I don't know about you, but I love going into a place that, on the outside doesn't seem like much, but once you step through the doors it's like "WHOA!" a completely different story. Â Yeah, that's this place.
I was in Providence for the fireworks this past 4th of July. Â It was hot. Â My main squeeze and I were hungry and looking for some refreshments to cool off with. Â Lo and behold, little did I realize I was in the vicinity of this establishment in which I know one of the bartenders. Â Well, hot damn, it's a must see!
First of all, the interior of this place is like stepping into pin-up heaven from WWII. Â I don't know about you, but I think pin-ups like that are pretty freakin' awesome. Â There's a pool table and a pretty cool bar. Â This place has character..and character alone brings me back again and again to establishments.
Now let's talk about the food. Â The food is orgasmic. Â Yes. Â Orgasmic. Â If you are feeling lonely, just come here and get some food porn going into your mouth. Â The Sangwich is to die for. Â I need to get back here so I can enjoy that sinful deliciousness all over again. Â Holy crap I'm craving it just thinking about it....damn you sangwich, I'm lusting for you!
Now for the drinks. Â Wyck (the awesomely awesome bartender and the reason I had to make a visit here) made me a drink. Â It was fruity. Â It was easy going down. Â It shall remain unnamed...but if I were to name it, I'd call it "something wycked this way comes". Â It's dangerous. Â Gentleman, if you are looking to get "lucky" with your girl, just give her a few of these (but not too many otherwise you will be carrying her home). Â
Overall, when in Providence, go here. Â It's near the water. Â The staff is EXTREMELY friendly, and the food porn and wycked drinks are sure to please your tastebuds. Â Cannot wait to go back!
Ok, so you know how you go some place once, have the best time (or what you remember was the best time) and then you rush back and the 2nd time inst the same? Â Well, I am happy to report that was NOT the case with Gavins!
We went by again Sat, parking was a b!tch due to some event at WR (ugh) but I dropped the little woman at the door and then parked closer to my house than the bar and walked over.
It was busier than the prior very hot Sat, but the service was just as amazing! Â Again, the vibe in the place was just right, and the service/bartenders were incredibly friendly and attentive.
At the suggestion of the chef, we tried the chili.  STOP the presses, this was amazing.  Not your standard hamburg based concoction, this was made with short ribs.  Now I thought I know how to make chili, but this was something else!  We also tried the Quesadilla - not usually something I get but one of my wife's fav.  Seriously, maybe the best I have ever tasted  Not super heavy on the cheese, and the casing was crisp and almost a little sweet.
I probably have 5 favorite places on earth (3 of which are in NOLA) but I suspect that locally, Gavin's is quickly going to supplant all other as my go-to spot in the PVD.
I went here the first time on Holly's Fabulous Foodie tour and loved it. They food and drinks were great.
Very fun retro atmosphere, clean, fresh.
The only remotely negative feedback would be that they bathrooms don't live up to the decor in the rest of the place.
I came back for drinks and to watch the Bruins- still love it.
I think is my favorite bar along the South Water Street section of town.
Ouch. I gave Gavin's such a glowing review on their opening day. A group of us came a few nights ago for some drinks.
First, there was a group in the corner that was so loud it was deafening. Fair enough. It was a Tuesday though.
A friend used the bathroom for some "business" and the lock didn't work. A guy opened the door and half the bar saw him sitting down doing his thang.
I ordered a Moscow Mule which should be fair game at this place. It was watered down, not like one I'd had here before, and had bits of styrofoam floating in it (or something white and crumbly; shiver).
Another solid addition to the bars on South Water Street. I always appreciate it when bars prioritize serving good food. Although the prices here are a little steep, the food is well-made and delicious, especially relative to many of the nearby alternatives. The chairs are a little uncomfortable but the decor is really interesting.
Probably wouldn't make a second trip all the way out there, but would certainly consider stopping by if I were already in the area.
