The Anvil Restaurant

Before I go in to it originally being from MD I must confess I’m very particular when it comes to crab cakes. The crab cakes are not what I saw on other reviews, lots of filler with mostly shred and some lumps. The smoked chicken from the bbq pit was very moist and tasty. The service was ok but not very attentive even though it wasn’t that busy. The ambiance is great and what you would expect from a historical district. I gave a 4 overall I recommend the smoked chicken but I do not recommend the crab cake if you are from MD.

Great pulled pork sandwich, smoked right in front of the restaurant. In fact, I smelled it while driving by and just had to turn around and have lunch here. My waitress Jessie was very pleasant and helpful, and the place is very cozy with ample seating and a nice bar. They actually surprised me with a few non-alcohol beers to choose from. If you're in the area and can't deal with finding a parking spot down the street in the historic section, you can't beat The Anvil (open Thur-Sun, I noticed). They also have PLENTY of parking.

We ate here about 16 years ago and decided to come back with out family on New Years 2021. It was a bit different from what I remember; for instance, instead of real dishes and glasses, they use paper now. Prices are a bit steep to be served on paper plates. Overall, food was good. Waitress was very Friendly and down to earth. Nice ambiance.

The service was very good.. the food was very good. We had 2 of the specials one was cheese raviolis with sausage spinach mushrooms beans and peppers sauce ...the other was a steak topped with crab ceviche both meals came with salads. The steak came with mashed potatoes and green beans. We both had soup he had french onion and I had the tortilla soup . I also had dessert which was strawberry short cake layer in the evening. My drink was an Italian martini. It was a great evening out with fantastic food

I had an absolutely amazing lunch at the Anvil in Harper's Ferry! The BBQ sandwich was really good and the lava cake was delicious! It was a great break from hitting the trails and not far away from the entrance into the National Park!

So the place itself is like a toss between a historic and sports bar. The reason I give it five stars is the food, in particular.... the WINGS. I’ve had great buffalo wings else where but these were the best non-buffalo wings I’ve had thus far. The wings are smoked which makes them amazing. The blue cheese is home made and super super chunky. You can really taste the smokiness of the wing and they’re still juicy on the inside. Moving on from the wings, the crab balls were delicious. Known for their crab meat, they were very tasty and don’t have to much filler (breadcrumbs, etc). The brussel sprouts were amazing and covering in a vinaigrette and capers. Back to the wings, they’re were so good we order another round.

Had a great time at this family friendly place. Honestly found it because of the smoker out front and enjoyed the smoked mac and cheese and the smoked chicken and kielbasa. The pulled pork and other food items were tasty. The place has great A/C and a full bar and seems like the kind of place you want to see start happy hour around 3pm, sit on the porch and enjoy the rest of the night. Old time feel without any of the negatives. Bathrooms and tables and things were all very clean. Staff was friendly and one of them is a Jeeper (like me). Plenty of off street parking. We were warned by a friendly neighbor that the local cops are sticklers for tickets around fire hydrants. Go here for some friendly atmosphere (games playing on the TVs) and good fresh food and you’ll leave with a smile!

Great service! Our food came out very quickly. The pulled pork was very nice, the ribs was flavorful although it wasn't fall-off-the-bones tender. I wish the crab soup was cream-based instead of tomato-based.

We went to Harpers Ferry specifically for The Anvil and it was delicious, it really exceeded our expectations! We had our puppy with us, and the server was very kind and brought us water (with ice cubes) for his bowl! The outdoor area is very cute and the smell of the meat cooking outdoors was amazing. We started off with the crab dip appetizer; I am a very picky person and I don't have much of an appetite but the crab dip I could've eaten forever. It was rich and savory, you could see the cheese strings pulling with every dip of well baked bread. I love the crab dip, I would come back for it alone. 11/10 I ordered the cheeseburger with Swiss cheese, medium done and my husband ordered the smoked salmon with 2 sides of Mac and cheese and chips. I loved my burger, I am a huge burger lover but the meat was cooked perfectly to that balance of juicy perfection. The fries we're good, and I got a good amount. My husbands smoked (or grilled?) salmon was very tasty, the Mac and cheese was average but still very cheesy and the chips were crunchy and delicious. We got the pecan pie, the crust was good and so was the flavor! Definitely coming back again (not just for the crab dip!)

