Gavin’s Pub & Restaurant

I’ve been here a couple times with friends, the last time being a bit before Christmas. The owners are super nice. I was here on a food tour not too long ago also. The food was pretty good. Cute atmosphere. Parking anywhere in this area is a pain on the weekends.

Don’t know why I don’t come here more often. Not only is this the best quesadilla in town, (sorry Viva!) But they have the best Malbec and amazing music if you are looking to go back to the fabulous 80’s. Had a great time and the bartenders and staff are always friendly and most importantly welcoming. A new favorite hang out…

This might be the worst bar in the history of mankind. Poor service. The cook didn’t show up. The kegs are all empty. It’s not hard folks.

The décor is really cool and I liked the feel of the place, but I didn’t care for the food. I got a spinach salad that was over salted, really hard to eat but I was hungry and not in the mood to complain about it. I also ordered a sangria that was $ 12… It was okay, tasted more like hawaiian punch than wine. And it was $ 12! I know sangria isn’t cheap, but I thought it was a couple bucks too much still.
Also… The bathroom doors don’t lock well. I don’t know what is more awkward and uncomfortable! The door is so far away from the toilet that you have no chance to hide from the embarrassment.
So, yes I would go back here, but I would just stick to beer… and take a chaperone to the toilet w me.

What a fun place! Poor Gavin’s is wedged quietly between Lola’s and Whiskey Republic, so it’s easy to see why it’s usually a little dead. We left Lola’s at 9 (it was hoppin’) and popped over to Gavin’s to find… no one. Well, not no one but a very small crowd in a very cool place. The bartenders were friendly and quickly got us drinks (no minimum on credit cards! Woo!) while we enjoyed the bar — a mixture of wood, brick, and marble fixtures made it feel very welcoming and comfortable, though the over-​large wall art was a little strange. The place was lit with warm, dim lights and the bar stools are comfortable barber-​shop style seats. There’s a pool table as well, though we didn’t play.
Nice place with a yummy looking menu. Next time I’ll skip Lola’s and try Gavin’s for dinner.

I don’t know about you, but I love going into a place that, on the outside doesn’t seem like much, but once you step through the doors it’s like «WHOA!» a completely different story. Yeah, that’s this place.
I was in Providence for the fireworks this past 4^th of July. It was hot. My main squeeze and I were hungry and looking for some refreshments to cool off with. Lo and behold, little did I realize I was in the vicinity of this establishment in which I know one of the bartenders. Well, hot damn, it’s a must see!
First of all, the interior of this place is like stepping into pin-​up heaven from WWII. I don’t know about you, but I think pin-​ups like that are pretty freakin’ awesome. There’s a pool table and a pretty cool bar. This place has character. and character alone brings me back again and again to establishments.
Now let’s talk about the food. The food is orgasmic. Yes. Orgasmic. If you are feeling lonely, just come here and get some food porn going into your mouth. The Sangwich is to die for. I need to get back here so I can enjoy that sinful deliciousness all over again. Holy crap I’m craving it just thinking about it… damn you sangwich, I’m lusting for you!
Now for the drinks. Wyck (the awesomely awesome bartender and the reason I had to make a visit here) made me a drink. It was fruity. It was easy going down. It shall remain unnamed… but if I were to name it, I’d call it «something wycked this way comes». It’s dangerous. Gentleman, if you are looking to get «lucky» with your girl, just give her a few of these (but not too many otherwise you will be carrying her home).
Overall, when in Providence, go here. It’s near the water. The staff is EXTREMELY friendly, and the food porn and wycked drinks are sure to please your tastebuds. Cannot wait to go back!

It’s not the worst bar I have been to and the bartender made an effort but I was HUNGRY an thirsty at 10 and the kitchen was closed. Toss me some bar snacks and ill hang out? No? Well hot club it is

I went here the first time on Holly’s Fabulous Foodie tour and loved it. They food and drinks were great.
Very fun retro atmosphere, clean, fresh.
The only remotely negative feedback would be that they bathrooms don’t live up to the décor in the rest of the place.
I came back for drinks and to watch the Bruins– still love it.
I think is my favorite bar along the South Water Street section of town.

I love this place. The pin-​up style is right up my ally, especially the huge hand painted Marilyn Monroe wall. They have a creative menu and excellent drink choices. Yes, I can get drinks slightly less expensive at other Providence locations but I prefer Gavin’s for a fun low key night. Evan, our heavily tattooed, threatening looking bartender was super nice and friendly and poured us delicious drinks with a smile. The waitresses were dressed to perfection «bombshell style» which is ALWAYS a great thing in my book!

No and no.
I much preferred this place when it was Anchor Steam.
Truth be told, I am certainly never going to step foot in this place again. The patrons remind me of all of the nerdy, un-​hip rejects in high school in every city and every town in America, gathering together 10 years later at Gavin’s thinking that they’re realllllllly cool but they’re tooootally not.
To boot, the owners of this place are trying to establish Gavin’s as an «alternative» bar, but all that really does is make the guidos think they’re much cooler than they really are.
Better luck next time.

We went here at the end of the night. Gavin’s had just re-​opened so they were not yet serving food. The place was cozy and I liked all the brick work. At 10 pm the bar was still pretty empty and we were able to grab four seats at the bar. I liked that they had Smithwick’s on tap and the price seemed okay. Given that this place is off the main drag of Wickenden Street, I’m not sure that we’d go back, but this place is a favorite of many locals.

