Winston-Salem, NC

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.

This very unique restaurant is a local treasure. Once you go, you will be hooked too! It used to be a gas station once (Hence the name... "Filling Station"). But now it has been converted into a trendy, hip restaurant with a very unique atmosphere. The outdoor dining patio is most relaxing! It is the best place to eat when the weather is warm, and it is very much in demand. A rustic brick wall surrounds the patio, with a built-in patio designer pavers in the wall. There are also planters, greenery, and beautiful flowers. Trees are strategically placed to also create the most shade without being in the way. They are older trees, and they really add to the unique ambience. The brick wall is high enough to block the traffic and noise going by on the street, so it is actually fairly quiet. There are several tables on the patio, most have an umbrella for shade. The patio is crowded at lunchtime, so get there early to get a seat, or expect to wait for a while.

The food is delicious and surprisingly, reasonably priced! I ordered a Grilled Chicken Salad and it was huge and tasty with several large chicken pieces. They also have a really great sandwich selection and some delicious dinner entrees too. You can also get appetizers and spirits. If you have children with you, they'll provide them with crayons and pictures to color. There is inside dining too. There are TVs in the corners, and the decor is mostly a rustic medium oak wood with pictures on the walls, nothing fancy. Inside there are booths and tables. There is also a bar area if you are just going for drinks... it's a good hang-out spot. But the real treat is the outside patio dining.

Old Salem is the original site of the Town of Salem. All the histrical homes are privately owned and must be preserved and must be maintained to look like that era. The oldest house was built in the ealiest 1800s. There is a museum, restuarant, and gift shop. Tour tickets can be purchased to tour the town, including Moravian Bakery, Single Men's house, school, several homes, and much more. Workers are dressed in the attire of the day, including wearing colored bonnet ribbons to indicate marital status of that day. Evening carriage rides through the town add to the ambience. The Tavern is the local restaurant in Old Salem. Staff is dressed in period clothes, and menu selections are also from that period. if you don't want to buy tour tickets, a stroll through the streets of the town is very worthwhile.