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    The Governess Bar & Restaurant

    3.5 (45 reviews)
    Closed • 12:00 pm - 11:00 PM

    The Governess Bar & Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    THE GOVERNESS BAR & RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - The Governess Bar & Restaurant

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    Ana. L.

    So I decided to grab a quick bite and check this place out--when I arrived, the view and vibe were absolutely amazing. Beautiful outdoor setup with a scenic view of the water and the bridge. I immediately asked myself, "Why haven't I heard about this spot before?" Started off with a blueberry margarita--sounds fun, right? Sadly, it was super underwhelming. Weak, barely any kick, and definitely didn't taste authentic. If you know me, you know I like my drinks STRONG, which is why I always ask for a side shot... thank goodness I did. For food, I asked the waitress for a salad recommendation and went with what she suggested--added chicken. I forgot the name, but honestly... it was a miss. The salad tasted like something straight out of a supermarket grab-and-go fridge. The chicken? Frozen, bland, and dry. Highlight of the experience? The view and outdoor ambiance... oh, and the bathroom had a full-on Frozen (yes, the Disney movie) theme playing "Let It Go"--which actually made me chuckle because, after that salad, I really did want to let it go... and leave.

    Cocktail at the Governess
    Kat B.

    We had a good dinner at the Governess. Despite being a Saturday night, it wasn't packed. Although it was busy. Location right along the water is dreamy and I could see it being a destination for outdoor seating. Too cold tonight, so we were seated inside. We had a reservation and the host initially attempted to seat us right next to the bathroom, but we requested another table by the window and were accommodated. We had impeccable service. Brooke was friendly and attentive with great recommendations. Cocktail menu changes seasonly and had lots of interesting choices. Both cocktails I ordered were good. Major downfall of the food was the tomato soup. We were warned that some people find it spicy, and it had a bit of a kick but was not overly spice. The flavor however, was something else. It was really dark red and had the consistency of marinara sauce and did not taste very tomato-y at all. We could not finish it, even after adding some sour cream. Our entrees were much better. The smashburger truly was a smash burger and was quite tasty as was the side salad. La Trempete Francaise (basically a French dip) was advertised having horseradish sauce but there was precious little on the bun. Much better after I requested more sauce. Served with sweet potato fries that were coated in sugar, so I didn't care for that. Music was quite loud. Not so loud you couldn't have a conversation, but a persistent pulsing beat at all times. And I could definitely see that as a turn off for some. All it all, we'd go back.

    Surf and turf burger

    This is a photo of the surf and turf burger. There was much "surf" to it. Two very small pieces of frozen shrimp. This burger was $26, the entire menu was pretty expensive for poor quality food. We ordered the shrimp on the side, with the special sauce it came with and it all didn't come out as requested. The manager and waiters were super friendly and apologetic, but honestly, it's way too expensive at this place for super poor quality food.

    Enxhi B.

    We came here for my sister's birthday because a lot of places were booked for the holiday week . We had been to this location before when there were other restaurants here . We figured we'd try The Governess out . The decor was cute but that was probably the best thing about the place . The food was ok but overpriced . It was not busy that night which should have been a sign . The service was really slow despite it not being a busy night . They also charge a credit card fee as well as automatic gratuity . Overall was a disappointing experience for a birthday celebration so we would not return .

    The Governness
    Lauren M.

    I have been coming to this restaurant since it opened. I am absolutely in love with the fish and chips and the cheese curds. Those are items that I kinda have to buy every single time I come . The service is like hanging out with friends that I didn't know I had ,everybody there is so nice and down to earth . This is better half and I favorite place to go hands-down! Aside from the frozen themed bathroom being just a little bit too dark for my liking it's always been clean. Everything's always worked, which is always a plus for me.. and if you catch the restaurant at just the right times you get to watch the sunset over the Hudson, which is absolutely fantastic whether you're sitting inside, enjoying the cool ambience or you're sitting out on the deck taking in the waterfront. My only one strike that I would give them is sometimes when it is very busy. They are very slow with meal prep on the other side of that. It's understandable because their Chef is freaking amazing and in order to care for each dish, it's gonna take some time ....Always well worth the weight though.Go eat there this week !

