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    Dayton Tavern

    4.7 (140 reviews)

    Services - Dayton Tavern

    Gluten-free catering

    Vegan catering

    Vegetarian catering

    Dayton Tavern Photos

    DAYTON TAVERN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Casual
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Dayton Tavern

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    Bistro Chicken
    T B.

    We were absolutely floored by the friendly service, the food and history of the owner's path from a food truck to this quaint restaurant. My wife got the Bistro Chicken. She was totally impressed with this dish!!! I got the Angus Cheesesteak, I think it may have been the best cheesesteak I've ever had!! Wow!! Love this place!! I almost forgot the pics!!

    Behind the Bar... Lucky to get this shot without peeps. Thank you to the guests who waited for my pic.
    Geri F.

    Buckle up Buttercup. This will be long! Just in town for the night and looked up restaurants in the area. This one popped up with 5 Stars. That's all I read!Apparently this used to be a lil dinner tavern... until word got out! Now you need a reservation just to get in. Everyday of the week!! If your following directions to this location and BLINK you will pass it. Small place in an old renovated building. There are 11 or 12 tables. 6-8 bar stools (closely seated) you will be in close proximity of others guests. If your not a friendly type, don't come here. We were unaware of needing a reservation and to get in was 1.5 hours. We then asked the hostess for recommendations of other places we had seen with great reviews. She was great, complimented the other locations and gave us details about other locations menus. We were about to walk out when she called us back up. (It's great when the hostess knows the patrons) she said I have a table that will be available in about 20-25 minutes. That couple over there is not having alcohol tonight so should be done shortly. If they had wine then they would be here much longer. We all giggled . So we ordered our drinks and waited. Sure enough 25 minutes later we were seated. The 2 servers were hustling and the hostess was helping. This place is BUSY! We ordered the perogies (I've never had) very good, sirloin steaks I added shrimp. They only deep fry or steam their shrimp. Our meal was excellent, salads great mixed greens, steaks cooked perfectly, my only complaint was my shrimp was a bit over cooked. But heck, with everything else it was an excellent meal! We did not get dessert as we were full. Plus we wanted to free up the table since they were so gracious in fitting us in. (We needed to be rolled out, but managed to walk) Over all we felt so welcome and spoiled, even from our servers. They were gracious, busy, polite and helpful. The hostess was the best. She really new her stuff. This Tavern is a wonderful stop. Don't miss it. They also cater!!! Too bad we are out of towners. I have taken some photos, hopefully you enjoy the vibe and festive atmosphere. I encourage you to look around and really see what is there in this little Dayton Tavern with a BIG heart!

    Ham quiche
    Betty C.

    Our family always argues over where to eat. Today my son chose and nobody argued. Amazing choice! We all loved it! Everything was wonderful. PLEASE NOT THE UNEVEN SIDEWALK I FELL COMING OUT.

    Dayton Burger
    Sidnie B.

    One word to describe this place would be WOW! Sometimes with small town restaurants, you never know if it's truly good or if it's just the best-of-the-worst option around. Definitely not the case with this place. Everything came out wonderful and service was great. The best steak I've had in a while. A lot of the reviews I read were about brunch and lunch, but their dinner doesn't disappoint!!! Such a short drive from JMU and was the perfect place to bring my family for graduation weekend (definitely make a reservation if you do the same!)

    a burger and fries on a plate
    John M.

    We were able to stop by Dayton Tavern on a Saturday afternoon. We got there around 3:40pm and the place was empty. After a few minutes we called out and someone came out to seat us at the bar. We had both the lunch and dinner menus available to us (Dinner menu starts at 4pm). I ended up with the Cali Burger and a Minute Man IPA. The burger was cooked medium as requested. It had great flavor, about halfway through I realized it didn't have the bacon. At that point it wasn't with it to request. The fries were good as well. I was a little disappointed at the lack of a tap list. I assumed being a Tavern there would be a few more choices. The service was ok, I'm sure it was tough trying to be attentive but not overbearing when you only have one table. Parking is available behind the tavern. There is street parking but I wasn't sure what was resident parking or business parking. I'm glad I got to give it a try, maybe during normal meal hours next time?

    Reuben
    Josh P.

    Just adorable. Cute spot we went to for lunch. Seats 43. Heard the hostess / waitress/ manager making reservations and serving and running credit cards. She,was busy, but committed to give everyone the best experience. Food was great and so was the service. Great little Yelp find. Nice job.

    Bistro Burger
    Karen S.

    This cute little restaurant is a hidden gem! It's in this cute town with such a cozy feel. My friend and I decided to stop by for lunch. And they didn't disappoint! We both had burgers, which were cooked and seasoned perfectly. A slice of peanut butter pie... Lord it was delicious!! No pics taken of it because of course I ate it all! Our awesome waitress Sara recommended the red Sangria. Let me tell you, it was THE BEST SANGRIA I've had in years!! YEARS!! I drink a lot of Sangria ok....And hands down it's #1! We met the owner Diane and she is just the sweetest. Great hospitality and awesome service! I will be retuning next week for the steak. You'll want to make reservations if you come for dinner, as it does fill up. And parking is on the street. If you're in Dayton, stop by. You'll be missing out if you don't.

