I don't enjoy writing bad reviews, but this wasn't cool. They just opened and I walked in with my son. We sat, and then the music came on - a bit too loud and not something I was excited to hear during dinner. Since we were the only two people besides staff, I figured it might be okay to ask them to lower the volume or maybe change the tunes. Got a firm no on the volume as well as the selection. Honestly, I was surprised when the bartender said no. I got up and left. No thoughts on returning. read more

5 of my friends and I went to the Congress Tavern before a PPAC show on a Saturday night. Great location for that. The burger I got was excellent, they were able to accommodate my food allergies, and the service was lovely. Unfortunately, it was louder than any bar I've been to in a decade. I don't know if it's normally like this on a Saturday night, or whether it was the individual parties that were happening there, but we literally had people jumping up and down behind us with more than one large group that was whooping and cheering intermittently, such that we had to absolutely scream to be heard by the folks at our table. I left hoarse. It was more like a club than a tavern the night we visited. Heads up--the ladies room is a single room, with no separate mirror/make up space. There were a lot of women who wanted to touch up or actually use the facilities the night we visited. Prepare for a line. We ultimately left and had a better social experience at the bar right across the street. I would definitely return to The Congress Tavern for lunch... but I wouldn't go back on a Saturday night. read more

Absolutely wonderful service with drinks and food that were YUM!!! (GET THE MOSCOW MULE!!) Did not expect to be staying here for three hours, but with the combination of good food good company and just overall good vibes. This is a place where you lose track of time but it's definitely worth it! (THEM FRIES THOUGH!!!) read more

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Food - yummy!! I had the lobster nachos they were really good 8.5/10 I wish they had jalapeño or some other veggies on top it was only lobster cheese and tomatoes. The lobster was cooked really well and it came together nicely I would go back just for this! My buddy had the steak and cheese it was average The drink was great!! Service - 10/10 super friendly, happy to help. Ambiance - we sat inside it's nice and roomy I love the small outdoors seating that's offered as well It's a cool place I'll be back for sure read more

The Congress Tavern - Lobster nachos - Gastropubs Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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Absolutley amazing surprise! Been dining in RI my entire life and never heard of this hidden gem. Group of 6 went last night before attending PPAC event and everyone was extremely happy with the vibe, the coziness, the service and the food! Great variety- something for everyone and each dish was perfect! Drinks also excellent. Will definitely be back! read more

The Congress Tavern - Fabulous family dinner before seeing Wicked at PPAC! Perfect experience! Ty!!! - Gastropubs Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

This was a great stop for our first dinner in Providence. The atmosphere is quiet, warm and friendly. We did make a reservation, but ended up not needing it. The crispy shrimp was delicious. We ate it before I could snap a picture. I had the lobster pasta with amazing! My husband loved his bison burger too! read more

The Congress Tavern - Lobster pasta - Gastropubs Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

If you are looking for a great spot near the financial district in downtown Providence look here. Great service and food. Pub atmosphere on a Friday night for dinner. Best beer and bourbon selection I have seen in downtown as we visit for NCAA games. If you are a bourbon drinker this is your spot. Great bourbon options, generous pours, and unbeatable prices. Highly recommend. read more

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On a Saturday, was looking for a place to eat that didn't have leftist stickers and Mantras plastered all over the place... accidentally found this place. What a find... oysters are small and pricey BUT they have a fantastic flavor... thoroughly impressed. The Hamburger (grilled onions, gruyere cheese, mushrooms) and the wife's Salad (BOSC pear salad w/ chicken) entree ) were amazing; the hamburger was a top ten best burger... so good... very messy lol. The kettle chips were super good and have a squishy texture I've never had before... they came with a French onion dip (looked like hummus)... superb! The wife said her Sangria was one of the best she's ever had... so there's that. Glad we stopped by. Cons: service was REALLY slow and they charge you per soda ($4) and don't tell you. read more

Good nachos with a white sauce. The bottom of the nachos were a little under dressed and didn't have the same flair as the top :) The chicken Parmesan was very good and tasty! Well priced with decent service read more

Came last night for night cap drink with my friend. We haven't eaten here but came previously for drinks. The drink menu has good variety. And the bartender was very attentive. read more

We were in town for a sporting event and were looking for a place to eat between sessions. We got in very quickly, Food came out in a timely manner. Burgers were delicious. Calamari was probably the best we've ever had! read more

The Congress Tavern - Calamari and Lobster Nachos - Gastropubs Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

Walking around downtown between appointments on a cold day we needed a spot to thaw out. Congress, down a small side street, close to the Arcade, was an excellent refuge. Being an 'odd' hour of the day, between lunch and when work lets out, we were the first of a couple other parties to come in. Seating ourselves at the bar, the barkeep asked if we'd like to eat. We didn't have time for a meal, but did look over the menu and we plan to come back for food another time. The atmosphere is very comfortable. Reminiscent of a pub in the UK or Ireland. Chalk board menus of available spirits, above the windows, include scotch, bourbon, whiskey, rye, beer on tap and bottled. You 'should' be able to find something here to tempt you. There are two single bathrooms. Parking is on-street metered, paid lot or garage. In warm weather they offer outdoor seating. The staff we met were very personable. Prices are reasonable. We are definitely happy we stopped in. read more

