Having several visits to the Washington House over the past several months, it has become one of our favorites in the area. Food quality and service remain consistently high. Daily Specials are frequently varied following seasonal trends and product availability. Although the Dining Room hss reopened for Dinner, we have come accustomed to and often prefer to enjoy people watching and the relaxed atmosphere of the tent. read more

Washington House Restaurant - House Linguini - Bars Near Me - Basking Ridge, New Jersey

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I only went it to share a few cocktails with my friend after a late lunch and I just have to say. Not only was our cocktails fantastic the bartender was so lovely. He checked it and gave just the feel of you going to your friends house and they made you a drink. Really was a nice experience and I'd definitely come back! All the food looked fantastic! read more

A once quaint little restaurant (so I was told) is now a tent city with airplane bathrooms that don't flush. And if this isn't enough to make you second guess eating here, maybe being dive bombed by multiple flys throughout your meal might do the trick. The food was very average at best, and the service was absolutely NON EXISTENT. So please tell me why anyone in their right mind would want to eat here? Go ahead... I'll wait. read more

The food is phenomenal, however the service has been horrendous our past few visits. Yesterday we went for $1 oysters to celebrate a birthday. After waiting for someone to come up to our table for twenty minutes, the waiter wasn't sure where the oysters were from. We were then given the wrong drink, and never checked on throughout the night. Food is good, but not worth it for the expensive price tag and lack of service. read more

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We had wanted to try this restaurant for a while and I'm glad we did. Our waiter was attentive but very businesslike; we would've appreciated a little more personality and smiles, but that's just us. The drinks and food were wonderful; my friend and I both had seasonal cocktails and the pork chop. The pasta and filet my husband and friend ordered were enjoyed as well. The decor is tasteful and homey and it was nice to see other diners dressed up a little as we were. It's sad going to a nice restaurant just to see everyone in sweatpants and flannel lol. read more

Great service. And food came out timely. And that's what 2 stars are for Appetizer sliders. Very small very dry. I don't mind a small burger but when you make it so small it's easy to overcook which they did Appetizer steak fajitas. Meat very chewy and no flavor. It was definitely re-heated steak and a dollop of sour creme and avocado on the side. Salmon burger was mushy and inundated in some kind of mayo? It's a nice atmosphere and it was lunch time but I had been looking to come here for a long time for our anniversary and it really was a major disappointment read more

Washington house has done a great job accommodating social distancing during covid! They turned their back parking lot into outdoor dining area filled with picnic tables under tents, an outdoor bar, and an outdoor bathroom (much nicer than porta-potties!). The tables are all roped off and allow for proper social distancing! It is well planned and we felt safe the whole time. We started with the fried avocado which was delicious! It came with an aioli. It was extremely rich and filling. A unique starter for a group! We also got the kale and Brussels sprouts salad with blackened chicken (lots of flavor)! It had bacon, avocado, and feta and was soooo delicious--a must have! The miso salmon burger was also great and full of flavor, but a little too salty. Service was very attentive and friendly! Overall a great restaurant to visit for safe distancing during the pandemic. Still a great atmosphere! We hope they keep the back parking lot dining open post-covid because it's so spacious and fun with the bar and music! Parking is still available in the lot across the street in addition to street parking. read more

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Everything was good enough. The initial service we received was fantastic -- our wait for drinks & apps was basically nonexistent but once our entree order was taken I think he just wrote us off as "done" and didn't bother to check in again. The food was similarly just okay. The cheese on my burger was completely burnt and I had to scrape it off. My mother asked for no onions but still there they were. The mocha brownie was all brownie no mocha. Nothing too crazy to say I wouldn't recommend coming here but there are definitely better spots out there. My number one gripe about Washington House, however, is this: the host called the morning of our reservation to confirm and asked if we were celebrating anything special. Because we mentioned it was my stepdad's birthday, she said they would put a candle in his dessert and make it nice for us. Dessert came -- no candle, no "happy birthday." My stepdad said he didn't mind but my mom certainly did. As a former restaurant host and server, don't tell the customer you're going to do something like this (especially for a birthday, anniversary, etc.) without noting it on the reservation or informing the server so that they can actually follow through. read more

