Great history of this place. And incredible food! Located in the village of Sumnerville, a few miles north of Niles, it's worth the drive. I had their hot ham and cheese on French bread, which is their signature sandwich, and the fried cauliflower. Very good! The service was very pleasant and efficient. Gotta love the atmosphere. Be sure to check their memory corner of photos of the history of the Inn. read more

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It's a small quaint place that's been around for many years. Food is great, haven't had anything bad yet. Been going for over 2 years. There's time when you have to wait to ordering and waiting for your food. The place has one cook and one server. There's about 13 tables and about 15 chairs at the bar. I think the cook can only cook one table at a time and even if you ask for a "medium burger" you won't get it. It's more like well done. read more

Great place. Lots of history here. Good service. Great food. Love their ham sandwich. We'll be back.

I have already left a previous review. Just adding pics of their menu. I got the fried chicken . read more

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Dinner for 4 with two pitchers of beer for $60?! Enough said. That's more than half price compared to Chicago. And it was pretty darn good. Thanks for the fun weekend. We will be back. read more

July 2024. Just as I expected, wonderful small town gathering eatery. The conversation amongst locals was friendly and funny. I had the Ruben, and my husband had the chicken dinner. Both were very good. Service was good. I will be going back. read more

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Great Ham Sandwiches and soup! Service was quick and very friendly. Worth the 30 minute drive

BEST FREAKING REUBEN I'VE EVER HAD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. I've brought probably 6 of my friends from Chicago here to have the reuben - It's never disappointed. I love this place and the staff is great. Goulash is so random but OH so good! Heavy pour for my wine craving. There's nothing about this place that I don't love. read more

This place is great! Been coming here since I was a kid. Always try to get here when I'm in town. Great people and great food! Definitely a must if you're in the Niles area. read more

Small crowded... food and service is not bad... I'd probably go back there if I were near by.

we came in for my sons fathers bday today. We sat ourselves and waited for 15 minutes to be greeted with me yes and for the drink order to be taken. we were just three people, we got pops.. got our orders in.. waited almost an hour for our burgers and onion rings and cheese sticks, was never checked on for drink refills or if the food was ok.. we were referred by my friend who said her family runs this so we went out of our way to visit. my son was noticeably uncomfortable and all I could tell him was " a couple more minutes be patient" about 60 times. not once did anyone tell us there was a wait or something was backed up or that there was short staff.. heard the staff laughing a lot so they were in good spirits. There was no sorry, no thank you's we won't be back. i do NoT like leaving bad reviews because I've worked hospitality much of my working career but this was ridiculous. read more

Old Tavern Inn - Half a glass of pop filled with ice to eat this burger with. No one revisited to ask how anything was or if we needed a refill - New American Near Me - Niles, Michigan

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Hot ham sandwich is not hot like they heated it up. In hot as in spicy. I guess I missed that on menu

My server was amazing. She was prompt and was non stop moving. They were clearly busy and overwhelmed. The other server, Savannah, was extremely rude and yelled at our server (clearly irritated with her) and made our entire table feel very uncomfortable. It was very unprofessional. I felt bad for our server, Jessica. read more

Nice historic restaurant. Good food. They were busy, but did great attending to my son and me.

The negative reviews of this business are total BS. This is a small, family run business. If you expect the hours to be consistent like an Applebee's go to Applebee's. These folks are great. The food is fantastic, drinks are fine and the service is highly attentive. Don't let the negative reviews fool you. I come here every quarter on business from out of state and they welcome me, remember my name and take wonderful care of me. read more

I love this place they have a really sweet young bartender! Though I forgot her name! And honestly the best ham sandwich anywhere by far!

Stopped here for lunch and it was great. The staff was friendly and so were the customers. Definitely gives you a neighborhood vibe. We will be back!! read more

A friend took us here on our way back from Niles. Talk about off the beaten path. This little place sits in a neighborhood with no other businesses around it. I doubt you would find it without trying. Very friendly staff that took our order and the food came very quickly. I just had a cheeseburger and fries, my friends had hot ham and cheese and chicken noodle soup. Everyone was happy with the food and service. It's nothing fancy but I would not hesitate to stop if I was in the area again. read more

Yummy, it's rustic homemade and the goulash is just like my Mom's. One of the few old eating establishments from the past.

