We recently tried the Dark Horse Tavern on a Saturday evening. We got there at opening (5 o'clock) and it was already dark out, it was confusing where the entrance was, but we found it. We entered and were immediately impressed by the decor and setting. You really feel like you entered a time capsule from a different era, everything is beautiful. We were seated in a cute little area. We ordered our drinks and we really wanted the fish chowder for our app, but they didn't have any (so disappointing). My husband decided on the chili and nothing caught my eye for an app, but I had some bites of the chili and it was very very good! For dinner my husband picked the Beef and Guinness Stew and I picked the Fish and Chips. My fish was very good, but it said it came with hand cut fries and there was no way they were hand cut, they tasted like everything other frozen fries I've had and they were really skimpy on the fries. My husband's Beef and Guinness Stew was awful, he said the meat was very grizzly and tough. We really enjoyed our experience dining in such a beautiful place, we might come back in the summer and give them another try. read more

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Amazing waitstaff, great ambience, and terrific food. I wish we lived closer. It has a sort of clandestine/hidden gem vibe. My husband had the beef and Guinness stew and I had the classic wedge salad - both fab. Our server was so attentive. I recommend trying the cocktail of the day, if you happen to be a cocktail person. read more

Amazing meal and wonderful staff. Kera took care of every need we had. Loved the blt and hand cut fries. The coziness of the place is lovely, we loved sitting by the fireplace. read more

we tried the tavern for the first time today. tammy was the waitress. we both got fish & chips with handcut french fries. it was delicious !! not greasy and the fish was very mild. i had smithwick irish red ale on tap & my wife had a white sangria which the bartender made with chardonnay & peach schnapps with peach puree ! it was the best i ever had & i recommended they add it to menu. the server was very nice and the atmosphere was cozy and casual. will be back for sure ! read more

Food was great , service was great,and a good feel environment the owner came out and talked to everyone what a great gesture very pleasant very informative about his building is amazing also outside dining can't beat it read more

The atmosphere makes you feel like you're in the city....even their music was perfect! We sat at the bar, drinks were spot on as was the food! Hand cut fries and home made potato chips complimented our burgers. This will be one of our new go to's! read more

I'm a sucker for a good burger and this place has exactly that and then some. I came on burger and beer for $10 night (Wednesday) and started off with a steel rail pale ale which was wicked good. By the time I finished it the appetizer of wings came out. I believe it was some kind of Jamaican jerk/carribean rub. They were pretty good. Just as my girlfriend and I were finishing up our wings the burgers came out and I instantly regretted ordering an appetizer because the burgers were HUGE! I ordered the deep fried pickle burger which I could not bite into fully because of the height. (A good problem) It has ketchup and mustard then a pile of crunchy fried pickles topped with spicy ranch then the burger and cheese. Oh, and lots of bacon...about 4-5 pieces! Veggies we won't count because those are blah whatever. Haha The waitress was awesome. She never forgot any one of my 5 million requests and always checked in with us to let us know the status of our food. Very appreciative of that especially since it was so busy. Overall the atmosphere was great. Dark with good vibes and the live band was awesome. Love that they do covers. Definitely recommend this place to any burger and beer lovers and of course anyone else because there other plates looked good as well! read more

Dark Horse Tavern - Deep fried pickle burger with a steel rail pale ale. Best burger I've had in a very long time. Huge, juicy and crunchy! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Southbridge, Massachusetts

