was pretty good considering how slammed they were with all the extra folks in town.
Review Source:2 stars for ambiance, service, and quality of some of the food.
4 stars for the drinks.
3 stars in general.
I won't come back here when returning to Gettysburg, but we of course had to try it out. Â It was so utterly packed. Â Even though we had made our reservations 6 months in advance, they booted us for some reenactors that came in, so we ended up waiting anyway as if we didn't have reservations. Â Then when seated, the four of us (two of them well over 6 feet tall) were seated in a TINY booth in the back of an upstairs room. Â Ambiance was awful! Â Candlelight? Well it was definitely dark, but the "candle" lights were electric.
Now, the bread was amazing. Â I even enjoyed the peach raisin bread, and I hate raisins. Â I forget the name of the drink I had (sorry, I've had many drinks since then), but they limit you to two of them because of the strength? Ok...so I had my two and ordered something else. Â Not THAT strong... But it was TASTY.
My crab stuffed shrimp was just OK...way way way overcooked, and the tails were extremely difficult to get off without making a complete mess of everything (which I did). Â My baked potato had been around a WHILE...terribly overcooked and tasted like it had been under a heat lamp all day. Â Everyone at our table said that about their potatoes.
Husband enjoyed his duck, though, quite immensely. Â Everyone else just said their food was "OK".
We did get dessert but didn't finish it. Â It wasn't overwhelming in any way.
So while as tourists we felt the need to try this place for its history, we will not be returning here. Â Go to the Cashtown Inn instead. Â MUCH better meal, same prices, and much more attentive service.
Stopped by this spot at the recommendation of our hotel staff after a morning touring the Gettysburg Park. The history of Dobbin's is great - the tavern in the basement had a very "old" feel to it. Service was good, food was good, prices were high for what was served. Tourist spot for sure - you have to give it a try while you are in town - but just once.
Review Source:This review is for their pub downstairs.
I love this little pub (complete with the original bar and grille....who knew that a grille was iron bars used to lock away alcohol???) The waiters and waitresses dress in Gettysburg period clothing and you eat by candlelight. Yes, this place is always swamped with tourists. My in-laws live in Gettysburg though so when we're in town we like to get in the spirit of things and head over to Dobbin House. I definitely recommend the french onion soup...it's delicious!
On nice summer nights they also have an outdoor patio with a separate bar. This is a nice alternative if reading an "olde tyme" menu by candlelight is not your thing.
We fortunately made reservations prior to our trip up, as there was quite a wait. Â My parents and I were seated upstairs in the large bench canopy style of table - a six top for three but hey, it worked for us! Â There is an outside bar area, first come first serve, really its in the parking lot against the sidewalk but it looked like it would be enjoyable on a warmer night.
I can only speak for the upstairs, which is cramped but the canopy tables and the high ceilings do give you a feeling of more space. Â Our waitress was very friendly, and like everyone else was in period clothing (how accurate who knows). Â There are hurricane candles on every table which is a nice little added touch.
The menu does include vegetarian options, well three. Â All our meals came with a salad, on which we all got the in-house made blue cheese dressing. Â Can you tell we're all related?? It was a mild blue cheese, very good though. Â I had the vegetable saute with the vegetable of the day, baked sweet potato, and while it was fine I wasn't blown away. Â The broccoli and cauliflower seemed more steamed than sauteed but the mushrooms and sweet potato were delicious. Â The potato crumb topped tomatoes could have been hotter.. My dad had the lamp chops and said they were tender, again didn't seem amazed. Â Mom enjoyed the seafood isabella, but noted it was a lot of food. Â I had the in-house pecan pie for dessert which was delicious. Their cappuccino machine was broken, however, they had an extensive list of after dinner cocktails. Â Overall, dinner had its high points and for being crowded the meals came out in a timely fashion (dessert/drinks were a tad fast).
The Dobbin house is DEFINITELY a touristy kind of place, but why not, right? If you're being a tourist, be a tourist! The place is pretty sweet, very "period" with waiters and waitresses in period clothing, etc. The tavern downstairs has a neat ambiance, with candle lit tables and stone walls. Still, it is family friendly and not very overpriced. I had a salmon, which came with VERY good potato salad.
Review Source:Love the history behind this place but I'm floored by the amount of stars it has received on Yelp. Maybe people don't have high expectations in Gettysburg? Maybe people are focusing on the history and NOT the food quality?
