I've eaten here many times in years past and have always very much enjoyed the quality of the food and the unique colonial atmosphere. Â I had a chance to return last week with friends and we were all a bit disappointed. Â The place is still as cute as ever and they have an awesome selection of beers on tap. Â We were in the mood for wine and their wine menu provides virtually no details about their wine selection (not even price) and their wait staff is not well trained to be able to make recommendations. Â The burgers we ordered were dry, no cornbread buns as promised on their menu, and the fries were served cold and without ketchup. Â When we requested ketchup and a dipping sauce or maybe a salsa to improve the dry burgers, the wait person could only offer us 2 different bottled steak sauces. Â Maybe they were just having an off night?
Review Source:Stopped here again on our way back to NJ from MD and were not disappointed, as usual. Make no mistake, this is not fine dining but you will enjoy whatever you order.
Their beer selection is quite large and the bartender very knowledgeable. When I asked to order a certain item, he told me it wasn't up to their normal standard and suggested the Sheperd's Pie, which was huge and delicious. Definitely a two meal item. My wife had a burger as well as a salad and enjoyed both.
A nice, little place in which to decompress during a long drive. It is kind of nice to see the interaction between the locals and the waitstaff - but we always feel welcome.
A historic building, with an old time tavern feel, Jessop's has been featured on several TV shows for its ghostly inhabitants. However, it should have been featured for the great food it serves, and the great atmosphere! The wait staff are kind, humorous, and made to wear period garb if your into that kind of thing.
For starters, we had Sweet Potato fries and a caramel dipping sauce, very tasty, crispy, and a nice balance of salty & sweet.
For entrees, Â I had the Chicken pot pie and my Girlfriend had the Beef and Beer pot pie. Both were served in a pewter pot, filled to the brim with root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, some celery, and turnips), good sauce (Especially the beer & beef as it had a very deep dark flavor). The buttery crust was laid over the pot and left to rise until golden brown.
The only con I could bring up is that I noticed the place is only open until 10pm and its a small space for large crowds. The size can't really be helped though, seeing as the building is historic, and can't be changed too much.
Twice I've been here, twice everything is fantastic! Best food, great service, great music! A super experience!! Don't miss this stop! An enormous Belgian Beer selection. Just wish this place was near my home (San Diego). Don't even think twice! This is the place you want to discover! You'll see.
Review Source:Visiting New Castle DE for the first time was truly a wonderful experience seeing one of the oldest towns in America. Â Cobble stone streets, brick buildings and William Penn's spirit walking the streets and perhaps into Jessop's Tavern. Â This tavern dates back to the mid 1600s, updated of course, but it gives you a glimpse of how a tavern looked like with its low ceilings, wood floors, and dark feel. Â The period costumed waiters finished the touch. Â Great atmosphere. Â Food was served on pewter dishes. Â Crab cakes were huge, but had a strong flavor due to the type of crab used. Â The real roasted turkey was equally big and very tender and moist. Â Big plus is that the owner stocks the largest selection of Belgium ales with a description of each - wish I wasn't working otherwise I would have had a pint or two.
Review Source:My wife, myself, and our 6 year old son were making our annual drive south for the holidays and looking for a place for dinner. Finding a place that suits everyone usually means settling for a chain restaurant. But we decided to take a chance on Jessop's. Wow!
The atmosphere is great. It's a nice comfortable tavern, candles on the table, not loud, very relaxed. The menu didn't list any kids plates, but asking the server he immediately gave us a couple of choices that were all perfectly appropriate. My son got the fish and chips, didn't leave a bit. My wife had a green salad with portabello mushroom, which she commented was particularly good. And I ordered the shepherd's pie. Wow, so good it was almost a life experience.
Definitely looking forward to our next opportunity to stop in here.
Definitely recommend making a reservation. They had to move a bunch of parties around to seat us. Atmosphere is awesome. Go just for the candlelit dinner. Service was good, but really slow. Apparently there was a mix up with our order tickets, but we still didn't get served for about 40 minutes. The Shepard's Pie was awesome and about the size of a small mountain. the fish and chips were kind of lacking in comparison.
