This review is based on dinner.
I went here last night for dinner since I had a gift certificate. The Olive Branch Tavern is located inside the 1875 Inn in the center of Tilton. Some say this place is haunted by a ghost named Laura, who perished in a fire in the late 1800s at the original inn. This inn sat vacant for many years until it was refurbished and restored in 2001. Some guests have reported ghost sightings.
The Olive Branch Tavern is chef owned and operated, which is open for lunch and dinner serving American fare as well as some Italian dishes. The atmosphere inside is pretty laid back and casual. The interior is very classic with wood floors and walls with pictures, dim lighting. The tavern area is in the back with a big HDTV and the dining rooms are in the front with big windows of natural lighting coming in. The main dining room has the original fieldstone fireplace.
I arrived here around 5PM and I could sit anywhere I'd like, so I sat in the dining room near the window. Each table in the dining room had linen napkins with silverware and lit candlelight. I perused the menu offers such items as sandwiches, salads, soups, chicken, steak, seafood, and pasta dishes. Specials are offered too. The prices are moderate, most entrees in the $10-$20 range. Wine list is in the menu.
I started off with a cup of Clam Chowder ($3.25), which was thick and had a rich flavor with lots of minced clams with potato chunks. My dinner entrée included hot crusty rolls and a garden salad served in a wooden bowl, which were decent. For dinner, I had the Pastry Baked Chicken ($14.95) which was a good portion served with warm cranberries, chunky red skin mashed potatoes, and sautéed green beans with onions. The boneless chicken inside the puff pastry shell was very juicy stuffed with a tasty stuffing, excellent dish. The warm cranberry orange glaze was very good for dipping. The mashed potatoes were a bit dry, but good. The vegetables were fresh and crispy. For dessert, they had apple pie, lemon meringue pie, and brownie sundaes. I had the latter ($5.95) with a Diet Coke ($2.50) which was a chocolate brownie (not warmed) topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup drizzle, strawberries, and whipped cream. The bill came out to around $26 before tax and tip.
Overall, the meal was very good and relaxing. The waitress left me alone to enjoy my meal and a few other parties began arriving as I was eating my dinner. I was told that they offer paranormal nights on every third Saturday of each month for $25 which includes dinner and it usually books up.
WEBSITE: http://www.1875inn.com read more