The Tavern on Main

Complimentary Mediterranean seafood chowder followed by am enormous prime rib and side of broiled scallops… Absolutely delicious home cooked goodness!

THANK YOU! We had a party upstairs this Sunday for 27 people and it was absolutely perfect. The food was amazing. Tyler was one of the best waiters ever! From the moment we called to inquire, went in to meet Dave, called again with questions and menu items, arrived early to decorate, til we left, everything was perfect. The guests said the food was wonderful, esp homemade butter. THANK YOU for making my son’s graduation party a great day! If anyone is thinking of having a party there, don’t hesitate, just book it.
We have also been there for a Sunday lunch and weekday dinner. The food is amazing, and service is great.

They have great salad dressings. The white French is yummy! I love that they offer a soup and bread bar.
The waitstaff has always been amazing even when they are so busy they cannot breathe! (Thank you)
My god mother and I have made this our meeting spot – she loves the pumpkin seed crusted chicken with pumpkin ravioli with a pumpkin sauce. It is yummy. I have tried a few things and have been pleased. I cannot wait to try more on the menu.

This is definitely a locale for the locals. I went here with no expectations. It was a little uncomfortable at first because it’s not clear to an outsider that the bar is separate from the restaurant. I walked into the dining area first (the right hand door) and was REALLY confused. When I finally found the bar (the door to the left), it looked like it had a large after-​work crowd with unclear ‘rules’ about seating (there’s no hostess on the bar side but there’s seating. the bar area has a pretty good amount of seats that are back to back so, like there’s a counter with seats and then the bar with seats, leaving narrow space to access the bathroom — it’s a pretty good usage of seating and space, actually, but it leaves little standing room unless you constantly want to be in someone’s way).
If you have an out of state ID and they aren’t familiar with it, they will make you fill out this book that looks like it began at the restaurant’s inception (this is a very old building). It was very bizarre and kind of funny but I get why they have to do it. I’ve just never seen anyone do that before!
There was a pretty OK selection of beer on tap and I liked the wine list. The food was very good. I observed HUGE portions for moderate prices get served to fellow patrons. We ordered a bunch of different appetizers. I really liked the calamari — you can have them served Rhode Island style or with a parmesan garlic situation, which is what we did and it was delicious! We got seafood stuffed mushrooms and those were delicious as well.
If you have dietary restrictions, be very very careful. I tried to clear everything with our waitstaff and somehow still ended up with bacon in our mussels. The food is amazing quality though and the people who work there are fantastic. You can tell there’s a lot of regulars, but waitstaff and bartenders have a great rapport with everyone. They make you feel like you’re a regular too.
Side note, I read on the internet that this place is haunted. If you’re into that type of thing, definitely stop here. You get ghosts, good food, and cheap drinks, it’s basically a win-​win.

Food was pretty good, but the floors are a little dirty and parking can be tough. But overall a good local spot.

I’ve been coming here for a few years now. I first discovered the place when I moved right down the road. I’ve never been disappointed here. The dining room side has a great, historical atmosphere, and the bar side is great for more lively conversation. The wait staff is always friendly and welcoming, and will make you feel like a regular when you sit at the bar. I’ve tried many different dishes and the specials never disappoint. Plenty of variety on the regular menu to please everyone. Homemade soup and fresh bread with every meal is a winner. Cozy place with great food at decent prices.

I have been here many times. They good is always delicious. Iv had sea food to root beer ribs ! Only thing for me is the dining area is a bit dark and because of the age of the building the floors are very warped. could be hard for elders.

This is our new weekly spot! Been a few times and everything has been delicious! If you’re a mussel fan, it’s a must try! We are bar sitters, the staff is amazing. No complaints at all.

This experience was awesome. Historic and cozy place, very comfortable. We made a reservation and waited about 10 minutes before sitting down. The people waiting for a table were having a lively conversation about the «ghosts «who reside at the restaurant.
We were seated and immediately served ice water with lemon, and offered the bread bar and soup station while we waited for our drinks. Definitely bonus points!
We then ordered appetizers: calamari and mussels Parisienne. Both were amazing! Please, please save the bread to soak up the broth from the mussels it is delicious! Stir up the calamari, butter and lemon sauce and banana peppers were on the bottom! Yum! Surprise! You get a salad with your meal! The house vinegarette was amazing!
Main course: the anniversary special lobster and shrimp casserole and a sirloin steak cooked to perfection! Alongside a baked potato and broccoli. So much food! My husband and I boxed up one whole entrée and split the other.
I drove from Cranston and Like a true Rhode Islander it really bugged me, but I plan on making this restaurant a regular on my restaurant «go to spot»!
Bonus: apparently 5 ghosts haunt this place, we didn’t see anything unusual, and paranormal investigators frequent the place.

