We've essentially "adopted" The Jockey since we were regulars at McKenzie before. Aside from the décor--and maybe a slightly smaller beer list--not much has changed. Overall, The Jockey is solidly average when it comes to food, service, and ambiance. Nothing outstanding, but nothing terrible either. Where The Jockey truly shines, though, is its Happy Hour value, which is easily the best in the area. Drinks are a great deal compared to nearby spots: half off all beers on tap, plus discounted house wine and cocktails. The Happy Hour appetizer selection is larger than most, and the quality is surprisingly good. Buck-a-shuck oysters! Only one variety, but for a dollar, you can't complain. Bonus points for offering Happy Hour on weekends, which is rare. If you're in the area during Happy Hour, it's absolutely worth stopping in. read more

My reviews are different. I do not announce myself or tell anyone. I am here to do a review!! It was my birthday week, and unfortunately, my Tesla had been vandalized. True to my nature as a "prior proper planner," I already had an appointment scheduled in West Chester, so I headed down to get the repairs underway. While I waited, I decided to find some local eats. A quick Google search led me to The Jockey just outside of Philadelphia. The reviews mentioned it was a family-owned joint, and the decor looked incredibly inviting. The aesthetic actually reminded me of The Polo Bar in NYC; it has that same sophisticated, equestrian charm. Personally, I love horses--I know all the horses in the world, and they know me--and I know the horses. so I was eager to check it out. My mother picked me up from the dealership, and we "galloped" our way down to the restaurant. The Food I was surprised to find the place packed at 12:30 PM on a Tuesday, but I assumed we had just hit the peak lunch rush. We started with the calamari, my mother ordered a sandwich, and I opted for the salmon with drunken noodles. Honestly, I think the chef in the back was more "drunk" than the noodles. * The Salmon: It arrived super crisp and borderline burnt. * The Calamari: Overcooked, greasy, and wet--it felt like it hadn't seen a strainer or a paper towel since leaving the fryer. * The Sauce: The marinara was watery, almost as if the back-of-house was running low and decided to stretch it with water. The Verdict The only saving grace was the aesthetic. The decor is lovely, and they have a very inviting event space in the basement. However, you can't eat the wallpaper. * Food: 2/5 (A hard pass on the kitchen's execution.) * Service: 3/5 (The staff never checked on us while we were eating.) * Location/Convenience: 4/5 (Close to everything in a great area.) I likely won't be visiting this place again. I'm genuinely surprised this is a local favorite in such an upscale area--perhaps the locals just haven't ventured out enough to know what they're missing. read more

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The Jockey Tavern is a great spot for dinner, apps or a drink. They have a few dining rooms as well as a large bar area with high tops and tables. They have a menu with a wide variety of items, which should allow anyone to find something they like. The shrimp and scallop coconut curry was excellent. The crab and artichoke dip was good, but not a great portion for the price. My friend ordered the miso salmon noodle bowl and said it was extremely salty, possible inconsistency from the kitchen. While it was a busy night, and we had a brand new server, our order was correct and the food came out fairly promptly! There were a number of very large parties, so it would have been easy to let service lag, but we still had solid service. If you can, carpool. The parking lot is not very big and finding a spot was very difficult. Food: 4/5 Value: 3/5 Service: 4/5 Atmosphere: 3/5 read more

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This is really good restaurant and venue for private dining events. Our company was able to host about 50 people in the back outside patio. We had an open bar and dinner buffet. The staff was very friendly and attentive. The food was delicious and space was perfect for us to talk and enjoy the evening. There is also a fire pit where we were located so you can still have a nice evening when the weather gets a bit cooler. I will definitely go back and recommend them if you're in town. read more

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I was seated in a booth, even as a party of one. The restaurant is beautifully decorated to match their theme. The service is attentive and friendly. They have an amazing Happy Hour. The hummus and calamari were plentiful and tasty. A must try. read more

The Jockey Tavern - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Malvern, Pennsylvania

The Jockey is a place i want to love - but they make it hard. The decor is outstanding - the kinda chester county horsey country "look" that makes this area so charming. The service is just ok. The menu is a tad limited. The food - while well prepared and quite tasty - is not representative of what you typically expect in an establishment that refers to itself as a "tavern". You can read that as unbalanced price vs. volume. That could be acceptable with exceptional cuisine, but they don't make it to that level. The food is good - but not exceptional; kinda like the service. It can be a bit too loud inside as well - poor acoustics more than anything iI suspect. Its worth at least a visit just for the ambience alone, but like many of the similar places that have sprung up around here lately (think White Dog) i find the price/value equation stretched to the limit. But maybe that's just me. read more

