Chowning's Tavern

Had a great hearty meal here when we stopped and stayed the night on our way to South Carolina. Had a great Porter on Tap that was refreshing on a brisk November night. Genuine, Old World feel. Walking through the Colonial Streets on a cold night into a warm inn with Hearty Food and good beer. Felt like time traveling

A lot of fun getting to stop by for dinner. The service was fantastic, our server was great at explaining the food, the history behind it and also role playing a waitress from the colonial period. Absolutely loved it. The food on the other hand was very mediocre. The roasted chicken breast was extremely extremely dry and so was the pulled pork. The Brunswick stew was solid. The snow egg was a unique historical xperience but not something I would get normally in a restaurant. 5/5 service, 2/5 food.

It’s a place with history. I had a hard time recognizing the food. My granddaughter was under the impression she ordered barbecue ribs. She was served a barbecue sandwich. She just ate the chips. I ordered a salad with blue cheese. To my surprise I was served a salad that had a great presentation but did not eat it. I did have a cup of soup. I liked it. I loved the live performance. Southern old songs. The staff was friendly. The service was excellent. The atmosphere was very close to authentic version.

This is a old colonial tavern and the servers down to the old flooring were all apart of the theme. The service was good, and the chilled apple cider was great. However, the food was bland and lacked flavor. It was a nice stop in for this stragler and his family, but not the best food in town. I had the sheperads pie... you'll want to add salt.

As some other reviewers have shared, is difficult to find open taverns in Historic Williamsburg during COVID. My family normally goes to the King's Arms, but since it was closed, we decided to try Josiah Chowning's for the first time. Unlike what another reviewer shared, the process for adding your name to the list wasn't that complicated and they even called us when our table was ready (having a wait is to be expected with parties of all sizes, especially during the weekend of Grand Illumination). Outdoor seating is available, but it's weather dependant. We had a group of 8 and it took just over an hour to get a table. The nice thing is that since they call, you can explore the shops nearby if you'd prefer not to sit and wait (the are benches available outside). Once we were inside, the fairly simple menus made ordering easy and the service was good. My wife and I ordered the savory pasties to share and they were really good. We weren't sure if both the meat and vegetable pasties were included, but they were (apparently we didn't read the menu very well). I got the trencher of beef and it was fairly good. My wife got the seasonal vegetable pithivier and she wasn't too excited about it. I tried it and it was pretty dry. The pasties were better by comparison. So overall I'd say the food itself wasn't outstanding, but the atmosphere added to the experience (fireplaces, benches at the tables, servers wearing period clothing) Overall, as a group we decided we like the King's Arms better, but if you're looking for a new tavern to try, give Josiah Chowning's a try.

What a delightful place to have dinner! I have been to Colonial Williamsburg many times. For some reason it never occurred to me that there might be period cuisine. I am so glad we came here. My family of four each ordered a different entree. Each choice was delicious and unique. One could say it was comfort food, all very savory, but I feel there is something more that I can't explain. Different like traveling to another country to sample the fare, yet still American for each dish's components. I'd like to see more onion pye in the world around me after this experience. Be sure to order the root beer!

Authentic setting and delicious food. Variety of tasty choices. Friendly, knowledgeable servers who are practiced at the art of making your experience memorable. Prices are equal to the unique experience of enjoying a fine meal. Definitely save room for dessert! The chocolate pudding cake vanilla ice cream are divine!

So first the food, the important part. It’s really good. It felt like everything I tried and had was just great. It might not be to the taste of some but as someone who travels all over the place and has food of all kinds, this was great. The staff was great and the atmosphere was very good. I didn’t have to wait at all for a Friday afternoon. I’m not sure if there was anything that I would change about my experience here.

Chowning's Tavern This family-friendly tavern offers lunch and dinner; of course Colonial Williamsburg is family friendly and we recommend Chowning's Tavern for families. We have taken care to frequent Colonial Williamsburg for decades; Probably the Christmas season is our favorite, and the long hot humid summer is the season we avoid. Any frequent visitor to Greater Williamsburg is in for a culinary treat; we focused our first few years on Colonial Williamsburg dining, and we still recommend the historical taverns. Dining in the 18th Century setting is provided at the following: * Christiana Campbell's Tavern® * Chowning's Tavern® * King's Arms Tavern® * Shields Tavern® Over the years Chowning's Tavern has evolved to "please families" with a fast food backyard grill. Limited menu and service hear. Caveat: avoid the backyard if desiring an authentic Colonial Dining experience. Please read reviews prior to visiting Colonial Williamsburg. We recommend above stairs dining; servers have had some training. Great tavern ambience. Chowning's Tavern may offer the best economy dining experience. In the 1960's we "discovered" Brunswick Stew, and this is still on the menu; moreover, my wife has added this stew to her offerings in her kitchen. Take care in personal review of colonial dining. Chowning's Tavern may or may not be a best bet for romantic dining. The tariff is appropriate for the fare.