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We stumbled on this place on a recent visit to Providence. It is a bar, sticky floor and all. The menu had quite a few interesting items. We ended up having a meal of appetizers, and enjoyed them all. I'll be back to try the sandwiches. read more

Been coming to Providence for years and have eaten and drank at many of the "best" restaurants/bars in the city. We had just dropped off a family member at the train station on a Sunday night and we were looking for a close by comfortable bar for a quick bite. Went to to internet and discovered this gem. Our server Ellie was very friendly and helpful and we were able to order beer from their extensive draft and bottle/can offering. I didn't get a cocktail, but some of their specialty drinks looked delicious - next time! The food was amazing, hot and fresh. The choices were diverse and would check off the comfort food list. So happy we went and wish this "local" bar/restaurant was in our town in MA because we would frequent it often. THANK YOU. read more

Great food and service. Went in on a wed afternoon had a fantastic steak sandwich and fish & chips. Nice skeleton beers, API American Pale Ale was great. Nice and fast service. read more

french onion soup stole the show...would go back just for the soup alone. shrimp po boy a little dry but still delicious and the drinks also great . service not bad read more

Really close to a five star rating for me! I came in on a cool August Thursday night with a two others. The vibe was pretty calm for a gastropub which I was totally into. Location really isn't bad and while the aesthetics could use some improvement, that's not what I'm expecting to be great when coming into a pub. The food was probably the best part about the place. I ordered the orange street burger which felt hefty and flavorful. I really tasted the bacon and onions here. I also enjoyed the fact that everything in the burger wasn't slipping out of the burger when I was eating it as well. I do think that the fries could be crispier and had more seasoning, but I still finished them with no problem. My friends had fish tacos and a margarita pizza which they both thoroughly enjoyed. Best part was that the price didn't seem completely outrageous. read more

A solid place to stop in and have a drink at. The room isn't large, but it is very clean and cozy. The bar itself actually looks awesome... drinks were delicious and the service couldn't have been better. The food was just ok though. Granted you're not paying a lot for it, but nothing exactly wowed us. Don't let that stop you from coming here though if you're looking for a nice place to grab a drink. read more

Head out for a late night bite and Congress Tavern did not disappoint. The Blood Orange Margarita was delicious and my chicken parmigiana was perfect. The music was great and the NBA finals were on TV. Love the bar vibe and pleasantly surprised by the service and food! read more

The Congress Tavern - Blood Orange Margarita, Chicken parmigiana and buffalo wings! - Gastropubs Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

Great place! Visiting RI and this place was recommended by the parking lot attendant. Had the Pink Floyd, Smokin Bullet and Chicken Nachos. Drinks were amazing and the nachos were very good. Abby is a great bartender and provided awesome service. Sports on the tvs, great service, food, drinks and atmosphere! Couldn't ask for more. Close to our hotel. Music list was great too. read more

The cool lobster nachos. The prickly pear margarita was delicious and so was the house-made iced tea. These were good things to mention

My girlfriends and I just went to this restaurant because we were hungry and someone suggested it. We walked into this restaurant but we were told they wouldn't serve us alcohol because we "looked like" we were served enough for the night. I can't believe how unacceptable the behavior was from the staff to serve us. We walked across the street to G pub and they sat us right away- and we will be leaving a 30 percent tip. Up yours - congresss. read more

Stopped by for a light bite and drinks on a Saturday afternoon. We sat ourselves and got the menu ourselves. The waitress was extremely curt but was fairly nice. Ordered: - Steamed mussels ($12): So good. The toast was GARLIC BREAD. This was not specified on the menu. That bread made my night. One complaint, the one end of the bread was soaked in the mussel water/broth, making that part super, SUPER salty. But I am not mad because I could never be upset with garlic bread. - Orange street burger ($11): I feel bar burgers can be not too good, but this was perfect. It was not overcooked, still pink, and it had the perfect amount of salt. One note, my friend ordered a whiskey ginger and said there wasn't much alcohol in it. I'm a fan. If I were nearby and wanted drinks and food, I'd definitely stop by. But I don't think I'd make plans to specifically come here again. read more

The Congress Tavern - Steamed mussels ($12) - loved it! - Gastropubs Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

Wow, so glad my friend brought me here for lunch on a rainy winter day. Parking is tricky since it's downtown but we were on foot which made it easier. It's in the first floor of a historic building in downtown providence and has dark woodwork everywhere and sends you back in time which I loved!! Appears it used to be a library or business with the need to get at items on the wall since it still has the portable ladder in there! I had an old speckled Hen beer and it was so good on tap! Great service and really nice too! There's a bar also but we grabbed a cozy window spot. I ordered the Kobe burger with pepper Jack and balsamic fig glaze, amazing and didn't leave a crumb! read more

