Black Powder Tavern

Someone from this business manages this listing.

Learn More

Review

332 reviews

#2 of 74 Restaurants in Wayne$$ - $$$, American, Bar, Pub

+1 610-293-9333+ Add website

Hours

Sun

11:30 am - 9:00 pm

Mon

11:30 am - 9:00 pm

Tue

11:30 am - 9:00 pm

Wed

11:30 am - 9:00 pm

Thu

11:30 am - 9:00 pm

Fri

11:30 am - 10:00 pm

Sat

11:30 am - 10:00 pm

Improve this listing

Ratings and reviews

4.0

332 reviews

#2 of 74 Restaurants in Wayne

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

Learn More

PRICE RANGE

$16.00 – $48.00

CUISINES

American, Bar, Pub

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

meals, features

Location and contact

1164 Valley Forge Rd, Wayne, PA 19087-1202

+1 610-293-9333

Improve this listing

Does this restaurant serve Bar / Pub food?

Yes

Unsure

Details

Manage this business?

About

Located just outside Valley Forge National Historical Park, Black Powder Tavern combines local flavors with American history in a pub-like setting. Warm woods and just-dim-enough lighting add to the tavern feel, enhanced by a reclaimed sawn oak bar. Weeknights feature happy hour from 5-7PM, with a reprise happy hour on Thursday - Saturday from 9-10PM. Brunch is offered Sundays from 10:30AM-2PM, and the big game is always on. Beer enthusiasts take note: there are 24 brews on tap and 39 bottles. The selection is tweaked regularly, so if you’re looking for something new and special (or old and admired), this is the place to come. The menu features a variety of small and entree-sized plates, and highlights the flavors, ingredients and culinary trends Philadelphia has become known for—and that pair well with our extensive craft beer offerings. Whether you stop in for lunch, dinner, happy hour or Sunday brunch, there’s something to satisfy your hunger, and your taste buds.

PRICE RANGE

$16.00 – $48.00

CUISINES

American, Bar, Pub

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

FEATURES

Takeout, Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Valet Parking, Free off-street parking, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Free Wifi, Accepts Discover, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Gift Cards Available

Contribute

Write a review Upload a photo Ask a question

We perform checks on reviews.

Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews

Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.

When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.

Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.

Learn more about our review moderation.

4.0

332 reviews

Excellent

113

Very good

134

Average

Poor

Terrible

Tari L

1856 contributions

Decent but nothing special

Jan 2020 • none

Stopped in for lunch with friends. They were serving sunday brunch but we opted for the regular lunch menu. I had a short rib grilled cheese which sounded so good. The short rib part was excellent, very tender and tasy. However, the bread was to thick and the cheese to sparse, leaving me underwhelmed. The fries that were served with it were good but quite salty (I happen to like salt so that was not a problem for me, but for those who don't, beware). This isn't a bad option for lunch, I would just say that you could probably do better elsewhere.

Written 29 January 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kim W

Spring City537 contributions

Dinner with the Girls

Nov 2021 • none

We always like to come here for dinner. We all enjoy the food. I had the Cesar Salad which is huge. Given that was wasn't very hungry I should have opted for a side salad. I also had the Shrimp and Grits Small Plate. The dish was perfectly season for most I would have liked a bit more spice from the chorizo but I would order this again. It was a perfect size portion. One lady had a starter of the Onion Soup which she said was fantastic. She and another friend had the Fish, Shrimp and Chips. There were huge pieces of cod and the shrimp were a nice size as well. They both said it was rather bland and would have been liked to have been offered Cocktail sauce as well as tarter sauce, The other 2 diners had the Chicken Pot Pir which they raved over. The one diner said it was almost as good as her Grandmother's which I think is a very high compliment. The only complaint we all had was the parking. I arrived at 5:30 and there was 1 space open and the restaurant wasn't nearly full. At one point they had Valet Parking which is probably a good idea to revisit instead of driving around the parking lot waiting for someone to leave.

Written 10 November 2021

MommaJage

271 contributions

Mixed Experience

Mar 2021 • none

We stopped for a weekend lunch while in the area. This historical property sits in the middle of suburban shopping. The building is charming but not as connected to history as I expected. No info about the area's history was shared. We ordered three different lunch entrees and had a mixed experience. The poutine was way too salty and impossible to eat. The club sandwich was average. The South Philly pork sandwich was quite good and the best of the bunch. Staff were attentive but not overly friendly or interested in us. Overall a mixed experience that left us a little disappointed.