Amazing Food! Amazing service! Difficult getting reservations since it's so popular! However worth the perseverance read more

Sorry to take this down to 3. Reserved a table for 7 for an important client holiday dinner and when I arrived was shocked to see they are only still serving in their big tent. It was warm and huge but a tent - sparingly decorated and noisy as hell. Like a fund raiser for the local charity. We expected the nice cozy place they are known for and I fully get the realities of Covid nearly every place else has returned to normal with The precautions. As we approach the new year with getting back to business face to face this place is now off the list for us and me personally. The food also wasn't great and the wine list had many unavailable options. Disappointed and no longer recommended. read more

Very nice local spot in Basking Ridge. You can either be seated in what I call the Great Hall, a "temporary" structure build for service during the pandemic or charming interior rooms and bar. Broad selection of foods including salads, burgers, seafood and more creative fare, all well-prepared. Very good selection of wines by the glass, and the house beer is always fresh and crisp. Nice to have such a reliable place close to home. read more

Stopped in here on a beautiful late summer Sunday and had an amazing meal. Please was pretty full when we arrived but we got a table right away. They had a white wine sangria that Wifey and I other tried and it was a great way to sit and read over the menu. My daughter ordered the Caesar salad with chicken and Belgian waffle (she was hungry) Wifey had the Martha's salad...basically a Cobb Salad and I went and ordered something out of the ordinary for me-Weisswurst with potatoes and sauerkraut and mustard. What a wonderful job plating and the food was quite delicious. I was a little skeptical about mine, but as I got to the end of the meal I was practically licking the plate. The restaurant was immaculately clean and the service was excellent. A little pricey, but worth it. read more

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I enjoy introducing friends to this gem. I will always be grateful to have had a place for my friends and I to go during the pandemic and have continued to support them. Their outdoor tent, with radiant floor heating, provides a comfortable environment. Last night I had a Caesar salad with grilled salmon.... A personal favorite... and as always it didn't disappoint. Their staff is always professional and attentive. I look forward to going back soon! read more

I like the tent. It's a cozy bedouin oasis and quite snug, even on a 20 degree day. Yesterday's burgers were adequate and cooked to order. The fries were crispy and the food was served hot. Both very big plus's for our table. The service was sterling. My only complaint for this restaurant with such clean lines and designer chairs, was the server's table side tablet. It's pink case looked black with grunge and needed to be either cleaned or replaced. It left a dubious first impression. What is once seen cannot be unseen. read more

The Washington House is a beautiful space. Outdoor space especially is great. The inside is very tastefully done and not too noisy However, the french fries were terrible. Probably the worst I've ever had in a restaurant Made the whole meal feel mediocre read more

Best crab cakes I've had in a long time. And I've now added Scandic ale to my list of must-have-at-BBQs! It's really 4.5 and only because the menu seemed smaller than last time. I feel like I had more options. But those crab cakes are crazy good. read more

Washington House Restaurant - Magical crab cakes - Bars Near Me - Basking Ridge, New Jersey

Great food, very fresh! All 3 of us ordered the shrimp carbonara, gorgeous plating, great taste. Very poor service however, the waiter argued with us and raised his voice. Very unprofessional tone and very disrespectful. We had to go find someone to take our bill and run our card as the waiter stopped serving us after he argued with us. Manager came to talk to us after about the situation however, very nice man--we appreciated the follow up. read more

Washington House Restaurant - Shrimp carbonara - Bars Near Me - Basking Ridge, New Jersey

