Went here for dinner and drinks with the parents after we discovered the Bull's Head was too crowded. As someone who grew up in the area and only returns periodically, I was surprised when my parents told me White Swan was a legit eating and drinking establishment and no longer a dive bar. I was very impressed with how the owners have fixed the place up, and the menu they offered.
Since we were feeling casual, we just seated ourselves at the bar rather than wait for a table. (Tangent: the bar is made out of broken bottles and is pretty damn cool). The bartenders were friendly and engaging despite what appeared to be a pretty busy evening for them. They made sure our beers kept coming and took good care of us.
I ordered the prime rib, with a salad and fries as my sides. I like a salad with or before pretty much every meal, and a lot of my opinion on the meal overall weighs on the salad. Just a weird hangup of mine. Anyways, this particular salad was very good, with fresh cherry tomatoes, onions, good croutons and a sprinkling of shredded cheese. Not a boring salad by any means. We also got a basket of bread with the salads. The bread was disappointing, the rolls seemed like the kind you buy in the bag at Giant, tear apart and throw in a basket when you're in a hurry. But hey, it's only bread.
Unfortunately, there was a table of 25 in the restaurant at the same time, and it appeared the kitchen was backlogged bigtime. It took over 45 minutes for our prime rib to arrive. Since the bartenders were very apologetic and taking good care of us with the drinks, it wasn't as big of a deal, but you never want to wait that long for your meal.
Fortunately, however, the prime rib was well worth it. The 12 oz. cut was plenty big, and it was juicy and well seasoned. And the fries? They may have been the star of the show. Imagine your favorite fry stand at a local fair or football game (Fink's, anyone?)...they're that good. Glad I opted for them instead of a boring baked potato. The only thing that was missing was a splash of vinegar. Easily the best fries I've had that didn't come from a truck.
All things considered, this is a great under the radar addition to the area's dining scene. The atmosphere is great, and I could see this place taking off the way La Piazza has. It'd be a great place to watch the game and enjoy some food and drink. Prices are VERY fair for the quality of the food. Also, it's nice to see a place that does the simple things right, like the fries and the salad. It surprises me how content some places are to serve half-hearted basics sometimes. (Ok, I'll ignore the disappointing bread.) The owners here deserve a pat on the back for the job they did in resurrecting this historic tavern.
We'll call it a 4.5/5. I'm trying not to be too liberal in handing out 5 stars. But I will definitely be back when I am in the area again. read more