I love this place. The pin-up style is right up my ally, especially the huge hand painted Marilyn Monroe wall. They have a creative menu and excellent drink choices. Yes, I can get drinks slightly less expensive at other Providence locations but I prefer Gavin's for a fun low key night. Evan, our heavily tattooed, threatening looking bartender was super nice and friendly and poured us delicious drinks with a smile. The waitresses were dressed to perfection "bombshell style" which is ALWAYS a great thing in my book!
Review Source:No and no.
I much preferred this place when it was Anchor Steam.
Truth be told, I am certainly never going to step foot in this place again. Â The patrons remind me of all of the nerdy, un-hip rejects in high school in every city and every town in America, gathering together 10 years later at Gavin's thinking that they're realllllllly cool but they're tooootally not. Â
To boot, the owners of this place are trying to establish Gavin's as an "alternative" bar, but all that really does is make the guidos think they're much cooler than they really are. Â
Better luck next time.
We went here at the end of the night. Â Gavin's had just re-opened so they were not yet serving food. Â The place was cozy and I liked all the brick work. Â At 10 pm the bar was still pretty empty and we were able to grab four seats at the bar. Â I liked that they had Smithwick's on tap and the price seemed okay. Â Given that this place is off the main drag of Wickenden Street, I'm not sure that we'd go back, but this place is a favorite of many locals.
Review Source:I only drank here so I can not vouch for the food, which according to the other reviewers, seems to be good.
Anyone who thinks that their interior design is good, needs to get out a little more - I thought the aviator theme probably started off well and then they said "Oh crap, we need to add a bathroom oh and a bright neon juke box."
Just a bizarre use of space - maybe they were hoping to be as busy as Whiskey Republic so they thought a large floor lay-out would be required. Â Truth be told, we were there on a saturday and there were less than 30 people in there at any one time from 10pm-midnight.
I found their cocktails to be creative but overly sweet and far too strong/large - one of these and you're getting a cab home.
This bar is not for me but, I'm sure they have their niche, I feel though they need to look at their lay-out and add more couches or even just divide up the space a bit.
Shabby chic bar nestled across the street from the Providence waterfront. Â There's a large bar, a few tables, a few couches, you can play pool and big tall window all around a well stocked bar! The menu is limited however, yummy and not the most typical bar food. Best of all is it was hustling on a Monday night! Impressive!
Review Source:Menu was a bit lacking but they have a pool table available for free play, good beers on tap, friendly/attentive bar tenders and servers, and several flat screen TVs for sports viewing. Â I had the wings which had much to be desired. Â If you've ready any of my other reviews, its easy to identify that I'm a big eater. Â The wings were very small and didn't really have a seasoning or rub that made my taste buds go "Wow". Â I also sampled the black bean naan pizza and the guacamole dip. Â Both of these dishes were very tasty. Â I was hoping to have a burger and there was no burger option. Â
All-in-all, Gavin's was a decent stop. Â Beer was good, pool was fun, but I left hungry.
My group had a mixed experience, so I'll run the numbers (yelp stars earned out of 5):
Black Bean Hummus (unusual and tasty): 4
Chipotle tomato soup: 4
Guacamole (nothing special): 3
Sweet chili wings (disappointing, no heat and bland sauce): 1
Chicken quesadilla (smoky and absolutely wonderful): 5 + 1 extra bonus point for being the best tasting quesadilla I've tasted in many years.
Nachos (just ok): 3
Price (expensive for what you get): 2
Sangria (below average): 2
Beer (taps were broken when we visited...at a pub...are you kidding me?): 1 Â
Ambiance: 3
Service (friendly but spotty): 3
Total 32 points / 55 possible = 3 stars.
Bottom line: Gavin's has a lot of potential (and is worth visiting for the quesadilla alone) but needs to work out the kinks and fix those beer taps pronto.
