Black Horse Tavern

Love the Black Horse Tavern. Been twice now since we moved to Mass a few months ago. We love the atmosphere and the good bar food. Only complaint — it is a little small and I could see how this could get really crowded at night. We have gone in the afternoon for football and food and been seated right away and enjoyed our meals. French fries are great!

This area could easily support 2 – 3 more pubs. At this time, a pub with in 5 miles of this area that offers reasonably priced bar food could prosper blindfolded, so to speak.
When I ate at BHT in the past, I always ordered bar food, wings, burgers etc. They were good. I decided to try their dinner the last time I was there. Big mistake! The margarita shrimps starter was way too sweet and IMO overpriced as compared with, say, Atlantic Fish in Boston. My grilled chicken with gnocchi dish was really «different» from gnocchi dishes that I had at italian restaurants in the US and overseas. The dish had mash potatoes and small dried chicken pieces, yes, but I couldn’t find any gnocchi in it. I better stick with their good burgers in the future.

Been to the BHT over 20 times. Never had a bad meal. I absolutely love it. The food is out of this world! and the owners are extremely nice as well, Highly recommended!

Very good pizza, good bar area, most of the menu holds up well for takeout

Soooo disappointed with my last visit to Black Horse Tavern. First let me say, that I have been here before and thoroughly enjoyed my meal. Unfortunately, it was not the case this time. We all ordered the fish, fried and baked. Mine (fried) was so bland. Others, who ordered baked, said the same thing. Also, mine came with fries and onion rings. The fries were mostly in small pieces with maybe four reg. length fries. Also, ordered the mussels for appetizer. Again, not good, mussels were rubbery! Perhaps you should just stay away from the seafood. Steaks, burgers, salads all excellent. Server was very friendly.

Why oh why does this little pub get so many poor reviews? Tonight was my second visit and just like the first, Black Horse Tavern did not disappoint.
My first experience at the tavern was about a year ago. A few friends and I planned a low key night out for drinks/​appetizers and wanted to try something different, but local. The menu at Black Horse has a great variety of classic pub fare starters (mozzarella sticks, buffalo wings, shrimp cocktail, etc) and traditional dishes with a bit of a gourmet twist (New York Sirloin, grilled chicken with a Tahini sauce, mushroom and chicken ravioli, etc). I was a huge fan of the spinach artichoke dip served with homemade tortilla chips. We also ordered a basket of onion rings that night which were delicious. Keep in mind this was a year ago and I still have not forgotten about that fantastic spinach artichoke dip. The menu contains a small, but unique selection of beer and wine.
First impressions are everything and I had instantly admired the décor upon entering the tavern. I love the dimly lit atmosphere accented by tiny white lights and modern fixtures with a rustic feel. The restaurant is rather small and tables fill up quickly during peak dinner hours so plan accordingly. A large bar is on the left with a few high top tables nearby for additional seating options. The main dining area is on the right featuring a mixture of booths and tables surrounding a cozy fireplace at the far wall. This is a great date night spot or perfect for meeting friends after work.
Tonight my mom and I returned to Black Horse for our special night out of dinner and shopping. It seems most of the complaints on here are related to customer service issues, but tonight’s staff was extremely friendly and helpful. The hostess greeted us with a smile and our waitress was super sweet and attentive (I wish I could remember her name). The dinner crowd was just slowly starting to arrive when we sat down at 5pm. I ordered the Tavern Chicken (the grilled chicken with the Tahini sauce accompanied by rice pilaf and vegetables). My mom ordered a burger. Our food was served up quickly, unfortunately maybe a little too fast as my mom’s burger arrived very rare. She is never one to complain, but we knew this burger was undercooked. Our waitress agreed and quickly alerted the kitchen staff to prepare a new one. It definitely was a big mistake on behalf of the chef, but we felt the issue was handled efficiently and professionally. Our waitress offered my mom bread as she waited and I shared my chicken with her. The new burger arrived within a reasonable amount of time and was cooked spot on according to my mom. She was pleased with the burger, I enjoyed my chicken, and Black Horse Tavern is granted four shiny stars.

A nice, casual but well laid-​out spot for a pub-​style meal. We had a salad and a very tasty vegetarian risotto (a bit rich).

A nice sports bar, where you can sit at the bar and enjoy a pizza/​beer/​wings while watching the latest sports game. The ambiance is nice and trendy. It could be intimate as well. The salads are good as well.

Three stars is about right. Been going there for yrs. food is decent. Drinks are nice. Service is avg. last experience trying to grab a quick pizza on tues at 4 pm with my newborn when the place was empty left a sour taste in my mouth. Was told by the host that the carriage had to stay outside. If the owner were around i am sure that they would recognize the ridiculousness of them turning us away at such an odd hr. At a busy time, i totally understand. Looking forward to first pub opening this fall.