Wednesday night and it was packed ! They have complementary valet parking (just give them a tip) and they (you) need it. I would recommend you also have a reservation. We were seated right away (in the bar area) and once they were ordered our drinks came out fairly quickly. Our entrees on the other hand took awhile, almost on the verge of too long since we had tickets to a play in the area. In the end, everything worked out fine. The Jockey Burger with cheddar cheese and bacon jam was large and very good. It would have been better if it had been cooked medium, as ordered, rather than medium well the way it was served. The pub fries were crispy and perfect. The delicious Tomahawk Pork Chop with roasted apples was a very large cut, and was cooked perfectly. It was served with a side of Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and garlicky sautéed spinach. The regular dining room looked maybe a little nicer than where we were seated but both rooms were on the loud side. Would we go back - yes. The menu is not all that big but had things that looked interesting. read more

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Food is not the problem as far as quality. Service is not the problem, but they are taxing their kitchen with too many orders so they are in the weeds. No bread when you sit down, unless you ask for it? Soup did not come with crackers unless you ask for them? My biggest problem was my appetizer came out and before I even tried it my entree was delivered? I had to have my entree taken back since it was going to get cold before I finished my app. Why I asked would you basically deliver app and entree at the same time the server had no answer? Noise level is brutal. Hard to have a conversation. I will probably not come back based on my experience. read more

It was a Saturday afternoon, few games on, not too crowded. Started with the lamb and spinach eggrolls which were shareable and mildly spiced. They had a full cocktail bar and beers on tap. Tried the hefe and a lager which were ok. Loved the high ceilings and the airy space. Food/drink 3, service 4. Return probability 35%. read more

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This was our third visit to Jockey Tavern, and it was just as great as the first two! We brought our family to celebrate our son's 8th-grade graduation, and everyone loved the food and atmosphere. We had a party of 11, and Justin provided great service. He was friendly, attentive, and made sure everything ran smoothly for our large group. We always enjoy our visits and will definitely be back! read more

This was our first time at The Jockey and we will be back. The brunch was fantastic and the service was great. My husband had the omelette and I had shrimp and grits. Each entree came with a side of fruit and an adult beverage. We had a Bloody Mary and it was so good. The owners of this restaurant did a great job with the renovations and added a lot of great details. I highly recommend trying The Jockey. You will not be disappointed. read more

The Jockey Tavern - Ham and Gruyère omelette - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Malvern, Pennsylvania

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it might be better than my experience today at their mother's day brunch. Not many selections (like my experience last year at Brickside which I will do again next year). Set up was AWFUL. Had to walk through 2 rooms AND the crowded lobby to get the brunch tables which was outside!!!! and the lines were long!!!! Food was OK. My grandson asked for milk.....they had NO milk!!!! he got a watered down (very) lemonade, which was $5. $39 for the adult buffet, but trying to meander through the crowd and tight seating almost made you want to just have 1 helping. AC was right above our heads so it was freezing, and coffee was not included, and we had to wave down the waitress for a refill. Just not a good experience. Will not do again. read more

Packed on a Saturday night, definitely need a reservation for a seat. We had to wait a while to even get a seat at the bar. The bartenders were very friendly and attentive even though they were nonstop busy. It's a beautiful space. They clearly planned every detail. There was live music at the bar- talented piano player/ singer. Jockey Julep- classic mint julep. Pretty strong but very little mint flavor. Basically sweetened bourbon. Brisket nachos- tender juicy and great flavor brisket on its own. Crispy but heavy. Not much cheese but tons of onions French dip-, huge portion. Was cold by the time I got it. Good tender meat but no flavor at all. Meat is very bland with no seasoning. Very greasy. Thick gravy instead of au jus dip, it's not seasoned and you can still taste the flour roux. Burger- basic burger, nothing special. Very little flavor. Fries are crispy and have a nice coating. read more

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In town 2 weeks visiting family. Went to Jockey Tavern 2 times. Outstanding experience both times. I love craft beer - Daisy Cutter on draft. Fantastic! Food and service were excellent. 5 stars to each dish we had - Filet, Salmon, Bison Burger. Staff attentive and friendly. Highly recommend read more

Food and service is consistently spot on. Love that the menu changes regularly but mainstay staples (like the amazing French onion soup) is always available. read more

Food and service were both exceptional. The restaurant looks amazing inside. I dined on the back porch - and that was so nice. read more

Parking was a mess and the main hostess should not be doing that job. Got off to a bad start but the waiter, food and decor made up for it.

