My wife and i ate dinner at the Tavern during a recent new student orientation for our youngest son. Â We had very low expectations for the evening and we were not disappointed.
The restaurant, in appearance and in menu, appears to be stuck in a time warp. Â I have no problem with nostalgia and character in a restaurant but this place's menu and food appears to be stuck back in 1970.
My wife ordered the orange roughy and I had a NY strip steak. Â The steak was of very poor quality, overcooked, and appeared to be marinated (since 1970) in a vinegar and oil salad dressing.
My wife's fish was anything but fresh. Â Frozen and prepared like I remember orange roughy was in the 70's. Â The plates even had what looked like an old baked apple slice garnish - quaint?
The meal comes with unlimited sides. Â My wife ordered a baked potato with her fish. Â While it was not listed on the menu they did bring something out that appeared to be a baked potato - it was extremely hard and unappetizing. Â My green beans and almonds were overcooked and soggy.
All in all this place was a disappointment. Â Can't see coming back ever. Â I am amazed that this place gets away with such poor quality food. Â It would never survive in Northern VA.
I ate at The Tavern for the first time last week before the Bob Seger concert. My group had the first seating at 5PM on a Thursday night during Penn State's commencement week, so we beat the rush. Once I was able to find the entrance (it's not in the front, but down an alley to the left if you're looking at the place), things looked good. We were seated immediately by a nice host who helped us find a couple of stragglers (the restaurant is quite large), and were seated by the windows in a smaller room. The server was great, and the unlimited sides were a hit with everyone (you can get as many as you like and then get refills). My steak was good, and my friend's veal parmesan was great. I must've ate at least three servings of their rice pilaf, which was delicious. The Oreo cheesecake that I had for desert was also very good. We all had to drive to our hotels after dinner, so we didn't really try any drinks. The Tavern isn't cheap, but we were looking for someplace nice. The food was good, and the staff was excellent.
Review Source:Honestly, if I could give negative stars, I would. Â I'm not sure where to even start. Â My fiance and I re-located for employment and his sister and her friend decided to come up and visit us. Â New to this town, I asked for suggestions. Â We decided on the Tavern. Â Honestly, I think the McDonalds would have been a better choice.
We arrived and were greated by two servers arguing over who would take our table as we arrived around 9 or 9:30 ish and no one wanted to stay? Â Either way, EXTREMELY unprofessional and discouraging. Â It got even worse from there.
As his sister and her friend sat down, his sister asked if we should leave because she felt THAT uncomfortable that we were interupting their night by sitting in their section. Â We told her it was ok, and we would just try to eat quickly and get out. Â We didn't want to leave because if we did then we WOULD be eating McDonalds as NOTHING else stays open past 10 pm in this town (besides bars for the kids getting drunk on their parent's dime!
The waiter was rude, dismissive, and unavailble for 95% of the meal. Â Furthermore, the food was disgusting. Â Not even close to any edible food we'd order back home. Â He ordered the chicken parm which consisted of a piece of mystery meat, ketchup and a slab of kraft american cheese (NOT EVEN MELTED) on top. Â I ordered the seafood stuffed lasagna which was a mistake as well. Â The seafood had a foul smell of rot and the scallops and shrimp were chewy and tasted old. Â That's just dangerous to serve such low caliber of fish. Â Not even funny! Â His sister ordered the chicken marsala and her friend ordered a steak which they both couldn't finish because they both said their dishes tasted THAT bad.
The endless sides are a joke when they offer you COLESLAW AND APPLESAUCE? REALLY? People honestly get THAT excited over endless sides of applesauce? Â What a joke. Â Go to Sam's Club and get a whole gallon for what $3 and ENJOY! Â Myself, on the other hand, prefer not to order applesauce out at a restaurant or dine at a place that offers applesauce as a side as if it's some delicacy! Â Anway....My spinach salad side was terrible! Â Wilted spinach leaves that tasted as though they were dressed 5 hours ahead of time. Â Will never be returning. Â EVER. Â It was even worse that we treated his sister and her friend to a meal that was so terrible and made us all uncomfortable to even be there. Â We have since taken our money elsewhere.
Having grown up in State College, I eagerly awaited a return visit to this Penn State Tradition. Very disappointed. Obviously the Tavern's owners believe their local fame and homesick alumni are a sufficient business base, and serving good food a needless luxury.