Is the food here amazing? No, Is it good, yes! For the money, this place is really nice and has a great ambience. We enjoy coming while visiting family and really enjoy the all you can eat soup and bread with your meal.
The portions are a good size and the service is also very good. This is a Rhode Island staple! And don’t forget to look for the ghosts :)

French onion soup is gf and delish (without croutons!) And I was presented with a gf biscuit!!!

I love this restaurant! Definitely my local favorite! The food is great and Kristen at the bar is always on top of things. Fun & friendly place to go.

There are few times when I’m asked where I want to eat and Tavern is not my first choice. Last night I had the stuffed squash blossoms which were FANTASTIC. The ONLY reason I did not get my usual maine mac and cheese is because tonight they have an upgraded seafood mac and cheese!
You Must try the Persian muscles and lamb lollipops.
This is also the ONLY restaurant that, when I was in the mood, made
.AMAZING, FLAVORFUL TENDER black and blue steak.
Weather taking out, eating at the bar. or the dining room do not walk past,
AMAZING!

Found this hidden gem of a restaurant about two years ago when a friend recommended one of his favorite place to eat in Rhode Island. A short drive out of the cities to Chepachet, will lead you to the Tavern on Main (
). This is truly home made food, that is cooked to perfection. I have tried a variety of dishes over the last two years, some I love and a few that weren’t for me. The best aspect of the Tavern on Main is their never failing soup bar. They have a homemade soup and bread bar that has never disappointed. They serve soups such as Italian Wedding, Baked Potato, Classic Chicken Noodle, and many many more.
The meals are always served promptly and to perfection. For seafood lovers, the Seafood Alfredo was even appealing to myself, a non seafood person! It was tossed and topped with a thick creamy Alfredo sauce and filled with a variety of seafood — and ALOT of it!
Typically my favorite meal is Chicken Marsala, however the way it is served with a large slice of real mozzarella cheese topping the thin piece of chicken does not appeal to me.
I can tell you, my favorite dish is the Steak Tips topped with Parmesan Cheese.
The filled Meatballs were ordered as an appetizer but could easily have been ordered as a meal with a side of pasta. The appetizer came with two baseball sized filled meatballs, topped with a pink vodka sauce. This was a mouthwatering duo.
After trying many different meals and appetizers at Tavern on Main, you really can’t go wrong. From seafood to steak the meals are home made with love from this unique restaurant.
If the food isn’t enough to draw you in, the unique and haunting history behind the Tavern may just do it. There are many different stories that go around regarding the haunting of the Tavern on Main and the wait staff always has a new story to share if asked. The restaurant frequently host Paranormal Dinners and Investigations

An old building which is cool to check out. the bar was full so we sat along the wall behind the bar. The bartender with curly hair was very friendly, accommodating and hard at work. the menu had a lot of nice choices but we did not end up eating. the dining room and bar area were busy so their doing something right! I thought there were a few things that needed updating. and I did hear two different people comment about their food that they weren’t completely happy with it. one guy the bartender was saying «why aren’t you eating, why didn’t you tell me, I would have sent it back» and another lady was choking stating this chicken is sooooo dry. they had keno, a few drafts, a tv, and a full liquor license.

Tavern on Main is a great little nugget of comfort food. The décor is rustic and original, and they offer a buffet of warm bread, popovers, homemade infused butters, and soup before your meal is served. My kids LOVE that!
The portions are hearty, and you really can’t go wrong. I’ve never had a bad meal here. I like to make this my winter spot, since the food can be rich and you will tend to overeat.

I really wanted to like this restaurant! Really! It has so much history & is one of the most/​only popular restaurants in the area.
I’ve been twice & both times I had the same experience:
LONG wait to be seated.
Restaurant was EXTREMELY loud. It’s almost impossible to have a conversation unless you raise your voice to a yelling level like everyone else in the room. I’m assuming that the noise level is due to the low ceiling.
When I visited, some of the licenses (food business, etc) that were displayed were long expired. This worries me.
The food is not bad, but the long wait time combined with the non-​intimate atmosphere makes me want to avoid this place.

