Tewksbury Inn

First time here– wouldn’t come back. We sat out on the patio, which was cute. I ordered the salmon — great. My husband ordered the steak frites and Caesar salad– also great. The food is delicious and everything is made to order. The crowd ranges from 45 – 80 years old, mostly regulars. The staff worked hard always running around. If I could put in a recommendation it would be to have more wait staff. There were 4 servers and 20 tables. I wouldn’t return, slow service.

Having been to this restaurant before, we knew that inside the restaurant was a much stuffier atmosphere than the more low-​key environment on the patio, so we made sure to request a table outside when we made reservations on OpenTable. They had large umbrellas to shield diners from the sun, which served the dual purpose of shielding us from light drizzles as the evening wore on.
We started with an assortment of salads and the calamari. The salads were good but nothing special, and the Spring Vegetable Salad was definitely not worth $ 13. We really enjoyed the calamari, however. I ordered the Pesto Crusted Cod as my entrée, which came atop a bed of vegetables. Others at my table ordered the salmon, trout, and pasta primavera. All were absolutely delicious, and the fish was cooked perfectly. The portion sizes were perfect as well. I often find that upscale restaurants give you so little food, but the portions at the Pluckemin Inn were spot on. For dessert, we split the crème brullee and the s’mores. The presentation of the s’mores was so clever! They had a small ramekin with burning embers, accompanied by homemade graham crackers and another ramekin with melted chocolate topped with roasted marshmallows. This is a big dessert, so it’s ideal for splitting.
We had a great night and enjoyed the food and ambiance.

Mother’s day dinner… calamari outstanding, wine selection very good, poached lobster crazy good. My ribeye special was a poor cut of meat and overcooked, so a bit of a buzzkill. Overall very good, would go back.

This is an update to my 2011 review. I eat here at least 1 per week. It’s my favorite all time restaurant. The bar is fun and can be a little loud but if you want quiet there is the dining room The staff is really professional and friendly. The food is high quality and everyone I’ve ever met here for dinner or lunch always brags about how awesome the Tewks is. Their menu changes between lunch and dinner so I’ll give you my highlights for each…
Lunch: Lunch is spectacular. I usually get oysters that are fresh and shucked nicely, but if you are looking for something else: the french onion soup which is traditionally prepared and flavorful, the mussels (get extra croutons because you will want to drink the broth), steak carpaccio, and the sesame wings which are magical (get them at lunch because they aren’t available at dinner). Lunch entrees include the burger which is one of the best in the area (get in rare with blue cheese, fried onions, and mushrooms and thank me later), any of their salads (tuna nicoise and buffalo chicken are my favorites), or the bistro chicken which should be named the best friggin’ pan fried chicken. I also love their caesar salad — yeah i get it it’s romaine but their homemade dressing is plate licking good and I also love the pan seared trout. Heck, even their cole slaw tastes great and I hate cole slaw.
Dinner: Dinner is even better than lunch if that’s possible. There are a few overlaps with lunch appetizers but must orders for dinner are the butter poached lobster and boston bibb salad. I NEVER eat dinner at the Tewksbury Inn without ordering the butter poached lobster. If I want to try something else, I ask my girlfriend to order something else and then we split the apps. For entrees, I love the pineapple marinated hangar steak (get it rare), pan roasted sole which is a new item (I had this a week ago and LOVED IT), the sesame crusted tuna, and the lamb shank. At dinner, I do try to get one of the specials but if not, I go with one of my go to items mentioned above. Finally, the burger IS available but it’s off menu so you need to ask for it.
This is my favorite restaurant around. I’d eat here every day if I could. If you have any worries just follow my recommended items and thank me. Maybe they will even let you order the sesame wings in the bar at dinner time; probably not, but tell them you read my awesome review and maybe you’ll be surprised.
Go and Love The Tewksbury Inn.

Sorry to rate this restaurant so low. The food was excellent but unfortunately we were very shocked when the manager came over and told us that we had to leave in 15 minutes!
I met a friend that I had not seen in a while. We were seated at a table for 4 at 5:30 on a Thursday evening where we had a drink and then ordered food. We discussed a manuscript that we were working on and talked.
I suppose we were there a bit too long because the waitress kept asking (4X) if my friend was finished with her food and she indicated she was not. The manager then approached us at 7:30 with the above comment. No one had even asked us if we wanted another drink or desert.
The manager said that he had checked and we had not reserved the table that we were seated at, that it was a table for 4 and we were taking too long with only 2 at the table, that a party of 4 would tip higher that a table of 2, then he asked us what we did for a living because we obviously did not understand the restaurant business! We said we had never been asked to leave a restaurant before and he said that is your decision?!
We did leave and sat outside on a bench for a few minutes and I looked in as I walked back to my car and the table was still empty! I have a hard time recommending this restaurant even though the food was good.