The atmosphere is as venerable as I remembered, but the food is entirely forgettable. With a menu consisting of only a dozen or so entrees, you might expect each of them to be exquisitely prepared. Nope. I've enjoyed delicious dinners at numerous Happy Valley eateries, and that's where I'll spend my future dining dollars. It's a shame the Tavern's current ownership and management don't take food a little more seriously.
I have eaten here a few times, each time was an excellent experience - that's why I come back. Â The proper way of enjoying a leisurely evening here is to begin with a drink at the Adam's Apple - a bar alcove area in the back of the facility. Â Recommended - the house drink called "Original Sin". Â When in Rome...
Next - off to dinner. Â I had the salmon with horseradish dill sauce, and it was great. Â The unlimited side-dishes is an absolutely fabulous invention. Â The mushroom-spinach salad is a must - in fact, double down and get two helpings of it right off the bat. Â This coming from a non-vegetable eater. Â Spiced applesauce is a winner.
Finally, the servers in the Adam's Apple and in the Tavern itself were all quite pleasant and cheerful - that add's to the experience.
Dinner with friends in State College? Â This is where to go. Â It's been around for decades, and no doubt will continue for decades...
Based on my onetime experience, The Tavern probably rates somewhere between two and a half to three stars. I would really like to rate it higher, mostly for potential, but can't. Bottom line: it wasn't totally horrible, but it certainly wasn't spectacular either.
The split-level restaurant is huge, taking up almost an entire block between College Ave and E Calder Way. Even with so much space, reservations are apparently recommended, but luckily we didn't need one for a weekend evening.
The dinner menu is limited to only one page of appetizer and entree options, which I believe rotates daily. Although I thought their prices were slightly inflated, they do offer you the unique option to choose as many of their dozen side dishes as you want with your meal.
I ordered the Chicken Italiano, a medium sized chicken breast served over noodles. Once again, it was decent, but not a lot of food. Most of us also got pre-dinner salads, which we all felt were pretty bland and tasteless. None of us got dessert, but the old couple next to us seemed to really enjoy their pie.
With other decent dining options in town, you can probably find somewhere a little more filling to your stomach and a little more generous to your wallet.
I've never actually eaten at The Tavern but the Adam's Apple, in the back, is our go-to bar for cocktails especially for our much-storied Bow Tie Nights.
The staff is always helpful and super personable and is one of the few places in town where you can get a proper cocktail instead of something that's blue and served in a pitcher. The make an extra dirty martini, a wicked Old Fashioned, and a mean Sidecar. My only complaint is no Hendrick's Gin.
One word of advice: avoid this place on home game nights. The alums overrun it like a plague.
I've only been once, with my parents, but I wasn't prompted to hurry back. The food was satisfying, but not amazing, it is one of the more expensive choices downtown. The wait staff was wonderful, and makes me want to give a 3.5... The atmosphere seemed a little dull and lifeless, rather than intimate and classy, which I think was the idea, so I'll settle at 3. All in all, nothing great, but not bad by any means.
Review Source:1st of all I have to have the escargot. Â Yes snails sounds intimidating but they are cooked in garlic & butter & taste amazing! Â Nothing is better than the escargot! Â The prim rib is amazing as well as the chocolate mousse. Â I return here to eat time & again & never switch up my selections.
Review Source:My husband & I went for their Sunday Brunch today. It was wonderful! Much better than The Corner Room. Very good price point for the variety & quality of the foods on offer. I thought the atmosphere was cozy & cottage-like. I do wish our server was more attentive with the coffee. I mean, it was Sunday morning. Minor detail. We plan to return for dinner : )
Review Source:The Tavern has been my favorite restaurant for decades and even though I live far away now, I try to make a stop for dinner in State College when driving through Pennsylvania. I love that it hasn't changed over the years. The menu that allows you to chose whatever sides you want is great. I like the steak - it always tastes like it's right off the grill.
Review Source:Went here for dinner with my Dad during Ag Progress Days (August 2012). Â This was our second trip to The Tavern, and so far, we're 2 for 2. Â While the menu selection is not extensive, what the Tavern does offer is really sound in terms of quality and quantity. Â This time my Dad and I both ordered fish (he the seared tuna, I the salmon), and we were both supremely satisfied with our choices (which our server graciously recommended). Â The server/kitchen even were willing to accommodate my Dad's penchant for tartar sauce (yes, he eats it even on ginger-sesame Ahi tuna- ughh!) and "well done" fish without any sniping. Â All entrees come with unlimited sides- including interesting choices like peas with pimento (surprisingly good). Â Finally, kudos to our server for halving our dessert when we mentioned we planned to share- what a thoughtful touch!