With an 18th Century inspired menu I was still so grateful the flavors are seasoned for modern tastes and not the boring old English ones! There are no reservations here, and there may often be a 20min or more wait because there aren't more than maybe 20 tables inside. If you can't wait, there is a sandwich stand next to the building, and a hot dog, burger, and beer garden in the back of the tavern- just walk around the side of the building to the fenced yard. It would serve the host if she mentioned these alternative options regularly to people who can't seem to wait- as a way to placate their hangry vibes. However, if you're in for a sit down experience and like what you see on the menu outside, the wait isn't too bad when there's plenty to see on the Main Street and shops nearby, just make sure your entire party is with you when you want to be seated. We went for the Welsh Rarebit which ended up being a bit like a deconstructed ham & melted cheese, the BBQ Virginia Pork with Cole slaw, mashed potatoes, and seasonal asparagus, the Onion Pie, and a flight of 4 beers (cider, wheat, porter, spiced ale). I'd have all of it all over again and because it was all tasty and portioned well without being too much or too little, I'd try more on the menu in the future. Service was friendly and very kind when I made a mess of myself and the table with an accidental spill, and it was nice to have the musician wander in and add some atmosphere during our meal. Bathrooms are on the upper level, which may be tricky for those who have issues with stairs.

We stopped here while visiting Colonial Williamsburg and had a wonderful experience. The servers were amazing, super attentive, friendly and personable. The food was off the chain. I had the beef stew, and it was the most amazing thing ever. The sauce was exquisite. The mashed potatoes was creamy and delightful. The vegetables were also really good cooked just right. The main dish was just so flavorful, tender, and so delicious. We had the chocolate cobbler with ice cream for dessert, and it did not disappoint. It was the right size the right amount of sweetness it was perfection.

We were at the immersive colonial museum and stumbled upon Chowning's Tavern. I was excited just to try this tavern based on the 1800's. We already had reservations at the colonial winery, so we stopped by and grabbed an appetizer and a drink. We had the crock of cheese paired with bread and it was quite tasty. There was also live entertainment which made it even more enjoyable. I liked that they had an assortment of dishes on the menu based on cookbooks from that era.

We were visiting and stopped here for a quick bite to eat. Our waitress was really friendly and we loved the live music entertainment. Our food choices were pretty good. WELSCH RAREBIT- cheddar cheese, mustard and good wine. Served with country ham and Mr. Chowning's bread VIRGINIA PORK BBQ Shoulder of pork seasoned with Mr. Chowning's spice blend & smoked slow over apple wood, served with tavern slaw and manchet bread Drinks- Mint Julep

We came here a few months ago when we were exploring Colonial Williamsburg. We sat outside in the courtyard as it was less of a wait than to sit indoors. It was such a nice experience and I can't wait to come back in the warmer months to sit in the courtyard again. We were able to peruse a menu in line outside the gate. Due to pandemic procedures we had to wait to get in, and then we were able to walk up to the outdoor bar counter to order our food and drink. They give you a number that they shout when your food is ready, and you walk up to pick up at the counter. The courtyard is quite nice to sit in, and really spacious. The outdoor musician was FANTASTIC! I honestly thought the music was piped in but then I saw him performing, and his skill was phenomenal! Food was good as well, although I was slightly disappointed in my "trencher", but maybe that was me not understanding what exactly I was getting. Still tasty nonetheless.

I am, very generously, giving Chowning's four stars, not for the quality of the dining experience, but for the entire revolutionary performance. Everything from the menus to the furnishings is authentic 18th century, including the server costumes. The food is mostly authentic, although there is a hotdog on the menu and fries are available. The food is okay and not egregiously overpriced, considering the location inside Colonial Williamsburg. The choices are 18 century recipes, so they tend to be heavy, meat and bread oriented dishes. We had shepherds pie, a lamb stew with a scoop of mashed potatoes in the middle of the bowl. It was pretty good and the portion was about right for lunch. We also had a small spiced rum drink, which was very good, but severely overpriced and probably responsible for my liberal rating.

