A truly unique dining experience. First the restaurant is on the National Historic Registry. The ambience is great. Service was above and beyond. The special of the night was prime rib, baked potato and vegetable. It was cooked perfectly. My wife ordered the 2 piece fried chicken dinner with 2 sides. The waitress asked her what pieces she would like. She replied "White meat", to which the waitress inquired, " Are 2 breasts alright"? My wife was pleasantly surprised. The chicken arrived perfectly cooked. Golden in color, indicative of fresh oil. The chef stopped by our table to inquire as to our satisfaction. There was overwhelming satisfaction. Reasonably priced. Those 2 entrees and a bottle of wine just at $100.00. We're looking forward to returning in December. As an added bonus they encourage you to visit the second floor to see how the house was at the turn of the century. MAKE RESERVATIONS especially if there is a show at the theatre that evening. read more

Came into town for a family reunion. Nice place- not too fancy and but could dress up if you are feeling up to it. Delicious foods and many cute drinks! Wait staff was great with our unruly crowd. read more

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A unique and delicious stop!!! This tavern is so unique in that it has the history preserved and on display while also providing ample upscale space for dining....the staff were so friendly and helpful and the food was absolutely amazing...the bread and steak were my favorite, but everything was delicious. Plan on returning often, 10 out 10 would recommend!!! Don't skip the history, walk around and check everything out. read more

The food here is really good. The cocktails are delicious. The really old building is fantastic. Doing a buffet when there are shows at the theater is smart on their part. What isn't smart is not letting customers know when you're open! Nothing on the door. Nothing on the answering machine. And what's posted on the website is misleading or incorrect. Just bad business. read more

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I was impressed with the buffet that they serve only when it's theater night in town. It's lots of fried chicken and the typical surrounding foods that go with it. For the price, I'd expect something better. However, the staff were friendly and the place was well kept. The building has lots of history and is surrounded by other historic structures. We will definitely be back, but not on theatre night, so that we can experience the whole menu. read more

Amazing. Charming staff and outstanding food. The ambiance will make you feel like you've stepped back in time to the start of the Santa Fe Trail in the 1840s. (Which is located 30 miles away, in New Franklin, Mo). I can't wait to return with my wife. It's well worth the drive from KC. Incredible scenery. If you're looking for the perfect end to a day trip from KC, this is your spot. If you need a place to stay, check out Blackwater's Ironhorse Hotel. Breakfast; Glasgow's River Bend Restaurant. read more

Great lunch buffet of fried chicken and REAL mashed potatoes. Everything is homemade from scratch! No premade or frozen meals. Great history, service and ambience. read more

J Huston Tavern - Bar area - American Near Me - Arrow Rock, Missouri

Great, rustic building in the heart of Arrow Rock, Mo serving some classic American fare. Conveniently located near the Lyceum theatre. Overall, decent menu selection, with a fairly young and friendly waitstaff, at least this night. Overall rating: 3.5/5 Called ahead for reservationists and the table was ready, just as expected. We were promptly seated. Drink options do not include alcohol, which was fine for us. Service was a bit slow, even though they didn't seem to be exceptionally busy. I chalk it up to inexperienced servers... I suspect it's hard to find staff in such a small town. Food included: - Pot Roast: GET THIS! Best bite at the table. The beef was rich in flavor. Lots of roast gravy for the potatoes and carrots (our choice). 4.5/5 - Chicken and Mac: Very mild cheese sauce. Good, hand made chicken strips. Mac and cheese was not very warm. 3.25/5 - Famous Tavern Fried Chicken: Breading was very well seasoned. Served with one leg and two thighs. Would have preferred one breast in there. Mashed potatoes and white gravy was decent. Thankfully, a good pepper shaker was nearby. 3.75/4 - Fried Pork Tenderloin: While the chicken had very well seasoned breading, the breading on the tenderloin was under seasoned. Adding salt and pepper helped. Would have liked the tenderloin to be pounded thinner to make it a bit more tender. 3.25/5 read more

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So glad the Tavern is open again! New vibe and amazing food. Everyone needs to stop by and try it out!