We usually enjoy our brunch here once in a while at Jockey Tavern , Malvern PA . Unfortunately this time we were surprised that my husband's Bellini that came with his brunch arrived half full. We asked a different waiter if it was normal to get a Bellini half full ? and he said it was . We would've ordered another Bellini, but decided not to because of the fact that it was half full. Good to know. read more

The Jockey Tavern - This is the drink that came with my husband's brunch. It is a Bellini we didn't remember that they serve the glass half full? - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Malvern, Pennsylvania

What was otherwise a lovely evening with great drinks, wonderful food, and a great server, was tainted by the food delivery experience , which was not from our server, but rather from a different person, a young lady, apparently delivering orders from the kitchen. She essentially just threw our food on the table and ran away, leaving all of our empty dishes, and therefore an otherwise full table. Really not acceptable. read more

Went out to dinner with my dad last night and we decided to try The Jockey Tavern and it was incredible. We made a reservation earlier in the day and glad we did cuz when we got there it was pretty crowded, but we got seated immediately. We had a a server and someone training with her and both of them were lovely. The food was great, not a ton of vegetarian options but what they had was really good. For a drink I got the Pear-Fecta which was light, refreshing and delish. My dad had one of their own beers which he liked. We ordered the Hot Cheese Fondue as an app and let me tell you I'll go back just for this! A mild cheese fondue with dippers ( the toasted bread was next level). For my meal I did the Beat and Burrata Salad which was fresh and flavorful. I also got the Truffle Tots which I loved - they were perfectly crispy. My dad got the Fish and Chip which he also loved and said the side of coleslaw was fantastic. The vibe was upscale English tavern with a little modern twist. Super cool spot and can't wait to go back! read more

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Came on a Sunday 5:30 after seeing the ChescoPops with my Dad and wifey. Made a reservation easily. The place was nicely filled though not to capacity. The decor inside reminds me of Devon horse show, more fox hound hunt than horse race but comfy. We wanted the Bourbon Barrel Amber beer but they were out. Of their own label. That was disappointing. Dad got a beet salad and it was good but didn't have too many beets. I ordered the Bison burger which came with tater tots smothered in parm and garlic, a bit too much. The burger medium was closer to medium well done. A bit dry. Wifey liked her burger. Good not great but we'll come again and give it another chance. read more

The is fresh and flavorful, the ambiance is unique and posh, while the service is consistently attentive and kind. Great find. Oh and sometimes they've live music. So much fun. read more

Higher end restaurant with a really big fun busy bar. Menu was awesome. I needed dinner that wasn't low brow, and was NOT disappointed. Excellent food, great options, fun ambiance, live music, and I met and chatted with some really nice locals at the bar. The Jockey really saved me from a sad night! Highly recommend. read more

Great food and service. Nice atmosphere and quick seating Large selection to choose from read more

Awesome food and service! Alyssa was THE perfect server- the place was very busy and she never missed a beat! Drinks were really good and worth the price! I would definitely return! Spot has a great ambiance and feel! read more

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Attended a work Christmas party here and had a great time. The staff was professional and friendly and the food was really good. Special shoutout to Isabella. She stood out with amazing service and was an absolute expert at the Sunday bar. Would definitely recommend! read more

Great atmosphere. Been there for lunch and has been good. Dinner was horrible. We had four of us. Some meals were cold. I had the French dip, roll not toasted and the au jus was canned gravy. After I complained and sent half of it back they still charged me full price for it. Don't care about the money but they knew it was bad and didn't respond appropriately. I won't go back. read more

Atrocious service, maybe the worst I've ever experienced. The live music was an unnecessary and annoying touch and the bar area is a miserable place to have a meal if you're unlucky enough to be ushered in there. The food was the only saving grace but even that was just fine, nothing remarkable. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else -- there's plenty of other great restaurants in the area that won't disappoint you like the Jockey has for me. read more

We had a charity event on 10/25 with about 120 people. Everything about the evening was great. The staff were helpful and warm, the decor was beautiful, seasonal, and inviting, and the food was amazing. We all had such a good time. Thanks Zoe for helping us plan such a great event!!! Jennifer Schulte read more

I suppose I was expecting too much. On a Friday evening, the noise level was akin to an airport tarmac. The main dining room is lacking any sound absorbing materials making dinner conversation very difficult over the volume of the crowd. The waitress was very pleasant and efficient. The kitchen produced the food promptly. If you're going for the drinks, you will be pleased. If you're going for more than tavern fare pick somewhere else. I made the mistake of ordering the jumbo lump crab cakes at $35. Let's just say, the menu description "all lump crab blended with imperial sauce" should be a warning... it truly was like they put the ingredients into a blender before forming the cakes. The texture was gummy suggesting a lot of filler; definitely not freshly formed with care to preserve the notion of lump crab. The claim of having being blended with "imperial sauce" is also subject to suspicion if you know what ingredients go into imperial sauce. The cakes had virtually no flavor other than the oil they were seared in. The tarter sauce provided was equally bland, so there was no help from that. However, they make dynamite French fries...very crisp on the outside and fluffy inside with good seasoning. So, if you're looking for a burger with fries, you will probably be happy. Bottom line...there are much better places in the area for food at the price. read more