Written 29 March 2021

Bernie B

Hi, MommaJage. We appreciate you taking the time to leave a review of your recent experience with us. I apologize that you weren’t completely satisfied with your visit. I will pass along your comments to our Chef and our front of the house staff. I’d certainly welcome a further discussion regarding your review. If you’d like to send me your contact information and some convenient times for us to have a conversation, I will get in touch with you. My direct email address is bbottmeyer@blackpowdertavern.com. Best regards, Bernie Bottmeyer General Manager, Black Powder Tavern

Written 30 March 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Rebecca R

Pennsylvania5 contributions

Mediocre food and bad service

Oct 2022 • none

We had dinner the other day at Black Powder Tavern and we ordered appetizers including 2 Soups, a Poutinhe and Wings. The appetizers came out at the same time as the entrees. We asked them to take the entrees as we didn't have room but the entrees ended up sitting and weren't the same. A hamburger that's made to order is very different from a burger that's been sitting for 20 minutes. My daughter's bolognese was cold and warm in spots. The fries had no heat with the burgers and we got a new batch but it didn't make up. In the end, it was a terrible meal and we didn't eat half our food. The bill didn't reflect that. When someone orders appetizers, there are 2 orders for that table. The 1st order are the appetizers, the 2nd order are the entrees. We insisted to the waitress that we wanted anything that's ready to come out so they're warm. This has happened before and we're not sure we can give this restaurant another chance as it's bar food for $150-$200 for a family of four.

Written 6 November 2022

Bernie B

Good afternoon, Rebecca, I appreciate you taking the time to tell us about your recent experience at BPT. I’m very sorry that the timing of your meal wasn’t spaced out properly resulting in some cold food. We do pride ourselves on not only great food, but attentive service as well, so for that to be lacking I do apologize. I’d like to talk more about your experience and discuss whatever we can do to make up for it. Please let me know a good time to call you, by sending your contact information to me at kyost@blackpowdertavern.com. Thank you, Bernie Bottmeyer

Written 10 November 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

schmerl

Pennsylvania11944 contributions

Some good, some not so good

Jan 2023 • none

The basic problem is inconsistency. I have had their short rib grilled cheese sandwich a couple times. The last time it was wonderful. However, today there was hardly any short rib in the sandwich and they left out the caramelized onions which really make the sandwich great. Disappointed. However, their sweet potato fries are very good. My friends' meals were good and our service was wonderful, except....one friend can not have caffeine and loves iced tea. They don't have caffeine free iced tea so she brings a powdered packet and adds it to her water. There was a $3.85 charge for iced tea on the bill!!!!!!! They charged for a glass of water! That's really petty. With so many good restaurants in the area, it will be a while before we return.

Written 10 January 2023

Bernie B

Good Afternoon Schmerl, Thank you for taking the time to let us know about your concerns. I am very pleased to hear that you recently had wonderful service, and also you’ve enjoyed a lot of our food. When it’s convenient for you I’d like to chat with you. Please let me know a good date & time we can have a quick phone call by messaging me at kyost@blackpowdertavern.com. Thanks again, Kevin Yost

Written 13 January 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Bill C

Port Maitland391 contributions

Historical spot, and good food!

Feb 2020 • none

The Black Powder is in a building that has been here since the Revolution, although greatly changed obviously. The menu leans toward traditional (chicken pot pie, fish and chips, etc), but also has some very nice offerings like parmigiana, and salads as a meal. Excellent service in an interesting atmosphere makes for a nice spot.

Written 7 March 2020

Katie P

Philadelphia29 contributions

Delicious historical experience

Jan 2020 • none

We checked out Black Powder Tavern for the first time this past week. The food was quite excellent - an interesting blend of Italian/British/comfort American/Revolutionary era. We loved the history lesson our waiter gave us! So neat to think the building has been there since Washington's days! The ambiance was relaxed, but it was also classy. A step up from a pub, but it's not too big of a step up. Casual attire with food and drink options that are significantly better than casual. The parking lot is small, but they had complimentary valet, so that helped for sure. We will be back! Oh and we had the loaded potato chips, fish and chips, tortellini bolognese, pot roast, and shrimp with pesto. All of us were licking our plates with how delicious it was!

