Iron Horse Tavern — Restaurant in Morgantown

Let’s start with this, I’ve ate at Iron Horse regularly since moving to Morgantown in 2017. It’s always been one of my favorites, a staple in Morgantown for me. I loved when they had they location at the UTC and was sadden by their closure. This past Monday my husband and I were celebrating our anniversary and we wanted to eat somewhere local, per usual. So we decided on Iron Horse out of all of our local options at varying price points.

We ordered drinks, they were out of the ingredients for a Nuts and Berries so we each just got a beer, which took a while to get and finally our waitress returned with them and took our appetizer order.

Eventually our “Fresh Fried Chips” came, we both took a bite and they were cold and stale to the point they were chewy. We flagged down our waitress because she was less than attentive and she said “they aren’t typically served hot”, which is funny because I’ve never had them cold, but okay. She took the cold chips, said she would take them off our check and never gave me an opportunity to order what was going to be my “side” with my appetizer of fried pierogies I ordered for a meal since they had already sold out of the special. She also never asked if we would want anything else instead of the cold chips.. Our waitress then never returned until our food was brought out. Our drinks sitting empty all the while. I attempted several times to get her attention politely to order my “side” as she speeded off to collect checks from empty tables, because the host was cleaning them. She finally asked if I would like another drink when she delivered our food and I ordered a side of fries to go with my pierogies because I figured it would be the fastest thing to get.

We were seated for over an hour and a half by the time we finally cashed out, it was to the point our meter was running out of time and we told her that. Only one new table had sat down the entire time we were seated. We were very disappointed in our experience this time to say the least. My husband said his wings and Brussel sprouts were...

As someone who would always prefer a locally owned restaurant over a national chain, Iron Horse has been my favorite place in Morgantown to dine out since I moved here 7 years ago. I have eaten in several times a year and my boyfriend and I have been ordering takeout monthly or more since the pandemic started. I have tried many items on the menu, and I’ve never been disappointed. But as happens when you done somewhere regularly, I have my favorites.

My go-to dishes have been the Dixie Cobb Salad and the Carmelized Brussels Sprouts. I LOVE the seasoned panko breading on the Dixie chicken, because it is different than the standard breaded chicken tenders that one can get everywhere else. Imagine my surprise when I ordered my regular favorites this summer and got regular old breaded chicken tenders on my salad. And then it happened again. And again. So I asked and was told that you have changed the recipe, and this salad now comes with breaded chicken tenders with no option for the panko. I am soooo disappointed.

I am also disappointed that the Brussels sprouts recipe has changed. The previous Carmelized Brussels sprouts recipe was fantastic and was another item that we have ordered repeatedly. The bacon chunks and gooey melted cheese made for a fantastic dish. The new Brussels sprouts recipe is just ok. I’ve tried it, and I probably won’t order it again. The Gorgonzola doesn’t melt into a gooey mess and doesn’t have the right flavor to complement the other ingredients.

So, now I’m left to study your menu and find another item to be my new go-to. But really, I just want the panko fried chicken and carmelized Brussels with bacon and...

I am hesitant to write negative reviews, but my recent experience necessitates it. I have been here many times. The food is excellent, the atmosphere is great. Service can be a little slow but that’s ok it’s a laid back place that’s great for conversation so keep that in mind. Unfortunately, my last 2 visits I encountered the same hostess both times. To say she was extremely rude, both times, is an understatement. Fortunately she was the only negative part of the experience, but I have given 2 stars because first impressions are the most important when someone comes in to spend money in your establishment. She was rude enough that I probably won’t return for a while hoping she is no longer employed there at some point in the future. A party of 4 that is easy going and willing to sit anywhere shouldn’t cause such stress and discomfort for a hostess. She literally skipped our party twice, and then when I asked to be seated next decided that was a good time to stick her hand in my face and tell me to wait my turn. There were no other parties waiting to be seated. She brought us waters with no ice, refused to make eye contact, didn’t respond to our thank you, and when one of our party asked if they had Coke or Pepsi products proceeded to let us know she wasn’t the waitress. A very nasty start to an experience that turned out to be great with a fantastic server and great food. Whoever is running the front of house, please make a change or offer this lady some training or tips on how not to just greet customers, but actually be nice to customers. Hopefully this won’t be the next experience. This restaurant really is one of the best...