The Deer's Head Inn — Hotel in Town of Elizabethtown

After planning a weekend getaway a few weeks ago with friends, we chose to stay at the Deer's Head Inn. The reviews and pictures led me to believe that this was the place for us. 2 days prior to our stay, I reached out to the owner with regards to our 5 hout drive and a forecast of 16-20 inches of snow expected. The owner responded and told me that due to the less than 72 hours notice, he would have to charge us regardless if we stayed or not. This showed no regard for our safety. Upon arrival, we were given a code to enter the building and a code for each of our rooms as there is no one to assist with check in. Yes, the building is one of the oldest in the Adirondacks, and the history behind it is incredible, however, the rooms certainly needs some updating. The website description should disclose that the radiators don't always work depending on the downstairs restaurant temperature. Space heaters are provided in case this situation occurs which it did. It would have been nice to know that there were no tvs in the room. This wouldn't normally be an issue, but when you are snow bound it would have been a nice option. Many of the outlets did not work as well. We stayed in room #1. The shades did not go all the way down, the floor was slanted and my phone stuck to the night table. For the price we paid for the night (just under $200) I would have expected a bit more. We dined in the restaurant and found the staff to be exceptional and very friendly. The drinks were great. The food was very good but for the price, the portions were exceptionally small. It was very convenient to return upstairs due to the storm but the room was not conducive to being in a room by 9 with nothing to do. The walls of the rooms are exceptionally thin and you could hear any and all noises throughout the hallway. Our friend's room had an actual crack in the door which did not lend itself to quiet. Overall, I would not be quick to recommend this establishment. Had the owner been more receptive to our needs with a more positive attitude I may have upped my review to 3 stars, but unfortunately, this was not the case. **IN RESPONSE TO OWNER'S COMMENTS REGARDING MY REVIEW A tv would be an added bonus when you are in an area with nothing to do at night. Your website does not say under amenities that you have TVs, but maybe disclose that you don't. You should also disclose that you don't offer heat unless one plugs it in themselves As for canceling, it was a question posed 48 hours in advance, and referring back to our texts, I did not have a negative attitude. The owner was polite in responding that that was not the forecast he was seeing, and I positively responded with see you this weekend Multiple rooms were not booked. It was a pair of rooms. Actually, 3 out of 6 rooms were vacant that night, so u can see your need to make some money regardless of how far someone needs to travel. Funny how the slanted floor is all that your response picked up on, leaving off all else that was mentioned My winter travels will be continue, but I will be sure that they have the overall needed necessities. Funny how the negative reviews are always met on a defensive rather than simply apologizing for how the customer feels. Maybe this is were the negative...

After a very long day of finalizing some business up locally, my beautiful fiancé wanted to take me out to eat. We were tired and very hungry and, if you've driven through Elizabethtown, you'll understand that there really aren't very many options.

Anyway - we were close to the Deer's Head Inn and decided, based on the reviews we read, that this would be the spot for us.

The establishment combines old world with new to create a more modern chic vibe - very Nouveau Adirondack. They have a lovely front porch which folks could dine on, and the indoor space is clean, bright and vibrant. The bar looked well stocked and they even have a beautiful pool table in the far back. This seemed to be 'the big' town bar (and frankly, probably one of two locations locally that HAVE a bar).

We did not spend the night, so I cannot comment on the rooms.

We ordered a cheese board, which was hands down the best part of the meal. It was outstanding. The Blueberry jam and Saint André combination with a little local honey - uh... killer.

But sadly, that's where the meal deviated, and I can say, with much disappointment, that the remainder of our dinner was sub-par.

My fiancé ordered a pasta dish with grilled chicken, which she said was very bland. A lottle dash of salt and she said it was improved tremendously. I ordered the New York Strip Steak and house fries with a Chimichurri sauce. The steak was cooked excellently, but I'm sorry for saying this, the chef was wrong on the cut - that was no New York Strip. The steak, though excellently cooked, had a tremendous amount of gristle, tendons and sinew. It was very difficult to cut and to chew and ultimately I had to do some serious 'surgery' to get at the meat, which ultimately I have to say, was very tasty. My guess is that the chef chose a Flat Iron Steak (also known as a Boneless Top Chuck Steak) as it had an inedible piece of silverskin/gristle that ran through the steak. The fries were also disappointing. Some were seasoned very well and had the perfect consistency, others were fried to death. The Chimichurri sauce was very nice.

Our bill came to $110, which for steak and pasta, and no drinks, I felt, was a little steep.

Ultimately, I don't think I'll be coming back here any time soon. For the price we paid for the food we received, we both agreed that it was too much buck for the bang. But the drinks look outstanding and so does the bar - so I'd recommend this place as a fun meet up spot for folks looking for a cocktail or locally...

E-town (Elizabethtown) is a typical small town in the Adirondacks, no chain fast food or Starbucks, which is good but little or no cell phone signal (T-mobile). Very few dining options in town besides Arsenal Inn diner (1970's prices!), Bub's Pizza, Stewart's Shop, all walking distance and Tops grocery next door. The Deer's Head Inn is centrally located in town, very old but well maintained and quite clean for a 200+ yr old building. I was told it was originally a hospital and the very first tavern in the Adirondacks. Celebrities & US Presidents have stayed here. Supposedly, there have been ghost sightings but never saw any. VERY quiet, almost too quiet especially at night. Included are wifi, AC, coffee/microwave (in the library) & free street parking. A mini fridge would've been nice. No TV like older hotels in Europe but less screen time the better. I loved the library of books (all donated), framed vintage comic books & posters, used 12" vinyl LP's of classic jazz, rock, comedy, Broadway and record player in room! Private en suite bathroom was clean, new shower & toilet worked fine. Thankfully, the queen size bed wasn't 200 yrs old. In fact, it was very comfortable, firm, clean sheets and 4 clean puffy pillows, best hotel bed I've slept in a long time. Floors sag & creek like any very old house. Restaurant serves foody quality entrees & desserts to satisfy any epicurean guest. Prices not excessive but worthy of a high quality meal. Bar is well stocked and has tasty craft beers on tap. Friendly, courteous bar/waitstaff. There's no check-in desk at this b/b like inn. I stayed 3 nights and never actually met the owner/host at check-in & check-out, which was a little weird but building/rooms all have door code locks. Therefore, don't expect the usual check-in process. Honor system I guess. Respect the old building. House keeping lady was super nice and informative. Was visiting Meadowmount School of Music, which is 10 minutes away. Didn't know what to expect but totally exceeded my expectations. Will definitely stay again....