Gavin's is definitely a great addition to the growing FOX POINT neighborhood scene. The decor is impeccable inspired by the 1950's with amazing art work seen throughout the establishment. There is an excellent selection of tapas and with televisions and complimentary pool in the establishment if offers many options for different type of diners and socialites alike. Try one of the many signature cocktails or unique selection of beers. This is a great place to bring a date to have a drink and some unique bites. Cheers!
Review Source:I went this past Tues night to check it out. Now I was a frequent going when it was Steam Alley, hopefully not dating myself lol. The upgrade to the atmosphere is a big plus. The same kind of crowd though.
The bartender was very pleasant and attentive even with a rather full bar.
The food was limited but interesting but I found it rather pricey for bar food. $18 for a chicken quesadilla? Â The food was good and portions large. The place still feels more like just a fun bar.
I decided to visit Gavin's on a lovely Tuesday evening. First impression starts before you walk in the door, being greeted by a bouncer to make sure no one obnoxious or overly "sauced" is able to enter, which honestly is a plus for me. Given the area and the stories I've heard, I'd rather go somewhere I know I can drink and eat comfortably. Keep the beer and food coming, hold the drama please.
In speaking with some of the staff, I understand their menus are going through finalizing fluctuations while they weigh things out (they've just opened within the last month right?). Aesthetic, elegant and uncomplicated plate presentation is accompanied by some tasty morsels you'll want to dig into as soon as your plate hits the table. In my effort to be nosy, I found out all sauces, soups, dressings and what have you are made from scratch with fresh ingredients and I could totally tell. Seriously, kudos to the chef. The cream of creole tomato soup? Yea, I could just live in that bowl for a while and be a happy camper. Or the sauce that came with the veggie roll? Now mind you, I'm not one for spicy food. I have a baby mouth and can only take it in small doses. This. This sauce. *pause for delicious reflection* It was so delicious and smokey with a slow, after-heat that built up steadily as I continued to eat. Not overbearing at all, totally amazing. I only wish the roll itself was a little smaller because after a time it became a bit awkward to eat.
I would definitely return to Gavins if only to revisit my favorite snacks and drinks... OH YEA the drink list! Wow. Delicious, themed Martini's ftw. These bartenders know how to treat you right. There's a decent (and still growing) beer selection... but those mixed drinks are pretty killer. The menu also treats your wallet right too, nothing that made my eyebrows invade my hairline. I honestly can't wait to see how their final menu turns out. If you like good food, the 1940-50's era, pin up girls, playing pool, aviation decor and hanging out in a chill place you've just found a little gem. Enjoy~
I was super impressed with this new place in Provy. Â The atmosphere is retro marilyn monroe-esque era with a pool table and couches instead of regular seats and chairs. Â They had a good selection of fun mixed drinks and beer, and the food was absolutely amazing. Â I went with a group of three other people and tried some of their food. Â The chili is bomb, the naan pizza is full of flavor, the side salads have excellent balsamic vinaigrette and the chicken wraps are extra tasty because they have BACON :) Â The staff was super friendly and attentive. Â I will definitely be going back here soon.
Review Source:We went in for afternoon drinks and an app. Overall not that much to get too exited about given the formulaic theme approach. I still have a suspicion that one day the four horsemen of the apocalypse will ride out of a stormy, cloud laden sky and smite all themed restaurants from the face of the earth.
Now having said that, the bar decor is well executed for what it is and my guess is that it will probably be successful. The big hit for us was the one app we tried which was the most delicious quesadilla I have ever known - if the rest of the menu (which looks interesting) is as good, I'll be back to upgrade my rating as long as they fix some of things that irked me a bit.
First and worst, at the end of the bar (directly in my line of view) was a huge pile of trash. Second, the bar staff, although pleasant enough, spent more time chatting among themselves and what looked like their off duty colleagues who were sitting at the bar rather than checking on the status my drink. Not cool. Lastly, some of the staff and said colleagues/friends sported t-shirts from several local strip clubs (or human trafficking centers if you prefer). Even less cool.