Dobbin Tavern is located in the basement of a gift shop. It's lit by candle and has a beautiful ambiance. The tables are packed in, so it's loud and not very romantic by any standards. I sat at the bar for lunch with a friend. Ordered a glass of wine and a burger. The food was good but nothing to get excited about. If you liked waffle fries, that's the kind served here.
Overall, I would never say that Dobbin is a must-go while visiting Gettysburg but if you're looking for a reasonably priced, quickly made meal, I'd suggest it.
Visited the Dobbin House Tavern with my wife and another couple over President's weekend. Â We all loved our food! Â Our server, Sarah, was fantastic. Â She was on top of things on a very busy night. Â There was a really entertaining guitarist that went from room to room also. Â I highly recommend this place. Why not 5 stars? Â We had a 7:15 reservation and were not seated until about 8:15. Â The place was totally mobbed but I am so glad we got to go there! Â Go if you get the chance!
Review Source:I visit the Dobin House every year when I am in town. Â I live in SC and drive up with my wife and two boys because I am an avid Civil War Historian. Â
I love the basement how it is original, dark and cramped. Â I understand how this is not for everyone but the last thing that I would want them to do is change that. Â It is very unique and historic which you can't find everywhere.
As far as the food. Â I have never been disappointed. Â I, however, typically always get the onion soup and the ribs. Â They are both great everytime. Â I noticed that one review on here said the onion soup was bad because it had a lot of cheese. Really? Â That is one thing that makes it great is the inch thick layer of melted cheese on top. Â
I have gone with lots of family and friends over the last 15 years and I have litterally never heard one person say they were disappointed with the food. Â
It is a little more expensive than say an Applebee's but who cares, the atmosphere is great and you are on vacation. Â I look forward to eating here every year and can't wait to return.
We went on a Sunday and did not have the long lines, long wait mentioned in another review. Â We thoroughly enjoyed our experience yesterday and it is an "experience". Â You go for the atmosphere of the historic building, not just the food but our meals were very good.
We got there before the dining room opened at 5pm so we went downstairs to the tavern where we were served a cold drink by very friendly servers who checked back more than once to see if we needed more drink. Â
Then we went to the dining area and were seated in one of the small rooms with period decor. Â I am heavy into the antique/primitive decor in my home so I just love the decor inside and outside. Â The exterior christmas pine & fruit decorations are so pretty.
Our server was Karen who was very prompt and friendly during our entire meal. Â The bread basket is wonderful, so fresh & homemade: Â sliced white bread loaf, banana nut bread, small sweet muffin. Â I had the scallops with bacon and I do agree with the reviewer who said something more is needed with this dish, like maybe a little rice or pasta, to cut the richness and the saltiness. Â The bacon and butter make it a bit salty. Â My friend had the crabcakes which she said were fantastic. Â The side salads were good but other than lettuce, there was only one tomato wedge. Â There is no vegetable served with dinner other than baked potato so a bit of carrot, cucumber would have been nice in the salad. Â The blue cheese dressing was perfection. Â I would definitely go back and would like to eat in the downstairs to try the dishes served there.
I love this place. They have a small museum area you can check out while waiting to be seated. It is touristy, but what do you expect when you're in the historic district of Gettysburg. I honestly don't think it's so touristy that it's cheesy. The house (it is an actual historic house) is furnished in authentic antique decor. You do have to wait awhile because this place gets A LOT of business.
The food is inspired by period dishes. I had the crab imperial the last time I was there and it was dreamy. Everything was delicious, down to the house salad dressing. (Some kind of herbal vinaigrette.)
I found the service to be excellent and the staff was knowledgeable.
I can't wait to eat here again!
Let me summarize this review in one sentence: Â You pay for the experience.
 So this was my 30th birthday dinner and I wanted it to be special.  I left feeling that I'd accomplished that, but a little sick to my stomach.  The entry with the large fireplace immediately sucked me in as history fan and when asked where we wanted to eat, I told them wherever we could go as I'd only brought jeans and the upstairs was "fine dining".
 Never fear, they have a spot for us casual "fine diners", in the "bed" table in the corner of the room.  It was pretty awkward to squeeze into but was cozy and romantic.  I'm crossing my fingers that the candlelight was flattering.
 We both decided on seafood, I had the scallops and he got the crab stuffed shrimp.  The scallops were just okay and really missed something to balance the richness of the bacon.  The potato and sour cream were of course tasty, as was the salad.  My husband's shrimp, however, tasted like chlorine water and mayo.  They were terrible and I felt so bad for him.  I wouldn't even be surprised if the "crab" was actually tuna.  It was positively gross.  The shrimp cocktail was fine and I will say that the BREAD was fantastic!!  I was grateful that I filled up on it and the (maybe fresh?) butter.