I only drank here so I can not vouch for the food, which according to the other reviewers, seems to be good.
Anyone who thinks that their interior design is good, needs to get out a little more — I thought the aviator theme probably started off well and then they said «Oh crap, we need to add a bathroom oh and a bright neon juke box.»
Just a bizarre use of space — maybe they were hoping to be as busy as Whiskey Republic so they thought a large floor lay-​out would be required. Truth be told, we were there on a saturday and there were less than 30 people in there at any one time from 10pm-​midnight.
I found their cocktails to be creative but overly sweet and far too strong/​large — one of these and you’re getting a cab home.
This bar is not for me but, I’m sure they have their niche, I feel though they need to look at their lay-​out and add more couches or even just divide up the space a bit.

Just to set the record straight, this is a cute bar/​lounge with nibbles (only) on the «menu,» insanely overpriced drinks, and a lot of chic lesbians milling around.
This is not a place to visit for dinner. And dress warm, the couch area is f*ing freezing.

Shabby chic bar nestled across the street from the Providence waterfront. There’s a large bar, a few tables, a few couches, you can play pool and big tall window all around a well stocked bar! The menu is limited however, yummy and not the most typical bar food. Best of all is it was hustling on a Monday night! Impressive!

Menu was a bit lacking but they have a pool table available for free play, good beers on tap, friendly/​attentive bar tenders and servers, and several flat screen TVs for sports viewing. I had the wings which had much to be desired. If you’ve ready any of my other reviews, its easy to identify that I’m a big eater. The wings were very small and didn’t really have a seasoning or rub that made my taste buds go «Wow». I also sampled the black bean naan pizza and the guacamole dip. Both of these dishes were very tasty. I was hoping to have a burger and there was no burger option.
All-​in-​all, Gavin’s was a decent stop. Beer was good, pool was fun, but I left hungry.

My group had a mixed experience, so I’ll run the numbers ( Unilocal stars earned out of 5):
Black Bean Hummus (unusual and tasty): 4
Chipotle tomato soup: 4
Guacamole (nothing special): 3
Sweet chili wings (disappointing, no heat and bland sauce): 1
Chicken quesadilla (smoky and absolutely wonderful): 5 + 1 extra bonus point for being the best tasting quesadilla I’ve tasted in many years.
Nachos (just ok): 3
Price (expensive for what you get): 2
Sangria (below average): 2
Beer (taps were broken when we visited… at a pub… are you kidding me?): 1
Ambiance: 3
Service (friendly but spotty): 3
Total 32 points /​55 possible = 3 stars.
Bottom line: Gavin’s has a lot of potential (and is worth visiting for the quesadilla alone) but needs to work out the kinks and fix those beer taps pronto.

I went this past Tues night to check it out. Now I was a frequent going when it was Steam Alley, hopefully not dating myself lol. The upgrade to the atmosphere is a big plus. The same kind of crowd though.
The bartender was very pleasant and attentive even with a rather full bar.
The food was limited but interesting but I found it rather pricey for bar food. $ 18 for a chicken quesadilla? The food was good and portions large. The place still feels more like just a fun bar.

We went in for afternoon drinks and an app. Overall not that much to get too exited about given the formulaic theme approach. I still have a suspicion that one day the four horsemen of the apocalypse will ride out of a stormy, cloud laden sky and smite all themed restaurants from the face of the earth.
Now having said that, the bar décor is well executed for what it is and my guess is that it will probably be successful. The big hit for us was the one app we tried which was the most delicious quesadilla I have ever known — if the rest of the menu (which looks interesting) is as good, I’ll be back to upgrade my rating as long as they fix some of things that irked me a bit.
First and worst, at the end of the bar (directly in my line of view) was a huge pile of trash. Second, the bar staff, although pleasant enough, spent more time chatting among themselves and what looked like their off duty colleagues who were sitting at the bar rather than checking on the status my drink. Not cool. Lastly, some of the staff and said colleagues/​friends sported t-​shirts from several local strip clubs (or human trafficking centers if you prefer). Even less cool.
If you spend 6 figures decorating a new bar, I would think you would spend some time on avoiding mistakes like those above — although so many places do fail because they don’t take care of the details.
Hopefully, things will be better next time we try it, but if not, then I guess we’ll just leave it to people that look for a little less than we do.

I LOVE everything about this new hidden gem in PVD. We sampled some cocktail creations and creative apps before lounging on the leather sofa while listening to some fantastic 80s tunes on the jukebox. I am anxiously awaiting the completion of their kitchen so I may fully enjoy the delectable delights I am sure will be concocted by the chef. I am also looking forward to the release of their full cocktail list. If what we experienced is any insight into their future offerings, expect great things from Gavins! The retro 40’s/50’s pinup aviation theme is super fun, cozy, and inviting all at the same time. Grab your friends or a date and check it out this weekend!

I came in a few Fridays ago to check it out. I was there on the early side so it was pretty empty which was just fine with me.
It’s very nice inside. Pretty much same layout as when it was steam alley but much nicer with cool décor.
Staff was friendly and attentive. I ordered some veggie spring roll thing. It was kind of pricey for what you get but absolutely delicious. I could have eaten five of them. They also have free pool which is always a huge plus in my book!
I’ll def be back soon.