Old Tavern At Grafton

We went here on our last trip to VT and it was delicious! Great steaks, wonderful desserts and efficient service. We will definitely return!

Charming old inn and tavern but that's where it ends. Reservations are required but there were only 3 sets of diners and we waited 15 minutes for our table (although to be fair we arrived early). It is pricey but we knew that when the reservation was made. There were only 4 scallops which were slightly overlooked. The chicken was served raw so it was sent back and re delivered cooked but undressed and by that time our appetite was gone. The steak knife was brought after my husband nearly finished the filete mignonette which was served with lukewarm mashed potatoes! Would not recommend because for the pricey menu we expected an exceptional meal.

We (8 diners) had dinner on a Friday night-6 adults 2 kids. Two of us had the halibut special-served over spaghetti squash with cherry tomatoes 4 shrimp-the halibut portions were somewhat small a bit dry, but tasty. I had the grilled hearts of romaine with local cheese sauce may have been the best Caesar I've had. Another of us had the herb crusted rainbow trout which he said was outstanding. One had the frenched pork chop which was outstanding. The cheddar gnocchi was deemed good but not outstanding. On the other hand (and thus a 4 not a 5 rating) the natural chicken breast was under done badly cooked. The arugula salad was very good as was the soup of the day (squash) was excellent. The ambience service was excellent but a bit slow I believe due to the kitchen. Our server, Dawn, was very accommodating the wine list was small but varied with selections which matched well with the entrees. Almost a 5 but for the one poorly cooked entree.

Don't get me wrong, the Old Tavern is neat for lots of reasons. Just the fact that you are eating in an establishment which was around in the early 1800's is amazing. The fact that you are likely staying upstairs for the night also adds to the experience. Unfortunately the food and service while both good, are just okay. We were there at a busy period, leaf season, but I still didn't appreciate being in the back room vice the main dining room. The server was very pleasant but obviously rushed. We ordered a mushroom tart appetizer which wasn't up to my expectations. I had a fillet and my wife pork chops. Both were good but again not up to the standards of fine dining. The photos I provided do more than words to describe this.

The is one of two restaurants associated with The Grafton Inn. I had the opportunity to have breakfast here twice and dinner here once. Breakfast: I think breakfast is mediocre at best. The home fries, especially, are terrible. Most specifically, they're not really home fries. They're, like, french fries that were cut into squares to look like home fries. The french toast was dry and the egg didn't make it's way into the toast at all. It was flash dipped or something just to coat the edges. The omelets has good ingredients but I thought the eggs needed more and you'd think way out here in middle of nowhere land VT they'd have good thick cut country bacon but no... That said, the maple sausage was pretty good and the beverages (coffee, juice) were exceptional. Breakfast, by the way, is served in the garden room, which is bright and sunny and a great place to linger and wake up. Dinner: Dinner is in the front dining room and is a much more formal set up than breakfast. They tables are a little too big for two. I never though I'd day this anywhere, but we actually had too much room and were too far apart. The dining room is warm and somewhat cozy while still feeling stiff and formal. To start we had calamari and Caesar salad (see my review of Phelp's Barn for the Caesar). The calamari is very well done. Surprising, given how far we are from the ocean, but great. For my entree I had the short ribs. These weren't tender enough. Maybe I'm spoiled, but I expect short ribs to break apart with my fork. Although they didn't require a steak knife, they were still not quite tender enough. The flavor was good but missing something. The root veggies that same with it were also good but not amazing. I also had a chance to sample Mr. C's fillet. I thought the fillet, itself, was good but not spectacular but I thought the brussel sprouts that came with it were done very well. With brussel sprouts, it's easy to fail completely, but these were simultaneously buttery and light. Very nice. Dessert left us with chocolate espresso creme brulee and orange raspberry sorbet. The sorbet was light and tart and not too sweet. Exactly what I was looking for when ordering it. The creme brulee had exactly the right crust and consistency but had no coffee flavor at all. I don't mind that, per say, but it's worth noting it's much more chocolate than espresso. Honestly, I'd only give 3 stars overall but the staff in the restaurant were amazing. They were really accommodating with taking food with us or even takeout (so we could have one of our breakfasts in our room). These folks have got their game down.