Review Source:I love the tavern! It is a historical building with a long history of delicious food. Great for groups or an intimate dinner. Their menu changes frequently and they have a limited number of special dishes. You can order an unlimited amount of sides. They also have great desserts. They usually do not take reservations BUT on certain holidays and graduation they do, I learned that the hard way.
Review Source:I had always heard what an institution the Tavern was, so I had high expectations, and they were dashed. Â But, I'd try it again, since other dishes my colleagues had all looked better than mine.
The tenderloin tips over noodles was a huge miss, they weren't tips, but more like stringy stir fry pieces of beef, and the brown sauce wasn't very good. Â It was $16.
That being said, I love a place with unlimited sides, but my broccoli was bland, and the waiter never brought my potato salad. Â When I asked, he said, :"oops forgot to tell you we're out of it." Â A friend's Italian cabbage side looked great. Â The service was barely average.
I've read some mixed reviews here, and I've heard some mixed reviews around town, but my Tavern experience has always been a good one. Â I go for the Prime Rib...and it is one of the best things they do. Â Big, tasty, cooked to perfection. Â I love the unlimited sides...and am addicted to the Spinach Salad like it's a drug. Â The only dessert I've ever had is the chocolate mousse...and it is rich and creamy.
The wait staff, on the whole, has been friendly and attentive. Â I look forward to my next visit!
There is nothing worse than restaurants whose food plates don't live up to their menu descriptions. I ordered the pork chops and nowhere on the menu did it say my plate would be slobbered with gravy. Their food was sub-par, nothing special and whoever is doing their plating before the food goes out needs an aesthetic lesson.
Also, our waitress hadn't had anything on the menu when we were asking about it. Â I found it odd that a waitress didn't know the menu of the restaurant she worked at.
The cherry on top is that my sister got food poisoning from the shrimp she ate.
Not impressed.
First off, I can't comment on Adam's Apple. Â This will concern just the restaurant and not the bar attached in the rear of the building.
As far as service goes, you are dealing with the same issues you have all over State College: Â college kids who are doing extra work who have no benefit of giving quality customer service. Â Now, with that being said, there service is decent. Â However, the people next to us definitely waited more than normal for their check.
Now when it comes to food, I think they are spot on. Â I had the braised beef tips over egg noodles and my wife had the lasagna. Â Both were excellent dishes that are worth eating over and over again. Â
Their sides are all very good. Â Here, the way the menu works is the price of an entree includes unlimited sides. Â Your choices include side salad, vegatable medley, french fries, spaghetti marinara, ziti with tomatoes, or spiced applesauce just to name a few.
Finally, their dessert menu is pretty extensive, mostly revolving around cheesecakes. Â We decided to go with away from the cheesecake and get the Tollhouse Pie (Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie with Walnuts) with Ice Cream. Â Excellent dessert split between three!
I cannot believe this place get 4 stars. I've been here twice now and the food has been plain bad. They have a bit of limited menu and on busy nights they tend to run out of stuff, which can be annoying. Furthermore, the waitstaff always seems unable to answer even the most basic questions about the food. I like the idea of unlimited sides, but I'm usually not in the mood to eat slaw drenched in mayo and spinach salad that tastes like vinegar. Even their house-made cheesecake tasted like a store bought version. I will never dine here again by choice, but I may come in for a drink at the bar. Trust me, there is better food in State College.
Review Source:I'm definitely enamored of the Adam's Apple if not a bit sentimental (oh those fun nights). Â It is a small bar in the rear of the Tavern restaurant where they make some of the tastiest creative drinks in the area. Â I've had countless number of the Original Sins and Forbidden Fruits than I care to admit. Â Get here early (like before 11pm) otherwise be prepared to stand and be bumped into by thirsty students.
As far as the restaurant is concerned, the Tavern is a State College institution in of itself.  The history of this establishment is visceral.  However, I'm more on the fence about the food.  The cozy ambiance evokes comfort food and the menu typically looks promising.  However, my last two visits were less than great.  They were out of several items which is always a pet peeve.  When I got my entrée (salmon), it was a bit bland and boring.  My companion's veal was far better fortunately.  The unlimited sides were a nice touch but sadly forgettable except the potato salad which was quite good.
Overall, I'm still giving the place a positive review. Â The fond memories I've had here overshadow the more recent mediocre dining experiences. Â Yes, I'm a bit biased. Â Go Penn State!