Best part of our trip to Harper's Ferry! The brisket was amazing. You can see the smoker out front. 14oz ribeye well cooked for only $29?? The mashed potatoes were delicious with copious amounts of buttah. The Mac and Cheese was serviceable. The sweet peas I would not recommend. The pecan pie was also delicious. One special note about our server, Amber (hope that's her name, she brought me extra lemons for my iced tea), went above and beyond with her service and had a lovely personality and wonderful disposition. Request her if you can!

By far the rudest management in the area. We are locals but they don't care - they treat everyone like a burden who walks thru their door. Told us to wait outside. Lots of tables open but made us wait. Finally we left wondering why these people are in hospitality business. Sad day for hospitality at this place.

We had a delicious meal with excellent service. The salmon, crab cakes, and molten chocolate dessert were all very tasty and prepared to perfection. Looking forward to another visit.

BBQ ribs is a very famous dish in America , it melts in your mouth if it gets to cook right, unfortunately at the Anvil, it was so tough that I feel embarrassed fighting to get the meat out of their bones. Total disappointed

Very tasty smoked chicken and pulled pork. And good Sunday afternoon service for both bar and restaurant.

My boyfriend and I visited harpers ferry for the night, we went to the barn for a drink first and locals suggested the Anvil. We quickly said that's the spot after hearing they have a smoker out front and smoke their own meats daily. The dining room was very cozy, we sat next to the fireplace. We had the crab dip which was delicious. Then we both had specials . I had a chicken shrimp pasta and added a crabcake. All delicious. He had the prime rib that was cooked perfectly with smoked mac and cheese and a quarter chicken. We enjoyed our dinner thoroughly and would go back when in harpers ferry.

I was so excited to take our son's in laws here as the food was good or it was on the past. They were visiting from Boston and I hoped for a great meal. We ordered and it took a while for our food to arrive, but that is what it is. However, when our food arrived 4 of the six meals had stone cold sides with the protein. Cold smashed potatoes and cold Mac and cheese. It was disgusting. It was also embarrassing. I told the waitress and no one even came out to apologize. Never again.

Nothing to write home about. They need to step it up, it's a neat old space with a lot of potential. They have local musicians play which is always great! If you're going in for a beer and some fries, you'll enjoy it fine. But most of the food we got was boring or bad. The Brussels sprouts were okay and the bourbon pecan pie was good. Our server was nice, but most of the staff were standoffish.

Bad and very slow service. Rude hostess. The whole staff acts like they just don't care. And the worst seafood in the area!

Staff was kinda slow, even when the restaurant wasn't busy. Food was great. Crab cakes on the small side though. Wife had the chicken and said it was delicious.

I came to the restaurant in early August. They made it look like they had a good selection of meats. I had the ribs and they were extremely old and overcooked. I do not recommend eating here. I would recommend going to the rabbit hole. They have better food and better beer. Sorry, but y'all suck.

Such an awful dining experience. As mentioned in other posts, the general manager is unbelievably rude. The food is just awful. The wine list with bottle pricing from $14.00 to $20.00 was undrinkable. The restaurant also felt dirty. Don't waste a meal on this place.

Went here on Easter and got the chicken something with baked beans and macaroni. It was a disgusting mess lol. The drunken mushrooms were really good though and our server was really nice.

Found this place because parking was so bad in town that we ended up parking right near this restaurant. As we walked past the aroma from the smoker out front was on all I needed to take a swing at this place. Bummer to see poor reviews of this place but still took a chance. Not too often you find a place that has a decent amount of smoked foods on their menu. During covid, times are weird but they had a great tent out back of the restaurant with nice big fans to help keep the bugs at bay. We were waited on by Elizabeth. She was very friendly, helpful and fast with our order. We both went with the smoked pork bbq sandwich with smoked Mac and cheese on the side. We also ordered a pound of smoked old bay wings. Man oh man, is this place a hidden gem. Smoked pork sandwich was so juicy. The Mac and cheese was on point as well. The wings were crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside. Well done. Try to read past the bad reviews, you won't regret stopping here especially if you like smoked anything!

