My family enjoyed our recent dinner in the tavern. I loved the charm of the historic building where the steakhouse is located, but the tavern is located just next door. We were seated right away and chose a table in the outside covered dining section. The inside was very smokey and smelled like freshly grilled steak, but it would've been overpowering if we dined in there. We shared the smaller platter and all thought the pickles were the star. I had the fish and chips for dinner and enjoyed it. We all commented on the beer scattered, crispy, french fries. I thought the fish and fry combo was a fair portion for $15. My dad and brother had shrimp po boy's and said the shrimp were jumbo and crisp. My boyfriend had the maple burger and loved it. It was juicy, the bacon was crisp, and the egg was just runny enough. Parking is along the street. read more

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First time eating in the steakhouse. Great moody vibe. Very good food, huge upgrade from the tavern. Service was fine. read more

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We visited the tavern side, not the more formal dining building. Our group sat on their patio on a nice summer night. The patio was packed but tables are nicely spaced out so we were very comfortable. Our server was really friendly and helpful. I enjoyed an order of hot wings and a side salad. My girlfriend loved the harvest salad. Our orders, including drinks, came out fast and correct. A really nice spot that we'd be happy to revisit. read more

Olde Jaol Steakhouse and Tavern - Steakhouses Near Me - Wooster, Ohio

Walked in and the staff was noticeably unhappy. It was around 11:30 and the place was not busy. We got seated in the heated patio area. The heater was doing its job,too well. It was hot. Placed my order of Buffalo chicken wrap and fresh cut fries. My better half had a bowl of chili and some sweet potato fries. All ordered with a server who did not want to be there. My wrap came absent any whiff of Buffalo sauce. It was one chicken tender with lettuce and cheese and a wrap way too large for its contents. Not worth the $12 price tag. The bowl of chili resembles a cup of chili. Decent taste tho. Would not recommend going to the establishment. It has lost its appeal. read more

Fish and chips were amazing and service was great. Crispy fries piping hot and crunchy delicious fish

Nice service and good food. However, we asked to be seated in a warm spot and they put us directly under their heater in the patio. We were sweltering by the time we finished ! read more

We ate in the tavern on a Saturday around 4 PM. After we left there was a line to get in, but it hadn't been busy when we arrived. Food was good, although service was a bit slow. The ambiance was okay, but I think we probably would have enjoyed the steakhouse section even more- the ambiance looked more authentic, although the pricing was much higher. Some similar entrees seemed to be a lot more expensive in the steakhouse, looking at the menu. Although to be fair, maybe the portions were larger or something. Over all it was a good experience. The flowers blooming outside were just gorgeous, especially the rhododendron. If you use the bathroom during your visit, it is tucked away behind the bar and it is very small and cramped. I would give this spot another go, but I would venture to the steakhouse side. read more

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We ate at the steakhouse, entrees we order were great , hospitality was very good, the atmosphere was very unique, very well done as package. We the ventured to the bourbon room , again service was very good , very friendly atmosphere. Would highly recommend read more

We went to the tavern! We all had hamburgers and different fries and onion rings! Also had the potato skins! Those were my favorite! Everyone enjoyed their food we sat on the patio that had rails like an old garage doors maybe. Good ambience it was warm music not too loud service was good. read more

Olde Jaol Steakhouse and Tavern - Philly sandwich - Steakhouses Near Me - Wooster, Ohio

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Friendly atmosphere, Good food, Quick service! We've eaten here several times! We will go back !

Usually a great place , but not so much tonight. We waited over 15 minutes for a sever in a not at all busy time. I asked for water 3xs before I received it. Our waiter was less terrible, the restaurant was basically empty and cleaning tables was more important than paying guest read more

I went there for the first time july 31st at lunch time .I ordered the fish and chips over the phone for me and my mom. When I got home it looked good .But when i tasted it ewwwww Dirty grease maybe .It did not even taste like fish .I looked at my mom and she said that it tasted horrible also .So I said I will bring it back to them.I packed it up and drove back to the Jaol to let them know . When I walked in the girl was not happy about me bringing it back .I told her it tasted like dirty grease maybe but not like fish .They told me it was good and the cook came out of the kitchen .He took a piece out of my order tasted it and said it was good and I was crazy .They said people came from miles around for this fish. So they took my fish trashed it and my money said tough shit .It was three against one so I left mad as hell .They do not take complaints well and will not give your money back .I would never go there again .If you dare go there and order the fish you will see .NO REFUND I wish I could talk with the owner or BBB read more