The Tavern is a great place to make memories. Patrick , the owner takes personal pride in his restaurant and makes sure that the diners are happy. Many times he comes and talks to people. The food is excellent. I am a vegetarian and I have never gone hungry. There is always one meal that I can order. But the accompaniments to the meal have no words to describe them. Get a double order of the spinach salad. The best you will ever have. Hot apple sauce, corn bread, french fries so many to choose from and they always serve you as many of them as  you like as many times! There have been occasions when I have taken my main meal home and had the dessert instead. Their pies are scrumptious and the portions are large. The place is full of photographs from days gone by. For students and locals it is wonderful to see history. I love taking all my out-of-town guests to this wonderful place. He employs a lot of students who are always pleasant and seem happy to be working there. The only reason I give it 4 stars is because I am a vegetarian. I wish he had more for us. All my friends who eat everything love this place. OK, I give it a 4 and a half stars!
Review Source:I came here later after the Penn State Alabama game and not surprisingly it was quite crowded. For a table of one I was told about a 20 minute wait time, which ended up being I'd say just under 40. I was taken to a table right by the window, which was nice since I could also people watch.
My server was a young lady who was pleasant enough. I ordered the Tips Burgoignon and then had the Gingerbread for dessert. The Tips were really good and the dessert was out of this world. There was some sauce that accompanied it exquisitely well but I forgot what it was and could not find it online. The atmosphere was very nice and upscale.
Only points for minor bickering I have are the extended wait, which was understandable given how crowded it was, and the server could have been a little more enthusiastic and perhaps smiled a little more. Aside from that my meal and dessert were excellent and adequately filled me up for the night on the town that was soon to follow.
We asked my nephew to take us someplace he's always wanted to try but was too expensive for a college student's budget. The Tavern was a nice choice. The Colonial atmosphere is captured in the three old buildings that have been combined to house the restaurant. Historic local photos, post cards and prints complete the decor. The staff is friendly and the service perfect.
The food was mostly good with a couple of minor complaints. Escargot appetizer was a big hit at our table for 5. My seafood pasta on egg noodles was a very good if just a little greasy. Other plates at the table were a a tuna steak that my nephew liked, a veal cutlet in Irish whiskey sauce... my wife thought the veal was cooked well and high quality but the sauce was nothing to write home about. My daughter's lasagna was a definite hit!! The marinara sauce was great!
My major issue was with ordering... you can choose as many sides as you would like from a pretty extensive list. I didn't want to be greedy and just chose one. As this is a somewhat unique way of ordering the waiter should say something about it. It would have been a better dining experience if I had ordered a salad and two sides. That is how most restaurants that offer "sides" do it. The sides are on the small side... that isn't a complaint, they are a fine portion if you go with a salad and 2 sides. I had the Italian style cabbage that needed something in addition to the vinegar dressing. My daughter's red potato salad was awesome. My wife's spinach salad with mushrooms was lacking in the shroom department but tasty.
Like a lot of restaurants out there this is good... and certainly worth a try, you might love it. But it didn't do anything to cut through the clutter of choices. I would try something else before I would come back... but I wouldn't mind coming back if the situation arose.
Definitely a Sate College classic!
I'd recommend taking your parents (or having them take you) here. The menu is very classic American (meat loaf, chicken, fish, pasta, etc). All very hearty, and you can have as many side dishes as you want.
I had ravioli when I was here, and a side salad and steamed broccoli and cauliflower. I remember the portion being a good size--enough to fill me up without being obnoxious. Definitely would recommend.
They also serve local wines from Mount Nittany winery, and the bar area is called the "Adam's Apple".
Also, don't make the same mistake I did. The entrance is on the side in the alley...I must have stood outside for a good 15 minutes trying to find the entrance. Woops.
Solid 4 stars and I can pump it up to 4.5.
This is one of the places that college students might feel intimidated to visit since we can always see old people dine in here. I was the same, I never gave this place any chance even though I always see the place packed. Then I saw the review here in Yelp and I couldn't wait to try it when I treated my best friends a night out.
I could say that we had a really good time here. We were greeted with friendly staff. The atmosphere of the surprisingly huge restaurant was really fine and elegant. I didn't really know about the history of this restaurant but when other yelpers emphasized on the historic elements of The Tavern, I would just agree since you can see it and feel it inside the restaurant.