Last Saturday, my wife and I tried J. Huston Tavern in Arrow Rock. We have been to a lot of restaurants in North Missouri and had never tried this this one. Wow - we were impressed! We had excellent appetizers, drinks, entrees and desserts. The food and atmosphere was some of the best we have ever experienced and the prices were very reasonable. The music was so good that we felt compelled to get out of our seats and slow dance through one song :) The biggest hits were the crostini, the spiced apple cocktail and the pecan pie. The wait staff was helpful and personable and the chef came out to greet us, too. Right now, if you have a reservation at the tavern, you can get a 20% discount at some of the AIRBNB's in town. There's one in particular that my wife and I are staying at for Valentines Day. If you are looking for a new place to try, I highly recommend this place! read more

Make sure to make a reservation well in advance for this place, which I highly recommend. Fortunately the charming gentleman at the front desk managed to get us a table during a busy lunch rush. They were clearly short staffed but me and my husband were amazed how well they served the customers despite this issue. The menu is limited so we went with what is popular and were not disappointed at all. We both got a house salad, fried chicken, corn and mashed potatoes. Everything was delicious, especially the crispy chicken and the biscuits/butter/jam they bring beforehand. YUMMY!!!!!!!! The biscuits were so good, in fact, we opted to each have one more in lieu of dessert. Servers were truly superstars who worked as a team and proved us wrong in initially predicting we would be frustrated guests. Then it was fun to look around the historic building and admire the lovely period furniture and decorative touches. Live flowers on each table were a fabulous touch. read more

J Huston Tavern - Charm galore - American Near Me - Arrow Rock, Missouri

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We visited on a Saturday when the Lyceum Theater was having a matinee. It was the buffet, and it was very good. One of the best buffets I've had in a long time. The food tasted a lot like the home-cooked meals I grew up with. Lovely hostess! I had not been there in many years and am so glad we got to eat there. read more

The updates to the tavern are incredible. Our dinner in Jan was such a pleasant experience. We had a group of 8, so we ordered a variety of items off the menu and everyone was more than pleased. Our waitress was very attentive. We were seated in the society room, which used to be the main entrance and is now a moody, cozy and delightful space. I was seated in a large leather wingback chair which a delightfully homey. Everyone in my group will be coming back. I highly recommend this hidden gem in this out of the way historic community. read more

They are open again. Had the 2 piece fried chicken plate and very good brine. Came on a Sunday at ordered at 11 a.m. opening.

Definitely book a reservation in advanced!! Particularly if you are going on the nights of a show at the Lyceum- I think it can fill up fast. The Mac and Chicken was pretty good- pasta was ok and the chicken well seasoned. It is a beautifully maintained historic building with an interesting display harkening back to the days when the house was an old mercantile. Waitresses were friendly! read more

This a spectacular restaurant with an interesting historical story with it. The food is classic comfort fare and is expertly prepared. Worth the visit to Arrow Rock for the tavern alone let alone the charming historic village read more

So let me just start with, I personally so not like fried chicken very much. But I stopped here on a lark with my mom and grandma during a road trip several years ago, and on our waitress's recommendation, had the fried chicken and was blown away. This summer I was making the same road trip and insisted to my husband that we drive a bit out of the way to have dinner here. Of course, ordered the chicken again (along with green beans and mashed potatoes) and was in heaven. The hostess was amazing, managing to seat us even though it we didn't have a reservation, so I have to call out their service as being as amazing as their food. The atmosphere is unique, being an historic building. The only possible detractor I can think of is that the patrons on that particular night gave us very "Get Out" / "Sharp Objects" vibes. We decided it would be best to leave town before sundown, so got our desserts to go. read more

We had a great family meal today and we loved it! The fried chicken was so good along with the two kid's meals we got. The service was great and it was such a cute place to experience. read more

Excellent food and service. Staff very friendly. Prices quite reasonable. Wonderful fried chicken.

We had dinner here previously and decided to go again. We had dinner reservations at 5:30 pm but it was not busy at all. A handful of tables being served at. First thing we noticed is the menu was different than the last time or online. We asked for bread and the waitress said was they were completely out of bread for the evening. It reminded us of our first visit were they were out of items. We then put our order in - out of a few additional items including the carrot cake. Just before we finished our meal, several tables had bread delivered. No offer made to us at all or acknowledgement that they had made more. It appears they are not checking inventory beforehand or they wouldn't be out of items. Thank you anyways. read more

Excellent service and excellent food. Our first experience at the Lyceum Theatre and also at J Huston Tavern. We arrived an hour before the show and with no reservation. The hostess said we'll try. They did wonderfully. The service was quick. The food was delivered just as quickly. We hurried to enjoy our meal (we had to do our part). The roast beef sandwich was delicious. On our next visit, we'll make a reservation, get there early and enjoy even more of the J Huston experience. Thank you for an excellent dinner and theater experience. read more