Food is phenomenal, anything we get is delicious. We seem to be stuck on the flatbread pizza and burger selection most visits. Sometimes we just order a selection of appetizers for the night. The specials are always interesting and very good. Only reason for ⁴⁄₅ stars is the wait is usually 30 – 45 minutes for party of 2 on weekends and even some weeknights. Also, restaurant is very loud due to the bar, «lounge» and dining area all in the same physical space. The dividers do little to mute the noise. Otherwise and awesome place!

I used to really like the Black Horse but it’s standards are definitely slipping. The menu has been the same for at least two years, specials are uninspiring. I suspect business is still very good as its really the only bar/​pub in Winchester. A day of reckoning will come however when more options come on the scene in town.
Last meal was steak tips and Pizza. Food tasted OK but presentation was on par with a cafeteria.
Food and menu really in need of a refresh. Unfortunately I’m not rushing back.

Overpriced, but food is decent. This was my third visit and will be my last. Went in for lunch and sat at the bar with my folks. Took over an hour to get our meals. 3 other couples at the bar got there food before us and they came after we ordered. When I asked the bar tender what was going on he told me that we were three or four tickets behind these other people. All of which had sat down after we ordered. No apology at all. Even after he went to check on our order he didn’t even come back and give us an update. Who trained this kid? He was very defensive and not accommodating.
Will never return.

A drink
ok place for drink
bartender to make you any drink you want
price was ok
place the wasn’t very clean and it took a long time to make drinks
decors ok
not many people in this establishment
spent $ 250 for 3 people
this was only for drinks
we also order about for appetizers
its okay and if you need something where to go I guess so

The food is very good here. Had a Gorgonzola burger that was juicy and delicious with golden onion rings. Atmosphere is both relaxing and vibrant in a good way. Always a positive sign when the food does not come out in five minutes. Means it is being cooked with TLC. Despite the Winchester location prices are rather moderate.

Second try thinking maybe my first time was a fluke. The service was incredably slow. I will give them that the atmosphere im the resturaunt is very inviting, but the service was awful. Our waitress must have either been new to customer service or just hiding out back, we asked for some bread. Never received it. Our appatizers came out with our meal. By appatizer i mean tinted water. I had heard great things but have been completly disapointed with the second try here. I don’t recomend anyone waste your money or time.

There was talk that this might not be very good, but we had a great time here with old friends and the food and drinks were above average!
Winchester really needed a local quality place like this. It was cozy, lively and had the perfect tavern vibe.
I highly recommend this place as a solid choice for downtown, great for all types.

Not sure why this place gets such bad reviews. My wife and I recently moved not far from the restaurant and have been a few times over the past month. Every time we go our food is excellent and our drinks are superior to most other places.
Their specials are fresh (just had a delicious spicy salmon burger) and constantly change, thus offering great changes to their menu. The wait staff and bartenders have always been courteous, talkative and helpful. The drinks alone are worth going for. They make some fantastic martinis, so good they remind me of the old Gargoyles in Davis Sq.
The place can get busy on Friday and Saturday nights, so to avoid the rush just go a little later. After 7:15−30 it seems to calm down.
I highly recommend everyone give this place a try, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. I know we will be back very soon!

All of the reviews that focus on the poor service here have it right. From the moment you walk in the door, you feel unwelcome, especially if you try to bring in a stroller. One waiter tried to tell me that it was against the fire code to bring a stroller in. No other business in town seems to have that rule…
I don’t understand the hostility (yes, hostility) toward families when families seem to be the bulk of the business. I get the sense that the staff don’t have any incentive to be friendly because the think they are the only option in town. And that may be true, but Woburn, Medford and Arlington are only a short drive away and have many superior options to the BHT.
Would love to see another casual pubby option open its doors in town and show the BHT what hospitality is…

This is my second time there. Went there for a late lunch after getting my hair cut. Actually, the appetizers were great and once they changed from the red neck music to the doors, was even better. The main course… Well, I had the swordfish and it didn’t go well together. It came with artichoke hearts — but not the deep fried ones, but the ones out of a can. It was served over mashed potatoes, but they put cheese on it? The flavors clashed.
Oh and the appetizers were the pulled pork chips and an order of mussels. They were perfectly cooked and very yummy!

This place is a joke. First of all staff, I’m sure you must be treated terribly and you’re paying it forward. But we’re doing YOU a favor by showing up, you’re not doing US a favor by paying snotty attention every once in a while
We ate here once and tried to go back (even though the food was as meh as the service, it was close and should have been easy) but couldn’t get a seat. The front of house seemed delighted to inform people that there were no tables.
I understand a liquor license is a big deal in Winchester. But there’s no reason to try to spend your money here. There are GREAT restaurants in Boston, Cambride, Somerville that don’t give you attitude even though their great food and service might have inspired them to.