Written 1 February 2020

Kim W

Spring City537 contributions

Have had better meals here

Nov 2023 • friends

This was the place for a monthly dinner with friends. I got there early and took advantage of happy hour. About 20 minutes before our reservation, I ordered a 2nd glass of wine to take to the table with me as I was still waiting for the party to show up. It took 15 minutes and 2 requests for the check before anyone gave me the tab so I could settle up. By the time I joined my party we had been served bread, and our order was taken fairly quickly. One of my dining partners got the meatloaf and loved it. My other dining partner got the Thai Salad and was not impressed, but loved the Onion Soup. My other 2 dining partners didn't have much to say. My Pork Schnitzel sounded wonderful with Braised Red Cabbage, Mashed Potatoes, and a Mustard Jus. Unfortunately, the schnitzel was very salty but had a great crunch. The Braised Cabbage was done well. The Mashed Potatoes were not creamy at all and not even warm. The Mustard Jus really didn't have any value add where flavor was concerned. All in all, I have had much better meals here before. One other note.... use the Valet parking as parking is tight.

Written 14 November 2023

devingriffin7

Wayne32 contributions

You will probably drive by but don’t.

Apr 2019 • family

You will probably drive by this place 100 times and never think to go in. Sitting between 202 gas station and a strip center isn’t the most inviting look but once inside this revolutionary era building, its a great time. The food has interesting twists on classic comforts like short ribs and a “town” feel vibe inside makes for a great night. Wouldn’t recommend for young kids but teenage and above or a night out for adults is definitely a place you should swing in.

Written 5 March 2020

Mike P

12 contributions

Great small group luncheon.

Oct 2020 • family

Had a great wedding rehearsal luncheon here. The tavern was quick to respond to my email about hosting an event and they were great to communicate with as the event approached. Bernie and his service staff (Halley and Elliott) did a great job with our group and were very attentive. You will not be disappointed if you choose to dine here for lunch or dinner.

Written 29 October 2020

jude19572018

Crystal Lake215 contributions

Great Spot - Must See

Mar 2020 • business

The Black Powder tavern is just a classy historic restaurant tavern in the heart of Wayne . The staff really gives you a great history lesson and makes you feel at home and the food is outstanding, great ambience. If you haven't gone there you need to go back in history and enjoy a drink and some great food!

Written 6 March 2020

Kim W

Spring City537 contributions

A Wonderful Place for a Large Gathering

Oct 2020 • none

We were supposed to be outside in the tent. The weather didn't cooperate and they gave us a nice big room inside. We were a group of about 25. Everyone raved about the food. The Crispy Brussel Sprouts were a hit at all of the tables that had them as was the Calimari and Onion Soup. The portions are huge. I can't say enough good things about the staff and the experience from making the reservation to the end of the meal. I highly recommend for a small gathering or dinner for 2.

Written 30 October 2020

BigEatinInBerwyn

Berwyn60 contributions

Decent, just not really good, and a bit overpriced.

Nov 2021 • family

I really wanted to like this place. I've heard good things, and the burger came highly recommended as the best in the area. We had the all American, and it was barely okay, and red inside when ordered medium. The fried with it were good, but no ketchup on the table and the portion on the plate was too little. The wings were decent but pretty tough. The Harvest salad had overcooked chicken on it, and the dressing was under flavored. Also, at $20, I'd say pretty overpriced. The pretzel appetizer was fine, but the cheese dip was not good. The mustard helped. The flatbread was unique and tasty. All in all, I don't think I will be back, but glad I tried it. Maybe the bigger entrees are better? I'm not sure I'd risk it again. Rather go to a sure thing.

Written 27 November 2021

DiningDs

Blue Bell211 contributions

Good food and wonderful service.

Jun 2022 • couples

We haven’t been to this location since it was a different restaurant. It was cozy with subtle lighting, lots of booths, and an outside patio. Our server Anthony, was attentive and pleasant. He had many tables and handled all of them professionally. The fried calamari was cooked perfectly and we loved the lemon aioli as a pleasant change from the marinara (you get both!). We both ordered burgers, which were cooked perfectly. The fries were very good, although the amount of ketchup provided was insufficient. While I love brioche rolls, the bottom tends to get soggy from the burger juices. Still, we enjoyed our meal and will return. George Washington was here, so why not?!

Written 10 June 2022

Citalee

Philadelphia19 contributions

Repulsive food

Nov 2022 • family

A disgrace to offer truly the most disgusting food on your thanksgiving buffet? Unable to cook so family booked here. How can you serve this garbage with a straight face? The meat so fatty it was little gobs of whale blubber. “Turkey” suspiciously resembled Hormel type of processed meat. I’m pretty sure mashed potatoes were instant. Yams right out of a can. This was so repulsive we threw it out and worried it may suck we had a back up honey baked ham in case. Thank God. I rather have my appendix out and eat hospital food than this bilge. Wow you get minus ten stars . Just horrible

Written 24 November 2022

…

Showing results 1-15 of 329

Best moderately priced restaurants

See all