Spring House Tavern

[crazyspice]

Anyone been lately? I see they have a deck now and Mitch gave it 3 1/2 out of 5. Last time we ordered from there I got a chef's salad at lunch time and it was terrible! The lettuce was brown and tough and there was a ton of water in the bottom of the container. I had to drain it. Was not impressed.

[LowerGwyneddGirl]

Me and my DH are laughing at the roll poking, I would have never thought of that either and the dirty napkin just gross. I live near this place and never have gone and do not plan on going anytime soon either. Thanks for saving us the disappointment.

[PattiCakes]

This is a place that has seen it's prime. Kind of like Williamsons, North. Many of the regulars are those who dined there in it's heyday, and their eyesight is not good enough to pick up the torn table cloth or the dirty napkin. We had a neighbor, God rest her soul, who would go there every Friday night, order a number of highballs and their crab imperiale. They actually had her funeral luncheon there.

Sorry to say, but you are better off trying any one of a number of decent places that are close by.

[Chefpaulo]

Wow! This is all so very disappointing to hear. Chefs come and go. Perhaps our crafter of the succulent Crab Kiev is long gone. Sometimes its best to let sleeping memories lie.

[givemecarbs]

That sounds poetic Chefpaulo. And makes me think of DeLorenzo's pizza in Trenton and the Candlewyck too. For me a lot of times it is better to let sleeping memories lie. Oh but once in awhile you can go home again. When that happens, like at DeLorenzo's. it seems magical. like doing the Time Warp. And I couldn't resist the Rocky Horror Picture Show reference on this Halloween weekend. :)

[crazyspice]

I can't even tell you the deep disappointment I felt! Also, my husband told me when he went to the men's room, the door was filthy.

[Displaced California Foodie]

I went there about a year ago because I had heard the crabcakes were great.
The table cloth was ripped in 2 places.
The cloth napkin in the roll basket covering the rolls was dirty. I asked for a new roll basket (but I had poked 2 of the rolls in the bottom to see if I got the same rolls back)- Guess what- the same rolls were given back to me in a new basket after they were in the dirty napkin.) Oh- and the crabcake- it was frozen in the center! NEVER AGAIN.

[hillster]

The bottom line on this place is the food isn't good. If you are in your sixties you will be YOUNG here! The atmosphere along given the lack of age diversity is depressing before the food arrives. Anyone recommending this place does know what a "good" restaurant is. Its such a deperate food situation in this area!

[givemecarbs]

hillster, don't go to my favorite diner then, the r and s keystone. I love that place and they are so sweet to their mostly senior citizen customers. I was warned when the place was first mentioned to me by my friend Erick. He said it was real good and the prices were great if you don't mind eating with a bunch of old folks. Well he was right on all three counts.

[bucksguy14]

givemecarbs - I was a regular for breakfast at the R&S until I stumbled into the Roy Ann on Old Bethlehem Pike about a mile or so north of the R&S. Best breakfast value in Upper Bucks!

[givemecarbs]

Haven't been to Roy Ann in ages bucksguy14! How are their other meals now? I remember them having some nifty desserts.

[bucksguy14]

Lunch is decent. Never had dinner there. And you're right about the desserts - can't leave with having some kind of pie AND taking something home to remember the meal!!!

[Displaced California Foodie]

givemecarbs-Where is the R&S keystone?

[PattiCakes]

North, on 309 (Bethlehem Pike), in Telford. Here's the Yahoo link, with a map.

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide...

[givemecarbs]

Let us know what you think if you try the R and S Displaced. That diner is truly the stuff of legends. I am still a noob to chowhound and learning the ropes. But the things I would write about the R and S if I thought people would want to read them. I am still finding my way here though. Last summer I wanted to write about the nature of corn and how buying it here in Pennsylvannia at a farm stand with the corn field whispering and gently undulating right there gave me a sense of time and place like nothing else. But I wasn't careful with the title and my post got moved to home cooking and then a chowhound told me there was already a thread on corn there. The other corn thread was a great one full of awesome tips and I told them so. But it was a jarring experience. Is there another place I could write about the R and S? I guess here people want tips and I get too chatty.

[Displaced California Foodie]

I will be sure to post when I get to the R&S. It may be a month or 2.
I think you should just post your info (or feelings) about the R&S and see what happens. Is there a board on this site that may be more appropriate? "not about food?" I'd start with the PA board and see what happens....

[givemecarbs]

Wow California Foodie, I will remember the roll poking technique, I never would have thought of that. Sounds like Mitch really blew it this time. I wonder if he reads these boards?

[nevets]

We ate there a year or so ago and haven't been back. We both ordered the platter that lets you choose two kinds of crab. We each got a crab cake and also tried the crab imperial and the crab au gratin (if my memory is correct). Nothing was noteworthy. There are better crab cakes to be found nearby (Zacharias Creekside for one).

[jfr]

We stopped for lunch in July. OK but not such that we would rush to return. It sounds as if the crab cakes are the item to order. Too bad my wife isn't enthusiastic about crab cakes. Maybe I will be passing by there again on my own and can stop to try them.

[crazyspice]

Since my husband was off today, we decided to stop by the Tavern for lunch. We were probably the youngest people in there, and we aren't that young! I thought the crab cake was disappointing. I was drooling for a crab cake the likes of Chefpaulo's description. What I was served was a previously fried and re-heated crab cake that was cold and bland. The crab meat was far from lump and there was no buttery juice to be found. I sent it back to be heated and it was evident on the return, there was a microwave involved.

So, we are all set and will not be returning. Mitch is way off the mark this time!

[givemecarbs]

Wow crazyspice You took a hit for me. Was thinking of trying the joint based on my Trend magazine review by Mitch. Guess not. Thanks and sorry it didn't work out.

[crazyspice]

Hey givemecarbs ~ Anything for my fellow Hounds. ;-) We definitely will never go back. I would rather eat the demo foods at Costco!!

[Chefpaulo]

I haven't been there in about a five years but I must return for nostalgic reasons.

From the 60's through mid-90's, we lived about 1/2 mile from the Tavern and it was a favorite of my mom's for the crab cakes. These were the quintessence of crab cakes - thin breaded crusts enveloping huge chunks of herb buttered jumbo lump crab meat. They were more like Crab Kiev in that you'd have buttery juice squirt out with the first incision. No sticky filler and they were waaaay too good to be tartar sauced. The Tavern's smoked salmon appetizer was superb and my dad always went for the filet and Bernaise (with a Heineken).

I don't know if these are still staples of the menu or who the exec chef is but I remember many happy times and great meals there.

[KateForbes]

My in-laws love this place. They go for the crab cakes and the shrimp cocktail. They did note that their prices went up recently, but I have heard great things about the crab cakes. We got them for take-out and they were great, just as Chef mentioned, no filler.