The '76 House

Service was excellent. Setting was excellent. Food was good to very good.

We had a birthday dinner here with the little ones. They sat us in the big room next to the fireplace, which was nice. Our server was very nice and personable, had good history and details to tell about the restaurant.

I ordered the pork chop with sweet potatoes and sauteed vegetables. It was good and thick. A little hard and dry but that's the nature of pork chops. They overcook easily.

Wife has the scallops, very good and cooked perfect. Little one had the burger, which came redder than I would have preferred. Flavor was good.

George Washington has a favorite beer on tap, which was like a porter and very good. It was interesting to drink something historical like that.

After said and done it was not an inexpensive dinner. The location is factored in the price. If I could do this review properly it would have been 3.5 stars.

I have been making it my intention to go to Sunday brunch regularly this summer - not just because I enjoy brunch, but to explore places I haven't been before. One of my mother's colleagues alerted me to '76 House and how they had a good experience there. I skimmed the menu and noticed they offered a brunch, and since it was July 4th weekend I thought the theming of the restaurant would be a perfect time to check this place out - so off we went.

The '76 House describes itself as the oldest tavern in the United States, and I could definitely believe it both approaching the restaurant and walking inside. The aesthetics are Americana to the max - besides the style of the building and its bones, the decor includes a number of artifacts from the US' history. It was not crowded when we were there, so I did a bit of walking around looking at the different items they had around the dining area; the overall aesthetics were great and its a feast for the eyes if you're into Americana.

The brunch menu is a la carte (though I think they will eventually be converting it to buffet). There is a good selection of breakfast and lunch items to choose from, as well as a couple of starters. Speaking of which, we decided to order a muffin basket to share; the muffins came in a variety of flavors and were served warm with berry compound butter on the side. These were fine, though the liner stuck to the muffin which led to a clumsy eat. Since it was brunch, I ordered a Bloody Mary which was spiced well with just the right amount of heat.

For my main I went with the crab benedict. This had the potential to be good but I think fell short on a couple of things. I would have liked the poached eggs to be a smidge runnier, and the crab cakes were cold in the middle - it took away from the enjoyment of the dish. I appreciated the creativity of the dish though - especially that they used croissant instead of English muffins as the carb base. For dessert I had Hannah's Apple Crunch which was just fine, though was lacking a little on flavor.

Service was great - everyone was really friendly and made sure we were taken care of. Overall though, the food fell short for me - I wish it was better so it's hard for me to justify giving more than a 3 here. I would be open to returning to check out more of their menu, but I'm not running back.

Everyone's food was outstanding--every part of every meal. We were visiting Tappan from Washington DC, where plenty of excellent restaurants are available to us, and the '76 House matched or topped all of them. We made definite plans to return to Tappan specifically for this restaurant. Its history, too, adds a fascinating element to the dining experience. Several members of our party have food allergies, and this was handled with tact and expertise, perfectly in all details. Our server, Laura, was knowledgeable, professional and personable--just wonderful. Highly recommended!

If you want history setting this is the place - and awesome brunch. Service was great and something new to try and they now have events coming up - do not pass the opportunity

We've had dinner at the Old '76 House twice. Both times our food was well presented, good sized portions, and full of flavor! Besides a vast menu of amazing food options there's centuries of American history on the walls as well as in the spirit of the restaurant.

Our last visit was for dinner party for our son's graduation from West Point. The manager offered a tour and spent time at our table making us feel welcomed!

The Old '76 House is a historic tavern that opened in Tappan, New York in 1755. It was founded by Casparus Mabie. Although there have been claims that the structure was built in 1686, there doesn't seem to be any mention of any structure on or near the site earlier than 1705. At that time, a widow named Antie Myers was licensed to sell drink at her residence in the immediate neighborhood. The home was purchased in 1721 by Yoast Mabie (it was demolished in 1835). Yoast's brother Cornelius bought a piece of land nearby in 1753 and built the tavern the following year. It was originally known as 'Mabie's Inn' and was the site of the signing of the Orangetown Resolutions in 1774. It was often used as a meeting place for local patriots during the Revolutionary War. There are claims that George Washington visited the tavern and that Alexander Hamilton lived upstairs for nearly two years. For a few days in 1780, the tavern served as the prison of British spy Major John André before his execution. In 1987, the Old '76 House was purchased and restored by Rob Norden. Today it is owned and operated by his son (also named Rob). Although there have been claims that the Old '76 House is the oldest tavern in America, that title actually belongs to the White Horse Tavern (circa 1673) in Newport (RI). The Old '76 House is likely the 13th oldest tavern in America.