If you spend 6 figures decorating a new bar, I would think you would spend some time on avoiding mistakes like those above - although so many places do fail because they don't take care of the details.
Hopefully, things will be better next time we try it, but if not, then I guess we'll just leave it to people that look for a little less than we do.
I LOVE everything about this new hidden gem in PVD. We sampled some cocktail creations and creative apps before lounging on the leather sofa while listening to some fantastic 80s tunes on the jukebox. I am anxiously awaiting the completion of their kitchen so I may fully enjoy the delectable delights I am sure will be concocted by the chef. I am also looking forward to the release of their full cocktail list. If what we experienced is any insight into their future offerings, expect great things from Gavins! Â The retro 40's/50's pinup aviation theme is super fun, cozy, and inviting all at the same time. Grab your friends or a date and check it out this weekend!
Review Source:I came in a few Fridays ago to check it out. Â I was there on the early side so it was pretty empty which was just fine with me.
It's very nice inside. Â Pretty much same layout as when it was steam alley but much nicer with cool decor.
Staff was friendly and attentive. Â I ordered some veggie spring roll thing. Â It was kind of pricey for what you get but absolutely delicious. Â I could have eaten five of them. They also have free pool which is always a huge plus in my book!
I'll def be back soon.
Im sorry I just dont see a five star here. Â Great looking restaurant on the inside. Bar looks good, pool table is free!!, and atmosphere is on the plus side based on the Providence scene.
Menu has about ten different small plates on it, ranging from salads to a quesadilla. Nothing complicated for food, nothing to write home about, just typical late night bites (basically things that are fried or easy to make). Flavor of everything we had was simple and average. Shrimp cocktail had a good presentation, but presentation doesn't make up for average taste. We read about the wings, and decided to give them a try. Again nothing out of the ordinary, or nothing different than the next guy making wings. Presentation and plates were out of the ordinary and seemed awkward to carry out to a guest. It doesn't matter if you stack my wings like a building block or if you put them in a bowl (they are just wings). Â
Drinks, beers, and wine seems to be on a lower side, cause we notice other restaurants in town charging more for the same bottle of wine or cocktail, which seemed to work in our favor. As far as service, a solid four star. Waitstaff seemed to be knowledgeable about what they are selling and didn't seem to be "order takers", they seemed to be helpful. Â
If this place had more of a selection of food that wasn't just late night bites, I mean I think i would give it a four. With a brand new restaurant to the scene, I feel like this is a honest review and I can see a difference in the upcoming months.
I've been to Gavin's at least 5 times as of now. It is the absolute best bar in Providence. It's location across from the Whiskey Republic and Lola's offers a great escape from the wild "Jersey Shore" night scene, to a semi-upscale yet casual experience. The food is unbelievable, the staff and host/door man are nothing short of personable and as friendly as can be. The interior shows extreme thought and care. The bar tenders are creative and generous, making some of the best original drinks I've seen outside of a mixology conference. As much as I'm sure the owners would disagree I hope it remains relatively low key, because it is the best hidden treasure the city has to offer.
Review Source:I don't typically post reviews, maybe it's the introvert in me but Gavin's Pub inspired me to fix this little flaw of mine. Calling Los Angeles my hometown, my standards are fairly high when it comes to restaurants. Â My strong love of beer plus my wheat allergy makes me a challenge to please. Â Most places make me want to run out the door screaming in frustration. Â Gavin's Pub,however, was an absolute pleasure to visit!