 For a $100 meal, it was disappointing cuisine, but the atmosphere was very cool and memorable and almost made it perfectly okay.  I think if we go back we will stick to chicken or beef but it sounds like that may not be much better.  Seeing the underground railroad hideout was also very interesting. Â
 I really feel that they should adjust their prices and "fine dining" claim or hire a new chef.
I was excited to finally eat at the Dobbin House. I have eaten in the Spring House many times and always liked it. The food at the Dobbin was good. Not what I would have expected for the money but not that bad that I would make it less then three stars. Wait staff was great. Very friendly and brought food out hot and with smile. Overall not bad, but not going to rush back.
Review Source:This place would be really, really nice if it weren't so crowded/touristy.
We visited one Sunday afternoon and got the french onion soup and some burgers. The soup was pretty good, though I wasn't super impressed with the beef in the soup. The burgers were also good, but I found mine to be a little dry. Overall though, I think the ambiance made up for all the tourists there. It does seem like a legitimately old, almost historic place. I'm sure there are some better options in Gettysburg though. It's kind of too bad that the whole town is as touristy as it is.
Surly, , rude, tourist trap attitude service.
Very expensive.
Lower basement tavern the place to have drinks and food.
Onion soup ( has Prime Rib chunks) with the sweet bread, fruit and cheese is a safe way to roll through here.
Place could use some TLC and a good clean up and de-cluttering.
We love the atmosphere, but a few nasty employees need to be let go.
We loved this little tavern! Â What an experience! Down a flight of stairs and into the 18th century complete with candlelight and a natural spring. Â I felt like I was going to meet George Washington in here. Â The service was prompt and courteous and the food was good and hearty. Had the roast beef sandwich and Rum punch very satisfying. Â This not high end dining but still good in a unique and unforgettable experience. Â Tour the house when done.
Review Source:This was a fun, romantic place for lunch. It was pricey for what you get - for instance, I got the crabcake sandwich for about $13, but it was one small crabcake and I wasn't full at the end of the meal, even with dessert (though the apple pie a la mode was delicious). The sangria was good and the service was great. I love the period dress. It was pretty cold, though, and the fact that there wasn't natural lighting in this downstairs restaurant kind of creeped me out a little.
Review Source:I came here with a Gettysburg tour group with a fixed lunch menu upstairs. Â I was very disappointed in the quality of the food. Â I had the grilled chicken sandwich which was a very tiny piece of chicken overgrilled. Â What was most appaling was the lettuce that was on my sandwich. Â It was moldy and really old and wrinkled. Â I couldn't believe it. Â I was the only one that got served lettuce that looked like this. Â It was disgusting and very obviously bad lettuce-So WHY THE HECK did they serve me it!!! Â Oh and dessert was an okay ginger bread that was drowned in some horrid looking yellow sauce! Â I sent that back and got a plan piece. Â Everyone else that had the gingerbread wished they had done the same as they said the sauce was terrible. Â I will never return to this place!
Review Source:I DO NOT know what could have been a better choice for a romantic, birthday dinner. Â The ambience was perfect for Gettysburg. Â The food was first rate. Â My date and I enjoyed the entire evening. Â We both had a perfectly cooked filet with tasty side dishes. Â We were lost in the period setting. Â The candlelight and appointments of the tavern was just right. Â If you like old buildings, make sure you take a stroll around the place. Â I'd love to own the place.
Even though we were aware of other parties about the tavern, we seemed to be in our own little world, enjoying each other as well as the meal.
We cannot wait to return.
Dobbin House gets four stars for atmosphere but two stars for food. Â It's decent, familiar and traditional, but hearty. Â The prices are reasonable for such a touristy location, but the place has a ton of history which they haven't forgotten, which I really appreciate. Â
The still retain the slave hiding place, the underground spring, and their preserved historic documents. Â We ate in the underground tavern, which is mostly candlelit (or electric candlelit in any case) the same way it would have been around the time of the Civil War. Â The steaks are ok, the crab cakes aren't bad, and chicken is juicy if lacking a lot of flavor.
Checked in at 7:47pm and didn't get seated till 9:15pm. When i finally went downstairs to inquire the hostess  seemed bother that I was asking after all we were waiting 1.5 hours. We host then told is to sit in the corner. He didn't take us to the table that was obvious dirty. Then the hostess spoke to the host and moved us to a table that had place mats. The French onion soup was good. Salad was overly saturated with dressing. The steaks were par at bests.