I Visit my daughter often in Harper's Ferry and envied the delicious smoke smell from the cooker in front of The Anvil. Today was the day! We walked up and again smelled the awesome smoke as we went inside. Of course I ordered the full rack of ribs with cole slaw and my daughter ordered the half chicken. We were disappointed that the bar wasn't serving mixed drinks to start our evening, no bread was offered and I would have thought hushpuppies or hot corn bread would be available. The food quickly arrived and from sight I saw overly added caraway seeds in the slaw and very blackened half chicken. The ribs looked good but was pretty tasteless except for the barbecue sauce. The chicken had to be sent back and no replacement was wanted by my daughter, it was taken off the bill. Would I go back for a second chance. NO. If I had a choice I wouldn't leave any stars.

We visited Harpers Ferry over a pretty busy Halloween weekend and found the main town too crowded to find parking. So we drove up the hill and stopped at The Anvil for lunch. They had a parking lot across the street with plenty of parking, which was great. Neat old place that looks like an old tavern. The burgers are good, decent siZe with a tasty bun and good fries. The pulled pork was really good. Half chicken also really good. The half rack of ribs was tasty. Service was good and the tables were spaced out well enough for the times. Nice place, good food.

Very disappointed with the service and the food. I ordered the smoked chicken and kielbasa with smashed potatoes. Chicken was under cooked, the kielbasa was burnt. I got Max N Cheese instead of the potatoes. The server kept disappearing ans had to track her down to receive the correct side. If you're in Harpers Ferry don't come here.

Staff served us two drinks each. Talked to one of the owners for a bit. Seemed friendly, but the min we walked outside there was a cop. It was a setup, and I'm sure Rene' called them to mess with us! Long story, but watch your back, these people are shady! Ate here one other time which was terrible and pricey which is why we didn't order food this time. Run- don't walk! Rip-off!

Very good meal for the area. We're used to a bit more upscale, and other places in the area were not that good. The Anvil was better than most, just limited hours so we only got to visit once before our time in town was up. Too bad, they would have gotten a lot more of our business if that had been open mid week.

I would give this 6 or 7 stars if we could. We loved the food--ordered appetizer, 3 entrees, 2 desserts and wine! Our server, Cynthia was fully knowledgeable about the extensive variety of specials and combinations, was attentive and gladly lowered the air conditioning at our request. We live in DC area but can't wait to return!

The food is terrible and the service is even worse. Far better places to go in the area if you're visiting. Don't waste your time or your money on this spot.

Racist place in town.Never bother stepping in if you are brown skin. The bar tender was extremely rude and unhelpful. We got a table after 15 minutes and nobody bothered getting a high chair for my little one though I asked for one. No service at table till we were waiting. Will never step in again. People after us got seated quickly.

Beyond disappointing. We made a reservation and met another couple there. When we arrived, the other couple was at the bar and the first thing they said to us was, "the bartender is NOT friendly". We checked in and were shown to a table. It seemed like our table did not have a server. We waited a long time for someone to take our drink order and then had to flag down a server and ask if the drinks were ever coming. We were told the bartender was "doing something else right now". ??? The server took our appetizer order and someone else brought it out to the table. Our server NEVER returned to take a dinner order. In the meantime, another couple had been seated at an adjacent table, with a different server, ordered and received their food. When we finally flagged someone down and asked if we could order, they told us the kitchen was closing in 15 min. Not surprisingly, my first choice of entree was sold out. 2 of us ordered the ribs, neither of us ordered fries as a side, but both orders of ribs came out with a side of fries. When we said we did not order fries, we were told that was all they had left. To top it all off, the ribs were terrible. Dry and tough. We asked to speak to the manager. It turns out the owners are the bartender and the cook. I guess the bartender was still "doing something else," because the cook came out and was anything but apologetic. He was defensive and belligerent, making no excuse for the very poor service and when we complained about the quality of the ribs, he asked what was wrong with them. I said, "well they weren't exactly falling off the bone" to which he replied, "If you have been eating falling off the bone, you have been eating sh*t". Steer clear!