The food was amazing. I had fish, and it was plentiful. The fried pickles were good, although a few pieces had a little doughy batter. The beers were cold and delicious. Cool place to hang out on the patio and enjoy the good weather. The staff was friendly and the service was quick enough to not take all night. read more

Olde Jaol Steakhouse and Tavern - Fish and chips - Steakhouses Near Me - Wooster, Ohio

I was with a colleague who has been a regular at this venue for many years. This was once an old jail. I actually met someone who remembers visiting the jail back in the '60's to sing to the inmates. It's been long converted to a restaurant. They also have a sister tavern next door which has outdoor seating and serves mainly bar food. We went downstairs to their bar where we ate and met up with my colleague's friendly waitress-- Carol. Our barmaid was Rachel. The 2 were fabulous for conversation and great pours on our drinks. My colleague ordered the Ribeye steak which he said was one of the best he'd had in a long time. Of the non steak items, Rachel suggested I order the salmon. I'm glad I did. It was also one of the best I'd had. Moist, tender and perfectly glazed. After dinner, we wandered upstairs where they have additional seating and banquet rooms. We also stumbled upon their bourbon bar. There's probably a story to that, but that's for another time. I'll be back on my return visit. read more

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The food needs more flavor. The food tasted like it was all fried in the same grease. The silverware was not clean, plastic ware may be better. I ordered the fish and chips (truffle fries). Thank goodness I'm just down here for a graduation so I won't be coming back. Waitress also wasn't that attentive she may have had too many tables so will let that slide read more

I don't like writing poor reviews, but there were a lot of issues during my visit and even some opportunities to improve that were missed by the restaurant. This review is for the main dining room steakhouse, not the tavern/pub. I've been to the pub a lot and enjoyed it very much, so it was surprising to get the experience that I had at the steakhouse. I was there for a business dinner and with clients. First, the positive: The staff was very flexible with changes to the party size as well as a late arrival. The server was incredibly good/nice and the only reason I left a good tip and 2 stars on this review instead of 1. The negatives: Get proper glasses for wine. The wine list was decent albeit short. The glasses given weren't suitable for red or white wine. When the food is taking a long time and alcohol is being consumed, refill the bread basket. We actually paused wine consumption before our dinner came because we were getting so loopy on only one bread roll. Dinner took an HOUR after ordering to arrive at the table, and then it was in waves. The place was not busy and it was a weeknight. There was no excuse for the speed of service. My guests encouraged everyone to get started who had food. I was nearly finished with my plate as the last person's meal was arriving at the table. There were two other tables in the dining room beside my party of 7 and it was a weeknight. The sides were sad. We ordered 4 sides to share at the table (plenty at chain steakhouses) but when they came, it was enough for 2 people max each. My food, despite being one of the first to the table, was just warm. The steak, with its lovely plastic marker of "medium rare" in it, was medium well. It would have been nice if the server and/or management had recognized the service delays and offered some compensation or at least an acknowledgment and reason + apology. Based on this experience, I won't be returning to the steakhouse part of the Olde Jaol, especially with clients. read more

Olde Jaol Steakhouse and Tavern - Filet with baked potato and beans - Steakhouses Near Me - Wooster, Ohio

The steakhouse and tavern are two separate restaurants. We stopped by for lunch one day, wanting to go to the steakhouse, however, it was closed so we settled on the tavern. The portion sizes are incredibly large, however, bigger is not always necessarily better. Whilst I didn't have a problem with my food, my lunch mate had sour soup and we were generally unimpressed with what we were served. On top of that, we were one of only three tables in the restaurant and service was still extremely slow. We never got refills and went a long time without seeing our server when we were ready for our checks. I am usually very forgiving when it comes to service but in addition to the food quality this is just not a place I would recommend. read more