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    4 years ago

    Great place ! We love the food and we always get a peanut butter pie for the holidays from here.

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    6 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Dayton Tavern and Dayton Catering Co. is the best Restaurant in the town of Dayton! Delicious food and caring Staff!

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Great ambiance and the food is to die for! Make reservations to ensure seating most days!

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    7 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    5 years ago

    The food was delicious and the people were fantastic. Took my college son to dinner here and can say we will definitely be back.

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    8 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Everyone is very welcoming, food was fantastic, nice wine selection. I enjoyed the conversation with the owners. Highly recommend!!!

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    8 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Amazing food, good prices and atmosphere. Friendly staff. Highly recommend the steaks and crabcakes.

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    8 years ago

    Love the intimacy of the Dayton tavern. Great local music during the week. The food and wine are good. I loved the fried shrimp.

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    8 years ago

    This place had great service, food, and live music. Best meal of our trip. The steaks are awesome.

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    Page 3 of 4

    Ask the Community - Dayton Tavern

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    Every time we drive through the 81 corridor to visit family, we make a point to stop along the way…read moreat a winery or two for a quick break in the trek. Bluestone Vineyards is one of our favorites, so we'd stopped there for a half and hour or so and then needed a quick bite before heading back home. We passed this cute little place on our way to the winery, so decided to double back and check it out. From the outside, I expected a tiny quaint old-school looking place, but inside was bigger than I expected and far more modern. They have a nice bar layout and a beautiful dining room with a fireplace. Our waitress greeted us promptly and put our order in quickly. On point - she brought out an order of *huge* garlic knots, some milk and sliced cucumbers for the kiddo immediately after we ordered. Always awesome to get the toddler eating first! We both ordered salads and decided to split a pasta dish. Man, am I glad we did that! The salad - which I assumed was a side salad since it was only $3.50 - was an ENTIRE PLATE OF SALAD. Like a full on entree of salad. Same with partner's. Then the pasta came - a veggie tortellini in some kind of white wine cream sauce. The sauce was a little on the bland side, but I liked it - especially with the wilted spinach and tomatoes in it. Again, the portion was huge so splitting it was perfect and we were able to finish it. But man, we left STUFFED. We didn't have to stop all the way back to Newport News! It's probably a solid 3-3.5 on the food end of things - standard Italian fare. But the cute location, awesome service (did I mention the waitress did not charge us for the knots, the cucumbers or the milk we ordered for the kiddo?), and price will make us come back. Seriously. Our entire bill was about $20 and we got full salads and a full plate of pasta (and I even had a glass of wine since I wasn't driving - from Bluestone Vineyards at only $4 a glass!). You just can't beat that. We'll be back again the next time we hit Bluestone for sure!

    After many years of great service and great food, we had to walk out yesterday afternoon. It was a…read morelittle after 4 PM, no other customers in the restaurant. Apparently Dave thought it was a good time to train waiters that could not serve alcohol due to their ages. The first fellow had absolutely no clue how to approach customers, and was unaccompanied by anyone to train him. He excused himself. The next young man to the table was also unaccompanied and said he would have to get the Manager to get our drinks. Honestly, what good restaurant management would think putting minors in a waitstaff position where alcohol is on the menu is a good idea? Where was all the adult waitstaff we are accustomed to seeing? Is this a signal that Francesco's is headed in the same direction of other places that Dave has had, down the tubes? Is the new Macados already starting to affect Francescos? We shall see. But we won't be back there until we know things are corrected, if that does occur.

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    Capital Ale House

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    We were visiting Harrisonburg for the weekend and after looking on Yelp for a good place to have…read moredinner on a Saturday night, we decided on Capital Ale House. Lots of prom kids and college students filled the place. We were quickly seated in a nice booth and Nate our server helped us with some stout beers. We had a milk stout and a caramel macchiato stout the latter of which was the best. Looking at the menu I have to say it was not your standard ale house fair. It was definitely "elevated" in this regard. We asked to split a 2 soft shell entree with broccolini & seasoned mash, a bowl of crab bisque and a pierogi sampler. We also asked for an extra plate, to which Nate said he would take care of it. When the food arrived it was divided perfectly. Nate had split the bowl of soup into 2 small bowls and he divided the entree and sides onto 2 plates. The soft shell crabs were HUGE, the largest I had ever seen, and crisply fried to perfection. The sides were equally exquisite in their flavor and preparation. The crab bisque was loaded with fresh lump crabmeat and perfectly seasoned. The pirogies were also excellent in flavor and presentation. It was the most satisfying meal I'd had in a while (could be because I was craving soft shells) Needless to say we were very happy with the food in every way and were stuffed as we asked for the check. Nate/Nathaniel really made the experience as he was highly attentive, though caring for many tables, and was quick to take care of our every need. The place was really rocking with customers and everyone there was having a great time. We'll definitely be back and let everyone we know what a top notch establishment Capital Ale House in Harrisonburg is.