Mediocre forgettable food. My husband had steak. I had the ribs. Our side of broccoli was tasteless. Service was excellent. There was a very talented guitar player singing. He should probably stick to the guitar and hire a singer. His songs were beautiful.

We live locally and have tried The Anvil three times. Sadly each was worse then the previous. The food is fair to poor. The service is downright awful. Please do yourself a favor and run, do not walk, away from this place.

With all the crazy covid stuff the back tented patio was nice open and airy. Got the ribs and was not crazy about ordering them here,,,but for the smoker out front on the street. Boy was I wrong,, great ribs cooked just enuf to be tender and still give u a little chew. The mustard bbq sauce was drinkable. Good cold beer and the sides of potato salad was very good as well. Give this place a visit they are nice folks and everyone is masked up....

I was hesitant about writing this review, but I felt I should warn potential diners. The reason for the only 2 stars was not the food, it actually wasn't bad. My husband and I both got sandwiches and an appetizer, a dessert and a bottle of house wine. I got a pulled pork sandwich which was pretty messy and a little tough and husband got a crab cake sandwich. This was a pricy lunch..over $100. My main complaint was about the napkins. They are black cloth napkins, and therefore can't be washed with bleach. The silverware was wrapped in the napkins. My napkin was filthy, full of stains and smelled like old grease. I told the waitress and she brought me another one. The second one was a little better but was still stained. I should have asked for paper napkins. I am not a germ freak but I felt really grossed out, and given the times we live in, there needs to be better sanitary practices.

We were really excited to check this place out because the smoker out front had the most delicious aroma coming from it. We had our dog with us so I stepped inside to ask about outside seating. A woman walked past me and went behind the bar with no acknowledgement that I was even standing there. So, to test out whether my childhood wish to become invisible finally came true, I walked over to her and when she actually looked up and noticed me she simply said, "How many?" I told her it was three of us and our dog and before I even got to ask about outside seating she very rudely talked over me and said, "I don't have anything." I said, "oh, ok, nothing outside?" She shot me a dirty look, pointed to the door and said, "They're all taken." She walked away with no further interaction, no "we have a waiting list" or "have a nice day" or even an "eat sh*t and die" but I guess her demeanor expressed that last part. Judging from the reviews here, we dodged a real bullet so it's safe to say that we won't try again next time we're in town.

I had the crab cake and it was predominantly filler, which the waitress acknowledged but still charged us the $24. I had a side of smoked Mac and cheese. If you love velveeta you'll be happy. One of my worst meals. Highly do not recommend. Expensive and worse than mediocre.

Overall, good experience. Waitress was very friendly. Ribs were just okay, but salmon was delicious. Mushroom appetizer was also super good.

I'm not one to post negative reviews, ever... but Wow, I just have to say something. Food is bad. Crab soup had hard raw crunchy potatoes and celery. Crab cakes were mostly filler. Brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes side - the Brussels were ok however the sweet potatoes were hard and undercooked. All of our Mac-n-cheese sides were hard and cold. Complained about it and got fresher batch which was so-so. Husbands's ribs were tough and too much BBQ sauce which overpowered the taste. The side order of chips very hard, no salt and tasteless. Over priced wow! One small mostly filler crab and fries was $30!!! Can't think of anything positive except the staff was friendly. Never again going back! Waste of money.

THE WORST SERVICE EVER. waited outside for 25 minutes with a line out of the door. not ONE hostess asked to put a name down or anything. when we finally asked for a table, the waitress gave us an attitude and said "we have a wait" and that was it. we turned around and left. at least 7 groups of people waiting outside. RIDICULOUS!!!!! NEVER GO HERE. waste of your time and money.