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What a cool place. The fact that it was originally a jail just adds to the atmosphere. The food is very good, even though they were shortstaffed the night we were there, the servers tried really hard to meet all of our needs. read more

We attend the OLO in the summer and this a nearby stop. The food is pretty good pub fare. Well made but nothing special. I thought the servers could have been a little more attentive. We were 4 women dining for lunch together and I felt like we were ignored (which I have to say doesn't happen to me when I dine with my husband). It's a good meal for the price. Just nothing outstanding about the experience. read more

Every time I've been to this restaurant the food has been great. Wish it wasn't in the dungeon though!

Had a reservation for 6:30, didn't get seated till 7:00. Waited 1 hour for our salads, served our meals approximately 9:00. A member of our party was served the worst 50.00 strip steak, did not make any retribution for the terrible steak. We were told since we didn't tell them sooner they couldn't do anything about it. The best part of that is the waitress never came back to check how the steaks were. Our first visit here was terrible,but decided to give it another chance. Seems they are very understaffed NEVER AGAIN!!! read more

Morgan was our waitress today she took on 11 girls for a Bach party all by herself and she was literally the best, no one's meal got messed up she was so patient and gave us the best recommendations. She let us have fun and we enjoyed our time mostly because of her. She was fast and very efficient .I will be back for Morgan alone. read more

Best food EVER, price is worth the delicious food. Great atmosphere (check out the history!) Friendly staff! This is MUST for dinner! read more

My wife and I were passing through the area and were looking for an interesting place for dinner and found the Olde Jaol. What a delight. We ate at the steakhouse side and had an excellent meal. We both had an appetizer (Caesar Salad for me and a Grilled Brie Stuffed Brioche for my wife) and it was a great start. Then for the main course we both had steaks ... the ribeye for me and the filet mignon for my wife. And dessert was a very nice creme brulee and a Reeses pie. Both were so good we felt that we needed to repent after eating them. Our server (Rachel) was very helpful and attentive. Would we eat there again? Absolutely yes. In fact, we were trying to figure out the next time we would be passing through Woster. read more

Great food and great atmosphere. Service was also fantastic. I had the salmon. I was perfect.

Of course I want to eat in an old jail. Soon found out that the 'fancy' side includes jail cells tables while the pub side is mostly in an add-on room. No problem. I will sit there and watch the Pirates. My steak was EXCELLENT. Probably would change the onions away from the crispy fried type but they were still good. Good salad and my first ever Moscow Mule (which did not skimp on the alcohol). Seriously, the food was great. But what really made the visit was my server. Linde was PHENOMENAL. As I have said in many reviews, I don't expect waitstaff to coddle me but when you find an engaged worker it makes the visit nice. Linde was superb. Nice, interactive and vibrant. So, so rare anytime and especially now in the era of brain-dead zombies who only want to sit at home collecting unemployment as they play video games. Thank you! Next time I will either eat in a jail cell or return to the tavern. Either way, I will allocate more time to just sit and relax and watch baseball. And for a second Mule. A very nice visit. read more

We have eaten here on and off for years. I was just disappointed all around this time. I had a filet, and it was ok, and the lobster Mac & cheese. There was no lobster and it was pretty dry. Our service was decent. The worse thing about our experience was the music that was playing! The rooms are beautiful and elegant feeling but the music was louder (our table was right under the speaker and we asked for it to be turned down but apparently that wasn't possible) than most restaurants of this scale and it was all 70's music. Even "YMCA" came on! In an upscale restaurant? I'm not a negative person and have never left a review like this, but it was a disappointing evening. read more

This is for the Tavern. When we were trying to find stuff in town, I saw the brewery, but didn't find it on second search and we ended up at the tavern. If the fates were kinder to us, we probably would have gone to the steakhouse. The service was prompt and friendly. But both the fish and chips and the perch were... not great. Not bad, just having us wanting something better. We'd hoped the dark beers we got from their JAFB draft would help out but also... not great. I'm always willing to admit we hit a place at a bad time and just grabbed the wrong thing, but I'd say to pay attention to other reviews. read more

