Gadsby's Tavern - Grumpy Man Eats Food

Gadsby’s Tavern (GT) is an institution in Alexandria. Founded around 1785, its most famous guests include George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison to name a few. I had never been before and neither had several friends, so we decided to check out this famous establishment.

We ordered several appetizers for the table including the grilled prawns, hot Smithfield ham biscuits, baked brie en croute, and the crispy fried oysters. The grilled prawns were fine but unremarkable. Most of the table loved the ham biscuits. I thought the biscuits were cooked to perfection and my only critique would be how small they were. The crispy oysters really let me down. The serving size was generous but they lack anything resembling crispiness. The highlight of the appetizers for me was the baked brie. The puff pastry stuffed with brie and apples with a raspberry drizzle were perfectly paired with the pieces of crostini. It was the most thoughtful, complex, and well-executed of the starters.

For the main course, I was tempted to get the meatloaf, mostly because it was wrapped in bacon, but I settled on the prime rib which isn’t featured on the online menu. I was no disappointed. The prime rib was nicely cooked (maybe a tad more cooked than medium rare) but it was seasoned well and juicy, nonetheless. It came with Yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes, and a vegetable medley. The only thing I might have done to elevate the dish would have been to add a side of gravy or au jus. The potatoes would have benefitted from it and I could have rotated bites of the prime rib dipped in horseradish with a sauce of some sort.

For dessert, I got the crème brulee which, like tiramisu, is a go-to dessert for me. This was a disappointment, unfortunately. The vanilla crème was barely bruleed and the crème itself was not set. I should have gotten the banana bread pudding which received rave reviews from a friend of mine.

Overall, I was glad to finally try GT. The experience was a bit of a rollercoaster with delectable bites and forgettable dishes. I’m not eager to come back soon but, if I do, I’m going to have a better idea of what to order. For the experience of eating where some of our first presidents ate, I’d recommend a visit.