Tav — Restaurant in Ellensburg

I was passing through Ellensburg, Washington, late at night on 5/18/23. I needed to get a bite to eat, but didn’t take into account how early things close up, even though it is a college town.  Fortunately, The Tav was still serving food.

Located in the historic downtown, The Tav has been around for 55+ years.  It is a favorite watering hole/hang out for locals and college students, that also has a good sized menu. The wooden booths and the bricks in the wall are hand-carved with the names of employees and patrons. There is a small stage in front of the kitchen window and two pool tables in the back of the room.

I ordered The Barney Burger ($8.69) - a quarter pounder with all the fixins, and a side of French Fries ($4.49) with fry sauce. I added a slice of cheese to my burger. It’s not common to see places this casual list burgers on the menu à la carte, or charge prices this high, but that’s Ellensburg for you.  Everything seems to cost more here.

The cook forgot to toast in my hamburger bun, which would have been a problem if I’ve been eating anything bigger than a 1/4 lb. patty. Aside from that, it was a solid burger.  The french fries were good and plentiful. I liked the made from scratch fry sauce.

Next time, I would order the Super Mother burger which has cheese, and either ham or bacon. I would’ve gotten this time, but in the rush of trying to get my order in before the kitchen closed, and the darkness of the room, I misread the menu and thought it said that it had ham AND bacon. Priced at $9.49, it’s a much better value than the Barney Burger.

The service was excellent! My server Ellie was busy trying to keep up with the needs of everyone in the room, and she did a great job, all while keeping a smile on her face. My food came out quickly. There was a nice overall feeling of camaraderie. Even though I didn’t know a single person in the room, and was the only solo diner, The Tav a very welcoming environment.

Normally, my ratings are based solely on the food, and given that I’ve worked in kitchens and have eaten at a lot of restaurants, 3 stars is a good rating for me. But I was so impressed with the service and welcoming environment at The Tav that I’m going to make an exception and add an additional 1 star to my review based on those factors alone.

Highly Recommended!!!...

Wife and I grabbed a quick dinner at The Tav while visiting Ellensburg. It was a cool little place for sure. Seems to be a hot spot, so we wanted to try it out. The food was what you'd expect from a tavern. It wasn't bad, but I was not amazed by it. It was basic bar food. My wife ordered a Washington Apple specifically either with Crown Royal Apple or Regular Crown with Apple Schnapps if they didnt have Crown Apple. According to her, it tasted like a really cheap whiskey and mostly cranberry juice. I tried it and she was totally correct. I used to bartend and I've made thousands of Washington Apples, this was MAYBE 1/4 oz of some kind of apple whiskey, lots of ice and filled with a heavy pour of cranberry. When ordered as a drink, it should have 1 oz whiskey, 1 oz Schnapps, 1 oz cranberry juice OR 1.5 oz Crown Apple and 1.5 oz cranberry. Her 1 drink cost as much as my food. So that was pretty disappointing. I had a lemonade...it was fine, but also cost about $5.00 which is kinda ridiculous for a fountain drink. I wasn't expecting much from a college town bar, but I certainly would have appreciated a little better quality for the price I paid. Will I go back? Not likely. There are better options close by for a better price. If you're freshly 21 and have no idea what things are supposed to taste like and have money to spend, by all...

I wanna say this is "Ellensburg" but there are so many other places that should include this title. I have family with names carved into the brick here. The hosts are outstanding. Arguably best customer service. Food should he priced higher (don't actually do that) but honestly bang for the buck, thier food is amazing. Best fry sauce in eburg for sure. Sandwich boards are excellent. Burgers are also excellent. Just wish they'd throw an egg on them fatty burgers. You got pool tables, video games, sports....ect. Not to blow up thier hype.....but if you want a historical/ legendary place to go in eburg that brings back the 90's feels....this is the spot. Sorry no photos, you should experience it yourself....take a walk around. Talk to the staff...the cooks are a riot, and fudge....they can make what you like. Just be nice about it and if you want it....and they have it....they'll make it, or at least try. The bartenders now; some have been there for a long long time, and some are green. Either way the standard remains the same. I don't endorse or work for this establishment, visit next door at the frontier. 90's dance bar with heavy...