Review Source:Just moved to area and Jessup's was recommended to me as a place I had to try. I was not disappointed. It's not fine  dining. It's just plain comfortable. Atmosphere is colonial with employees in period dress. Food was great. Had 13 colony chowder which has chicken, and it was superb. Very filling. My wife had a beer battered shrimp - also great. I had shepherds pie which was as good as I've ever had (and impossible to finish, with excellent presentation). Would recommend sharing this with dinner partner. The rum raisin bread pudding was also very good, but a little too crisp around the edges for me. Lots of varieties of beer to choose from. Monday is oyster day and you can get 13 raw oysters for $15. I've had better oysters, and they could have been shucked better. Would have given 5 stars if server had been more attentive. Will definitely go back.
Review Source:Hubby had the Pilgrim's Feast and I had the Dutch pot roast. Â Both had generous portions and quite enjoyable. Nice selection so you can find something for friends who are vegetarian and meatatarians! Â Also, the beer selection is extensive. Â I originally wanted the Shepherd's Pie and was grateful our server told us just how large it is because we didn't have a way to save leftovers since we are on a road trip. Â This just means we'll have to visit New Castle again! Â Or I bring my teenagers with me next time to ensure no leftovers...
Review Source:This is one of my favorite restaurants, and I would say this is a must for someone who enjoys taking a step back into history. Â You definitely get the feel that you are in a tavern from Colonial times. Â The wooden floor, tables, period ambiance, wait staff dressed in period costumes, all make you feel that this is about as close as you can get to what it might have been like. Â Excellent beer selection. Â And the food, well, I have never been disappointed. Â The food is mostly meat and potatoes-like dishes, many that might be considered from the past, such as shepard's pie, pot roast, pot pie, etc. Â There is a gift shop upstairs, as well as an ice cream shop next door. Â What a wonderful place for Old New Castle!
Review Source:They serve Lambic & cider, and guns are mounted on the wall. Well that's worth 2 points alone right there.
The bread is served piping hot with garlic butter. We enjoyed the grilled salmon with dijon (not fishy) and stuffed crab (mushy but tasty). Â
There aren't many restaurants in New Castle, so if you're here, may as well stop by the local institution.
Great beer selection and I love the vegetable sandwich - not many places do a meat free sandwich well. Â The red, white and blue sandwich is good too, served with sweet potato fries. Â The soups are always a good bet. Most recently I've had the french onion and the andouille sausage with crab. Â I've never tried any of the traditional meals, just the sandwiches. Â
The colonial garb on the wait staff is a little cheesy but it is a colonial town after all. Â I recommend experimenting with the beers along with a soup and sandwich and then strolling the 100 feet to the Delaware river to start a walk along a great town.
Great place, good beer selection, and food portions are HUGE!
Got the Sheppard's pie, very good. If you order it, be ready to eat or take home for two more meals like I did!
Staff is dressed in Colonial attire and was friendly and knowledgeable.
The rest of the menu was great, plenty of selections.
The other two co-workers I was with loved there meals and even had enough room left for dessert. I did not. Dessert was huge as well, but they both finished all of it though.
Stopped-in for dinner on a week-night, without a reservation, after touring the area for the first time. Â We were seated immediately. Â Our server was very attentive and made us comfortable. (Our server also attended the bar.) Â Background music was so very pleasant, as it was background music and didn't overwhelm us with noise. Food was very good. Thoroughly enjoyed the entire event: atmosphere and meal. I would strongly recommend the Tavern for your next meal while in the area.
Review Source:This is a great place - mostly for the atmosphere. Â The food is always good, just a bit pricey. Â But it's always a treat to go to Jessop's when you are in the mood for something different. Â On our last trip, there was a family from Sweden who were really being entertained by the bartender, it gave it a very welcoming feel. I agree with another reviewer who said it reminds you of the Colonial restaurant in Disney with the music, costumes, and food selections.
