As a birthday present to my friend Karen, I decided to treat her to lunch at the Old Salem Tavern, established in 1816 (I have a separate entry on the history of the tavern). The two-story restaurant offers six rooms that have been converted to dining rooms. They also have the most stupendous outdoor dining under an ivy trellis. Everything in here has been restored to its historical accuracy. The Moravians were simple people, and the furnishings reflect that. Tables here are simple wood tables, simple but beautiful. In our room, there were two larger tables that seated about eight, one that seated four, and two tables for two. They also had a beautiful fireplace that is used in the wintertime. The wait staff is dressed in authentic period costumes.

After ordering our drinks, our waiter brought a basket that contained freshly made soft rolls and pumpkin muffins. Both were to die for. The menu consists of rich and hearty foods, such as chicken pie, stews, bratwurst platter, and sandwiches. Dieters and vegetarians will enjoy the array of salads and quiche offered.

I started with a house salad, which had an incredible homemade oregano vinaigrette on it. I went with one of the daily specials, which was a chicken salad plate. The plate included a huge serving of chicken salad and fruit. The chicken salad was just incredible and had grapes, walnuts, and celery. Just too good. Karen went with a spinach quiche, which included a garden salad and the same vinaigrette I had. I tried a bit of hers, and it was suburb.

Their dessert menu includes such items such as pie, cake, ice cream, and gingerbread. If it is your birthday, you get your choice of a free dessert. So, since it was Karen’s birthday, she ordered the gingerbread with lemon ice cream and we split it. The lemon ice cream was just decedent. It had a sharp aftertaste, but it was just incredible.

Everything here is made from scratch, and the quality of the food reflects that fact. They are open only for lunch and dinner. Lunch hours are 11am to 2:30pm, and dinner is from 5 to 9pm. Since this is a public building, you do not have to have a ticket to get in. They do offer a children’s menu. They do automatically add 15% for gratuity. They accept most major credit cards. While Old Salem’s closed on Mondays, the tavern remains open. Reservations are highly recommended. You can call 336/748-8585 to make yours.

Located in the heart of Old Salem, the Tavern is an historic restaurant experience. The restaurant is an old boarding house restored to its original historical appearance, even the staff are dressed in attire of the 1800s. The restaurant is in an old house with creaky floors and lots of character. There are tables set up in each room of the house, in what used to be the parlors, a sitting room, and even including the four upstairs bedrooms. Each room and bedroom has its own fireplace. One of the bedrooms even has the special claim "George Washington slept here." The food is home style and very tasty. The mashed potatoes are real 'home style'! The meatloaf is absolutely excellent. They also have a tasty sliced pork dish. The vegetables are very tasty and are prepared grilled. The choice of sides is not very big.

After you place your order, they deliver a small basket of old fashioned biscuits and rolls to your table (but you only get one basket, another basket will cost extra). The service is superb, with a very courteous and friendly staff. The staff are dressed in period garb with long dresses, scarves, and head coverings. They even talk to you like they would in that time period. We sat at a table in the first upstairs bedroom. It was next to a window, in the winter and it was rather chilly even with the fireplace on. It looses its coziness when they put someone else at another table in your room, but it is still nice.

There is also an outside dining area for the summer in the back of the house. Even in the winter, that looked like it would be very inviting during warmer weather! This restaurant has quite the historical and quaint atmosphere.
After your meal I recommend a stroll through the streets of Old Salem.