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Dark Horse Tavern is a great place to be for an "on the upper-scale" end of a casual dining and drinking experience. We had a great meal with the owners of the three-floor 12 Crane complex, which also features a fine dining restaurant upstairs, a state-of-the-art concert hall, and gorgeous apartments. Dear Husband and I love the design and decor of the whole place. The Dark Horse atmosphere is cozy, and you definitely feel like you're in a pub in Ireland. The food and beer are great, too. We had a tasting of all of the beers, from the lightest to the richest in flavor: Blueberry Ale, SOB (Southbridge Ordinary Bitter), Honest Town Pale Ale, Hefe Weizen, Padraig's Irish Red, and the Coffee Stout. I found myself sipping the SOB more than the others, but I'll say that there was something about the Coffee Stout that got me, and I'm not a stout drinker. For appetizers, we all split bruschetta, LARGE potato skins, and Celtic Nachos. All great, but the potato skins were my favorite. My dinner entree was the lamb shank with mashed potatoes and carrots. Can I just "SO GOOD?" The meat just fell off the bone. It was so darn tasty. I highly recommend it. Dear Husband ordered and enjoyed the baked haddock with creamy leek sauce and rice. The other couple chose fish 'n' chips and corned beef and cabbage, which we'll have to try next time we're there. For years, Southbridge had a reputation of being home to dive bars, while Sturbridge could boast all the fine dining establishments. Well, Sturbridge can still hold onto that, but Southbridge's dining and entertainment scene is on an upswing, especially with the addition of the 12 Crane complex, which is a model of sustainable design and technology. I highly recommend this place and the Dark Horse Tavern; it's not just a place for the 20-somethings. It's a great place for adults of all ages. read more

Dark Horse Tavern - 12 Crane exterior off their website - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Southbridge, Massachusetts

Love this place food was great and music too! Burgers are oversized and they have great beers on tap to go with it ! Quaint and dark exactly what you would expect in an old New England bar and grill! The bar tender/ hostess/ waiter was awesome thank you Tony for a great meal and laughs! I will definitely visit again if I ever get sent to another conference in the middle of MA!! read more

Dark Horse Tavern - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Southbridge, Massachusetts

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Fish and Chips were awesome. On Wednesday night they had a beer and burger deal for $10 that everyone else in my group got, and they loved it. I considered getting a bowl of chowder, but none of the locals said they had ever tried it, so I passed. Closes early at 11pm. read more

Dark Horse Tavern - The Dark Horse Tavern - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Southbridge, Massachusetts

I met a few friends there after they recommend the Dark Horse Tavern. The beer selection was great, but that's where the positives end. We placed an order and was instructed that the order would not be submitted for 10 min to the kitchen. This confused me a bit. The food arrived an hour and a half after placing it. My order consisted of 3 hamburgers and a Turkey Club. The hamburgers where over cooked and the French fries were under cooked and covered in grease. When trying to pay for the bill the server informed us our tab got added to the table next to us. 20 min later the matter was finally sorted. The interior was ok other than the fact our table was 10 feet from the door and with the cold night it felt like we where outside by the end of our visit. I would not recommend this place unless they get a decent manager, more cooks, and a competent waitstaff. read more

Went here a few months ago. Had a fantastic meal and the pumpkin martinis were outstanding. Going back soon! Update: Went again a few weeks ago and had a bad experience with the service. Miscommunication should not be the customers' issue. Will not be going back. It's really too bad because we enjoyed our initial experience and thought the owner was very nice. The food was good too. Can't be interrogated by the "manager" and her attitude was insulting and very unprofessional. Apparently the owner was not there so there was no one else to discuss the problem with. Unfortunate. read more

excellent food, nice atmosphere... which is saying a lot, since I grew up in Dudley and don't usually see much charm in the local places. I had the fish sandwich (the Ipswitch) and I think we tried a little of everything, across the table (chicken bacon sandwich, burger, pulled pork and bruschetta). Everyone was very impressed with their food, especially the pickle! The building is great and has a lot of potential including the upstairs art space, downstairs performance space. One of our party got one of their brewed-in-house beers. She asked for whatever was "hoppy" and said it was a little too "malty" for a "hoppy" beer... but I'm not a drinker and don't care, so they still get 5 stars from me read more

Been here several times for dinner, always on a weeknight. The wait staff has always been pleasant and personable. Walking in may seem a little confusing but I like that the layout is not typical of most, if not any other places you walk into. You basically walk into an outer room and walk down to the entrance to the bar where there are more tables inside that area. Food has always been good. Their fried pickles are fantastic. It's nice to try a different beer everytime we come in as well. It's a fun casual spot to hang out and enjoy time with friends. read more