Really Good, let me begin with our waiter Nicholas T. Excellent Young waiter, the
Drinks, finally a place that gives a Decent Cocktail Yeah! Atmosphere, last time
we were seated in the main dinning room & the food was good but the atmosphere just
didn’t cut it.
Last night the Bar/​Pub side was Perfect, good size table for four of us & not to loud
The Risotto & Caesar Salad apps were Great, main course Atlantic Salmon Encrusted
in Horseradish Awesome! But Nicholas insisted on us having the Rice Pudding & Wow!
The price was right, the drinks were full size, food was Great & a Fabulous Waiter. Don’t
Let me forget to mention the Host «Roger «forever checking on us to make sure All was Ok!

It IS the best place in town… especially after 7PM! Is that diner on Rt. 22 in Tewksbury?
Way too expensive. In NOW WAY, is this even supposed to be close in price to Pluckemin Inn and 90 Acres. The food is inventive and creative, but inconsistent and saucey. It is not the kind of place you get attentive, warm service table side, but you do get a $ 500.00 tab for dinner for 2 kids, 4 adults… limited menu, crowded, noisy and the table settings do not match the rustic bar setting or the colonial dining room. The only thing «The Tewk» is consistent with is being overpriced and disappointing. Too ambitious and too crowded to consider making a change, because there is nothing else out beyond the edge of civilization until you get to Clinton about 7 — 10 miles west OR east in Bedminster.

Went on a Saturday evening, and after checking in was seated within two minutes on the dining area. For those that have not been, there is another area that has the bar, and possibly and second floor dining area, though I did not go up there.
I had the salmon tartar which was delicious and my wife had the roasted apple, also delicious. The rosemary infused olive oil is a nice change for the usual plain oil. The bar tender will work with you if you want a custom cocktail.
I had the pork chop and my wife had the fillet. Both were cooked perfect and delicious. A gentleman that I’m guessing is the manager stopped by and asked how our experience was. Good enough that we will definitely be returning.

Excellent service and great atmosphere. Meals where costly. We ordered two appetizers… one is with lobster and it’s very small in quantity in a little bit tough. Do not order muscle appetizer, mine came with around 30 of them, half of them size of raisins and half of them size of peanuts. It was an embarrassment. I feel insulted but I did not complain about it while I was there. Because I was on a business dinner and my server was very very nice. I probably was here 10 years ago and had a great experience. Maybe it’s a new owner now?

One of my local favorites.
The butter poached lobster appetizer is amazing. My favorite is their pineapple steak, it is delicious.
Great service, bartenders are friendly and know how to make terrific drinks.
Pricey but you get what you pay for here.

Dinner date with my Husband on the outside patio tonight was wonderful :) great weather and food. I has the Watermelon and Feta salad with jalapeños for my starter. It was very good. Then I had the amazing Mussels. My only complaint was my husbands fish dish was under seasoned, but cooked perfect. If your in the area definitely stop here.

Since my review in 2011, we probably go to the Tewks 25 times per year. It’s my favorite NJ restaurant. Same staff, same patrons, same chef, same, same, forever.
I don’t like change, especially when it doesn’t need fixing.
Better steak that Roots for so much less $$. Love the bartender and manager, they are like family.
My favorite restaurant. xo

Wow. Dine in an 1800 inn. Old inn means romantic ambiance but not all that wheelchair accessible. Restrooms are on the second floor. The staff was friendly and attentive. We were warned the the dishes we ordered would take a while to prepare. That was no problem, since we weren’t in a rush. They have an extensive list of alcohols, including dessert wines and specialty scotches.
The food was fantastic. I would give it 8 stars out of 5, if I could. I had the Bistro Chicken, my husband had the pork chop (s). Both were moist and tender. The mashed potatoes and au jus were delicious. This chef obviously insisted on cooking with fresh ingredients. Wonderful blend of tastes and nice presentation, without being pretentious.
Dessert with cheesecake with chocolate ice cream and a pineapple compote. Very smooth. I am generally picky about restaurant cheesecake, but this was great!