They have the best burgers around I compare them to five guys. Also, it's a great little bar and grill sometimes they get really really busy so it takes a little bit of time for service but the food is well worth it.!!! read more

We have been going to OTI for years via truck and snowmobile! The local and authentic feel is great. The food is classic feel-good fare done with consistent quality and generous portions. Their drinks are reasonably priced making it a great value overall. Our favorites: hot ham sandwich, goulash, hamburgers and pickle chips. read more

And on to the oldest bar in Michigan. I'm sure some of you have heard of the "Ship of Theseus" before. Theseus was the hero who according to legend defeated the Minotaur and freed the Athenians from Crete. Well, the Athenians had a ship that the believed was actually used by Theseus to sail to Crete (Theseus probably was a real person who defeated the Cretans in battle). By the time of Aristotle this ship was very old, and he said that every few years, a plank of the ship would be rotten, and the Athenians would replace it. By Aristotle's time, nearly the whole ship had been replaced. And so the question was posed, "Is this still the ship of Theseus?" Why do I write this in review? Well, this bar is kind of like the ship of Theseus. Yes, a building was built here in the 1830's, not long after Michigan became a state, but this the building you can calk into today at all related? I don't know. What I do know is that there are lots of very old wooden beams in there--and that seems old-timey--even if the siding on the outside does not. This is definitely a neighborhood bar. When I walked in with my Dad, everyone stopped and stared at us. I half expected the music to come screeching to a halt. However, the people in there were real salt of the earth and were very friendly. The beer selection was pretty standard--but there were some interesting local Michigan choices as well. As for the food, I really wanted to try the goulash, but I went with a burger. The burger was as no-frills as it gets, but it was very juicy and really hit the spot. My dad had the giant ham sandwich (really get half if you've eaten at all the week before), and it, too, was no frills but really hit the spot, good bread, decent ham, good stuff. Worth the effort (about 35 min from South Bend) to get here! Word on the street is that there is good fly fishing very nearby here if you visit in the summertime. read more

Old Tavern Inn - Legit old school. - New American Near Me - Niles, Michigan

Service is incredibly slow for a Friday. Been waiting 45 minutes now for food and it's still not here. Flys everywhere. Droll atmosphere. Subpar sloppy bar food. read more

We stopped here for a mid-week lunch with friends. My husband & I had never been here. What a very nice surprise! The service was excellent & the food was amazing! Burgers cooked perfectly!! We will be back...soon!! Thank you for a wonderful experience!! read more

My goulash was cold.When I complained they simply put it in a microwave and reheated it. I figured they were going to comp my dinner but no they didn't. As a matter of fact when I complained they got upset that I complained asked me not to come back. read more

This place is old, like in the woods funky old... But that being said it is a fun place to stop at. The draft pours are somewhat lacking, they come in very tiny mugs. So, the price may be cheap but you have to buy 2 or 3 of them to equal a fair sized beer. The food is traditional American bar food... If your a big eater order the full sizes otherwise stick to the smaller portions. It will definitely remind you of the good old days. read more

Great old time bar/restaurant with wonderful hamburgers and a waitress/ bartender who really hustles. Can't wait to try the famous ham sandwich. Restroom was clean. read more

Great food and relaxed atmosphere. We always stop in when we visit Michigan! Family owned and very friendly!

Stay away from this place! We had friends who live in the area take us there and the doors were locked even though the sign indicated they should still be open. We saw employees inside and we asked why they were closed. The response was, "Nobody's been in here for an hour so we closed early." We then asked if they would open to allow us (there were 6 in our party) to spend our money there the girl said she would ask her boss and let us know. She simply went back to her chores and never gave us an answer. Surprised that this is how a business is run. We instead went to another bar and had a great time. We shot pool and enjoyed the Sunday Night Football game with our friends. When we were leaving, the server thanked us and said that we saved her day. The Old Tavern Inn not only lost any possibility of us returning, but also lost the business and confidence of our four friends who live in the area. read more

The food is fantastic and very affordable. The wait can sometimes be more than 30 minutes for food if it's a busy night. This shouldn't stop you from checking it out though. The hot ham and the burgers come highly recommended. Keep in mind this place is a small tavern and it can get quite busy. Children are welcome but profanity can be heard drifting through the building as well. Although I feel this can be said about most places that serve alcohol. I always go in expecting a home cooked meal, and I never leave disappointed. This is the oldest continues business in the state of Michigan...Rumor has it is haunted also... but I've not run into any ghosts in my visits. :) read more

