dobbin house tavern

don't skip this historic tavern. i love the dobbin house. how many restuarants do you eat in that have a stream running through them? they have a nice menu,goodservice, andgoodfood. don't miss the french onion soup!

definitely historic and fairlygoodfood. friendly wait staff helps the place. draft beers downstairs in the cellar restaurant which is cozy but fun

interesting history & decent food. it's a cool place to eat, the house itself has history & was part of the underground railroad. the food is ok. nothing great, but certainly not bad. the service is friendly. the experience can be fun (period dining) if you're in the mood for that. and honestly, there are limited options for eating in gettysburg & so if you want more than a casual dinner out, this is about asgoodas it gets.

location is great, food is so-so. we ate here due to thegoodreviews. the atmosphere is fantastic but the food was not great. we had the rueben, crab cakes and hot roast beef sandwich. they were mediocre at best. i would not recommend eating here unless you want to experience the history of the building.

excellent dinner. service was very attentive. 5 seafood meals at our table, all verygoodto excellent. very interesting building. give it a try.

a cool place to eat. we ate in the springhouse tavern. it's in the basement, and lit by candlelight. the staff dresses in period-correct clothing. it's a very interesting place to eat, and the food isgoodtoo. in spite of the fact that the place was completely packed, our food came to us withing a matter of minutes.

onion soup. when you go, make sure you start with the onion soup. their salads are verygoodtoo.

exceptional ambience,goodfood. grade: b

this is an old favorite. it's like coming home.

for years, trips to gettysburg have included a stop at the springhouse tavern, the informal basement bar and dining room of the dobbin house. as long as you know what to expect, this can be agoodidea.

the dobbin house is a stone house dating to 1776. it served as a stop on the underground railroad, and you can see a hiding place used by runaway slaves before the civil war. upstairs is a higher-end restaurant and a gift shop unfortunately filled with vera bradley purses and other holly hobby schlock. you'll probably have to see this while waiting for a table.

downstairs, the springhouse tavern is dim, lit by candle and low overhead light. its stone walls and wooden ceiling beams, combined with rustic furniture and the staff's quasi-19th century clothing give exceptional ambience. on a hot summer day, the cool air is very refreshing.

sandwiches and soups are the mainstay downstairs, although they also offer steaks, chicken, and seafood. the sandwiches, served with chips, slaw, or potato salad, are good, not the least bit skimpy, and very satisfying. a troeg's or yeungling, both pennsylvania beers, go well with the sandwich.

menu-wise, though, the best thing here is the french onion soup. this is made with a rich beef stock that merges nicely with the onion, pieces of beef, and crouton. served in a regular bowl, it is covered with a ton of cheese that is melted to a beautiful golden brown. even if you've been in 100 degree heat all day, this will be the way you want to rehydrate.

note: a couple of things to take into account if you plan to come here. first, if you are coming during tourist season, be prepared for a wait. even around 2 p.m. on a sunday, we were given a vibrating puck to summon us after 25 minutes. you'll be best off stopping for either an early or a late lunch.

dobbin house staff usually do okay with regard to service, but there may be delays because it is so busy. turning out sandwiches with a handful of potato chips ought to be quicker. (late entry: the most recent visit was speedy and efficient. the bartender was a woman who could keep many plates spinning successfully.)

note: verizon cell reception doesn't work in the basement tavern...remember to turn you phone off if you want to save your battery.

if you have a little time and want great atmosphere with a side of lunch, give dobbin house a try.

history buff. speaking as a history buff, i think this is a great old atmosphere kind of place. love the ujndrground railroad exhibit and indoor spring. food isgoodnot great. the waitors are just amazing, we where seated and immidiatly had a waitor at our side. kids had alot of fun, great location for such a historical, and kid friendly.

waiters in knickers, oh my!. the dobbin house tavern is one of those places you go to on "having a real american experience" vacations. i was there with my sister, three nephews, and friend. although it was a holiday weekend and the place was jammed, we were able to be seated without a reservation. i truly felt sorry for our knickers and puffy shirt wearing waiter. three kids who were hungry and thirsty after a day of sightseeing in gettysburg are not the ideal customers but he handled them well and kept the sodas flowing (and giving the 9-year-old bathroom inspector reason for his visits). the food purports to be reflective of colonial fare, and the ye-olde-timey menus and the ambiance of the warren of rooms helps pull this over, except that the food was surprisingly good. duck in an apple sauce was crisp with juicy meat. an avocado and limb crab meat app was recommended and did not disappoint, sweet crab folded into a louis sauce was succulent and slightly tart - but where did our colonial foremothers find avocados in central pennsylvania? hamburgers and crabcakes kept some of the boys happy while a sautéed crab in butter was wolfed down by the middle child. veal in a madeira sauce had my sister scraping the sauce from her plate - i barely got any! the dessert that night was a rathergoodbread pudding with currants. very tasty. that colonial specialty - the margarita made my sister happy too (but tasted like a bad mix to me) and the wines by the glass, while economical, were nothing special. i'm sure the couples at the tables in this candlelit room were relieved when our noisy group left so they could get back to their romantic evening. overall, a verygoodexperience.

you can skip it. great atmosphere! however, pretty generic menu and quite pricey for what it is.goodplace for tourists.