Long ago it was The Store. A Sunday brunch destination for my family when I lived with my parents in Mendham. Stopped in with my wife and son the other day for my birthday dinner. Outdoor seating was available but since it was about ninety, we sat inside. Several comfortable rooms. A nice bar. Lots of folks enjoying themselves. As is customary, we sat near a customer who had no idea how to speak in a restaurant. We encounter this type of person everywhere we go. The person who is so loud you can't hear yourself think. Thankfully, this person and her crew left after a half hour. Great apps. Fried calamari, tuna tartare, shrimp cocktail. Two glasses of Sauvignon Blanc. Off to a great start. Unfortunately, the restaurant ran out of ribeye steaks. My son and I ordered strips instead. Served with fingerling potatoes and sautéed spinach. For my wife, salmon with citrus risotto. My steak was grilled correctly. Rare. Very tasty. My son's steak was past medium. He wanted medium rare. Either our waiter did not write the temp down correctly or it was overcooked. Rather than ask for a refire and sit without food, my son ate his steak. My wife's salmon was delicious and she just loves the risotto served here. Almost as good as her version. So, all in all, a very pleasant meal. Go and enjoy. We'll be back soon. read more

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It was my first time there, an early dinner date with a friend. We got there early, around 5:30pm, so there wasn't a lot of people in the restaurant or outdoors. The food was fresh and delicious, and the service was impeccable. Great time all around. read more

I had such a lovely time here. I came at 5 when it was pretty quiet. The bartender was super courteous and attentive. I had the oysters - $1 each how can you go wrong? The cocktails were also amazing. Salted Watermelon was delicious but the Heartbreaker was probably one of the best drinks I've ever had so I had 2. I was really impressed by the quality of the cocktails so will definitely be back! read more

Was a great venue. Now just a huge tent like we are in a pandemic. Service and food holds up, But atmosphere is is a absent read more

I found this restaurant based on a recommendation on Facebook and was not disappointed. The food and the ambience were both equally amazing. The only thing that I didn't love was the picnic table style seating because after a while they become uncomfortable and we felt cramped. There was live music which was a nice touch to our dinner. Our service was spot on and food was brought out in a timely matter. We were a large party and tried many different things and everything was delicious. I would definitely return here for dinner again. read more

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I can vouch for these 5 stars for the Washington House with both pre-COVID and during-COVID experiences. My experiences, regardless of the time in which they took place, were top-notch. The food is stunningly delicious and the service is impeccable. The building itself is gorgeous. Nestled in quaint downtown Basking Ridge, the restaurant is located on a bustling corner. The inside is charming and cozy, and makes you want to stay a while. As mentioned before, the food is excellent. Contemporary plating mixed with the classic setting of the restaurant create a delightful experience while you enjoy your meal. Some food highlights: the crab cakes, churros, fish-n-chips, and the duck are all incredible. Because of COVID, the Washington House constructed a huge tent, complete with in-floor heating, airy space between all tables (well-constructed picnic-esque tables and benches, paired with regular tables), lovely Edison string lights, fancy heated bathrooms, and an overall ambiance reminiscent of a farmhouse. The "tent" feels more like an actual structure than a tent - and it well may be, I'm not well-spoken in architecture. Overall, we were very impressed with the space and would absolutely return. read more

Great food, great service! Always consistent! I love their oysters so much also their chicken and farro salad is my favorite! The avocado fries are a one of my all time favorite things ever, anywhere. Highly recommend. read more

Food was very good and numerous choices to select from. Extensive bar selection as well. Sat inside and was very comfortable. Service is important and wait staff was very attentive as well as the support staff. Definitely would go back!! read more

We are relatively new to the area but read other reviews, so we went there for lunch last Monday. There were five of us, two adults and three kids, so we chose to sit in the tented room in the back. The adults had different burgers so we could share, and the kids shared fries with three sauces and a potato side. It was amazing! Service was excellent, as was the food--a nice place to take a family. read more

