The Whip Tavern handles reservations differently than The Four Dogs Tavern. Reservations to The Whip are only online. If you call up they point you to their website. But don’t worry, it’s really easy. Click here and scroll down to just below the HOURS of operation.
The Outside
There was only one way to go In and Out. In was at the front door where you would normally come in, through the restaurant and out the door to the patio. We have gotten takeout meals previously during the shutdown and the pickups are at the bar as you walk in, with tape on the floor and proper spacing. Takeout was still available, and they have signs that prohibit lingering (who would want to linger anyway nowadays?).
Out was the patio exit. If you needed something in your car, you had to mask up and exit via the patio. When you returned, you had to walk in the front door again and be escorted to your table. The only exception was if you went to the bathroom. Then you could re-enter with mask on.
They now offer a “takeout area”. It’s a roped off area in the front. This area is dedicated to those who order take out food or a drink. All you have to do is find an empty table and sit down to eat/drink. As it’s specific to takeout there is no service available, and you’ll need to do your own bussing. They do keep the tables sanitized between uses.
The Whip Tavern has some great umbrellas, but not for when you have a thunderstorm coming through. That’s why management thought it wise not to subject diners to the possibility of bad weather. In that consideration, on the original night they had planned to open, The Whip had to cancel all sit down dining service on the patio due to the weather.
So basically the night we went was their actual first night open for dining.
The Experience
They “whisked” us through the restaurant to the patio within a minute of our arrival. It was segragated to avoid any confusion, and to create a clear walkway.
Shortly after we were seated, we were warmly greeted by our server, Sarah.
We let her and management know that we were writing up the experience to share with our readers how the new dining experience is during this yellow phase. They were very intrigued about our blog and even the operating manager/owner, Casey came out to greet us. Casey let us know how they were working through the shutdown. Part of what they did during the downtime is take advantage of the opportunity and refurbished the plumbing. This may not seem like a big deal, but anyone who’s previously tried to use the bathroom knows that the pressure was on the low side. We checked it out and the pressure is not low any more!
Back to the dining experience.
Their menu is online, but they gave us a “SINGLE USE ONLY” menu for us to look at.
We noticed that all the staff were wearing gloves, and were changing them out frequently. Once they were done with one table, servers put on a new pair of gloves.
The Meal
We decided on the Crispy Brussels for an appetizer.
Branden brought out the Brussels and asked us a little about the blog. He in turn gave us a little history on the property. Apparently the original building was used as a blacksmithery for the King Farm. Then he told us his grandmother ran the next business, the Springdell Deli from 1971 to 1991. The Springdell Deli held the original liquor license which was good for serving beer and cider only.
For the main course, I had the Fish and Chips, and Dianne ordered the Short Rib Bolognese. Both were perfectly prepared and delicious.
We were originally going to skip desert until Sarah told us about the Grapefruit Cheesecake. As always, I couldn’t resist! Dianne was so intrigued herself that she took her slice out of the original before we took pictures! The cheesecake had just enough flavor of grape fruit, but not too much. Perfectly balanced.
Nature at its Finest
Being an open outside patio, there is always an opportunity for wildlife. There were maybe 1-2 birds flying around while we were there, but there near the end was a frog on the patio. Amanda “Murph” Murphy, aka “the frog rescuer” cupped the frog and gently moved it outside the patio close to the stream nearby.
The Wrap Up
As you may be have been able to tell by this post, our experience was very positive! All the staff were eager to please and do whatever it takes as they go through their re-opening process. The food was “cooked to perfection” and was spot on.
It’s no wonder that The Whip Tavern is such a popular place!