The atmosphere was very welcoming, spinning off of a vintage aviator look from the 40's and 50's complete with a beautiful mural. Â The wait staff as very welcoming and happy to help us out. Â When confronted with my wheat allergy, they were more than happy to talk to the chef to sort out my options. Â The fact they had suggestions besides salads is refreshing (they have gator!!). Â I got the chicken wings (not exactly healthy but rare since the fryer doesn't share breaded foods) and guac while the man got the quesadilla. Â Our waitress promised him that it would be the best he's ever had. Â Given he spent a decade in LA, that was quite the tall order. Â Low and behold, it held up! Â The look on his face was one I don't see often. Â The wings were delish and the guac was awesome. Â The quality of food itself is very high, on par with places we frequent that like to stick with farmers market foods. Â No surprise since they pride themselves as a "from scratch" kitchen. Â Think upscale bar food. Â Perfect! Â We've been searching for gastropub food since we moved with no luck. Â This place shows serious promise of filling this need! Â
What impressed me and likely earned my loyalty was the owner ordering two great wheat free vodkas after inquiring about what my options were at the bar. Â It's obvious this place will go above and beyond to make the patrons feel welcome.
TL;DR- amazing, high quality food, great portions, future wheat / gluten free friendly bar, awesome atmosphere and great waitstaff. Â GO NOW! Â You won't regret it!
This place is amazing...very cool 50's pinup atmosphere...nice murals on walls...the food is amazing...i had the special shrimp cocktail and the quesadilla is gigantic...the waitress told me it was the greatest quesadilla  ever...IT WAS!!!!!!!! thanks alot Elle....she was great and Jeff the owner is very personable i highly recommend this place
Review Source:I've been to Gavin's.....twice... two nights in a row. Both nights the food was spectacular. I tend to eat out a lot and hate wasting my money on below average food, but the food here was some of the best I've had in Providence. I got one of the salads and the dressing was so fresh. Everything in it was so good that I kept saying "I can't believe a salad is this good." I mean how often do you really say, "mmmmm salad"? but it really was delicious.
We also ate the sweet chili wings, which were a higher quality chicken than normal wings and the sauce was awesome.
To round out the meal we ate the black bean hummus and the shrimp and jalapeno bombers stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon. Just look up the picture of it
All the pictures of the food are exactly how the food looks and it tastes as good as it looks.
Please keep doing what you are doing!
Went in on my way to another restaurant, and although I didn't actually buy anything cause I was just dropping by to say hello to some friends who were grabbing a drink there, I was greeted warmly by the staff and the owner brought out samples of their food (which is REALLY GOOD) just to try!
Glad they have brought another great establishment to the area, soon India Point will be a destination (just like thayer or federal hill).
I'm hoping this place remains low key because it's such a gem. Comfortable yet enticing decor and much needed class to an area that's been rather lacking.
Best sour mix ever, couldn't stop inhaling their whiskey sours.
Menu limited as yet but very promising. If you haven't tried their oxtail chili I insist that you visit immediately. I admit I'm an oxtail fan at baseline but this is truly genius... Simple yet utterly irresistible.
I'll be back regularly, even if it's just to relax in their buttery leather barstools or chat it up w their very friendly and competent staff.
This joint is finally open! I have been anxiously awaiting my first evening here, and it did not disappoint! The decor is so cool. All of the furniture has a custom made feel, and the murals are truly works of art. I LOVED the jalepenos stuffed with artisanal cheese with an awesome prawn curled around it. Delicious and beautiful. Another big hit was the oxtail chili with aged cheddar. The wings were done beautifully. My girlfriend was blown away by the cream sauce on her pasta (I stole some, and it was rad). The springrolls had a nice crunch, and the guac was fresh and citrusy. The staff was all super friendly, and the owner was milling about making sure his clientelle were happy. The head chef even came out and thanked us for coming, asking if we enjoyed our meal. I will try to come here every time I am in Providence. Can't miss.
Review Source:I went to this place on their "soft opening night" , the staff was extremely attentive, and eager. Â A "buisness casual" establishment with beautifull ambiance, and though the menu wasn't up and running fully yet, i know the food will be exceptional. I have been to several of the establishments the executive chef has worked at over the years, and have always been a big fan of his food. Â Cannot wait to return!!!
Review Source:
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