Atmosphere is 5/5 but quality of food is meh. Everyone says this place is kid friendly but we've been a few times now and I don't find it to be kid friendly at all. read more

We ate here last night and the food was on point however the service was not. My better half had a salad with chicken, egg, bacon that was very good. I had the short rib tacos that was also very good. The pineapple topping was a nice touch and the short rib had good flavor. I also tried the avocado fries which were really good. Regarding the service, we saw other tables had bread baskets and we each had a bread plate with a butter knife so the assumption was there was bread. Finally, when our meals came I asked the waiter if they served bread and he gave this bizarre answer that the customer has to ask for it because in the past the restaurant had to throw a lot of bread away. Ohhhhh K. Why wouldn't he have just gone and got a basket of bread? At that point we were like no thanks. Note to restaurant: If you include the bread plate/butter knife in the table setting and give some folks bread, just give everyone the bread and eliminate the customer needing to ask and the ridiculous wait staff explanations read more

Decent enough place to go for a meal. I meet up with my buddy there for drinks and apps now and then.

Great neighborhood restaurant. Tuesday is half off bottles of wine and Wednesday and Thursdays are $1 Oysters! Enjoy a summer cocktail and some oysters in their beautiful outdoor covered patio. Live music on the weekends. We have had dinner here and service is always good. If your just looking to get some apps and a cocktail, you must try the fries with 3 different dipping sauces and they make an awesome dirty Martini. Need I say more??!! read more

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Food is great Service is good Ambiance is nice I love to eat at Washington house all the time read more

This completely renovated place is now one of the bigger establishments in the area. However, I wish we would turn back time on this one. All this jazz and glitz did not result in any new fancy vegetarian choices. They were exactly two veggie choices I could find - Falafel Piadina for $10 and Veggie pot pie for $12. The interior bar is all plush but gone are the beer flights for a fancier wine "cellar" and expensive drinks. The old dark place does now have a beautiful skylight tho (don't know if that makes the beer hoppier or the patrons happier). The place has several dinning areas and we sat in the outer hall for lunch that day. The serving was leisurely - which is great if you are retired or out for a quiet dinner. We were out on a working day lunch and this place may very well have retired folks in mind (with a fancy bar?!). Taking about quiet - it certainly got noisy for lunch even when they were only a few additional patrons. The outside hall is an echo-chamber - thanks to the expensive remodeling. Oh yea, my pot pie was OK. Peas were quite good and the mushroom gravy seemed reasonable. The puffed pastry on top was quite unremarkable - even with all that butter. So as a vegetarian, I would not give this place more than two blings - and I must say my omnivore co-workers weren't exactly over the hill with rapture on their entrees either. read more

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Great decor, good food and banging cocktails! I had the Blackberry Fields cocktail with vodka, prosecco, mint and blackberries and I would have 5 more if I didn't have to go to back to work! Washington Sliders were cooked a perfect medium and were delicious. Highly recommend! read more

Washington House Restaurant - Cute entrance! - Bars Near Me - Basking Ridge, New Jersey

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The restaurant is too large for the kitchen and staff. They did exceptionally well during COVID with outside seating; now, they are trying to do both inside and outside dining and serving at the bar--time to scale it back. The staff and kitchen are not equipped to handle that size of service. The manager is top-notch, but he spends his night apologizing for service and poorly prepared food, as the kitchen can't handle the new occupancy inside and out--it's time to decide outside or inside dining. Only serve drinks at the bar as it was freezing cold the whole night because the staff had to leave the door open to walk food in and out all night. The place is very nice looking but only 2 stars and that me being nice because of the manager. Very disappointed read more

Just finished fabulous 70th birthday celebration for 16 people. Their private rooms help make the event special...lighting, decor, ambiance perfect. I have eaten here several times and the food is always excellent...even for a party this size...perfection! Samantha was easy to plan with...responsive, helpful and clear. Miquel and his service staff were outstanding...attentive, organized, professional from beginning to end. A very accomplished leader/team. It was a milestone birthday and the complements from everyone was so positive and appreciative. Thank you Washington House for making our event especially wonderful. read more

