Kingsley Tavern — Restaurant in Kent

I rely on honest, thoughtful reviews to decide which places to try. I read most, deciphering bogus reviews, from those by seemingly impossible patrons. In the case of the Kingsley Tavern, the bad reviews resonated with me far more than the good, and our experience mirrored specific details others wrote about. The sandwich board chalk sign stating abruptly that the front door isn't the entrance, to use the ramp could be written in a more inviting way. If it appears I'm nit-picking let me say I wouldn't mention trivial details, but the entire experience was abysmal, so I'm including it all. You enter the side door to stand immediately next the both restrooms where there is a vacant hostess stand. I was super friendly knowing we didn't have a reservation when a girl came over. Before she could answer, an authoritative looking guy interjected and right in front of us says, "Walk-in? Uh, no." Then turns to me to say, "I won't have a table until 7:30", which was an hour's wait. We decided the wait wasn't bad and that we'd peruse the gift shops. He said we could shop at Fife and Drum, "But don't eat there". How unprofessional! Turns out, he's just one of the wait staff, and an arrogant one at that. We were seated & the server took our drink order: Unsweetened tea w/o lemon & Diet Coke w/ lemon. She asked how I wanted it. Confused, I asked, "the Diet Coke w/ lemon?" She thought I asked for Kettle One. So she brought the drinks. Iced tea WITH lemon & diet coke with LIME. The menu borders on obnoxious w/ min. oyster orders for cocktail sized oysters at jumbo prices, to odd flavor combinations & ridiculously overpriced sandwiches, burgers, & entrees. They can call them any kind of frites they want, but they're glorified FF no matter the overpriced, pretentious topping they try to upsell. The menu says bread is available upon request for $2 per person. Laughable. Our order was a cup of clam chowder, BLFGT, & French Dip. Clam chowder doesn't come w/ crackers, & I wasn't going to find out they'd be $2. It might be b/c there aren't any clams in the clam chowder. It was tasty, but you can't taste anything but overpowering bacon mixed w/ potatoes. It should be called Bacon Potato Soup. The French Dip was so overcooked & dry it was chewy. There wasn't a drip of juice on the plate - see pics. Why is there Veal in the dipping sauce; to justify the $24 price? Who can ruin a basic BLT? This place can! The bacon is so thick & tough, my jaw was cracking trying to chew it. It totally obliterated any semblance of fried green tomato flavor. It was no more than a $26 bacon slab sandwich that resembled Chinese spare rib meat & tasted like it was doused in liquid smoke. Our drinks sat empty w/ no refill & we were checked on once. She was friendly enough, but it seems everyone shares responsibilities which explains why it took 20min for another person to ask if I wanted my food wrapped. Another ten minutes before our server came out with a tray of glassware, then show up to ask if we wanted anything else. They walk around with bulky gadgets in their back pocket to process your payment at the table, standing there while you input your tip, automatically generated at 25%, 20%, or 18% calculated with the tax included. You don't tip on tax. You tip on what was served. The process is impersonal, invasive & uncomfortable especially knowing that for the first time in all the years I've dined out, we gave 15%. Bad service still gets 20%, and good or great gets 25% or more. I worked in food service, so I appreciate the work. When we asked if a receipt would come out, she said, "No, I'll have to walk over to the printer to get it. So, you want a copy of your receipt?" We said, Yes, and when she returned, she didn't even say thank you for the 15%, which the receipt calculated as 12% because of the tax. How obtrusive. Maybe the locals love this place, I don't know, but not only do I not see the appeal, I found it pretentious, over-rated, over-priced, and lacking any mitigating factor to justify the price point or disjointed flavor...

We are frequent customers of Kingsley Tavern and can't speak highly enough about the quality of the food, the caring service (shout out to Tony, Amanda and the team) and the overall comfortable vibe of the experience. There are so many highlights on the menu but its the specials that are, indeed, special. Most of the time we order the fish special, although when its chilly out there is always something warming and filling on the specials menu. The portions are excellent, sometimes bordering on too much (but always tasty). Sleeper pick off the main menu: avocado tacos (my son orders this every time, its his favorite - deep fried avocado with all the fixings - it is truly excellent, maybe more so than my description). The bar is exceptionally well stocked and creative, excellent spirits list and creative wine list. In the springtime/summer and fall, there is nothing more pleasant than sitting outside on the porch or in the courtyard. Bravo,...

A great brunch spot. The menu boasts a mixture of traditional and somewhat adventurous dishes. The four times we've been there the food has been great: you can tell all ingredients are fresh and the portions are pleasantly healthy.

The restaurant is clean and has a cozy and reasonably quiet atmosphere, even when busy. I love that they don't pack the tables so close together that you're virtually eating with strangers. Above all the service is exceptional. The waitstaff are highly professional but still open and friendly.

Definitely worth a visit.

Update: After coming here 5+ years updating this review to an easy 5 stars. The experience is consistently excellent. All the staff (bartenders/servers/host/bus/kitchen) are amazing. Tons of locally sourced ingredients. The food always tastes wonderfully fresh, the beer is always beautifully cold, the cocktails are imaginative and delicious. Best menu and dining experience in NW...