In the end it was $100 for food that was not all that good and we had to wait  1.5 hours for it.
I love this place and highly recommend it to anyone who is visiting Gettysburg. Â The house as a very interesting history as being the first building built in the area of Gettysburg (so was obviously present during the war). Â Another cool aspect is that they have preseved the house such that the restaurant is split up into different rooms (parlor, bedroom, etc.). Â The bedroom even has beds made into canopy booths! Â The staff are also dressed up in mid-1800s attire, which is also a cute addition.
The food was also VERY good. Â The french onion soup was very tasty. Â The salads were really good also...the house dressing and homemade blue cheese dressings were amazing! Â I had the crabmeat a la dobbin (Lump Blue Crabmeat gently toffed in hot butter sauce). Â SOO tasty! Â It was a huge metal shell dish filled with pure crabmeat in a butter sauce. Â I asked for extra butter, and it made it even better (and bad for you). Â It was like eating crab legs but without all the work!
We will be back everytime we're in Gettysburg!
Ate here today for Easter buffet. Â The food was nice, a good mix of brunch and traditional Easter food. Â I really enjoyed the attentive service. Â The food was a little cold, but that's to be expected from a buffet.
I have eaten here from the normal menu and I recall the food being very good.
My partner and I found Dobbin House by complete accident, just after visiting some very *ahem* original antique dealer a few blocks away. The ambiance during low season in Gettysburg is that of a few scattered road-trippers, very pleasant and relaxed, not touristy and crowded.
The way this place is setup is very tricky: we wondered around empty dining areas before finding the tavern itself. Enter the building and walk down the stairs, open the big wooden door and be transported far, far away from today's McDonalds and Walmart landscapes.
Coming from a very fidgety family of thematic bar owners, I must bow my head to the integrity and respect to materials and original details in the decoration of this place. I have never seen a commercial space with such accomplished, genuine old American taste. My congratulations to the restorers and designers who made that little piece of the 1800s possible!
Let's talk about the food. After getting lost in the beautiful pages of the menu (now, if it was printed with a letterpress I would be impressed), we decided to have two crab meat dishes (dip + sandwich), which were pretty good. However, the hidden gem of this place was their pecan pie. It was so outlandishly stunning, so out of this world, so spiritually uplifting, we ponied up and ordered another piece for the road. Do not think about NOT ordering this pie at least once, as leaving without having tried it will be a decision you will deeply regret.
All in all, finding Dobbin house was one of the happiest accidents one could ask for. However, do not take my word for it, try it yourself! And, PLEASE, give that pecan pie a try. This is the one to look out for.
Dobbin House Tavern is such a cute little place---and the food is pretty darn good too.
I visited Gettysburg for the first time over Memorial Day weekend, and having never been to the town before, was absolutely enthralled by the quaintness of the restaurants/bars. The food selection was a lot more simple than what I am used to, but being a big fan of red meat, I was heaven in this town.
After spending the afternoon exploring the town, taking a walk out to the battlefield, my boyfriend and I decided to grab a late dinner. As many people have noted, nothing seems to stay open past 9pm in Gettysburg. In fact, whenever we stopped anyone to ask, they sent us to  O'Rorke's...which we weren't opposed to except that their kitchen closed at 9.
We had seen the Dobbin House on our walk that afternoon, and while we were tempted to stop by that evening, it didn't seem like they  were the type of establishment to stay open. However, luckily for us, we stopped by to discover they were serving until 10pm that night on the patio.
The service here was friendly and helpful, and the ambiance on the patio was awesome---very chill. While the drink I ordered was incredibly difficult to drink (they had a 2 drink limit on this particular beverage) the filet I ordered was tender and perfectly cooked. My boyfriend, who ordered a steak sandwich was also very impressed.
Prices were reasonable too and all in all I thought this was a great experience. If I ever head up north again to visit Gettysburg, I will definitely stop by Dobbin House.
I ate dinner at the basement Tavern and I really enjoyed it. I had the hot roast beef sandwich, it wasn't amazing but it was satisfying. I was a tourist and we came here after touring around the battlefields and I am one who enjoys doing touristy things and seeing sites so this was the perfect place for dinner for me.
The building is very cool and historical, you need to go down to the basement and take a look at the spring and then go up the spiral staircase to see the crawlspace that was part of the Underground Railroad.