It used to be better. Prices seem to keep increasing but quality doesn’t. I guess it’s hard to «make a restaurant» like Paulie said in «Goodfellas». I still love the bistro chicken though. Burgers are good. Close to home, too, so it’s convenient. Although my wife won’t step foot in the place as she seems to have gotten sick after each of the last 2 times ordering fish dishes there. Could be a coincidence but why risk it. They really need some new carpeting… it’s gross. Maybe they’ve changed it recently? Charm is one thing but the carpet could be a biological experiment for all we know. Does dirty, grimy and worn carpeting equal «charm»? Possibly… but don’t subscribe to the 10 second rule if you drop a bite of food on the floor. And the men’s room upstairs??? Try to hold it til you get home.
The bar can be entertaining. It’s fun to watch the local «cougars» stalking out of their lairs in tight riding pants and leather boots carrying around leather whips and covering up the Mr. Ed aroma with a spritz (and a spritzer or ten as well) of Chanel perfume… I mean if you like that sort of thing. And then there’s just the typical run of the mill Tewksbury rich guy sitting there, with his nose in a Manhattan thinking of a way to make his next $ 10 million in his hedge fund investments. Quel dommage! If there was a 2015 version of the «Preppy Handbook» (do you folks over 40 years of age remember that from the 1980’s?) The Tewksbury Inn would be prominently featured as the best country prep watering hole/​restaurant for the horsey set in Hunterdon County on Oldwick Rd. that has dirty carpet, high prices and dirty bathrooms. But that’s it… no other accolades.
BTW, love the onion soup!

Went to the Tewksbury Inn for the first time, and enjoyed it very much. The food was simple but well prepared and tasty. French onion soup was good, the vegetable soup, which was the soup of the day, also was delicious. One complaint, but not a big one. They charge each time you get a new soda, and we were just drinking club soda. we don’t see that very often, so just be advised — either stick with water or drink slowly!

Had dinner at the Tewksbury Inn last night. Was a little surprised that it was very much a (much) older crowd, but that’s neither here nor there. Overall the experience was mostly very good, with one glaring exception.
We started with the calamari, oysters and beet carpaccio. All good. The main courses were the pineapple glazed hangar steak and the ahi tuna. Both were cooked to perfection. The server (and service), though young and somewhat inexperienced, was very good as well. The wine list was extensive, and they had a nice craft beer selection.
The one issue was with the beet carpaccio. There was what appeared to be a long black hair mixed into the beets. We quietly got the server’s attention, who quickly whisked the dish away. She came back momentarily (with another one, or more likely was the same dish sans hair), and informed us that the chef (or whoever prepared the dish) removed it but said ‘that’s a stringy part of the beet’ (or maybe he claimed it was part of the greens on the plate, I’m not sure). Now, I am not a vegetable expert, but I have never seen anything resembling a long black hair thats part of a vegetable. We did not extract the hair, but what we could see was a 3″ section, covered on either end. It wasn’t like a celery stalk filament either — it was as thin & fine as a hair. A black hair.
When the bill came out, I was a little surprised to see the dish on there. I asked the server, for my own knowledge (and not trying to be a jerk either because it wasn’t her fault), ‘what part of the beet has a hair-​like quality?’ She could not answer. I am genuinely curious, because the possibility remains that I am uninformed regarding beets.
But that was the only negative part of our experience — as mentioned the food was very good and the ambiance was nice as well.

Christmas Eve 2014, disappointment at the Tewksbury Inn after making a reservation well in advance of the holiday.
As a family tradition, we enjoy going to a nice quiet restaurant on Christmas Eve to enjoy the ambiance, good food and making memories. We arrived at our reserved time (6:30 pm) with a party of six. We had to wait for a table for almost 20 minutes, standing in the front hallway next to the cold doorway. We were brought about half way to the table and the hostess said «That is your table over there» and pointed, where we basically seated ourselves directly next to the bar and a restroom. The bar patrons were obnoxiously loud and rude to the point where we could not hear any conversation at our own table. Yes, it truly was this bad. After being served our soup course, my wife was so upset that she decided to talk with the manager and complain about the noise. She was rudely treated by the hostess with the manager standing nearby.
At the time we made our reservation for Christmas Eve Dinner, we were not told that we would be seated in the bar area. We were not offered a choice of seating, dining room, upstairs or bar. I guess since we aren’t regulars, we could be treated so that we would not have a reason to ever come back. Such a shame.
The food was very good but very pricey, with the happy hour bar ambiance. Not hardly worth it.
I grew up in Whitehouse, not far from Oldwick. As a child, we used to enjoy going to the Oldwick General Store, the Magic Shop, the book store, the cheese shoppe and the town square dances. Melick’s Town Farm was always a joy to go to in the fall to see cider being pressed. As I got older, I went to the Tewksbury Inn from time to time, enjoying food and drink.
Throughout the years we came to enjoy a few favorite places. The Tewksbury Inn will not be one of them.