    Soggy salad
    Kay F.

    Found Governess by chance. Pull was that its right by the water. Beautiful day so it's perfect for eating outside. I started off with a coconut margarita. It was ok. There was some.confusion about sitting outside. When we found it in Yelp, We made a reservation online but the host could not see it. We were seated outside when a table opened. Party if 3. Order 1 shrimp po'boy sandwich which comes with fries, and ginger ale, order 2 salad with fried chicken chunks and a lemonade, order 3 chili churri wings, baked potato, and Pepsi. There was a very long wait for the food. We waited longer than 30 mins for the food. At the 30 min mark we had to ask him to go check on thw order as we saw a table that was seated after us get an order of wings. Our food arrived close to 40 mins and it was very clear that the food had been sitting as it was piping hot. Order 1- very basic. Fries had started to get cold, the bread was way too much, nothing special. Order 2- very basic. Salad did not look vibrant and fresh, plus was over dressed. Order 3 - the wings lacked salt. The chimi churri sauce only coated the outside. The baked potato was served only with sour cream despite telling our server that I wanted both. I asked fpr bbq sauce which helped a bit. I also had to ask for butter which turned out to be what everything needed as it had noticable salt in it. I ordered a to go meal at the same time I ordered my meal only to have to wait an additional 30 mins after we finished eating g to get that meal and to have the server bring it to me without a bag just the way he picked it up from. The kitchen. The server was absolutely horrible. He did not print the check out for us but rather just wanted is to pay without seeing the bill. Also he included the to go order in the regular tab despite me repeating several times that it was to be separate. Between the horrible service and the long wait this was a one and done. Pity as this was a beautiful location.

    Mary T.

    The ambiance is great. Right on the water sipping drinks under a tree was heaven. Our waitress was fantastic. Very attentive and very helpful and friendly. Drinks were good and lots of choices of beers and cider. BUT if you are going to ask your customers to order from a QR code, then have FREE WIFI AVAILABLE when the service is not great AND GET someone to develop a mobile friendly website to order from. Keep in mind your customers who cannot see well from the tiny website font to not having service. You better thank your waitress that I was able to use her phone to access the menu because I would've walked out otherwise. If you want to last in this spot (which has been cycling through restaurants since the old icehouse)...you gotta fix this. The waitstaff can't even tell us what's on the menu because you change the variety of drinks so often. We couldn't even order by name...had to order by number. All I'm saying is that it shouldn't feel so hard to order.

    Grilled chicken sandwich with side salad

    I had a great experience at The Governess! We went around 2pm and there was barely anyone there. They had the place decorated for Halloween which was super cute. Our waitress, Brooke, was great and our food came out quickly. I got the grilled chicken sandwich which was very tasty. We got fries for the table which were well seasoned. We liked the burger as well as the buffalo chicken wings. Definitely recommend!

    Empanada
    Mars A.

    Everything I ordered was great besides the empanada, which had no flavor. The drinks are amazing. Seafood is always fresh. The service is warm and friendly. The space is warm with great music. The views of the Hudson are amazing. Anytime I'm in town I stop in.

    Burger!
    Nick H.

    Simply Amazing Food! Great Beer Selection too... better than almost every place in Poughkeepsie!

    Outdoor seating

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    4 months ago

    The wait staff if very rude. The drink and food prices are insanely high, and most of the time I go its empt.

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    1 year ago

    Wonderful atmosphere and Anthony is the man! 10/10 go here and bingo is fun. Super recommend

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    1 year ago

    Melanie was such a kind hostess and made our stay here a time to remember. Will be coming back again

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    2 years ago

    Delish! Drinks hit the spot! Atmosphere is spot on! The view is too die for! The specials are perfect!

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