I think I'm almost unreasonably fond of Dark Horse. I am literally obsessed with their chicken tenders with spicy chili sauce. I sometimes catch myself at work having wasted 5-10minutes daydreaming about them. The service here has never been anything less than great in my experience. Over the past year, their menu has changed somewhat, and every new option I've tried has been significantly better than expected, even when my expectations have been fairly high. I'd very highly recommend the place, and I take all my friends who visit from out of town. read more

This is a great place that you don't want to miss. A little more upscale then your corner bar with delicious food and plenty of tasty hand crafted brews to choose from. I especially love it that they have live entertainment most Thur,Fri and Sat. When the weather is nice they have a really nice pattio for outside seating. Inside you will also find a free pool table and dartboard set up. Loads of free parking space. The owners and staff are super friendly. If I could say anything on the downside to keep it from a five star it would be that there is not much in the line of vegetarian choices, the wifi never seems to be working right and for planning you will find that most of the time they will not post on their web or FB site of upcoming entertainment until that very evening if you are lucky. This establishment is highly welcomed in a place like Southbridge ! read more

Inviting, relaxed atmosphere in the heart of the historic Flat Iron District. The silver exterior encases many businesses including the Dark Horse Tavern. Tasty food, with creative presentation is available from 11 a.m. Plenty of good beer from Honest Town Brewery - the in-house microbrewery. The SOB (Southbridge Ordinary Bitter) and the Pale Ale get my votes but the Padraig's Red, Summer Hefeweizen and the blueberry are all well reviewed by patrons. Beautiful overlooks of the Quinebaug River. Patio seating as well. An ideal destination for a bike ride. read more

The staff was just as great as the food!! My son and I we're very happy campers. I had the Rubin with a nice Alagash beer from Maine. He got the nachos. He's a very picky eater but they put a huge smile on his face. We are looking forward to going back to our new hang. read more

Dark Horse Tavern - Scrumptious - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Southbridge, Massachusetts

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Really loved our meals! We got a burger and portobello sanwich. We split the yummy, delicious buffalo tenders...the fries were soggy and gross however but I think the kitchen had an off night with fries as I cannot imagine them serving those daily... good atmosphere. our service was really lacking but all else was great. southbridge does not have many sit-down service restaurants and this one is a decent pub. menu was small but food was good. there are a few tables and a flat-screen tv, just outside the restaurant in the lobby. read more

This is a great find in a town that can use more like it. Southbridge has lots of nice places, and this is one of the better ones. The food is very good, standard pub fare, and they have lots of local craft brews and the standard Irish, and UK stuff. You will like this place, and it is worth the search. It will take a little looking! Enjoy the visit! read more

With a stellar selection of brews on tap, sorry no bud light on tap here folks, great food, & amazing atmosphere I started becoming a regular at this establishment. Southbridge gets a bad wrap, but this place shows what this town can offer as far as good food, service, and ambiance. I highly recommend this place! They also offer live music Thurs, Fri, & Sat. With the music venue, The Cannery, right next door in the same building, offering live bands Fri & Sat how can you go wrong? You can't! read more

Dark Horse Tavern - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Southbridge, Massachusetts

This place is closed.there is now a Cuban Restaurant in the basement there. Don't bother with the Cuban. Service was extremely slow. Then when the food came out it was barely lukewarm. My husband got a Shrimp and rice plate for $18. There were 6 very small shrimp. I ordered grilled skirt steak and it was not only cold it was like shoe leather. I couldn't even chew it. We will not be back. read more

This place is great!! The staff is super friendly, and even gave me a tour of the place. They had live music (we visited Saturday Night) at the bar and a band in the music venue side. We didn't eat anything but the food looked great, the chef came out several times and was talking to the tables. IMPRESSIVE!! I suggest coming here if you are in the area. read more

Dark Horse Tavern - Beer - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Southbridge, Massachusetts

This place has a really cool vibe which makes up for a lot in my book - I just cannot forgive their only being open 4 days/nights a week! Every time I have remembered to go there because I am in the area they have been closed. The last time I actually got in was probably 2014. They left a great impression on me as the food was good and affordable and I recall the staff and the facility was clean and really interesting. I would love to go back. They should try being open on Sundays and seeing what happens. read more