Review Source:This place is a favorite of my mother's & my grandmother's. Â I have only been here twice on visits back home and while I wasn't blown away, I didn't hate it either.
The decor, atmosphere & theme are worth visiting for. Â As other Yelpers have noted, the staff wears Colonial period clothing, meals are served on pewter plates, and the fare is very hearty. Â Colonial music & no TVs, so don't come here if you're looking to watch a game.
I had the Red, White & Blue sandwich, which while good was a bit dry. Â
My biggest issue on my last visit was the service. Â The host was a teenage boy who had ZERO personality. Â Barely a smile, barely a greeting when we came in the door. Â He seemed very bothered & just bored to be there. Â The server was friendly & accommodating but it took close to forty five minutes for us to get our meals, and there were literally only 5 other customers in the restaurant. Â
Overall, just OK for food & service, and excellent for the theme & atmosphere.
I've been to Jessop's several times over the years, and had varied experiences - some great, some not-so-great. The food is standard American fare, well-prepared - I've never had a bad-tasting meal there. The cheese platter a group of friends and I ordered once a few years back was great - the garlic roasted in olive oil was a very nice touch. The selection of beers on tap is generally decent - at one point, they had a rather tasty ale brewed especially for the place; not sure if that's the case any more.
The level of service we've received, however, has varied. I've gone there and waited several minutes to be seated by a disaffected teen waiter - at other times, you're seated promptly. Once, when my wife ordered the garlic mashed potatoes, she received a baked potato on her plate. The waitress told her that they were out of mashed potatoes...but hadn't come back to the table to ask what else she'd like - she made the "executive decision" that we'd just prefer the baked potato (when my wife really would have preferred sweet potato fries as her second choice). Sometimes the food comes out quickly, and sometimes you wait.
In short, this place is probably a "your-mileage-may-vary" kind of restaurant.
After looking around the beautiful historical downtown of New Castle, Jessops's Tavern was the perfect place to wind down.
The inside is a beautiful 1700s style house. Candles are lit and everyone is dressed in period clothing.
The bartender was cool and without provocation, gave me tasting to each of the craft beers I had asked about. My boyfriend and I enjoyed the atmosphere. It makes for a good date-night or destination stop while in Delaware, or checking out the local historical places.
Ask about seasonal beers, they have them. Also, the beer-battered shrimp, the dipping sauce really makes it!
Great location. Almost the only game in town. Quaint, charming little town.
Decent beer selection. A selection of warm wines for your pleasure. Ugh, pet peeve of mine. Red wine should be betw. 55-60 degress, not 75.
Very mediocre food. If you think this is good food, you eat at McDonald's, too. And like it.
Service can border on horrendous; redheaded bartender one of the worst I've ever encountered. Her "I don't really give a frig" attitude is appalling & in general she's insufferable, and certainly unprofessional.
The owner's other location closed. No surprise. In general, this is just a poorly managed place. Used to live in ONC, and would come in here occasionally for a bite or cocktail. Never had truly good food, only okay food. This place has never, in the 6 years I've known about it, lived up to its potential. Not even close. Period.
Go up the street to Jack's Bistro. Good food, better ambience.
I love the mussels at Jessop's! Â I have to admit I haven't ordered anything else in a very long time. Â I also go on Tuesday or Thursday evenings, sit at the bar, and that way I know that the service will be fantastic. Â Jessops has a lot of potential and I am happy to hear that Justin Day has returned and that changes are in process and more are to come. Â Welcome back Justin, and I am looking forward to future dining and events!
Review Source:BEST RESTAURANT EVER IN THE BEST TOWN ON THE PLANET!!!!!
the atmosphere is sublime. seriously, this place is the colonial fantasy of rigid constitutionalists everywhere.
i mean, i dont know about authenticity, but like this was the Disneyland Breakfast with Goofy of the American Revolution. We ate on metal plates??? my dining partner had a trencher-bread-bowl full of ham and bean soup?? it was EXTREMELY HEARTY PEASANT FOOD.
also i ate he best turkey sandwich of my freaking life. with sweet potato fries??? uggggg. it was fresh and delicious and made me remember that not all sandwiches are chicken cheesesteak hoagies from Wawa. Â
UGH GO TO NEW CASTLE RIGHT NOW. its awesome.