I am a new resident ( 1 year) and was so happy to have this recommended restaurant in walking distant to me. I never give reviews but want this restaraunt to be here for a long time and feel I need to give some input. Me, being in retail for a long time, first impressions go a long way, so first walking in the door by the bar area I waited to see where I should go. We waited for a minute then this woman sitting at the bar that was looking at her phone got up And said " how many" ? Walked away to get menus and started for the next room, we followed. Not the warmest greeting I have have had. Our waitress was very engaging and good, only issue was she asked if we wanted more napkins we said sure but never got them, but otherwise good The food? Unfortunately was unmemorable., I had the barbecue sandwich ( very good) the bun that it was on was not. My husband had the fried oysters were kind of tasteless. With the new Hilltop coming in a few years they need to step up their game and bring a the locals coming back to them. Please look into these mediocre reviews and fix a few things, you could be great!!

Very slow. We walked in and were seated, there was not many people in there at all. I was just sick of not finding a parking area around town, so this was the place with a parking lot. For a seafood place, there really wasn't much to offer on the menu. I ordered the chicken anyway. Needed salt. I NEVER SAY ANYTHING NEEDS SALT, EVER! I have high blood pressure, so my salty self never adds it to anything because I really don't need extra in my diet. I am not sure they really added any seasoning though. I still ate it, I was hungry. Just added extra ketchup and mayo. The fries were pretty good because they had Old Bay on them. If only they added some on the chicken. My drink on the other hand, i was dying of dehydration. The glasses were tiny so I feel she should have payed more attention to the refills. I watch a lot of bar rescue and restaurant fixer upper shows like that, so maybe i get spoiled from the big ones, so I feel like the waitress needs to fill up my glass because I even know I need it filled. That was no where near the case. At least my cousins coffee was good.....until she got a to go coffee cup and there was a family of fruit flies in it.

While visiting Harper's Ferry, we heard about this restaurant and wanted to give it a try, despite most of the reviews seen (we try to give smaller places a chance!). We were quickly seated and given glasses of iced water with some menus by Kayle, one of the nice waitresses there. The selection of food isnt very large and the prices were a bit high for what could be bought, but we got an appetizer and two entrees. Suprisingly the seafood we had seemed to be freshly caught, and cooked perfectly. The crabcake was filled with fresh, well seasoned crab with very little filler. All in all, a decent experience. The only things to really complain about is the prices for food, the small selection of items, and how slow service was, if you're picky. A good place to visit every now and then.

I can't say enough good things about this restaurant and the people that work there. The food is fabulous I mean atmosphere is lovely. Mary Anne Sanders

Went to harpers ferry for the weekend,this was the first place we ate at,we got food poisoning from the oysters,so thanks a lot for that. This place doesn't even deserve one star,I deserve my money back

Second time here. They smoke their own pork and I topped it off with a John Brown Chestnut Stout that was fabulous. I'll be back!

We were a bit worried by some of the reviews, but thoroughly enjoyed our time at The Anvil. We were greeted promptly by our waitress, Amber, and were able to choose our own seats. As some others stated, the menu was somewhat limited and maybe a tad dated. We had the crab balls for an appetizer which were just ok, based on that we decided no one would be ordering the $28 crab cake entree. Next, we had the Brussels Sprouts and I can't wait to try to recreate that recipe at home, super yummy. Uninspired by the menu we went with two of the four specials presented by our waitress. And are glad we did! The scallops were perfect and an herb cream sauce was a fantastic compliment. We also had the smoked pork loin, wrapped in pork belly with a blueberry demi-glacé. Wine by the bottle was very reasonably priced and Amber was very accommodating, next visit to Harper's Ferry we will return!

3 stars is probably generous, but I really wanted this to be amazing. I love small businesses and will always support them over a chain, but ya'll need to try a little. When I arrived I was the 4th person in the place. I sat at the bar thinking it would be easier for the staff. There were two ladies working - that's a 1:2 ratio. A woman walks in and apparently was another small business owner engaging the server about a meeting she was having with local business owners. In fairness, this location is not close by the main historic/Appalachian Trail draw of the town. She took the flyer and went in office behind the bar where apparently the manager/owner lady was. I finally place a food order, but as soon as I say 1lb wings she turns away to enter it in the POS. I was going to order slaw, but fine. Wings come out quick, almost too quick but smoky and tasted really good. No blue cheese or silverware so I wait for that. In the 45 minutes I've been here, most of the servers time has been spent in the empty dining room doing silverware. Now they are standing arms crossed staring at an empty restaurant after closing out my ticket when I would have had another beer. Two women walked in, were handed menus and asked "know what you want?" a few minutes later. They asked about the soup of the day (there wasn't one), much like there wasn't a Happy Hour like the Yelp advertisement. Also, the yelp/website menu is woefully out of date. It's just apps, sandwiches, soups (2) and a couple salads where the add-ons are overpriced ($3 for blue cheese crumbles). Many people have come in and out of the door behind the bar, none have said a word. I picked this place in part because it was independent, had a full bar that said they had a happy hour and a comprehensive menu. Only one of these was true.

