Scotch Plains Tavern
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Hours
Sun
11:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Mon
11:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Tue
11:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Wed
11:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Thu
11:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Fri
11:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat
11:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Reserve a table
Food and ambience
Is this restaurant good for dinner?
Details
About
If you're looking for an authentic tavern cuisine and rustic ambiance, Scotch Plains Tavern is the place to be. Located minutes from Essex Steam Train, Rt. 9, and I-95, guests can kick back with a drink and some wings in our newly renovated upstairs bar, redesigned in a modern vintage industrial style while maintaining the original bar from Oliver's Tavern. The bar, retrofitted for additional space, was originally built in 1913 for a bar in Chicago where Al Capone is rumored to have regularly tipped a glass.
CUISINES
American, Bar, Pub
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly
Meals
Lunch, Dinner
FEATURES
Takeout, Reservations, Seating, Parking Available, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Table Service
Contribute
3.5
100 reviews
Excellent
30
Very good
25
Average
24
Poor
14
Terrible
7
Chuckles
144 contributions
Jun 2020 • none
Our party of 6 had a reservation for outdoor seeding. When we arrived, the hostess told us that the large table to accommodate 6 guests was right in front of a musician utilizing a very loud sound system that could be heard even from a great distance away. The hostess apologized, and offered to seat us inside in a big room that was unadorned that had 4 tables with doors opening onto the patio. Luckily, this may have been the only place where the extra loud unnecessary music did not drown out our conversation. Notwithstanding the music issue, we felt that the food and the service was excellent. One of us had the Stilton port and short rib burger which was cooked to the right temperature and garnished with an excellent onion jam, smoked bacon and topped with aged port-wine reduction and Stilton cheese. The accompanying Siu potato fries were very good. Others had the Tavern burger, all of which were cooked to the requested temperature, and still others had the fish and chips which were excellent as well. The service was attentive, and everyone seemed to observe the appropriate CDC guidelines. We were also pleased with the large draft beer menu.
Written June 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rachael A
2 contributions
Mar 2021 • none
My husband and I came here for lunch and got a table outside. Atmosphere is awesome, lots of outdoor seating! My burger was one on the best I’ve ever had. The service was horrible though. Our entrees came before our pretzel, the food runner told us it was going to be taken off the bill, but it wasn’t. My husband’s steak wasn’t cooked right, but we couldn’t ask our server to fix it because she didn’t come back to check on us. The drinks were great and we wanted another round, but our server was so inattentive.
Written March 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
getaround91
23 contributions
Jan 2020 • none
I’ve been coming here for lunch every couple of weeks since they opened. I like the open space and the big screen TVs at the bar. Sadly, the quality of the food and especially the service have been steadily declining to the point where I’ve taken SPT off of my “go to” list.
Written January 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
njgramps
318 contributions
May 2021 • none
We stopped here based on a suggestion by a local on Memorial Day weekend. The decor was modern industrial and the menu was appealing. Our waiter appeared to have never had a minute of training and had no interest in being there. He truly had no clue. It was an effort for him to bring silverware for all of us but since most of what we ordered never arrived I guess it didn't matter. A few of the items we tried to order were out at 4 pm. Some of the apps we ordered actually arrived but the bruscettla was quite skimpy. The caesar salads were good but were missing croutons. The pretzel was good but $8 for a pretzel? The soups were ordered but never arrived nor did the wine and after about 45 minutes the waiter appeared to tell us they were out of the mains we had ordered. Rather than continue this farce we opted to leave. The band playing outside was lively and if you were there for drinks you could have a good time but not for dinner. We ended up having dinner at McDonalds since we left hungry..
Written June 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FellowTraveler13079
1 contribution
Jan 2021 • couples
Not our first time here. With covid restrictions we limit our restaurant visits. One would think with corona and few customers dining in, that the food prep would be most important! This was not the case. They were out of the Boursin Chicken sadly, so the waiter said the Beef Stroganoff was also excellent. This was not the case. Service was fast and that may have been the issue: beef was tough, if you’ve made this before you dredge in seasoned flour and sear quick to keep meat at the pink. This was overdone. Happens. BUT pasta, not hard to make, restaurants preboil, then drop into boiling water just before serve.....ours was clumpy and terrible. Very disappointed. Mentioned to waiter as he saw none of the beef was eaten, would have thought a manager would have come by. Wasn’t expecting or asking for discount BUT in today’s world with restaurants suffering...every customer counts. sad
Written January 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cookierob
Essex2 contributions
Sep 2021 • none
This was our second time at this restaurant. The first time was lovely.
Tonight's was terrible. First the waiter was rude, secondly the food was awful. My husband had the shrimp/pasta dish with spinach...it was over elbow macaroni!
Very bland. I had the crisp chicken sandwich....it was crisp all right .and very dry and had absolutely NO flavor. The roll was delicious though. The manager took 50% off the sandwich and asked if I'd like a box!!!!
