Harvard Tavern, 12607 Harvard Ave NE, Cedar Springs ~ 3/2/23

A windowless building located off the beaten path does not scream welcome to anyone passing by. But if it comes with a recommendation, it's a must stop 😊. We saw a couple of doors and tried the first one hoping it was the entrance. Success! Everyone looked at us when we walked in so we knew we were in a hyper local spot. We were seated shortly by Emily who was also our server. Diffident at first, she was our new best friend by the time we left.
The building is divided into two sections with a counter separating the two areas. At some point, they must have had issues with minors.
Our starting beverages were PBR, Perrin Blackberry, and two vodka tonics.
The menu is not a typical bar menu and we ordered chicken gizzards for an appetizer. Pretty, pretty good.
Then in honor of Deb's Mom, Sandy, who recently passed away, we toasted Sandy with the Polish Rose (green onion wrapped in cream cheese and ham).
As I mentioned earlier, the menu is not what you usually find in a bar. Our first main selection was the Blue Gill Dinner, and it was delicious! The tossed salad was crisp and fresh.
The day's special was Chop Suey so it had to be tried. We'll say it was adequate.
The codfish basket was an excellent call and came with well seasoned fries.
Our last selection was the build your own burger, made into an olive burger for an extra 50 cents. With American cheese and large chunks of olive, it is currently the favorite olive burger. And that is saying something 😉
There are a few TVs but no sound and the juke box played only occasionally. The atmosphere is comfortable and quirky.
A new floor must have been recently put down because every chair leg looked like this.
I tried unsuccessfully to find reliable historic information on the building/bar. We were told it was built in 1801 and was haunted but could not verify either statement. There is an undated photo of the property.
Cheers to this local dive that serves up incredible food! Don't hesitate to walk in the door.




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