They have great food, the waitress was super nice, and it is just a really nice place in general! I got the Virginia pork bbq and it was AMAZING!! My mom got a salad... I don't remember the name of it though! But because of the time frame that these dishes were served in, a lot of the stuff has something that is pickled on it. The bbq does have vinegar in it but the waitress was kind enough to warn me ahead of time so I knew before I ordered. We also got a lemon berry punch bowl and it was amazing! So if you are In Williamsburg and u want to go to a casual place for lunch/ dinner there is the place to go!

This place was amazing!! The building is beautiful ,the food was amazing, and the ambience was lovely. My only complaint was that the menu could've been a little more diverse, but otherwise it was amazing!! Pictured is the chicken hash.

The inside of the restaurant was closed when we went last weekend(maybe due to covid) but the outside area was pretty nice too. It was convenient to have a quick bite and a beer while taking that history tour. However, the food was sub bar. I had a chicken sandwich. The chicken was pretty tough, overcooked. The portions were good.

I stopped here for a bite on a blazing hot day in July. The staff were friendly, although it took several minutes of standing around at the entrance and trying to get anyone's attention before I was noticed. I ordered the burger, which was brought out super fast. I appreciate that fresh fruit is a side option--note that it's a $3 upcharge if you want fries. The burger was average, along with the fairly dry potato bun. I enjoyed the live traditional music in the courtyard, which was a nice touch. The house wine was...house wine, served a bit too warm. For reference, cocktails are $12 and house wine $8. Super fast service with socially distanced picnic tables. The staff were all wearing masks as well.

This was a good dining experience in Colonial Williamsburg. It was a Monday evening and the only restaurant open in the historical area. The beef stew was excellent and the onion pie was also very good. It was pretty busy. We put our names in at 4:45pm in the afternoon, returned around 5:30pm and were probably seated around 5:45pm. They did tell us it was about an hour wait when we first checked in. When we showed back up, they had closed the wait list. Overall, we were please with the experience. The waitress was very good and we enjoyed ourselves.

The positives: Air conditioning, clean bathrooms, friendly staff, reasonablypriced. The negatives: burgers are well done, adult burger is $13 and kids burgers are $7 and they are the same size; the trenchers recipe has changed and I added a new photo, it is an open face sandwich, not a pita bread sandwich. Nothing amazing.

There is always something special about visiting a Colonial Williamsburg Tavern. Chowning's has reinvented itself in the past five years and had done well before the closure of the historic district due to COVID-19. They may not be my favorite but do a good job. One of my favorite things about the taverns is the entertainment. It has scaled back in the past few years unfortunately. The last time I dined for lunch Wayne played his fiddle and Billy the Barkeep told his story. They also produce their own brew and have a good tap list. The decor is colonial era, so expect a lot of wood and staff dressed in period garb. My waitress Dakotah did a great during my last visit. From beginning to end she was on top of all my needs, my order was a Beef Trencher with side of slaw. For dessert a three layer raspberry chocolate cake. The main was tasty, but the dessert was the bomb. Prices tilt up, expect tourists prices no different than like visiting Disney. Hopefully in the near future Chowning's will reopen and all can enjoy a solid Summer season. I have visited them around a half dozen times during my residence in Virginia of 14 years and my kids always enjoy the experience too! Find them on the main drag Duke of Gloucester. 3.5 rounding up.

I was told you go here for the experience, not necessarily for the food...but I say the food ain't that bad either. Although not amazing, still enjoyable. But the experience is definitely one to be had! All the staff wore period colonial outfits, our tables were small and wooden, the lights were candles, and we were serenaded by a musician! He was the highlight of the night...interacting with the customers and sharing about the instruments he played, etc. The appetizers we shared were the wings and potato chips and both were pretty good, especially the sauce that came with them. For dinner, I had the soup trio and pasty dinner. The small cups of different soups gave you a sampling of what they had to offer and the beef pasty was delicious, but the vegetable pasty was mushy and not great. My friends really enjoyed their butter rum cider and I enjoyed local brews with a beer flight. Oh and the pecan pie was small, but to die for! Visiting a tavern in Colonial Williamsburg is definitely a good decision. Bring some friends and have a good old colonial time!