Written September 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pwcins
Palm Beach236 contributions
Aug 2021 • friends
Now that the taste of my dinner is finally starting to wane (after two days) I feel it’s time to review.
I booked a reservation for two and when we arrived the place was almost empty. The greeter tried to seat us at a tiny two seater in the corner against the wall. A sharp metal wall hanging is fastened at face cut level. I told her that this was unacceptable and as there were many larger table’s available I wanted one of them. She proceeded to tell me about all of the reservations they had but sat us in one anyway.
I had the fish which was unbelievably spicy while my companion had the ribs. Even his Cole slaw had a kick of spice. The best part of the meal were the roasted potatoes served with his ribs. We both hated our meals.
P. S. When we left there were no more people seated than when we arrived. So much for reservations!
Written August 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Table42
376 contributions
Jul 2021 • family
Had less than a week to plan a family luncheon for 17 adults & 5 kids, Steve at SPT was so accommodating. Located our group on the 2nd floor between the game room & bar. Plenty of space for mingling, perfect for a buffet-style meal. Menu of flatbreads, calamari, chicken dumplings, bok choy salad & sautéed shrimp pasta was a hit with our group. Chris provided excellent service and we couldn’t have been happier. This was an excellent venue and I highly recommend.
Written July 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarmin
Connecticut1603 contributions
Apr 2022 • friends
It’s a large restaurant with both indoor & outdoor sittings. We were there on Wednesday night. It was moderately busy. We sat inside as it was cold outside. Sittings are specious & not congested. They also have pool table and we enjoyed the live music. We had Argentinian beef barbacoa & plantains, SPT Mozzarella & Focaccia, Fish & chips. Food was very good. Even though Argentinian beef barbacoa & plantains were from small plates section, the amount was not small. Very large menu, plenty of options to select from. Our server Matt was very polite, helpful & friendly. I would come back & recommend this restaurant.
Written April 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Melissa
Bronx5 contributions
Oct 2020 • couples
My husband & I had lunch here on 10/24/20. We had just finished the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat tour & were looking to have something to eat before checking in to the B&B. I researched some restaurants online as we are not from CT. When we arrived the hostess was very friendly & allowed us to choose where we wanted to sit. We sat upstairs in a booth by the bar. Our waiter Cody was also very friendly & attentive. I ordered the Argentinian Beef Barbacoa & plantains. To this day I dream of eating that meal again! My husband ordered the SPT Ribs served with sweet potato fries. Both of these dishes were well prepared & were absolutely delicious! I was full after I finished my dish but my husband urged me to try the ribs. I almost didn’t but boy am I glad I did. The meat fell right off the bone & was very tasty. We will be in the area again in December & we will definitely be back.
Written November 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EatingVacationLand
Portland328 contributions
May 2023 • couples
The chocolate torte was the highlight. The scallops with sun dried tomatoes was decent. The lowlite was the Mahi Mahi. The fish itself was tiny and over cooked, the "tropical salsa" was pineapple, mango and a tiny bit of green onion, not even a hint of hot pepper like you should expect with a "tropical salsa". The so called rice pilaf was just plain white rice. They did supply a pile of bland steamed broccoli. This was probably the most tasteless boring meal I have had in a restaurant in the past 20 years.
Written May 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Parker Sturbridge
970 contributions
Oct 2021 • none
This is a great place for pub fare with a flair. We went for lunch and were 'wowed' by the food, the service and the ambiance. The Half and Half (pastrami and corned beef) is an amazing choice, paired with their incredible onion rings. Bread is an important factor in any sandwich, and they got this right too. The Caesar salad with chicken was really good also. Menu is varied and there's something here for everyone. Looks like a nice evening place also, with fire pits, etc. Check it out.
Written October 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christopher L
1 contribution
May 2024 • friends
Awesome deck nice inside service was good but the food was not. I had a burger and onion rings burger was a frozen patty onion rings were greasy. My guest had fish and chips and it took two napkins to soak-up the oil.
Written May 27, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
getaround91
23 contributions
Jun 2021 • solo
I used to come here regularly but after several visits with poor service I gave up on it over a year ago. So after all this time I thought I would give it another try. Disappointment! I ordered a sandwich with fries on a pretty slow day. They were out of fries! I heard the server apologize to several tables around me that they were out of this and that and, in my opinion, way too much! What’s going on with this place? The food has actually improved since my last visit, but not the same for the service. I was amazed to find the same lame excuse for a bartender/server still here. This place has such potential, but management seems oblivious.
Written June 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Happy Couple
52 contributions
May 2024 • family
The restaurant is attractive and large with several choices of seating (dining tables and booths, bar area upstairs) and the service was excellent. However, the food was nothing special. The burgers were cooked to order and the fries were very good and listed as gluten-free, but salads, sandwiches, and other choices, although not bad, were really average. They serve several craft beers along with the usual commercial brands. However, our daughters ordered lemonades which were more like pink water.
All in all - average. Don't think we will return here.
Written May 12, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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