    Dinner for us this evening was a real treat. Appetizer was shrimp and spinach dip with crab bisque…read moreas an addition. Dip was good but the bisque was fabulous! My daughter chose shrimp tacos while I went with fish tacos. Both were a nice variation with a hint of cold slaw and a nice late bite spice. Like the atmosphere and location. Add it to your list of possible dinner locations.

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    Delicias Del Caribe Restaurant

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    It's really frustrating trying to reach Delicias del Caribe. They never seem to answer the phone,…read moreand there's no voicemail or message to let you know if they're closed or when they'll reopen. It makes it hard to plan an order or visit. I hope they improve their communication, because good customer service starts with being reachable.

    I ordered their pork bellies with yuka fries and sweet fried plantains. I also ordered flan,…read morebecause I love it. It came with a sauce, a mixture of mayo and ketchup. I think most people would like this. I did not. But I hate ketchup. I'm not a good person to judge it. The pork bellies were good. They had a lot of meat on them. More so than other pork bellies that I have had at several other restaurants. They were very tasty but a little tough. I think a little marinating could resolve that. They had a wonderful crisp to them. The yuka fries were fantastic! Super crunchy on the outside and super soft and delicious on the inside. Yuka makes the best fries. The plantains were ok. Normally, ripe plantains are sweet and soft. These were not as sweet as they normally and were a bit too firm. The flan was great. It had a lovely silky texture and had a wonderful caramel flavor. I would definitely come here again. I would recommend anyone try it.

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    Excellent food! Good Service! Friendly staff!…read more Not too many place can made an excellent shrimp ob soon sen in US. I totally recommend this dish. Mango with sticky rice- Thai dessert you must try ( seasonal only) Nice seating for all age but the bar area for 21+ only

    Whilst driving north on I-81 I asked my chat GPT for a vegan Restaurant in Harrisonburg that was…read morecurrently open, and this is one of several choices. It is located in a strip mall with ample parking not far at all from the interstate. I was promptly seated by a nice older woman who communicated with me by pointing. Don't get me wrong. I liked that as it brought authenticity to the establisment and very much unlike the time i went into a Chinese restaurant and they were blaring Sinatra music! Within a minute an Asian woman presented me with a menu and shortly afterwards took my order. I chose a cup of wonton soup and green curry with tofu as I was in a vegetarian mood. The wonton was hot and delicious with ample chives. Next came my red curry with tofu and steamed white rice, medium spicy, which was delicious as well! ( At other Asian restaurants in the past, I've made the sad mistake of ordering the "you asked for it" hot, and after about few seconds, lost my capacity to taste!) Being in proximity to James Madison University, there was a tablefull of collegiate who departed upon my arrival. They have a full bar in which I did not partake. ( Did i mention that I arrived at about 4:15PM on a Saturday in early April?) There were two, clean (important to me!) unisex rest rooms. My total was $22 to which i added a 25% tip. In summary, 5 star in my book. If near Harrisonburg or on I-81, check it out!

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    First this is such a cool location! Beautiful spaces, exposed brick. It is, after all, in an old…read moreproduce exchange warehouse. Super clean restaurant and bathrooms, as well. We ate in the bar - loved the vibe down there! The food was amazing! We started with salads - Caesar for the Hubby (as usual) and the Spring Salad for me (I subbed blue cheese for the goat cheese - I'm not a fan of goat cheese). Both salads were super fresh. They make their dressings in house and it shows. Ribeye rare for the Hubby and Filet mid-rare for me. We both had the crème fresh mashed potatoes. Steaks were cooked perfectly. And let me tell you, if you get anything, GET THE MASHED POTATOES!!! I swear these were the best I have ever had in my life. No joke - that includes my homemade and my Moms and Grandma's. Seriously. It's worthy to note that I asked for salt & pepper, as there was none on the table. It takes a really confident chef to not have salt & pepper on the table. So of course, I tasted first. I honestly did NOT use not one grain of either. The food didn't need it. Everything was seasoned perfectly! We ended the meal with crème brûlée, because if it's on the menu, we are ordering it. It was exceptional! Easily the second best we've ever had - and we've eaten a LOT of crème brûlée in our years. The service was absolutely spot on. There were 3 people working down there on this Wednesday night and they showed incredible teamwork. Super friendly, efficient and very customer service forward. Whenever we are in this area again, we will definitely eat here!!

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    Dayton Tavern - seafood - Updated July 2026

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