Charming and delicious part of Colonial Williamsburg. Homemade Root Beer is good too.

I wasn't confident about going here as I feared it was so touristy that the food wouldn't be good. Wrong! I had the barbecued ribs & they were great. Very meaty & very flavorful. The hand-made chips that came with the ribs were terrific as well. My husband had the brisket sandwich, & he was happy with it.

Delicious! Perfect spot for lunch when visiting colonial Williamsburg! The shrimp boil is great if you're splitting for a light lunch. Highly recommend Martha Washington's rose! They also offer beer flights.

My wife and I were really looking forward to eating at a historical spot in Colonial Williamsburg. Chowning's Tavern is located right in the heart of the living museum and maintains the charm of an 18th century tavern. It offers a classic, home style menu that is limited and somewhat diverse. I ordered the Virginia Pulled Pork and my wife tried the Stewed Beef. Both were good but nothing was sensational. If I was rating the food and waitstaff I would have given the place 4 stars, however the lack of proper children's high chairs, and rudeness of the hostesses turned me off. When asked what the wait/availability for a table was we received a rude response where the hostess seemed like she was ready to go home and was bothered by us asking for a table. Upon leaving after we ate we saw that same attitude towards another couple who was inquiring about a table. Overall not a bad spot to get out of the heat and try an 18th century style dish in a historical tavern setting, but it was expensive and I did not enjoy the attitude of some of the staff.

We had a blast in Williamsburg, VA! Such a beautiful and neat town that really takes you back in time. We stopped at Chowning's for dinner and it was a cool experience. A neat selection of food that they would have served back in the day paired with a delicious glass of wine.

My wife and I were looking forward to this experience, we arrived at 5 o'clock on Thursday, October 13. The reception we received as we were putting our name on the waitlist was less than friendly. I actually felt like I was inconveniencing the hostess. In addition, we were put in the upstairs room. It felt more like an attic. I have no complaints about the food. However after such a cold reception I had lost my appetite a bit. Fortunately, our waitress was very friendly.

Had a group of 8 and they didn't allow us to push tables together and didn't even tell us why. Waitress seemed like she didn't want to be there. She wouldn't let us order our food and drinks at the same tkThe roast chicken had zero flavor and was dry as hell. I didn't expect a 5 star meal at a tavern in colonial Williamsburg, but I didn't expect the food to be cooked in the 1700s and just left out until I came 250 years later. Rarebit looked like it was cheese wiz topped with lunchable ham.

This place is terrible overall - when there is already a waiting list when it opens you need to open your patio. Also we were on the waiting list and they text us the table is ready and we are still waiting for our table 20 minutes later - we lost our seat in the shade- do NOT text people until the table is actually ready. Williamsburg needs to work on getting more food options this is ridiculous- also their menu sucks most options you see in the Yelp pictures aren't on their menu - they don't have the larger menu right now as of April 2022. The food was good but again what most of us wanted wasn't on the menu- the punch was good

My husband and I wanted to experience one of the "authentic" colonial taverns while in Williamsburg, and as our schedule allowed, Sunday was the only day we could visit one. Our options were limited to 2 of them, with one closing at 2:30pm. We opted for the one open all day, Chowning's Tavern, as we were visiting at an "off-time", around 2pm. We were immediately seated upstairs. We ordered iced tea and coffee (his) to drink plus two waters. Waters were never received, iced tea was served with zero ice. A promise to bring ice was never fulfilled. We saw our server for our drink order, food order, delivery of food, and to get the check, which we had to flag her down. She had 2 other tables so it is not like she was busy. We found her rolling her silverware, which, as a former server I know, is the last thing you should do on your shift. Service was 1.5 stars. The food was a solid 3 stars but nothing above that level. My husband ordered the beef trencher-Warm beef brisket, caramelized onions, aged cheddar cheese, and beer spread, horseradish sour cream, served on hearth-baked bread. He enjoyed it, although he thought it was heavy on the onions. I tasted it as well and confirmed it was pretty good, although the beer spread was pretty runny. The home-made chips, however, were excellent! Very well flavored and crisp. I ordered the Virginia pork BBQ sandwich-Slow-cooked pork on a brioche roll, served with tavern slaw. The pork was semi-dried out, although I did like the spice in the bbq sauce. The slaw was about a teaspoon worth in a ramekin. I had a side salad as my side item, which was fine-typical side salad. The blue cheese dressing was runny and seemed bottled instead of homemade. I am glad we tried the "authentic" colonial tavern experience, but I would probably leave the historic area for Duke of Gloucester street and eat there instead the next time I am in the area.