We stumbled in here with low expectations in the midst of a day wandering around town and I was almost presently surprised. Â
We opted for drinks and the fruit and cheese platter plus a flat bread veggie sandwich to split. Â The food was ok, but the quality was just a little on the poor side. Â I did really enjoy the locally produced hard cider - the name of which I can't remember, but should definitely find out.
The kitsch was cute, the setting entertaining, but I probably won't come back unless I'm in town with someone who cares more about entertainment than quality food.
So my mantra has been that old town Gettysburg is incapable of providing a good meal. This place may be different, but I doubt it based on my limited exposure to their abilities.
Last weekend, we ate outside - in the Dobbin House Tavern's "stuck in the middle of a parking lot" outdoor seating area - and ordered light refreshments and an "Adam's Delight." The Adams Delight is a cheese and fruit plate, which lacks any and all inspiration. After all, it is essentially Cheddar and Swiss stacked over grapes, apples and oranges. Wait, almost as forgettable as the plate itself, was the triangle of cream cheese on a slice of bread. Â It needs to be reworked.
Now, even a basic cheese plate might want to include at least three or four interesting types of cheeses. When choosing a cheese for a cheese plate, for the love of Mike, I would ask Dobbin's Chef to keep flavor and texture in mind. Serving two hard cheeses isn't interesting. Try a variety of flavors and textures. Here is my recommendation and these are readily available: Camembert; Havarti, Gruyere and if you are a little daring, add a bleu cheese. The flavors will run from mild-to-medium-to-intense and the texture of each cheese is different.
Next, for the accompaniments.... Keep the grapes. They work. Â I would ask that you offer THINLY sliced apples or pears and an assortment of breads. Add onions. Add nuts.
So in short, this is another example of Gettysburg just not trying hard enough.
There are two separate reviews going on here, but I think they may experience the same food. We were downstairs in the Springhouse Tavern. Awesome ambiance, fair pricing and good food, but the atmosphere was fun and invigorating. The Dobbin House is THE oldest building in Gettysburg.
The basement tavern is tight and clammy given the natural spring the Mr. Dobbins used to refrigerate his food back in the day. A previous reviewer had mentioned how their "well-done" burger was actually well-done and they were spot-on....so was mine!
My complaints were of the picky kind--they bring your food in a plastic covered dish to maintain the plates warmth. This caused two things to happen; the bottom bun for my burger became very moist from the condensation and my cole slaw became more then room temperature warm.
Otherwise---everything was well-done (literally) and tasted good. Friends of mine ordered a salad and the French Onion soup and said both were good!
If they are not crowded ask for the only table with a drawer and have fun!
I really liked this place. Â Came here (Dobbin's) for a monday lunch after touring the battlefield. Â My "well done" burger was perfect! One of the few places that makes sure that well done means WELL DONE! Â Thank you!!!!! Â The friend's steak was also spot on according to her. Â
They really go to great lengths to make it an experience. Â It gives me a feeling of what it would be like in an old english tavern from the 1600's. Â A dark candlelit basement. Â Heavy dark wooden benches and tables. Â Waitresses in the long dresses and bonnets. Â There was also a secret drawer on our table with notes left by previous diners. Â It was interesting reading through their experiences. Â (Most of them by young children)
Give it a shot if you're in the area. Â :)
I went here with my best girl pal. We're not picky eaters but we know great food and rave on it when we find it. Sadly, the Dobbin House was not great food. Not even close.
First, you sit in a very dark basement. I mean dark like you can barely see your food. Â You have weak candlelight to light your meal. The tables are jam packed right next to each other so you feel you have to whisper and your elbows may come in contact with the next table. Seriously, the tables are that close together. The dark basement was also quite hot. I had sweat beading on my forehead.
Food... pathetic. It was the most pathetic roast beef sandwich ever. Literally just roast beef thrown in between cold plain white bread. Nothing else. Â I am a dessert person and the gingerbread was sad. The only good part of the meal was the beer and we could have found that elsewhere. For the non Pennsylvanians.. get thinself a Yuengling (ying-ling) Lager on tap. Â Steer clear of the Dobbin House. Â
Furthermore, as the daughter of a Revolutionary War re-enactor, I can tell you that the people at the time woudl not have eaten in that hot basement. They'd have moved a table outside under a tree where it was cooler. I bet they'd have had a summer cooking set up outside to keep the house cool as well. Period historic my ass.
I hear the Lincoln Diner has way bet
ter food that you can see while you eat and is priced better as well. Its very close to the easily missed small train platform where Lincoln gave his famous speech to a very small crowd.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
