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Introduction
Downtown Winchester is home to the beloved restaurant Black Horse Tavern. This establishment serves classic pub food: Burgers, chicken tenders, soda floats, etc. The eatery appeared to be well-liked among residents in and outside of Winchester. When it comes to in-person discussions, McCall students have expressed approval and appreciation for this restaurant. However, online, scathing reviews have recently been surfacing.
What Are The Statistics?
On the popular review website Yelp, customers of Black Horse Tavern are not happy. As of January 24th, 2025, the business has received nearly as many 1-star reviews as 5 stars. Additionally, the establishment has more 1-star reviews than 3 or 2 star reviews. This is very concerning. It clearly shows that many customers have an overwhelming opposition to the restaurant.
On a more positive note, the largest category of ratings for Black Horse Tavern is still 4 stars. The runner-up rating is 5 stars. Those good scorings do not prevent the mediocre average of 3.1 stars that this restaurant now has, though.
Above: A screenshot of Black Horse Tavern's star ratings on Yelp. (Taken January 24th, 2025.)
What Do The Reviewers Say?
Although it is sad that this restaurant is receiving negative reviews, we should consider to the reviewers' side of the story. Here are some examples of things that Yelp reviewers have pointed out.
Most recently, on January 18th, 2025, a Yelp reviewer who left 1-star said that a balding bartender was rude to customers. They described the food as "average but overrated." The review wrapped up with the announcement that Black Horse Tavern should get new management. It should be noted that this review had terrible grammar and spelling, and looks like it was done hastily. The user probably pushed their comments to the extreme.
On November 4th, 2024, another 1-star-giving Yelp reviewer complained that they had ordered and paid for a $100 e-certificate from Black Horse Tavern a while ago, and could not figure out where it was or how to redeem it. They were told by the staff they would work on the issue and call them back, but had not received a call. This comment seems to be more focused on whoever is managing the money at Black Horse Tavern, and it feels cruel to target the restaurant itself so directly. The entire review does not even mention Black Horse Tavern’s food. Nevertheless, it is another stain on the eatery’s reputation.
On March 26th, 2024, a brief 2-star reviewer described the restaurant's atmosphere as "ok." They expressed worry about the quality of Black Horse Tavern's fish, and regretted not notifying the board of health about it. The review was concluded with the reviewer lamenting the lack of local options in "this area."
The majority of negative online reviews mention the apparent worsening in the food's quality over the years, lack of parking, and disinterested or rude waiters. Another undeniable appears to be Black Horse Tavern's long wait time for restaurant seating. It can go on for hours, and is very inconvenient.
So, Does It Deserve These Reviews?
Black Horse Tavern is certainly a popular restaurant. There is a reason that it has such a long wait time; many people want to go there! A great deal of diners find the food comforting and classic. Besides, it is one of the more affordable and convenient restaurants in downtown Winchester. Although the food isn’t cheap, it isn’t as pricey as many other places. For instance, at Kyu Ramen, the ramen place that just opened up downtown, meals are 20-30 dollars per person. At Black Horse Tavern, an adult’s meal normally will be priced under $20.
Additionally, based on the quality of some of the reviews that were left on Yelp, not everyone giving this establishment a 1 or 2 star rating has done it completely reasonably or sensibly. Certain writers rushed through their reviews, leaving 1-star ratings after describing their meal as being “average!” Those two descriptions do not line up. Other people left bad ratings for issues like lack of parking in the area. Although that affects a restaurant's quality somewhat, it seems a little harsh to score 2 stars when the drawback is not the business's fault.
Personally, I love Black Horse Tavern as a restaurant. I get take-out there often, and consider those chicken tenders to be the best in the area. Black Horse Tavern's brussels sprouts are also notably good. The restaurant's atmosphere is especially lovely, especially towards the end of summer. Everybody is entitled to their own opinions, but in my opinion, Black Horse Tavern is a restaurant worth visiting.
Conclusion
In the end, the reviews do show that Black Horse Tavern has some flaws. The restaurant has undeniably limited seating, the prices are slightly high, and staff members have allegedly been rude in the past. However, the scathing reviews left online have to be taken with a grain of salt. Reviewers sometimes speak out extremely if they are in a bad mood. Besides, it is highly possible that Black Horse Tavern has had bad days in the past, but is still ready to provide us all with many more good ones. These negative reviews do not change the fact that Black Horse Tavern is a popular restaurant, and that scores of customers have been enjoying it for years.
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