Quaint 1781 tavern with large outdoor patio.
Excellent maple glazed pork, spicy coconut mahi mahi, cornbread crusted calamari, salad and bread. Very high quality, fresh ingredients. Very extensive wine and beer list by the glass or bottle.
Entrees – combination of New American and Fench bistro classics– mostly in the $ 27 – 34 range.
Waiter was excellent. Room is very noisy when full – soundproofing not being a 781 strongpoint. Bathrooms are up a flight of stairs,
Only weakpoint was manager or owner coming into dining room to chat up a few customers – presumably regulars or friends – while ignoring everyone else – not he best way to encourage newcomers to become regulars.

One wrong turn on our way home and we ended up at the Tewksbury Inn for dinner, and what a wonderful dining experience we had.
The restaurant is a quaint, old fashioned place with a dining room and a bar area. Their hostess staff was very kind and seated us quickly without a reservation.
When we arrived at our table, there was a small cocktail & wine list. Be sure to open this to the front page, their dinner specials lay within.
Their menu is small with a focus on quality. As a gluten free diner, I asked the waitress about their options and she said they would be able to «work with me» on what I could have. Most of their dining options would easily be gluten free if done right, and it appears they prepare things without unnecessary flour adding shortcuts often. Overall, I felt that my dietary needs were addressed and our server took ownership for my request.
At the table, they have rosemary infused olive oil to use with the bread they serve. I could not partake, but my companion said that the olive oil was good and it was a nice break from bread with butter. She said fresh pepper was the only thing missing to compliment the oil at the table, using the standard pepper shaker from the table.
For appetizers, my fiancée ordered the salmon tartare and I had the scallops with ox tail. The salmon tartare got high marks from my fiancée with its wasabi and horseradish spice and heavy onion flavor from the scallions (onions are always a plus for her since I avoid them like the plague). My scallops were fresh and the flavor was good, but the mix of scallops with the heavy flavor of the ox tail and gravy did not blend especially well; the gravy overtook the flavor of the scallops, so I carefully ate everything on the plate separately to enjoy the flavors.
For dinner, we ordered the swordfish special and the pork. Both dishes were presented perfectly. My fiancée said if they bottled the sauce from the swordfish, she’d be able to drink it straight. For my pork, the flavor combinations on the plate were perfectly blended and the meat was cooked just right. The pork was served with whipped sweet potatoes, haricot verts, and grilled apples (the apples could fool you into thinking they were grilled potatoes until you take your first sweet bite). We’d highly recommend either of the dishes.
Service was satisfactory and all the staff was friendly and genuinely concerned about our experience. They provided a great meal and I’m sure we’ll return at some point in the future for another great meal!

My guy and his family brought me here for Easter weekend — we came that Sat night for a dinner out while we were visiting for the weekend. The staff LOVES them, so we were greeted with hugs and laughter (I assume not everyone gets hugs upon arrival)
We picked up a bottle (or two) of Larkin wine — I dont know how much is cost, but it was FABULOUS, Apparently the guy used to live there but moved to California to begin his viticulture business… well done, sir!
For the meal, we ordered calamari for the table, and my boyfriend and I split the pork belly appetizer, which was melt-​in-​your-​mouth delicious. The calamari was crispy and light — just the way I like it.
He got the filet, which I got a bite of, and I ordered the Mahi-​mahi. Mine was just okay… the sweet potatoes were just boiled and sliced under the fish, but the pineapple salsa was delicious… my guy’s filet and herbed cheesy risotto cake really stole the show.
Id recommend making the trip here if you’re in the area… oh… sit at the bar (if youre that type) — the entertainment and atmosphere is lively and fun.