Wasn't overly impressed. I got a simple Caesar salad and the French onion soup and my boyfriend ordered the Maryland crab soup and the crab balls. The salad had some brown wilted romaine and a couple bites tasted dirty...the French onion soup was an inch thick with cheese...and extremely mushy croutons and beef broth...no taste...and like 2 onions. My boyfriend's crab balls were kinda cold and mushy and his soup legit tasted like progresso canned soup. I'm glad we decided to go to Charlestown for dinner and not here. The menu is not that big and hardly has anything on it.

We were so happy you wereooen on Sunday. The salmon ansMac and cheese were very good.

Ordered takeout for lunch. The woman who took the order was short and rude and was reluctant to let me know what was on the menu. When I went in, she barely acknowledged me and huffed away to get my food. I would absolutely not recommend this place to anyone. Who wants to patronize a place that treats you like a major inconvenience? So...you don't want my business? The Anvil owners, take note of your management.

It's my worst place ,impossible to eat they should switch the chef, we ordered the meat it's impossible to chew ,chicken don't have any flavor except smoked

The waiters were wonderful! While our food took around an hour+ to get to us it was delicious. Other people I'm sure would be bothered with this but having family around you made the wait not that bad. The food was definitely really good and I was very impressed with the covid precautions. if you have places to be I don't recommend this place!

The food is five star! The atmosphere and service is four. Friendly and attentive, just don't expect super speedy. But we couldn't be happier with the food. The portions were generous, and the dinner entrees were plenty for a full serving of leftovers. I highly recommend the Game Hen, and if you're lucky, you'll catch the Seafood linguini special.

The Anvil is a crusty joint. When I first sat down I felt something strange in my pants. At first I thought nothing of it, thinking that it was just my imagination playing tricks on me. But NO! I looked down to see a swarm of Ants attacking a crouton on the ground. I slapped at my legs probably killing 20 hungry Ants with each slap. And that was just the beginning... Now if the Ants weren't a ominous sign, what happened next was. My friend bit into a crab cake and gasped with a pained look on her face, remarking that "the crab tasted a week old." Next, she sipped her ice tea praying for a familiar taste in her mouth. However what she tasted wasn't familiar nor was it ice tea. It more closely resembled dirty water harvested from the river. The final breaking point was the saltines. Yes, THE SALTINE CRACKERS! Now saltines aren't something that one could imagine being bad. I mean, they're just plain crackers. But the morsels that I tasted (and smelled) weren't crackers at all. On the bright side, they brought me back to 1st grade when I accidentally ingested Play-Doh. If you can't even serve fresh saltines, what can you do? Overall, I could run a better restaurant out of my college dorm room. For your own safety, avoid The Anvil at all costs!

Hearty fare is what customers can expect to find at this roadside restaurant. I dined on the chicken cordon Bleu tonight. Accompanied by potato au gratin, it was a meal that stuffed me, yet I made room for chocolate molten cake for dessert. What the Anvil lacks in decor (the restaurant resembles your tacky aunt's home, complete with fake flowers and homespun country tables and chairs) it more than makes up for in service. Amanda, our waitress, proved her mettle, servicing my party of nine with a sweet, welcoming demeanor. She was efficient, organized, and focused. Future diners, tip her well. Although I can't say I was impressed with the Anvil it is a solid restaurant that offers slightly above average comfort food. Give it a try.

Tent outside is nice. Food is pricey for what you get. BBQ smells good but dry. Service is slow and not very friendly. We come to Harpers Ferry all the time from DC. Would not go back.