My wife and I recently visited the Old '76 House while we were celebrating our sixth anniversary in the Hudson Valley. When I made the reservation, I told the staff that we were visiting for our anniversary. Upon our arrival, the staff surprised us with a special table by the bar that had two large cozy chairs. We absolutely loved all of the colonial decor that adorned the tavern and we were even treated to live jazz music. To drink, my wife had "The Dropped Lemon" (a martini of Italian limoncello & citrus infused vodka with sugar rim) and I had a pour of the "76 House Tavernkeeper Ale". The latter, brewed exclusively for the tavern by Toms River Brewing, is based off a centuries' old recipe. George Washington enjoyed the ale so much that he brought the recipe back to Mount Vernon with him. For an appetizer, we shared the "Grilled Flatbread" (roasted butternut squash and garlic purée, caramelized onions, shaved Brussel sprouts, Gruyère, chili-bacon jam). For entrees, my wife had the "Jumbo Diver Scallops" (jumbo sea scallops, seared red onion, house risotto, deglazed with port wine) and I had the "Roast Loin of Pork" (bacon-wrapped loin of pork around a chorizo cornbread stuffing roasted and finished with sauce chasseur, with a duo of mashed sweet & Yukon gold potato). Everything was so delicious! We were a little too full for dessert, but our bartender surprised us with some dessert cocktails (whiskey, amaretto, crème de cacao, Irish cream, coffee liqueur) garnished with strawberries and served on a plate with the phrase "Happy Anniversary" written in chocolate syrup. We also got to chat with owner Rob Norden, who was so friendly! We had a fantastic anniversary dinner at the Old '76 House and would love to return in the future!

We had an early dinner during restaurant week. We stuck with the prefix menu. I had the sirloin steak with blue cheese drizzled on top-it was fabulous. The rigatoni with bolognese sauce was the appetizer I chose-fantastic! I would definitely go back and have this as an entree! My dessert was the lemon tart-OMG another winner. My meal was so good. I definitely look forward to returning with my family. Also of note-there are a few historic sites in the neighborhood worth visiting while walking off your excellent meal! I highly recommend this restaurant.

Absolutely fantastic! Food, service, drinks, entertainment, and building are stellar.

We had a delightful dinner at The '76 House. I've lived in Rockland County for 25 years and had never been.

Our reservation was for 7:30 but we arrived at 7 to have drinks at the bar. However, the small bar was full so they seated us early which was very nice of them. We had some cocktails to start. They were nice and strong.

For our appetizers we ordered the Brie in pastry and the pork belly. Both were really good. Also the portions were not huge and that is not a negative. We enjoyed them without being too full to enjoy our entrees.

For our mains I had the Yankee Pot Roast. The meat was very tender. The gravy was good although it could have had a richer, deeper flavor. The mashed potatoes were good which is nice because they can often be disappointing. It was also served with a popover which was nice to dip into the gravy.

My husband had the Lamb Shank special and loved it. He cleaned his plate and picked the shank clean.

For dessert I had the creme brûlée which was nice but not exciting. But that's not really their fault because it's a pretty dull dessert in general. My husband had the chocolate ganache and it was outstanding. I had dessert envy.

The service was very good. We had a nice long leisurely meal. We did not feel rushed at all. Our server was very attentive but not intrusive.

The ambiance is what really made the meal. I am a HUGE history nerd and have read extensively about the American Revolution and this place did not disappoint.

This last Saturday I visited this venerable tavern on the way to Tarrytown to take in the local history with my wife. Had a very nice Prix-fixe lunch. The butter squash soup was very tasty; slightly cool and perhaps a bit underwhelming in size; nevertheless tasty. The lunch entrée; an open Roast beef sandwich was equally tepid in temperature- yet roast beef can be eaten slightly chilled to room temp. Still I'm an advocate of "it's it's cold let it be cold-if it's hot...." I looked over to my wife's steaming hot Cod sandwich with a slight envy. Her sandwich was superb -Cod baked perfectly. The fish flesh separated just so from it's flaky ( not too oily) batter...Very tasty. My glass of Traminette wine from Upstate NY was refreshing and tasty. We shared a flourless chocolate tarte with a piping hot cup of coffee... Our server, Paco was engaging, friendly and very prompt. The ole tavern had a nice lunch crowd with plenty of room in between tables. It is heavenly to sit next to the original tap room and gaze upon the 300 year history of this American Revolution historical venue. To walk on the same planks as the British spy Major Andre and our fledgling American patriots is inspiring.
I'd highly recommend this historical venue- just on the ambiance and historical significance alone. Still the food was tasty and staff were very friendly and organized et al.


John D from Verona, NJ