Great atmosphere. There was a performer singing to the outdoor seating crowd when we walked in. Sounded great & everyone was happy. Beautiful setup. Pool table! Various draft beers. Great service. All around a great place to go with delicious food! Will be back very soon. read more

I absolutely love it here, my favorite deal is the 20/20 20 chicken wings and a pitcher of beer for 20 bucks. They come in 5 different flavors and you can mix them up and get them grilled. I have also gotten their steak tips and soups which are always great. The only thing negative is the bathroom that has sticky floors, but easily overlook for thier other great qualities! read more

A splendidly Irish pub in a renovated mill setting. This spot has become quite popular. At lunch I had a fabulous panini. Beers on tap are first-rate. If you are looking for something quieter and more romantic, head upstairs to the sister restaurant called Hop Vine Cafe. read more

Beers good(because its beer).. foods really bad.. and if you can believe it the service is worse than the food!!! Thursdays, Fridays and weekends nights are very slow.. Tuesday and Wednesday nights are much more fun with the trivia and karaoke.. if they could cook better food and maybe scheduled some fun things on weekends I would go there much more often until then Tuesday and Wednesdays are the only days you will find friends and I there. read more

We went out for my best friends Birthday and sadly it set a tone for the night. The drinks were slow, and so was the waitress. There were times where we waited 15-20 minutes for drinks. The food was terrible and we waited 40 minutes for the food to come out and the waitress forgot the 5 salads we ordered. The place had potential but the food was not even good. Steak tips were dry and just awful. Not a place we would go back to. read more

Went to this local tavern for the first time tonight. As far as atmosphere goes... This place has charm. In an old factory and the outside of the restaurant and the inside are completely different. Typical pub menu burgers. Sandwiches and a few entrees ... We ordered an appetizer and our meals.... 20 minutes later our meals arrived.... Never saw the appetizer... And they weren't busy so there really wasn't any excuse for that but the steak tips were tender and the burger my friend had was good so... Not sure I'd go back but it's close by so maybe read more

Well, I have mixed feelings on this place. I saw that a friend "liked" their page on Facebook and was intrigued that there was a brewery in little old Southbridge so I went to check it out. Well, their Facebook isn't updated hardly ever, there isn't a website, and there isn't a whole lot of information about it online except for some Yelp reviews saying it's pretty sketchy but the food is good. Husband and I decided to check it out. Yep. Pretty sketchy, but I already expected that... Husband still wanted to turn around and didn't want to waste his time trying it out once he saw the building. Parking is weird since the sign for the building was past the building itself and when it's dark you can't see that far down the road, but I'm glad we saw the sign after all since parking in the front of the building looked like a bad idea. Got around to the back of the building where you park... there seems to be a couple entrances and none of them are labeled, not even for the restaurant. Couldn't find a sign, but then we saw the folding chalk board with specials on it. Walked in and there's nobody there. Doesn't look like a restaurant, just a sign pointing to where bathrooms are and a couple of oddly-placed booths by the front door, and down the hall there's a pool table. We stood there for a good 5 minutes calling out to anyone to see if we were in the right place. It was almost 7:30 PM on a Thursday night and there wasn't a soul in sight. Started walking around and found the entrance to the bar with the typical big TV's playing sports and the news. Not impressed. Tried finding a waitress.. couldn't find one! Bartender was busy with a few people, so husband just sat down at a table and hoped that was okay. Finally a waitress came out, we explained we've never been there before and was wondering if we found the right place... she laughed and said yes, then brought us menus. Spinach and artichoke dip was amazing. Really, it was addictive, and it was a giant bowl which was extremely filling. For dinner I ordered the guacamole burger, and husband ordered the St. James pasta dish. He said the pasta was great, portion was big, everything yummy. My burger was fine, but the guacamole was flavorless and very watered down somehow, I even tried it on its own and it didn't taste like much of anything. Fries were good, nice and crunchy, not too greasy. Price was reasonable, waitress was nice, we didn't wait very long for anything. So, food and drinks were fine (except the guac) but it was such a pain to find ANY information about the place and an even bigger pain in finding the place that it was just really odd. If you're looking for a "nice" place to go then I wouldn't bother with this place, but then again there aren't a whole lot of "nice" places to go in Southbridge except for a very small handful, so I guess there's a lot worse options out there. If you want to get drinks with friends and eat exceptionally yummy appetizers and chat for a long time while getting dinner, then this would probably be a good place to check out. read more