We went there to eat for our anniversary. It was simply outstanding. Since is was raining out that night, and very little traffic, only one other couple in the whole place, which made it simply wonderful. We sat at the bar and met the bartender, the Cook, and two other waitresses, they pretty much entertained just two of us. There was another couple they waited on in another room and of course did that eagerly. We had our pre-meal drinks and then I had the fillet which was great. Cooked medium and it was perfect. Yes we would go back again very pricey but worthwhile for an occasion. read more

The Olde Jaol is as classic as Wooster gets. If you grew up here, you know it is the best spot to find former WHS classmates during holiday breaks. I had lunch here this week, and I was pleasantly surprised by how large my salad was. It was great! A little heavy on the dressing, but I left the tavern happier than I thought I would. The outdoor patio is heated for winter and is pleasant to sit in (and quieter than the indoor section). The reason for 3 stars is that the food/menu is nothing to write home about. The Olde Jaol will remain as a staple of Wooster's culture, but that doesn't mean the food is 5 stars. And that's okay - their pretzels and fried pickles are delicious. Also the vegetarian options are low, so I either had to get a salad or pick an appetizer of fried food or all bread. read more

Olde Jaol Steakhouse and Tavern - Harvest salad (cashews, apples and cheese) - Steakhouses Near Me - Wooster, Ohio

I rarely complain but today we were on a time schedule. We had an hour for lunch. We were seated and we both (my husband and I) ordered soup and salad. They we're running slow, but didn't think too much of it lunch hour rush. But when two women who were seated after us were served full meals I knew something was wrong and I heard someone said "I haven't had a soup order all day " something was wrong . My French Onion Soup was cold . It was beef broth and a few onions and croutons with cheese kinda melted on top. No sherry in this mixture they brought me a hot version of the previous one. My husband's chili was lukewarm. Salads and dressings were great. Moral of this story : explain to the customer there was a problem , apologize because I doubt we will be back. read more

Stopped here for lunch while we were town. Sat at the patio at the beer garden. Enjoyed we our lunch food was good and the service was great. read more

Last time I was there waitress with short blonde hair was rude as can be. Food is overpriced and no longer what it once was. Will never go back. Step your game up. read more

Ate outside in the casual part today, Saturday for lunch. The outside area was perfect. The service was great. Not too busy or noisy. The fish and chips are amazing. Literally buttery soft and amazing flavor. We just got back from a vacation in North Carolina where we are lots of seafood. The Okde jaol's fish and chips were better than what we ate in North Carolina. Also the shoe string fries are perfect and delicious. Really hit the spot. Thanks for a great lunch! read more

First time here, and everyone at our table of four enjoyed what they ordered, especially my SIL who ordered the Prime Rib! Which was done perfectly to her request. The bourbon glazed salmon was moist and flavorful. We will add this venue to our favorite meet-up spots. read more

Came in at 9:45 on a Friday for drinks, and appetizers. Told the kitchen was closed, and felt like our presence was a bother. We keep trying this place out, and constantly have poor experiences. read more

We ate at the Tavern, not the fine dining restaurant. Decent food but nothing memorable. Not a place for a foodie after a great meal. The grouper and salmon dishes we had were ok but they gave you a huge pile of rice and broccoli - more broccoli than I easily imagine anyone would eat alone - in a boring presentation. The food was underwhelming enough we didn't even think to snap a photo. Wouldn't go back. There weren't many beers on drafter either and the ones that were were not that great. read more

Great restaurant in an old historical building that is split into two. One side is the tavern and the other the steakhouse. I had the Cajun burger (probably not an appropriate name) which had jalapeño and onion rings and it was very good. I would absolutely recommend the tator tots to go with it. read more

Food and service were excellent. Atmosphere is laid back. Prices were on par with most fine steakhouses.

Very spacious pub area with lots of seating across two rooms. We were there just for an afternoon beer and some appetizers so we sat at the bar. Not crowded at all but it is January. The beer options were good with their own brews included. Next time I am in Wooster I would go back. Especially when it's warmer and they open up the windows in the one room. read more