My boyfriend has been telling me about this place forever and a day, so finally we drove an hour and half out of our way to eat here. This place is adorable. The tavern is old, the waitstaff wears period clothing, and the prices are what you might expect from a touristy type area. We both ordered some form of a turkey sandwhich, and let me tell you. I could barely get through one half of the thing. The sandwhich was roughly the size of my face, and I'm not Adam Richman (of Man vs. Food) so I did not take down the whole thing. In fact, I could barely eat it.
It was not the worst thing I ever had, but it was a let down.
This is a great little place to eat in Old New Castle. Â I have never had a bad meal, and they always have a great beer selection. Â It is usually crowded at dinner, but I usually find my way to the bar and end up eating there. Â The food seems to be a much better fare for the cooler months. Â I haven't had a bad thing to eat there yet. Â Check out the daily chowder special. Â It's always something new and tasty. Â
This past weekend I had the fricken  chickassee (their take on chicken fricassee) and it was great.  I highly recommend stopping in to have a meal.
Jessop's has an excellent beer selection! Â On tap you can find gems like Saison Dupont on a regular basis. Â The bottle selection is quite good as well. Â There is not a huge variety, but what they do have is of very good quality. Â For dinner, I ordered a the Olde Dutch Tilehouse Chicken sandwich (on a pretzel roll!) with the cottage fries. Â It was tasty. Â There are some unique selections on the menu and they do a good job of fostering the "colonial atmosphere."
My experience at Jessop's was positive. Â I hesitate on a fifth star because I thought the prices were a bit high for what I was getting. Â Although my sandwich was good, I would not be jumping at the chance to pay $13 for it again. Â Also, if I return, I think I will make a point to do so in the colder weather. Â It was a beautiful day today and they left the front door open, which invited in a large swarm of flies that were quite annoying.
Jessop's Tavern serves mostly traditional American fare on pewter dishes in a cozy setting a short walk from the water. Â The dining room has a colonial American look, and staff are dressed in period costume.
I found the food tasty but not outstanding. Â The New England clam chowder for instance, was chunky and filling, but needed more clams and less potatoes. Â Service, too, was a little unhurried. Â Overall, I like the place: Â Neither the food, nor the service, nor the price were "bad", but taken together they keep this place at 4 stars.
The location is terrific. Â And that is about all that is nice about Jessop's Tavern. Â We found the wait staff to be sluggish and unhelpful. Â The food was overpriced. Â And not only was it overpriced, the food was horrible. Â We had ordered the fish and chips and a chicken sandwich for lunch. Â The fish batter was soggy and the chips were way too dry - and this for close to $17! Â The chicken in the sandwich was also very dry - seemed like it was left over from a few nights back. Â Our whole experience there was so negative that it prompted me to create an account so that I could write a review and tell the whole world that they should avoid this place...
Review Source:DON'T GO if you are not LOCAL!
Valentines Day 2010
I wanted to take my wife somewhere unusual for our afternoon out.
We decided on Jessop's Tavern because she loves to go to Williamsburg VA.
We had made reservations and arrived on time.
We entered the restaurant; it was very cool, just like we stepped back in time. Wait staff in period dress and an original look.
There were just a few tables seated but mostly empty. We asked to be seated near the fire and where told no those seats were for people with reservations! Well we had reservations, No they were for locals. Then we were seated in the back.
This just set the tone. Every thing was a problem. Finally we understood we where not welcome there and left before even being able to order.
They ruined my wife's day and boy did I hear about it.
I emailed the owner from their website with no response. This must be OK with him.
I will not be BACK!
Quaint little tavern with a flare for mild authenticity. Meals are served on heavy pewter plated and each table, tough old and a bit sticky has a single candlestick complete with dripped hardened wax adding tot he colonial feel.