Great food and cold beer. The best Ham Sandwich to be found for 100s of miles around.. One of the oldest establishment in the area. Near the Dowagiac Creek which was part of the gateway to the west. The Dowagiac Creek is one of the best trout streams in the world so after you finish fishing stop at the tavern and have a bite to eat. read more

Ok as the name of this place is Old Tavern Inn it was just as I expected. First I want to say some of the reviews on the service are way off base . The server we had was named Kelly , She was waiting on about 45 guests and was running her butt off.She was the only one waiting on the floor and the bar area. I have been to several hundred places to eat and drink and she is #1 in my book . my glass never got empty before I was asked if I would like another . most times I tip 20% if I have a good server , But She was so good and happy and smiles . I left 30% . now for the food . Wife ordered the burger and fries which she enjoyed and really like the fries . I ordered a full Ham and cheese sandwich . Wow I should have ordered 1/2 ham . Any ways must have been 2 pounds of the smokiest sweetest fried ham and the cheese just oozing out of the sandwich all of this on a soft french roll . so the place is the oldest business Establishment in Michigan , Most places like this have old date run down kitchens you would not want to eat out of. But the view I got was spotless clean floors shinning stainless steel . ever thing had a place and was very organized . I rate this in my Top 10 places to eat ... Its a local favorite .. Ice cold beer good food and great service is all I need to bring me back for more. read more

Tried this place today. I had the 1/2 hot ham on French bread. My wife had a jumbo chili cheese dog and our friend had a cheeseburger. Ours was good and the onion rings were delicious! The burger was kinda greasy but good. The waitress was awesome. We'll be back! read more

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Historic establishment are the first words in describing the Old Tavern Inn. Food is what you'd expect when thinking "traditional bar food". Met up with sister and brother in law for a Sunday evening bite to eat. Hubs and I have stopped in only once prior and they hadn't ever been a guest. All of us appreciated the nostalgia of the inn and the history... the service was okay considering the place was nearly full capacity. Sis and I ordered goulash which is one of their specialties. Brother in law wanted to try the hot ham and cheese... our meals were exactly as expected. Hubs ordered the bacon cheese burger. He said it was great...except for the crappy bun!! It totally fell apart before he took his first bite...which was right after he cut the burger in two. SO... my recommendation is this: Until the burger bun is a more substantial bun able to hold up a great burger... I wouldn't order it. You will literally be cutting the burger with a knife and fork and eating it that way. A juicy burger needs a great bun and this isn't it, sadly. Other than that... the fries were good and the beer cold. Decide for yourselves! :) read more

This place is great! Don't expect fancy, but you will get down to earth people and quality food! Excellent stop for beer n burger!

Wonderful local restaurant. Kind and sweet service. Had the small burger which was delicious. Cup of chili hit the spot.

I was very disappointed, after ordering food we waited literally an hour and half, watched several tables order receive food and pay before we got ours, by the time I did get the food my burger was cold, room temperature. My friend ordered the chicken and it tasted like they last changed the deep fryer in 1835. Most of the other patrons were ordering ham sandwiches which is what they are known for, those looked good but was such a bad experience I will never eat there again. read more

We went there yesterday, May 28 around dinnertime. The smell of the fried chicken from the parking lot, made our mouths water. When we walked in, there were several employees gathered around the bar. (they were wearing red T-shirts/tank tops) There were 2 couples in our party, so we went and found a booth. We waited and waited (15 min)for at least acknowledgement, but there was none. Two gentlemen walked in after us (about 5 minutes later) and were promptly greeted and given menus. We still had nothing. Needless to say we left. I am not one to normally judge, but maybe the establishment/server dosen't take well to non-locals, or it could have been the makeup of our group (3 women and a man)...I don't care, I just wanted a coke and some of that great smelling chicken. read more

2 ham sandwiches, one with french fries and a shrimp basket, all to go. The sandwiches were cold along with the French fries as well. The shrimp, and coleslaw was Gordon's Food obviously. $40.00 is way to costly for this. Get real. read more

Wouldn't bother with this place. Service was absolutely horrible, it was even slow when we were there. Food honestly wasn't much better. If you're into the oldest bars in America tour just get a beer and leave. read more