Regular here, drove 20 minutes out of my way only to be told the kitchen is closed. It was 9 and they close at 10. There are far more hospitable restaurants I'm gonna forget about this place read more

They did a great job putting up a climate-controlled tent to accommodate for Covid restrictions. Great service and food quality, with a decent wine selection and very reasonable prices. We enjoyed a great meal, topped with the home made churros for dessert - a must-have. We are definitely coming back! read more

What happened? This used to be a wonderful and charming find with nice food, in a beautiful space. Now, a stadium dining experience in a football field tent? Ok I get it the pandemic thing. As a New Yorker I've watched hundreds of establishments try to pick up a few more tables to offset losses from the 2020 mess. I'm ok with that. but to triple the size of your business with the same size kitchen and with untrained staff ? It doesn't work. I know I sound annoyed. I am. Ive been here many times in the past and it was always at least a 4 star restaurant.. for me that's gone. To begin it is now an airplane hanger with ridiculous noise levels and silly impractical seating. Forget it if you are seeking a romantic or intimate setting as this is cafeteria type setting. long plank like tables makes it extremely hard for groups of more than four to converse, yet the tables are for 8 which makes no sense... One never gets to talk to others on the other side of the table ( perhaps round tables a better alternative?) The distance from the kitchen to the last tables is nothing short of a 100 yard dash for servers making it tricky to get their attention in the case of a need for a utensil or addition beverage order as was our case ( perhaps having a coffee station or wine set up in the outside to cut trips to the bar if legal?). The food: It depends. If you want a burger, fries or sliders you're more than good. Truly delicious cooked properly After that its a crap shoot. The chopped salad is fresh but with zero flavor. The calamari is hot and crisp but brown not golden leading me to believe the oil needs a change. No need to order appetizers since the staff was not sensitive enough to allow you to finish them before bringing out your main course. The timing was awful causing all our guests to look at each other as if really? It felt very rushed. very chaotic. The salmon is prepared pan seared and recommended to be served medium rare.It arrived perfectly seared on the outside and raw inside NOT medium rare. It's as if they have so many orders they want to just push out the food. That's how it felt. The risotto and sautéed spinach however saved my day. I would had asked for a more cooked salmon had I been able to find a wait staff within a reasonable time frame. Dessert: Cappuccino and coffee, when arrived was literally served in a small coffee cup and barely half full! It was actually laughable. The foam was barely there and had no sense of being a true cappuccino. It feels like they use a push button type dispenser that regulated the size of the pour yet its not matched up to the proper cup size. The support staff were all congenial however they seemed very inexperience. I know its a hard time to find staff, that said why have such a large capacity ? I'm sorry folks I do like your place but hoped you would keep your original level of service if your intent was to expand its capacity. it just doesn't justify a night out at a restaurant if its that cumbersome. Two stars for the burgers and the polite staff only read more

Have recently frequented this restaurant a few times and my review has increased from 3 stars to 4. They have made improvements in the tent, opened up the indoor house and have front patio seating. Our servers have been very attentive and the food is amazing. Yes, it is pricey but for a special night out it is worth it. They have have weekly specials like 1/2 price bottle of wine on tuesdays and $1 oysters on wed/thurs. Also, the tent is very large and we have plenty of room to bring our baby stroller. Only downsides is that the tent can be very loud and difficult to hear one another. But otherwise it is delicious & spacious! read more

THIS PLACE IS AMAZING can here for lunch 2 days ago and started with the freshest oysters (from MA had been sent on Monday for us to enjoy Wednesday), as well as a salad with rare tuna, fried avocado and a quesadilla. Everything was delightful and the service amazing. Their outdoor dining area is so pretty and lined with flowers. They also have live music some nights. Will definitely be back! read more