Grilled skirt stead with a light gravy was good but a but a bit tough and not the most appropriate cut of meat to have served. Then again, maybe that was supposed to be part of the appeal. Baked potatoes are just that. If you asked for a "loaded" potato, you get a funny look but they'll try to accommodate you if possible.
If you're looking for formal dining and/or formal/professional service, this isn't your place. If you'd like to dine in an authentic-style tavern in the most quaint, unique and historically preserved village in Delaware, this is your place.
Very Nice!
It was obvious that most of the people there were regulars...and with good reason.
The location is perfect...just 2 blocks from the river in Historic New Castle. Old brick buildings, uneven brick sidewalks, narrow streets...a beautiful area. The interior is lovely: darkly lit, with old brick walls, wooden floors and a fireplace. Tables are candle lit.
The food is not fancy or overdone. Traditional items like pot pie, shepherd's pie, and simply prepared meats are served with a selection of potatoes and daily veggies. I had a chicken dish, my husband had duck. Both were perfectly prepared and delicious.
For dinner entree with appetizer and drinks expect to spend over $30 per person. They do have a selection of smaller dishes (sandwiches, etc.) at lower prices.
Oh, and they have Dogfish Head on tap...so if you're not up for a meal, just stop by for a beer.
My Boss took me to Jessop's my first day on the Job in 2006 and what a great experience. Â They have an authenticity that you can't fake. Â The menu is quintessentially colonial American and dogfish head is on tap (see <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dogfish.com&s=3cefed98b68dc3d69b0314e4d1262f36f8f7ac906784b706622b149fb34ae71f" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.dogfish.com</a>). I am from this area and it's cool to know there is such a cool place right around the corner that I never knew about. Jessop's Tavern is truly a hidden treasure. Â Oh and by the way the landing place of William Penn in the "New World" is within eye shot of the front door of the Restaurant.
Review Source:In the middle of the week (read not many tourists), we took the Mom-in-law on a little tourist excursion to Old Town New Castle. Â Walking the cobbled streets of DE.'s oldest surviving town in the DE. Valley (we are talking 1651), makes one a bit thirsty and in need of a bite to eat. Jessop's Tavern seemed to fit the bill. I am telling you, you no longer have to wander around wondering where would be a good place to drink and eat. This is a piece of history with good food and great drinks; a real colonial dining experience. The interior is dark and small, Â with antiques and pewter plate service. The husband had fish and chips and claimed they deserved their #1 rating and the M-i-L and I had the daily colonial chowder with crab and corn, it was wonderful and you could almost imagine it being cooked in a cast iron crock over a fire. We finished with Martha's daily Colonial cobbler which was peachy keen. And most of all the cocktails, this is a pub so you would hope the bartender knows what he is doing, after all this place has been open for ~360 years. And yes he does know what he is doing...the husband and I had their drawn pints and the M-i-L a cosmo which made her giggle. This was a perfect dining experience.
Review Source:I went to Jessop's in December 2004 when the BF and I decided to drive up the Jersey coast on our way to Brooklyn, NY. I still think about this restaurant because, not only was the food freaking fabulous, but the experience was absolutely wonderful. Even after all that time, it still remains one of my best food memories. As we were cutting over from Philly, we thought it time for a light snack. We decided to head out to New Castle because we liked the name, then went about finding a place to eat. Luckily, we stumbled upon Jessop's. We ordered a beer apiece, the Red, White and Blue (London Broil with mushrooms and Stilton on toasted sourdough), and sweet potato fries to share. The food was so simple, but so good; they split the plate at no charge and gave us spectacular service despite the fact that we were a.) visiting them at an odd time (3:30 PM), and b.) sharing just a small amount of food. The restaurant itself was warm, cozy and flat-out fabulous. Charming is the word that comes to mind when I reminisce. I felt as if I'd come to a person's house, not to a restaurant, which as everybody knows, is a wonderful feeling. In fact, I wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening there, just so that I could eat more food (and drink more beer) as soon as I got hungry again. Â If you are anywhere near New Castle, DE, visit this place. It is simply superb!
Review Source:
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