Had a great lunch while visiting Williamsburg with my mom. Food was good, but remember it's colonial grub so it's a little different than what we eat today. They had a good drink selection. The hostess and waitress were both very nice and prompt. Food came out quick. We even got to learn some history and sing along to Yankee Doodle Dandy. Definitely worth the stop if you are visiting!

I am so glad we decided to try the tavern. The shepherd pie and Brunswick soup were excellent. The pie is sufficient for two people and the soup can comfortably be an entree for one. You can taste the freshness of the vegetables. We paid $32 for both in addition to a side of fries. It was an extraordinary culinary trip to the past

I regret how long it's taken me to enjoy the food and atmosphere at one of Williamsburg's historic taverns. It was in fact the ambience and service that really struck me as top notch. Our server was attentive and gave us excellent suggestions. A violinist strolled about the tavern, playing various tunes while we ate. Because the rooms are not overly crowded, there was a low level of chatter that was pleasant and we could enjoy the music no matter what room the musician was performing in. The player made certain to never overwhelm the room with too much song, and frankly did a stellar job at enhancing the experience: patrons were often stamping their feet and clapping along to livelier jigs. While the food was fairly priced and of good quality, I was somewhat disappointed in how basic a few of the offerings were, such as the wedge salad and the various trenchers. It was my fault for not asking, but I had assumed the trenchers would be a hunk of bread with the various ingredients built atop it with gravy ladled over. Rather, it was a well constructed sandwich (see photo). However, the shepherd's pye was excellent. The drink selection was perfect for a tavern, with all of the local Alewerks brews on tap that said brewery creates specifically for Colonial Williamsburg. Our party of five was also quite excited to share a punch bowl at the end of the day. It was perfect. Overall, a festive and enjoyable evening!

Outdoor dining only due to covid, the line formed long before they opened. The back patio was nice. I got a veggie pasty (meh) and beef pasty (5 stars!), plus a very expensive cider. Also ordered one dessert that they ran out of so we were given 2 ice creams instead.

You are coming here for that 1700's experience!!! We were so happy to discover this place and be able to get there just after they opened up for the evening. Spots do fill up quickly as seating it limited inside. We really felt like we went back in time with this one and it was exactly what I have been looking for! The ambiance was set for that 1700 time period as was the staff and menu! Onion pie and peanut butter pie were delicious and I would definitely recommend. We even had some music entertainment! I would absolutely go back again and would recommend to anyone visiting!

This is ok. You can do way better in Willamsburg. This basically a tourist trap in the historical part of town. The wait to get a table can be painfully long. If you do go there I recommend the brunswick stew of young fowl, smoked brisket and fresh garden vegetables topped with pickled okra. Wash it down with the Old Stitch is a American Brown Ale from local craft brewery AleWerks Brewing Company.

Everything was very good! And the service was GREAT. Definitely recommend getting in line around 11:00 if you are wanting to eat lunch and around 2:00 if you want supper. It's a great experience and great food!

I love the old dishes from colonial times, at least that's what they tell us. The servers are also dressed from this time period and you are eating in a place that is very old. It's definitely a walk back in time.

For a tourist trap, it isn't half bad. I had the lamb stew and it was peachy, but the home made potato chips are addictive, and I very much enjoyed the dip they came with. I really appreciated that they had beers that kind of sorta approximated old timey beers. The Old Stitch is good, the Dear Old Mum is mediocre. We had a 15 minute wait, but there's lots to easily check out around the block. The service was fine; I imagine it's difficult to serve tourists non-stop and in a funny uniform. I would have a hard time staying positive. Why are all the chairs different heights? And are they so low, because people were shorter back then?