Lovely atmosphere- servers were very professional. My sister & I went late afternoon on a Sunday--we couldn't decide what to eat, the menu was so inviting! We will be back next time I am in the area. read more

McKenzie renamed their restaurants. We love the new place. They have a new chef along with a whole new menu. They completely redid the place and did an excellent job. Food and ambiance excellent. Can't wait to try The Crown read more

We attempted to go there this evening. We arrived around 7:30, well within their hours of operation. The handicapped entrance is off to the side up a ramp, and the door was locked. We saw someone moving around, but nobody answered the door. This was the second time this happened, we will never go back. Would give zero stars if we could because we couldn't even get in. read more

Good drinks, good food. Always have a good experience here. I've done outings with friends, dates, and work happy hours here. It's a nice spot and the bar is pretty big! read more

We really thought the Happy Hour menu food was good! The fondue was ample and tasty and a pleasant surprise with the added vegetables, etc. And I have had good fondue in Switzerland, visiting Swiss relatives. The waiter was very pleasant. My husband liked his food and we like the new decor too. We plan to go back soon. We thought our drinks were perfect, no complaints. read more

Food was delicious, great menu options and a bottle of wine wasn't unreasonable. I I liked the different seating areas but none of the indoor spaces provided for reasonable volume of table conversations. Staff was personable and helpful, and with a reservation seating was immediate. We'll be back and try the outdoor spaces on a better evening. read more

We were running errands and chose to pop in for lunch. Excellent experience. Nicely paved parking lot. Beautiful decor (Christmas time). Friendly and professional staff. Our server (Faith) made sure our first experience here was the best. A+ for presentation on everything. The water carafe was a previous alcohol bottle (nice touch). We tried the cranberry apple cider mocktail (tasty). My husband ordered the Jockey Burger (fresh) and I got the turkey sliders (delicious). For dessert, we shared the Baileys Irish Cream sundae (heavenly). Plenty of seating available-from a large dining room, to the bar area, with different rooms available for private parties. Great place for a date or for family gatherings. Highly recommended. We will be back. read more

We love this place..... Equestrian decor and atmosphere.. . Casual elegance.... Excellent food.... Very weak drinks. That's a let down. I only buy prosecco now .....servers are well trained..... Was just there again last Saturday..... Going this Saturday to sister property Crown Tavern! read more

The first review (Bob S.) was extremely harsh. It's not just McKenzies with a paint job. He is just someone who either got an off night or just a Debbie downer because he hates his life. If his calamari was rubbery then he should have sent it back and asked for a new one or something different. But I certainly don't think it warranted such a low rating. The place has been super busy since it's been open and sometimes you're going to get to get an off night. That being said...First off the place is gorgeous inside. They literally revamped and gutted it to make it look brand new. The time they took to really give it the beautiful ambiance it now has was far beyond a coat of paint. The Mangan's (who I've worked for at the Drexel Ale House over thirty years ago) I believe gave it the theme it has because from what I remember Bill Jr. rode horses and I really love the Radnor hunt vibe it exudes. As for the food, we went a couple of weeks ago and we had a really nice meal! And in our opinion, the price point was excellent. We had six drinks, two apps, two entrees and two coffees and one dessert for $200, including the tip. The only thing I would say we were not too happy about was the spice, I feel like most of the foods had spice in them that didn't need it. But overall the food in our humble opinion was better than McKenzies and better quality. The one last request I would make... as I know they have the a French dip on the menu (which I have yet to try), I would LOVE to see them bring the true roast beef sandwiches and gooey cheese fries they use to serve at the Drexel Ale house in UD to the JT. People came to that ale house specifically for those roast beef sandwiches with cheese and horseradish on them along with those cheese fries. I've never had anything that amazing ever since. In my opinion it beat any roast beef sandwich and cheese fries at pats or Geno's steaks, hands down. Jody, the chef at the DAH was an amazing cook! Those sandwiches and the cheese that went on them were to die for!! That and her chocolate mousse (drooling). If the JT were to put those on the menu...I guarantee the JT would be even busier than it is now. read more

This was one of the best meals I've ever had. They offer a good mix of sports bar and fine dining atmospheres.