What a wonderful old historical building! We both had salads for lunch and they were fresh and delicious. The waitress was very nice and friendly. She talked to us about the building's history and we were able to tour the upstairs. We will definitely return the next time we visit Arrow Rock. read more

Our group enjoyed a fine lunch at this very historic cabin, part of the Santa Fe Trail. Two went for the famous fried chicken plate and offered thumbs up. I liked the burger--bit overdone bust tasty still--that came with an excellent baked potato. Friendly quick service. Good coffee. Nothing fancy or creative but a historic Tavern that I will happily return to. Liked that the upstairs are furnished in accurate way and quests are free to explore. read more

My wife order the chicken salad and it was way to salty.. like so bad she couldn't eat it. I had the tenderloin it was just ok. Huge but ok.. and the biscuits? What's up with only bringing two at a time? Is there a biscuit shortage due to Covid also? read more

Lovely dining - though a bit lonely off season. Chef Owner Liz Huff has rescued this historic old tavern from oblivion with a simple family style menu that is sure to please just about everyone. We had the $18.50 per person family style dinner which includes lovely yeasty rolls, and cornbread with peppers and such in them. A nice salad with GREEN lettuce...not white... YAY!....and Liz' own Miracle Salad Dressing...which she sells in the lobby. Jose LOVED the dressing, but I tend more toward the vinegary in a salad dressing so it was a bit sweet for me. But loads of garlic and both black and red papper in it. I cleaned my plate for sure...a couple of times. Jose was THRILLED they his favorite beer...Franziskaner. The Rocheport Missouri red wine was served chilled and was very very sweet but that is the kind of wine one gets locally in MO. The main courses arrived pretty quickly considering that it was the FRESHEST of fresh cooked fried chicken....a huge mound of it, served with creamed corn (which was heaven), mashed potatoes with the skins and milk gravy....mmmmm....and candied green beans with caramalized onions....jeesh they was good. I could really have dined ONLY on the sides and been happy. In addition to chicken a small plate of home-smoked pork shoulder and a cup of Liz's special sauce was also served. Now I LOVE pork in any form and this was good but by far her chicken was the hit of the evening. Standing the street in front of the Tavern before we went in I was hypnotized by the smell of fried chicken...which for a 'southern' lad like me is important. So important. Oh my, if you can do friend chicken, you can do anything. This place is known to all as the Tavern, but it is also the Old Tavern, J. Huston's Tavern, and now is Liz Huff's Arrow Rock Tavern. Built and opened in 1834 it is the oldest continuously operated tavern west of the Mississippi. I wish them many many years of success. I think Liz can do it. Ask her for the Ghost tour of the INN upstairs and your will get a an earful of history and frights. The INN is gorgeous and really now just a museum but a nice way to kill a few minutes until that meal comes. I will be going back to try lunch at some point but when in Arrow Rock to see the Lyceum or the historic homes and buildings you MUST eat at the Tavern! read more

J Huston Tavern - J Huston Tavern Arrow Rock - American Near Me - Arrow Rock, Missouri

We were camping at a local state park and our friends have raved about this place. There were 10 of us and we had made reservations. When we got there they wanted to sit us at 4 different tables?!?!? We were the first ones there at 5:00 pm when they opened. They said they could put tables together because it was too hard to serve and was a fire hazard. When we said we would go someplace else they said they could put us in a room that had 3 tables but we would all be together and could still talk, etc. We agreed to that. Then they said since there was 10 of us the tip would automatically be added in which was weird because we still were sitting "together". It was three separate tables. They recently had a kitchen fire and the main building actually just opened up. But they were still cooking in a trailer outside. We only had 3 choices for dinner - fried chicken, brisket and ribs. They also had a chicken salad sandwich and a salad. We were never told how much any of it was. My husband and I ordered the fried chicken which the waitress said consisted of a white and dark piece of meat. I don't really like dark meat but figured it would be okay with the other piece being white. When the meal came, I had a thigh and a small wing. Another man in our party also only got a thigh and wing. Others had a breast and leg. The meals came with a biscuit, baked beans and cole slaw. We are pretty sure the beans came out of a can and the chicken was not fresh at all. It was barely warm. Seemed like it might have been yesterday's chicken heated up. Needless to say there wasn't much there especially since I didn't even get a breast. The the power goes out in our room. I guess it was just that part of the building. The waitress comes in and says since the power is out they cannot take credit cards and can only accept cash or check but there is an ATM across the street to get cash!!! Then we ask how much the meals were. They were all $15.95 apiece. Really!! Lukewarm chicken, canned beans, cole slaw and a biscuit - they really made money off that! Luckily, we had enough money to pay for ours but others had to go to the ATM to get money and be charged the ATM fees for pay for their meals. At least we didn't get the automatic 20% tip on in. We will never go there again. It was very disappointing and not good. read more