We were seated near the window and everything was perfect. We took a look at the simple menu, which was always a plus for me, since a simple menu means that they are focusing on something they are really good at, maintaining a high quality of their food. It was just a one page menu with around 20 items on it. I ordered the prime ribs since another yelper said that the prime ribs was the best they can serve. I ordered it medium-rare which was a very bold decision to make, since you can't really trust steak being cooked in State College (they usually overcook or undercook it).
My prime ribs arrived and I couldn't be more satisfied. It was really juicy and tender. It was the best steak I have ever had in State College, better than Texas Road House and Outback. The cut was huge and fulfilling. I could also get unlimited servings of side dishes which was also a plus.
If I am not mistaken, the price of the prime ribs was 26-29$, but for the quality of the meat and how good it turned to be, I was happy and satisfied with the price. Along with the awesome atmosphere and friendly staff, I would go back here, maybe with a date.
Why not 5 stars? My friend's fillet mignon was overcooked and the bacon was a little bit burned. I don't know if it was a divine retribution, a karma, or an accident. I would stick to the second one. Nevertheless, we had a wonderful evening here at The Tavern.
Fun place but crowded. Â Had to wait but they do a good job at the hostess station. Â Was with a group and some went to the Adams Apple for a drink. Â We were there in late evening and they ran out of the special of the day and so they asked me to order something else, was not prepared for that so it took a few minutes and the delayed dinner for everyone... Had veal and it was good, salad was usual and OK. Â The cheesecakes are a specialty and very good...Save Room!
Review Source:The tavern used to be great 20 years ago. I has slowly slipped into a marginal place that is far to expensive for the quality of food. Â
The restaurant itself is very nice inside and the staff pleasant.
The best part is the unlimited sides. If you have to go to this place, get a cheap dinner or better yet just the options to get only the sides for your meal. Normally at least the half the side dishes are good.
Really good food in a cozy very 'Penn State history' atmosphere. Â Probably the atmosphere is the very best part (and for many alumni, the memories), but the quality of the food has been consistently very good for decades that we've had fortune to visit. Â Mom has been trying to figure out the exact ingredients for the spinach mushroom salad for decades too....and don't forget the toasted coconut icecream ball desert! Â An awesome thing is that you get to pick as many side dishes as you want with your main dish (as many as you want!) and very many of them are worth trying or even ordering two of them.
Review Source:Maybe it was an off day for them, but I don't think so. Â Maybe I had expectations that were too high, but I think not. Â The atmosphere was great, with low ceilings, aged hand hewn wooden beams and posts that must have aged tobacco brown decades ago. Â I just wish the food was worth returning for. Â The steak was bland and chewy, the veal was fatty and tough, and the sirloin tips were fibrous. Â (The bisque was very good though.) Â I would certainly go there for a drink or maybe lunch, but would not waste my time or money there for dinner.
Review Source:NOT fine dining. You pay $$$ for over cooked food and cramp seating.
My husband and I went to the tavern for New Years Eve Dinner. $35 per person pre fixe menu with very limited choices. They sat us next to the utensil service station. Our table was so close my husband's ear was next to the clanking, dropping, and banging of utensils trays the whole dinner as a constant flow of servers passed right next to our table. Tables were very close together. My food came out and my steak had been sitting so long that the top was starting to look old and my shrimp were dry enough to need a drink of water to get them down. We live here for 5 years and the tavern use to be our favorite restaurant. But know a days they are more concern with how many people they can get in and out instead of the quality of there food and service. It is a cattle trap. The restaurant should be taken out of the fine dinning category.
The Tavern in State College PA is place where time honored traditions of the university mesh with youth and energy. The walls of the Tavern are decked with ancient pictures of old time Penn State, yet the waitstaff consists of all college kids trying to earn money to go out on the town after work. ( I myself used to be one of those kids)
One of my favorite wine lists of any restaurant, not for the selection, but for the price. Often there is good locally featured wine bottle for $12. The menu changes daily so one thing is for sure, you meal is going to be fresh. Prime Rib is served on the weekends and is always worth getting if it is on the menu. Fish is also featured on the menu and is very good considering that you aren't remotely close to an ocean.
A real fun part about the Tavern is sides that come with the meal, you can order as many as you like. But don't fill up too much, this is one place that you want to save room for desert. They are all locally made and delicious. Chocolate moose and Tavern cheesecake (made with sour cream) are my personal favs, but you might find your bliss with the chocolate chip toll house pie.
For those weekends that may include a Penn State football game, the Adams Apple attached to the Tavern is a great place to wait for your number to be called. Heineken is on tap and the Original Sin probably the most unique drink in town!
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