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Walking the city of providence and found this place. Small place. Kinda a hang out bar for lunch during the day. The Guinness beer. Perfect! Didn't eat their but you can hang outside. Was a great night ! read more

My girlfriend and I visited Congress Tavern on a Wednesday night for dinner. We ordered an entree plus two drinks. My girlfriend ordered a margarita with 1800 silver. I tried one of their house cocktails, the Abbey Road. Both drinks were good. The Abbey Road is like your normal gin and tonic, but a little stronger. For dinner I ate the fish and chips. It was your normal beer battered fish with fries. There was nothing extremely special about it. SN: the coleslaw that accompanied the fish was surprisingly edible. Kudos to them for that! My girlfriend ordered the lobster nachos. They were surprisingly not as good as we expected. Given all of the reviews and high remarks, we were expecting them to be some of the best, if not "the best," nachos ever. Let me be clear, the nachos weren't bad; however, they were a bit strange. For starters, the cheese was simply melted cheese. There wasn't any queso, just tons of melted cheese. The best part of the dish was the lobster and the additional side of jalapeños we ordered. Overall, Congress Tavern was a decent experience for some quick American style food. Our server was very nice and helpful. read more

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The burgers were awesome. Very accommodating to our dietary needs. Attentive staff. read more

Nice cute spot........I went with a couple of friends for drinks ......I got the strawberry sangria it was very good......My friends drink was good as well and I like the fact that my friend ask for a drink that wasn't on the menu and the waitress said that she can definitely look it up and make it no issues........The waitress was super nice.......The restaurant is clean.......... Next time I'll get something to eat but I will definitely return........ read more

The Congress Tavern - Gastropubs Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

Small place with good food and service! Food came out really fast before waiting for our train back to Boston. Would recommend for small bites! read more

The Congress Tavern - Rhode Island stuffies - Gastropubs Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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Wonderful bartenders! I recently came into town and was directed from a hotel bartender to visit this location. I cannot tell you how amazing the service was from our bartender Megan. She suggested the perfect food and told us exactly where we should go at night to have an amazing evening. Get the chips and dip as a side. And tell Meg we say hi! read more

Been here a couple of times. First time I had the Chicken Bruschetta with chips and dip. Food was excellent. The chips are house made and the dip is a French onion style and is delicious. Second time I had the Pan Seared Baby Cod. The fish was cooked to perfection and the Jasmine rice was perfect. The establishment is tucked away on a side street and the mood is small and inviting. Stop in for a great experience with a super nice staff who is glad to help with recommendations. read more

Food excellent, service amazing! Chicken bruschetta and steak nachos are highly recommended! And pear salad was great! Definitely try this place if you are in the area! read more

We stopped by for a quick bite - ordered the Fish and Chips, Yellowfin Fish Tacos, and an app of Stuffies! The Fish and Chips were amazing - huge fish, lightly fried, and delicious. Tacos were also solid! Service was amazing, fast and friendly! read more

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Friendly staff, great drinks, and the food is better than anticipated! Great little bar in the heart of Providence.

Lobster roll taste good. As well as the pasta. Very attractive pricing. Nice guy introducing the Manu.

Food excellent, Ambiance eh! Sat outside no view, except for the homeless guy standing and staring, service excellent John was on the ball. All in all a good experience. read more

10/10 every time. Service and apps were amazing and they accommodated my same day reservation.

If I could leave negative stars I would. Legit, the wait staff is rude at. Most days the girls just stand around chewing the fat while customers wait endlessly to be greeted after seating themselves , which is pretty much the policy here as there is no host. Even after being finally greeted they may come around every 30 minutes to check in. They are short non hospitable and seemingly not interested in promoting any sort of future business from the patrons . I did notice that regulars ( local residents or folks in the service industry) get treated VeRy well and are frequently checked on in a rather timely fashion The thing that gets me is, me and quite a few fellow coworkers frequented this place as it was directly next door to our apartments, we never caused problems and always tipped well regardless of our service, and these people accused our group of never tipping. The next trip out they accused us of being rude when if fact they were the rude party. Overall I give this little hole in the wall a big fat ZERO stars. We will never return to them with our business . read more

Friendly service - attentive and helpful Good food - deep menu Fair prices Worth a visit read more

Baby cod doo doo doo doo doo, baby cod doo doo doo doo doo... The Congress Tavern's Baby Cod in a sherry sauce with jasmine rice & arugula salad with shaved parmesan is now one of my top three meals in Providence. Utterly divine. I cleared my plate. Attentive service, solid wine & cocktail list... I'm looking forward to returning to explore the menu further! read more