I'll start off with this. Be prepared to walk a bit to get to this restaurant. There isn't parking near. And there are no signs to direct you there on foot. Personally, I felt like this place was a little overpriced. But it makes sense because it is in a touristy part of the town. My Uncle suggested this place while we were in Williamsburg, VA so that's why we came here. I loved that they had a live guitar player, playing old colonial music. That and the lighting made the place a good place to feel the colonial experience. The staff was dressed in a colonial montage. However, they were quiet bah-humbug. All of there kid menu items are 7$ they come with a side and a soft drink. I got the Garden wedge. It was nice with a good amount of blue cheese which was nice. The soup my wife got was good she says. The ribs were good my mom said. But she's had better. Overall, like I said. It's touristy spot. If you want to come for the experiment then come. But it wasn't amazing.

The place is super cute and patio is amazing. Staff is really nice but the food is kind of deceiving. I got the cup of the stew and it feels like Costco ingredients and the "fresh bread" was half of a slice of what looked like store bought and was also like a crouton and not what you would think of fresh bread If you come here do it for a drink and the ambience and perhaps a dessert The third star is cause the staff was so amazing or it would have been 2

Ate here during our trip in 2015 for lunch. This trip we went to Shield's. Decent food (albeit completely overpriced) and a cutesy faux-lonial (Fake Colonial) service. Lots of heavy foods including fried chicken and fries for the kids.

I was meeting a friend who said he had never eaten at one of the taverns in Colonial Williamsburg. I called in advance and was told Chownings was the only one that was open for lunch on that Saturday and that outdoor seating was weather dependent and they did not take reservations. We decided that for the colonial experience that we wanted to eat inside for the decor and the servers in period costumes. When we arrived, we found that there was no indoor seating that day, only outside. Well, we were already there, so we stayed. We ordered a couple of burgers and I noted they did not ask how they wanted them cooked. We were asked if we wanted everything on it, which meant lettuce and tomato. When I said I wanted lettuce but no tomato, I was told you get both or neither. I did not understand until the food came. You get a choice of side (potato salad, cole slaw, or chips). Drinks are extra and we each got one. We also decided to splurge on two desserts, the peanut pie and the apple cider cake. First, you get a tray to carry to a picnic table with condiment packets and plasticware on a different table. So much for the colonial experience! The food came out quickly, actually too quickly. The burger had been precooked and was room temperature (food safety?). There were chips in the basket. The lettuce and tomato came in a separate clam shell as did the potato salad. The potato salad was cold. The chips had apparently been out to the air and were stale. The bottled water and soda were cold. The peanut pie was okay and not something you would get just anywhere. The apple cider cake was described on the website as being served warm with ice cream. It came in a plastic clam shell and was cold, gummy, and lacking in flavor - no ice cream. This culinary experience ran about $50. So after driving to Williamsburg just for the colonial ambiance, this was the result. This is far from what people should expect. I cannot describe how disappointed I am with this on different levels.

First come first served. We ate lunch here twice. The food was delicious. Service was pleasant & fairly quick. The first time there was a lady who was eating alone so my daughter & I invited her to sit with us! We had a great conversation. She was visiting on business from Seattle Washington so we had a great conversation about our different states. The food was really great. I had the beef trencher & wings. Also tasted my daughters shepherds pie (not my cup of tea- very little meat). Reasonable prices compared to sit down restaurants you normally visit $12-16 entrees. Recommend this place !

Had a nice dinner here.  I got the soup sampler: Brunswick stew, corn chowder, and ham & bean

Chowning's Tavern is located on Duke of Gloucester Street where you can find a cozy restaurant done in full Colonial style and american and southern cuisine. Upon walking up and putting our name down, I really appreciate they waitress asking if we'd like to be seated with others or alone. We opted to sit alone as I am just recovering from a cold, but we were still seated very quick! The table was small but we didn't mind as it was just the two of us. We could hear music playing from another room but it was very quiet in the room we were seated. The waiters were friendly and our food was brought out very fast after ordering. I will say my husband and I both felt the menu was small, even with it being a tavern there wasn't a lot of options as far as entrees go. They did have some very cute punch bowls to share, we happily admired another tables from afar. The pros of this place was the food! Though there weren't many options, my husband and I were both pleased with the portion size and taste of our meals! He got the chicken and shrimp gumbo for $16 and I got the meat trencher also for $16, we both got a side of homemade chips but had the option of chips, coleslaw or potato salad. We ordered and received our food very quickly which we were happy with as we were pretty hungry from exploring Colonial Williamsburg. If you order a pop it's free refills and they bring you plenty of water! The cons were that the room we were seated in had no music and only one other family, and it was as quiet as a library. My husband and I both felt like we shouldn't be talking and if we did the people around us would be able to hear every word. While our waiter was nice, she seemed like in a hurry to serve us and never checked in with us about the food. She would stop by to give us refills, ask about dessert and to give us the tab. We also noticed there were some fruit flies that were very persistent. Overall we had a good experience, we got to choose to sit alone or with others, fast service and good food. The waiter seemed preoccupied, the room we were in was so so quiet, and the flies were a bit of a turn off. Would we come back? Maybe if we came back to Colonial Williamsburg, but we would definitely ask to be in a different room, and would probably order the same thing.