Been meaning to go here so glad I did .ate outside food and service was great! I will be going back

I love this gem. If you haven't been here, I highly suggest you check it out. My family of 5 had lunch here today, so I had the opportunity to sample several items in the menu... Firstly, my meal; clam chowder in a bread bowl and a portobello mushroom burger. The clam chowder was amazing. A perfect consistency to slowly seep into the bead, and my mouth is watering just thinking about it again. The portobello burger was exactly that. A huge portobello cap, topped with bleu cheese and marinated grilled red peppers. Sooo good and served with a more than generous serving of hand sliced French fries. My husband had a Reuben that tasted just as good as it looked. Served on a gorgeous marbled rye with house made thousand island dressing. I had to fight him for just one delicious bite! Another grand slam was the classic pub burger. Straight forward, perfectly seasoned and perfectly cooked. I really appreciate a chef who can grill a perfect medium rare burger. Delicious! Although they do have a children's menu, my other two kids had adult sized appetizers, which worked out perfectly. The Nachos were fantastic, crisp, not mushy and served with homemade salsa. And the chicken quesadilla was out of this world, with marinated chicken and green peppers, and a tasty blend of cheese. It should also be said that the selection of local craft beers is fantastic and they actually have their own brewery right nest door! Overall, a fantastic experience. The staff is very friendly and accommodating, and the food speaks for itself. Also, on side note they have a live acoustic show every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The pub is also connected to an amazing live music venue, the Cannery, that rivals venues in Boston. Growing up in the live music scene of Worcester, I was absolutely amazed at the quality of lights, sound, and artists the first time I went there. Again, a true gem! read more

Did our usual Saturday night search for a new and different place to eat near home. Where has this place been hiding? Great atmosphere. Quaint pub with good selection of beer on tap. I had the pumpkin cisco! The food was abundant and good. Can't go wrong with the fish and chips. Live music was getting ready to set up although we did not stay to hear. Definitely will go back again. read more

Recently had a nice lunch. The ambiance is awesome. This is the kind of place were you will want to have two, if not more beers. My chicken sandwich was average, but my wife's quesidilla's were very good and the French fries appeared homemade. Macaroni and Cheese appetizer was outstanding. Service was a bit slow. Beers were excellent. I would definitely return. read more

This place is awesome! Great craft brews from the adjacent Bentley brewery. Bartenders are cool and they know their beer styles, and the taps are always changing. Don't be thrown off when you pull in to the back side of an old factory on a back road. Very homie little pub once you get inside, we will definitely be coming back here when we're back in the area. read more

Great place to hang out in southbridge with little chance of trouble weds night karaoke is a blast! Highly recommend! Also there micro brews and lagers are top notch read more

Really deserves a negative star rating. The pickles are delicious. They must be from the cannery next-door LOL. Food is disappointing .

They make their own beer, Loved it!!! Sampled every beer in the house. Great food!! The service was terrific. We sat in the bar area, unfortunately the table closest to the bar. So when the LOUD regulars started arriving we were right in the center of all of it (bad choice). Overall we liked the place :) read more

Great food! Great Service! Great Beer! This place deserves to get more attention! It was not super busy, but it was an early sat. evening. I got the French Dip. The sandwich was very good, but if you do not like a lot of horseradish ask for it on the side. Other than too much horseradish the sandwich was very good! My husband got the fried haddock and was very happy with his meal. My kids got the kid chicken finger meal and had no problem sharing and finishing all the chicken. We split the buffalo wings. We were very full so we had to take the wing home. Overall, great place. I hope the business continues to grow. read more