Not really impressed. We came here because my mom loves it and it was her birthday. We were a party of six which really isn’t that big of a party but our server didn’t seem pleased that he was sat with a six too of mostly older people.
Parking is a nightmare as there is no lot, just street. You also can take a risk and park at the Family Dollar next door that has signs everywhere that you can only park if shopping there.
Meals are a little pricey seeing that the servers are pimple faced and immature. The girls are walking around with yoga pants and t shirts. I really don’t want to see your panty lines, thanks. Our teenage looking server have my parents attitude when they asked if bread, salad, and soup with our entrees because we couldn’t see it anywhere on the menu. Sorry for asking because my parents were curious. Jeeze. He also wasn’t really prompt, and rarely checked in with us. Like I said before, it was like he was mad he was getting a six top even though he was guaranteed an 18% tip. The busser was a sweetheart and I hope she gets tipped well. Very attentive, unlike our server, who would always go back to the servers little section and chat instead of taking care of tables. The menu stated they could make almost anything gluten free which intrigued me, but as my server already was jerky I didn’t bother asking him, it just wasn’t worth it.
Also, a family member can’t really get up and down stairs and he had a rough time getting in the door – less steep stairs would be nice or a ramp. There are two sets of stairs so you would still have the tavern charm on the main stairs. I don’t see why they couldn’t adapt one set of stairs to be more accessible. This is an old building (over 250 years old) and it shows some great charm but the floors are really uneven and you really can’t move around the restaurant. The floor layout is to fit as many people as possible and it’s really awkward to move around to get to the soup and bread bar or bathroom. It’s very loud in the dining room, along with the music which wasn’t necessary. The bathroom was tiny in that if you opened your stall door you’d hit the person washing their hands and was grimy. Surprisingly the bar side of the tavern was quiet. If I was on a date I’d go to that side of the tavern.
The Italian wedding soup was home made and delicious, along with apple butter for the bread! The salad was a great size and the HONEY vinaigrette dressing (that the server insisted was balsamic, lol) was to die for.
I wasn’t so impressed with the entrée I ordered – pasta with pink vodka sauce. The sauce was really watery and didn’t have much flavor. I also ordered the fried stuffed meatballs with my pasta, expecting some oozy yummy mozzarella. I was extremely disappointed. It seems like when they made the meatballs (which had more of a sausage texture, very little bread crumbs) they just added mozzarella to the mix before rolling them together so you couldn’t really taste it. They weren’t really fried (crispy as one would expect) but only pan fried, which is nothing special as many people pan fry their meatballs before putting them in sauce anyways. The pink vodka sauce on them was thick and what I was expecting on the pasta. Bummer that that sauce wasn’t on the pasta.
My father got a steak and I had a bite. Delicious, wish I got it myself. In fact, the steak is what gave this a three star instead of a two.
Interestingly enough, all of the check was done by hand, no POS system. Surprised that the order came out right, but you’d think that a place with prices like these would be a little more in the new age.
I probably won’t come in as a regular but if I’m in the area I will probably stop in. A little pricey for the atmosphere, but your milage may vary.

This place used to be called The Stagecoach Tavern, and they have kept the sign outside which is cool. The inside is VERY old, which is part of its charm, but also it’s drawback. The floor is very crooked, but it feels really warm and cozy inside. I went with my husband for lunch because we were in town visiting family. They have a free soup station, with warm rolls and 3 different kinds of flavored butter. That was awesome! I got a Buffalo Chicken Salad, and it was good, no complaints but nothing earth shattering. My husband got a bacon burger and it was pretty delicious.
If you are in the Gloucester area, I recommend going in. Our waitress was also super friendly, asking where we were from and what brought us in, and recommended we come back for dinner.

I have been here twice. I went for lunch on a Saturday afternoon with my toddler son and mother in law. We waited for 10 minutes before being acknowledged. There were only 2 tables eating. The waitress finally came out from the back and we got seated.
I ordered the scallop salad and it was absolutely delicious. From the perfectly cooked bay scallops to the delicious cracker breading, I was just in love with this dish. They also offer a free soup and bread table that I didn’t take advantage of, but it was there and it was being used by the other customers. The waitress was very friendly but took a little longer than I would have liked. Luckily it was empty in the restaurant and my son could run around while we waited for our check. This wouldn’t have worked if it were busier.
I also came here with my best friend and husband on a Saturday night. We called ahead and got reservations and I’m glad that we did. Even with the reservations, we arrived at 5:40pm for a 6:00pm reservation and wasn’t seated until after 6:30pm. That was a bit frustrating but I felt it was worth the wait. We ordered lamb pops for an appetizer and the mozzarella sticks. Both were delicious. Our entrees were great, and we ordered some seasonal drinks which were very tasty.
My complaint is the timing. It took us forever to get our food and even longer to get our check. We watched our waitress having an at length conversation with a customer who she knew outside of the restaurant while we sat waiting for our checks, our left over food already packed in containers to go. She then came by us, walked past our table twice and then said «I thought I left your check already» and tried to rush off but my husband had his card ready to give her so she couldn’t leave us there forever again with the check.
I understand this place gets busy on the weekends but that’s no excuse for the service to be slowed down because the waitress wants to have lengthy conversations while others are waiting to be served. I would give this a 2 star rating but the food is so incredible and priced right that I just can’t, no matter how terrible the service is.
My tip: Go for lunch or during the week. The seafood is very delicious but so is everything else I have tried.