I loved this spot and gold stars for the colonial dressed servers. The food was good and priced well also. I enjoyed their drink special and quick service. I will come back the next time I am in town.

We had a wonderful time and dinner at Chowning's Tavern! We can't wait to return and take in another stroll through Colonial Williamsburg to this wonderful establishment!!

Absolutely unacceptable. I would give zero stars if I could. My disabled brother and his caregiver were going to meet me at Chownings (we ate dinner there the previous night before). This all happened this afternoon. Because only two out of three people were present, they made my brother and his caregiver wait out in the rain on the front porch and he was not feeling well. This is winter and it is not busy. I was running late because I got lost, this was the first time that we had been here in daylight. I arrived, and they had made my brother and his caregiver sit on a bench for nearly two hours, the first hour being outside. They said it was their policy not to seat without the full party. We were only three people, two were already there, and it is winter, barely anyone is at Colonial Williamsburg, there were *many* empty tables in the dining room, they did not have much business at all. I could see if we were a table of 10, or even five, but two thirds of our party had showed. When I had confronted the hostess about this, she kept turning her back to me, and for the most part would not speak to me, only saying that it was their policy. Why would you treat someone like this? Would you like your family member treated this way? It is unacceptable and there is no excuse for it. It is discriminatory, and it is cruel. Shame. This is how they treat disabled people. I know that the employees here dress and act like it is the late 1700s, but the employees cannot act like you are in the late 1700s when it comes to dealing with guests, especially disabled people. We have evolved in 2020, you should as well.

Love this place. Have been coming here since I was a little kid back in the late 60's. Always have the Brunswick stew. Yummy. Also shared a wedge salad and a plate of ribs. Nice and smoky bbq. For desert had the apple pie cake with fresh vanilla ice cream. A great meal in a simple and historic location. My first stop when I Williamsburg

The food is traditional to the time of the colony and served on dishes likely used at the time. It was all delicious and the drinks were good. Our waitress, Miranda, was wonderful. She provided service with a smile, made great recommendations, and kept the water glasses full. She took pictures of us with our family, who we only see once a year. Unfortunately, we were unable to sit near our family because, not only did the hostess allow a couple to cut in front of us, they also gave them the table near the rest of our family, although the table far away where they seated us was available for them. So, despite traveling halfway around the world, we ate separately. The unhelpful, unfriendly, rude hostess is the only reason this gets a four instead of five. We almost left because of her. Luckily, Miranda more than made up for the bad taste the hostess left with us.

We came here 20 years ago and Welsh rarebit was a soup with ham underneath not on a plate with chipped ham and tough bread. It Was ok. The beef sandwich was good but again tough bread. We were hungry so we ate it without complaint.

The food was good. The waitress told us some history about how they used to eat with their butter knives. The place is a bit cramped. You are squeezed in with tables close together. We waited over an hour to be seated but it was very crowded.

Fabulous, historical restaurant. Great food. Nice staff. Clean. Right in the heart of Williamsburg.

We have been here before on our many trips to Williamsburg, Made reservations for Saturday May 8th in the evening, got an email confirmation as well as an phone call confirmation of reservation, which by the way was made in April. Showed up for our reservation and the place was closed, front doors locked, no one around, no one out back, no signs, no nothing... We took our 82 year old mother to Williamsburg for mothers day weekend and this was to be one of the highlights, only to find the place closed up. We called several times and only got voicemail, to which we left a message and NEVER received even a call back to apologize. The next day, while walking around, Chowning's was open for business. Not impressed and will definitely skip Chowning's going forward in our up-coming Williamsburg trips. Highly disappointed.