We went to J Huston before seeing a show at the Lyceum Theatre. Fried chicken had a horrible burnt odor and off putting taste. We pointed this out to the manager who proceeded to bring us out a second plate of chicken that smelled just as bad! We once again told the staff and they agreed that they had noticed something was very wrong, but they continued to serve this inferior product. We were told that we would not be billed full price for our dinner. The inattentive wait staff made us wait a considerable amount of time before presenting us a check for $45.00! We once again had to complain. I suggested that if they would like to retain my business that our lousy dinner should be free. We were then treated rudely be our waiter and they offered to remove one dinner from our bill. Still paid $29.00 for some tea, a couple of sides and dessert. Never again! read more

We are camping in the state park close by. So for campers who don't want to cook. This restaurant was good! We were warmly greeted. Our server was attentive. And food was great! I had fried chicken meal. My spouse had the turkey club. He enjoyed it. I would come back again read more

Was very disappointed. The Cole slaw and potato salad was great, how we when the main course came out is was terrible. The ham and chicken were both over cooked, the potatoes were very weak almost as if made with water instead of cream, corn was out of a can and the green beans were good. We waited for 35 minutes for our biscuits as the first ones were still raw on the inside. The best part of our experience was our waiter, Daniel. Very conscientious and attentive. It was difficult to pay a $36 bill when we received such bad food. We will not be going back. read more

Totally cool, historic old building with satisfying comfort food. Yum. Giving it 4 stars instead of 5 because although the fried chicken is good - I have had better. And while I realize it is an old building, hence its character and charm, it's hard to enjoy a meal if you have goosebumps. read more

We made reservations as recommended, but were able to sit down before our scheduled time, as we had arrived much earlier than expected. The shops close about 5pm I guess and so there's not much to do before going to the theater except eat and walk about. Dinner was fried chicken, ham, potatoes, etc. We enjoyed the food, but as it is a one-dinner-fits-all menu, would pick another restaurant next time. read more

What the other reviewers are not telling you is that you are paying near $20 per person for bland cafeteria quality food. Public school lunches would give this place a run for it's money. And if it is good fried chicken you want, PLEASE DO NOT BOTHER! Historical quality aside, poorly trained wait-staff aside, I paid all of this money for a few pieces of fried chicken and sides heated right out of the gallon-sized economy cans?!?! Fool me once...... Given the prior reviewers visited 2-3 years ago, the place has really gone downhill from even then. I do not know where they ate, but it is not the same place that I dined at in July. There was NOTHING PLEASANT ABOUT THIS DINING EXPERIENCE! with regard to service or value. read more

We were at Huston's this past May, will be back next weekend....what a treat, food is excelent, service tops...the restaurant is a step back in time read more

Are there for the first time this afternoon for lunch. Very good, home cooked meal. Wonderful waiters and waitresses who were very welcoming. read more

I've been eating at the Tavern for probably 55 years. This is definitely the best incarnation the old place has ever had. The food is quite good. You have to live with (or like, as I do) a few quirks. For example, the servers are very young, and completely friendly and charming, though not polished. I think it adds to the charm. The building is a treat, the food really good, especially if you favor fried chicken. Give it a try. read more

So disappointed. We planned our trip to come through the state near lunch time just to go to the restaurant. It was out of our way and we pull up and it is closed! Thinking we may have made a mistake on their open times we went up to the door to check. The hours on there showed they were open Sunday until 2 and it wasn't even 1 and they were closed. It is extremely frustrating and the door made no indication as to why they were closed. Their website lists the hours and it should have been open. read more

Food was OK. Service was very slow and not the least attentive. Price was about right for the food. Best part of the dining experience was the old tavern bldg and location in Arrow Rock. read more

i enjoyed the homemade type of food, especially the salads, but i had to ask for more, as they use small servings of the sides. the cooked veggies were well cooked and not seasonal. i wanted corn on the cob, but the corn may have been canned. the meat was excellent. there was a big line for the one bathroom, so keep that in mind before going to the establishment.. overall, it was like eating in an old country store setting, that blended with the theme of arrow rock. read more

Have dined at the Tavern on several occasions. Always enjoyed the dining experience. Have always had the family style meal. Good ham and chicken with very fine side dishes. For the type of dining facility and its location, it is well worth the trip to Arrow Rock. read more